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16 Restaurants With Action At The Bar
A guide to spots with good food, a fun atmosphere, and bar seating where you can get a solo meal or meet friends.
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Frog Club
It’s almost impossible to get a table at this secretive West Village restaurant. And that’s for the best.
Royal Crown
Royal Crown on Staten Island is part restaurant, part bakery, and part deli, where you can pick up a vodka chicken parm hero.
Apropos
Apropos sits high on a hill overlooking the Hudson River, in a former convent that was reinvented as a luxury boutique hotel.
The Inn At Pound Ridge
The Inn at Pound Ridge became an instant hotspot among the three-car-garage crowd when it opened a decade ago, and the buzz hasn’t worn off since.
Ray's
Come to the Greenpoint location of this fancy dive bar to play pool and drink espresso martinis.
Goosefeather
Goosefeather is a Hong Kong-style Cantonese barbeque and noodle place set in a manor house on an estate in Tarrytown.
Nobu 57
As you’d expect from a glitzy worldwide chain, Nobu 57 is expensive and touristy. It’s also kind of fun, and the food hits the spot.
Café Chelsea
The latest, liveliest spot at the Chelsea Hotel, Cafe Chelsea is an art deco brasserie with prime people-watching.
Principe
The rare, exciting restaurant in Soho, Principe offers Italian-leaning seafood, plentiful chandeliers, and prime trendspotting opportunities.
Anaïs Wine Bar
Anaïs is a natural wine bar where you can read early edition feminist erotica in Boerum Hill.
Fanelli Cafe
A classic Soho restaurant experiencing a sceney renaissance, Fanelli is the perfect place to eat a sandwich while wearing tiny sunglasses.
ElNico
With impressive views, cocktails and Mexican food, this rooftop bar in Williamsburg is a triple threat.
Enzo's of Arthur Avenue
This huge red sauce joint is among the best on Arthur Avenue. Go with a group, and get a bunch of pastas.
K'Far
K'Far is an all-day Israeli restaurant at the Hoxton hotel in Williamsburg. Come by for sandwiches and pastries during the day or a full dinner at night.
Prince Coffee House
Hanging out at this busy Turkish coffee shop on Arthur Ave. feels like you're in a cafe in Europe. Feel free to linger for a while.
Corner Bar
Corner Bar is an upscale American bistro in a Lower East Side hotel where you can eat steak au poivre and oysters Rockefeller.
Bohemian Spirit
Bohemian Spirit is a restaurant in an old Czech American cultural center. Stop by to eat Czech comfort food and learn some drinking songs.
Cucina Alba
Cucina Alba is a sceney restaurant in Chelsea that wants to make you feel like you're on holiday in Italy. It's a pretty space, but the food is just OK.
KGB Bar
KGB Bar is a divey Soviet-themed bar in the East Village that hosts readings for the local literary scene.