Great local bars

Descend into The Django and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. The subterranean jazz club, with its vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, was modeled after the boîtes of Paris. The venue consists of two cocktail bars, open dining space and a stage for live performances with the ne plus ultra: a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. The Django has become a place to call home for musicians and audiences alike. Providing opportunities for rising stars, seasoned performers, and eager audiences to enjoy a range of jazz music 7 nights a week complemented by a hand-crafted cocktail program by award-winning mixologist Natasha David and an elevated dinner menu.

There's little not to love about a place that knows how to do bread and circuses with this much panache. When the drinks are flowing and the band is playing, the Django is sheer magic, a fever pitch party as Gatsby had dreamt it: inhibitions melting into the dark night, revelers dancing in candlelit corners, bright smiles flickering in flame.

This upscale Irish-American sports bar delivers an unmatched game-day atmosphere. With 44 TVs, four projector screens and immersive surround sound, every seat is the best in the house. The diverse menu features craveable bar bites, hearty entrées and 50 beers on tap, and special event menus for occasions like the Super Bowl and St. Patrick’s Day make The Keg Room a great spot to celebrate. With spacious seating, a 100-foot bar and a lively, welcoming vibe, it’s ideal for every kind of gathering, from large groups and corporate events to a casual night out with friends. Next game day—or whenever the mood strikes for a memorable night out—The Keg Room is the place to be.

This stylish spot draws downtown denizens for sunset cocktails, hearty bites and friendly games of pool. The oyster happy hour can't be beat, with $2 oysters and $5 beers, jazz enthusiasts can revel in a rotating lineup of NYC’s finest jazz talent seven nights a week, no cover charge. Plush seating and thoughtful design set the stage for a memorable night out and the well-balanced menu of seasonal American fare caters to every palate, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options served by warm, knowledgeable staff. The Grand Sunday Brunch Buffet—Tribeca's favorite prix fixe accompanied by live music—features a spread that’s impossible to resist.

Combining uptown elegance with downtown edge, Club Room is the perfect date-night spot in Soho. Inside, you'll find a bar room with art deco-era, hand-painted peacock walls and a parlor room with a main stage, disco ball and 18-foot mirrored ceilings. Open Wednesday through Saturday night, Club Room has live jazz from a rotating cast of New York’s most talented artists (ranging from avant-garde pianists to eclectic jazz duos) and a classic supper menu with caviar service.

Step into the golden era of Italy’s disco scene at Bar Bonobo. It’s a throwback to the 70s, with retro Italian design infused with contemporary aesthetics. Bar Bonobo puts a modern twist on the design features of a classic aperitivo bar, creating a distinctive Italian vibe. The menu focuses on martinis and aperitifs, supplemented by an extensive cocktail list.

At Bisou Wine Bar in West Soho, New York, you'll find a well-curated and concise wine list that any wine lover would appreciate. And for those that don't know what to try, the friendly staff are happy to make recommendations. There are small plates like baked brie, main courses like mushroom risotto, and snacks to enjoy in a lounge-like atmosphere that makes for the perfect spot for aperitivo with a group of friends or a first date. Bisou Wine Bar is open late every night, so stop by for an evening bite or after-dinner drinks. 

Head to Barcode for a unique cocktail, tapas and dessert bar—yes, you read that right! Each of their focus items have their own bar concepts to craft a totally unique dining and drinking experience. Explore their rare whiskey collection alongside upscale cocktail creations while snacking on Western and Asian inspired bites. Check out their Instagram for more information!

Keeping a dive bar—and even a beloved one—alive in New York isn’t easy: Just look at the recent demises of Milady’s, Winnie’s and Mars Bar (RIP). Which makes the phoenixlike rebirth of Holiday Cocktail Lounge—a six-decade-old East Village mainstay whose barstools have seen the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Joey Ramone and Sinatra—such a head-scratching anomaly. Three years after the bar shuttered its dinted metal doors following the sale of the building, the saloon has been given a new lease on life, thanks to Pirate’s Booty founder Robert Ehrlich and La Palapa owner Barbara Sibley. And though the place has been spruced up—duct-taped booths traded for green banquettes, neon beer signs for gold sconces—the joint hasn’t been scrubbed clean of its charm.

ORDER THIS: While $5 Genesees survived the refurbishing, the cocktail list has been reworked courtesy of barman brothers Michael and Danny Neff (Ward III and Extra Fancy, respectively). The I Know You Are… ($13) is a standout, a smooth mescal swill with a slow burn of peppercorn-infused Cointreau. For something lighter, opt for the Mortally Afraid of Madam ($13), a creamy whiskey concoction tinged with Avuá Amburana cachaça and frothed with egg white.

GOOD FOR: Holiday virgins and veterans alike. Frequenters of the original will breathe easy seeing that the battered red awning, wooden phone booth and signature horseshoe bar remain. Beneath a restored harem-girl mural, dating back to the 1920s when the bar was known as Ali Baba Burlesque, dressed-down groups in their twenties and thirties convene over drinks at the back tables, the din of laughter regularly overtaking the ’80s deep cuts spilling from the speakers.

THE CLINCHER: “Honestly, we’re a hybrid between a cocktail lounge and a dive bar,” says a smiling waiter somewhat sheepishly. And he’s right—the prices are a few bucks higher and the drinks given more thought, but there’s not a speck of pretense to be found in the place. And there’s still East Village zaniness in spades: A recent night hosted a cards-slinging magician wearing nothing but a shiny red Speedo. The gleam-over-grit revamp—while still keeping the bar’s DNA intact—allows for an even broader crowd, which is exactly what a dive is all about. Holiday, celebrate.

Five and Dime is located within the lobby of the iconic Woolworth Building and serves as a coffee bar by day and cocktail hotspot by night. Stop in for happy hour on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 7pm for discounted drinks or on Tuesdays for live opera music.

Here at Time Out, we love a name that throws you off. Whatever you think Swingers is gonna be, we promise you that’s not it. This Swingers club is of the crazy golf kind. (Get it?). If you’re no more enlightened, crazy golf is a British term for mini-golf with a little more edge—think wild routes, obstacles, windmills and more. Swingers opened its first club in London, and is now a hit in D.C. 

Their new NYC lcation, Swingers NoMad, is located beneath the Virgin Hotel at 29th Street and Broadway. But it’s not just the golf that will make you say ‘Oh yeah!’—the venue is serving up authentic cocktails, premium spirits, beers and wine, as well as a whole array of street food. Choose from Sauce Pizzeria, serving up classic New York thin crust pies from vodka and pepperoni, Tacos Fonda’s punchy Mexican, and Emmy Squared Burger which is a concept by Emmy Squared Pizza that is exclusive to Swingers. There’s even Mah Ze Dahr bakery to get your cookies and ice cream fix after. Oh, and there’s a DJ.