It’s New York, so of course its cocktail scene is one of the best in the world, and right now it’s buzzing: Sip & Guzzle was just named The Best Bar in North America 2026! Whether you’re into sleek rooftops, glamorous lounges, or cozy speakeasies, there’s something here for every type of drinker.
Sip & Guzzle, Greenwich Village
Say hello to the newest star of the New York bar scene! Sip & Guzzle, on Cornelia Street, was named The Best Bar in North America 2026 by North America’s 50 Best Bars, climbing from number five last year. It’s two bars under one roof, with Guzzle upstairs and Sip downstairs, each with its own drink and food menus. Guzzle is the lively, easygoing one, led by Steve Schneider of Employees Only, and it’s perfect for Japanese beers, highballs, and playful classics like the Saketini. Sip is the more intimate, more polished room, led by Shingo Gokan of SG Club in Tokyo. Come try both and see which mood suits you best!
Overstory, Financial District
Perched on the 64th floor of 70 Pine Street, Overstory gives you a wraparound terrace and 360-degree views of the city skyline. Bar director Harrison Ginsberg’s menu is artfully curated, with earthy, herbal flavors and thoughtful local ingredients. The signature Terroir Old Fashioned is made with tequila and salt that the team harvests themselves in Queens! It’s number 33 on this year’s North America’s 50 Best Bars list, and it’s perfect for sipping a Negroni while the sun dips below the horizon.
Read More: Best Rooftop Bars Around the World
Tigre, Lower East Side
Head to Rivington Street on the Lower East Side and you’ll find one ferocious wild animal, Tigre. It comes from the folks who created Maison Premiere, another fabulous bar (number 40 on this year’s list!), and it’s pure glamour: gold walls, golden mirrors, velvet banquettes embroidered with tigers, and a horseshoe bar with a champagne island in the middle. The martinis are the stars, and you can order yours by ratio, anywhere from 4:1 to 16:1. Grab a super chill Martini and Bogie and Bacall might just slide into the booth beside you! Reserve ahead, because seats go fast.
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Bemelmans Bar, Upper East Side
A true classic. Bemelmans Bar lives inside the gorgeous Carlyle Hotel, wrapped in hand-painted murals by Ludwig Bemelmans, the illustrator behind the Madeline books, with a black granite bar and a gold leaf ceiling. Add the live piano music and it’s so iconic that it hardly matters how the cocktails are! (But don’t worry, they’re lovely too!)
Dante, Greenwich Village
The original Caffe Dante opened on Macdougal Street in 1915, and since it reopened in 2015 this Italian-inspired aperitivo bar has become a New York favorite. It was even named the World’s Best Bar in 2019! Known for its Negroni variations, with a whole page of them on the menu, Dante merges historic charm with modern cocktail artistry. It’s the perfect place for a daytime spritz or an evening out with friends.
Read More: How to Make the Negroni
Attaboy, Lower East Side
You are in the stuff of history books. Attaboy sits where Milk & Honey once was, and there is no one better to have taken over than Sam Ross, the inventor of the Penicillin cocktail as well as many others, together with Michael McIlroy. Don’t come looking for a menu, because there isn’t one! Everything is bespoke and tailored to each guest’s preferences. Simply tell the bartenders your mood or favorite flavors, and they’ll create something magical! Attaboy is back on the North America’s 50 Best Bars list this year at number 37.
Read More: How to Make the Penicillin
Double Chicken Please, Lower East Side
Guess what they sell in the front? Yep, chicken sandwiches! But Double Chicken Please wouldn’t have been named the Best Bar in North America in 2023 if that was all it did. The front room serves low-ABV cocktails on draft, while the back room makes experimental drinks inspired by dishes like cold pizza and mango sticky rice. Be prepared to be blown away. It’s all as bold and experimental as you can imagine, and it’s still on this year’s list at number 35!
Dead Rabbit, Financial District
The legendary Dead Rabbit, the Irish bar on Water Street famous for its Irish Coffee, is now in its second decade. Even as the grand-dad of the group, it keeps on evolving! The traditional taproom downstairs and the cocktail parlor upstairs give you two moods in one building, and the award-winning drinks menu pays homage to its Irish roots, but the cocktails are anything but old-fashioned. It’s a lively spot with top-tier drinks.
Read More: 21 Prettiest Bars in the World
Death & Co, East Village
It’s crazy that East Village staple Death & Co opened on New Year’s Eve 2006 and is still rocking it. This bar helped kickstart the modern craft cocktail movement, and it continues to be a standard-bearer. Be sure to try one of their signature drinks or trust the bartenders to craft something unique. The menu is huge, but you’ll have all the time in the world to try their cocktails, because they are not going anywhere!
Katana Kitten, West Village
Masa Urushido leads Katana Kitten on Hudson Street, creating a fusion of Japanese izakaya culture and New York’s vibrant cocktail scene. Everything is done with such precision and technique. The menu is divided into highballs, cocktails, and boilermakers (yes, with beer!), plus there is always a “little refreshment” designed to ease you into the other cocktails of the night. You will never believe you are not in Tokyo!
Which Bar for Which Mood
- Skyline views: Overstory
- A glamorous date night: Tigre
- Old New York charm: Bemelmans Bar and Dante
- Craft cocktail history: Death & Co and Attaboy
- Playful and inventive: Double Chicken Please
- Japanese-inspired: Sip & Guzzle and Katana Kitten
- Tequila, mezcal, and a party: Superbueno
- Irish warmth: Dead Rabbit
Quick Questions
What is the best bar in New York right now? Sip & Guzzle, in Greenwich Village, was named The Best Bar in North America 2026 by North America’s 50 Best Bars. New York had 13 bars on this year’s list, so you’re in good hands wherever you land!
Which New York bar has the best view? Overstory, on the 64th floor of 70 Pine Street, with a wraparound terrace and 360-degree skyline views.
Where can I try a Penicillin in New York? Attaboy, which Sam Ross owns with Michael McIlroy, in the same space where Milk & Honey once stood. Ross created the Penicillin at Milk & Honey in 2005.
Don’t Miss: The Best Bars of London’s Soho
London has a Soho as well as New York, Soho is not only the best area in London to drink! Discover the best places to drink in London’s South Kensington and Chelsea, plus tips on what to drink at each!
Read Next: Best Bars in London’s Soho
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