Ray's

Ray’s looks like the kind of place where the main character in a 1980s movie would get into a bar fight. This fight would obviously involve at least one pool cue, and at the end, the protagonist would have a beer and attempt to treat a black eye with a raw steak. That’s just the feeling we get when we see the jukebox, disco ball, red vinyl bar stools, and wood-paneled walls. Despite its appearance, Ray’s is actually very new, and, while there is a pool table, fighting is not allowed here. Instead, you come to this little LES bar to drink, talk, and possibly meet someone who you might one day introduce to your parents. This place gets very busy, but if you can grab one of the tables along the walls, it’s currently one of the best spots to hang out on the Lower East Side.