From laid-back bars to serious spots for game-honing lessons, there’s a pool hall in NYC that fulfills your needs
Shooting billiards at a pool hall in NYC is a worthwhile pastime for most New Yorkers—or, at least, it’s a surefire way to make drinking seem somewhat constructive. And since chugging brewskies at beer bars can be sort of, er, uneventful, it’s nice to know that there are so many drinking dens with games in NYC to keep us entertained. While some of the best bars come equipped with pinball machines or board games nowadays, the number of venues with pool tables—particularly in Manhattan—has been steadily dwindling for years. Luckily, we’ve assembled a list of the best pool halls in town, so when you feel like chalking up a cue stick, you’ll know where to take a dive.
A vast majority of this 11,000-square-feet upscale locale is blanketed in plush and ornate carpeting—a nice compliment to the pristine and velvety green of its 25 Brunswick pool tables. If you find yourself getting hustled, take a break, grab a seat at its lengthy zinc bar and treat yourself to a swanky cocktail made with some esoteric liquor (the booze selection is endless).
In 2006, this pool hall opened its doors in West Midtown with a Far East kick: K-town. Space Billiards’ modish interior is (barely) lit with a mixture of red paper lanterns and strings of bead-like bulbs that glow neon, which only add to the spot’s unique aesthetic: a bizarre collision of South Beach vibes, K-pop style and barstool athletics. Weird maybe, but, hey, it works!
As one of the city’s best sports bars, this unpretentious spot is a solid choice for noshing on chicken wings, sipping draft suds, or watching whatever game is playing on one of the haunt's numerous high-def TVs. Tastefully exposed brick and vintage videogames give this spot major “cool” bonus points, as do the rambling tentacles of industrial-looking AC ducts, which line the 12-foot ceilings.
You might call Society Billiards professional grade: it’s got pro-level Diamond Tables, an onsite club pro and a pro shop. But don’t be daunted, as the crowd and staff alike tend to be friendly, and both are scattered with gems in the form of Lebowski-level stone-cold chillers and diamonds in the relative rough of pool-shooting culture. If you’re going to order a drink, we recommend the 50/50 Margarita, with half Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila and half Amaras Verde Mezcal.
They don’t make ‘em like this anymore (probably because Health and Safety would shut ‘em down). West Village hangout Cellar Dog (formerly the Fat Cat) is a basement bar and pool hall where the sofas are scruffy, the drinks are cheap, the billiards tables are first-come, first-served, and the ambience is all-around jovial. There’s live jazz every night, and performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays go until 2am!
There’s a lot going on here—billiards, food, big-screen TVs and incredibly loud deejayed music. The open space is beautifully designed, but on Friday and Saturday nights, the supermixed crowd manages to fill it to overflowing. Cue up at one of the 33 pool tables and swig your drink between shots—you’ll probably play better.
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