New York · best-of list
The 18 Best Bars & Cafés in New York
All 18 bars & cafés our route editors picked in New York, across 10 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
18 bars & cafés in New York, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Seneca Lake 5 picks
Fox Run Vineyards
Seneca Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Lakeside winery in a restored dairy barn, with a café for lunch.
Photo: Fox Run Vineyards · Google
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
Seneca Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Pioneering 1979 Riesling estate on the west shore, one of the region's top producers.
Tip: Book a seated tasting on weekends.
Photo: Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard · Google
Ravines Wine Cellars
Seneca Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Dry Riesling and cabernet franc specialist with a Geneva tasting room.
Photo: Ravines Wine Cellars · Google
Silver Thread Winegarden
Seneca Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Wine tastings and seated wine-and-food pairings in the former Dano's farmhouse above Seneca Lake.
Tip: Open Thu-Mon 12-6; groups of 7+ need a reservation.
Photo: Silver Thread Vineyard & Winegarden · Google
Wagner Vineyards & Ginny Lee Café
Seneca Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
East-shore winery and brewery with a café deck overlooking the lake.
Photo: Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery · Google
Keuka Lake 3 picks
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
Keuka Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Founding vinifera winery of the Finger Lakes, with Riesling and Rkatsiteli above the lake.
Photo: Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery · Google
Heron Hill Winery
Keuka Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Hillside tasting room with wide views down the lake.
Photo: Heron Hill Winery · Google
Keuka Spring Vineyards
Keuka Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Small family winery on the east shore with a relaxed porch tasting.
Photo: Keuka Spring Vineyards · Google
Beacon 2 picks
Bank Square Coffeehouse
Beacon · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Coffeehouse on the corner of Main Street and Route 9D.
Photo: MKA_90 · Google
Hudson Valley Brewery
Beacon · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Brewery known for sour IPAs, with a taproom in an old factory.
Photo: Hudson Valley Brewery · Google
Ithaca 2 picks
Ithaca Beer Co.
Ithaca · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Local brewery taproom with wood-fired food and the Flower Power IPA.
Photo: Kevin Markman · Google
Sheldrake Point Winery
Ithaca · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Lakeside Cayuga winery known for Riesling and ice wine.
Photo: Sheldrake Point Winery · Google
Brooklyn 1 pick
Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Williamsburg brewery taproom pouring its lager and seasonal beers.
Tip: New flagship at 1 Wythe Ave with rooftop bar and kitchen; check hours as it ramps up.
Photo: Brooklyn Brewery · Google
Hudson 1 pick
Hudson Valley Distillers
Hudson · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Farm distillery in a restored barn making applejack and gin.
Photo: Hudson Cocktail Company/Hudson Valley Distillers · Google
Manhattan 1 pick
The Dead Rabbit
Manhattan · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Irish pub and cocktail parlor in the Financial District, known for its Irish coffee.
Tip: Ground-floor taproom is walk-in; upstairs parlor fills on weekends.
Photo: loustejskal.com · CC BY 2.0
Midtown Manhattan 1 pick
Bemelmans Bar
Midtown Manhattan · On our New York New Year's Eve route
Piano bar in the Carlyle hotel, with murals by Madeline author Ludwig Bemelmans and live music every night.
Tip: Expect a cover charge once the music starts.
Photo: Ɱ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Museum Mile 1 pick
Sant Ambroeus Madison Avenue
Museum Mile · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Milanese cafe for espresso and pastries a few blocks from the Met.
Tip: Stand at the bar for a quick espresso.
Photo: Sant Ambroeus Madison · Google
New York City 1 pick
The Campbell
New York City · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Restored 1920s office of a tycoon, now a cocktail bar inside Grand Central.
Photo: The Campbell · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the bars & cafés in New York?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 18 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of New York has the most bars & cafés on this list?
Seneca Lake has the most (5 of 18), followed by Keuka Lake (3) and Beacon (2).
More lists for New York
Best bars & cafés nearby
Destinations on this list
- Seneca Lake 5 on this list
- Keuka Lake 3 on this list
- Beacon 2 on this list
- Ithaca 2 on this list
- Brooklyn 1 on this list
- Hudson 1 on this list
- Manhattan 1 on this list
- Midtown Manhattan 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.