The Best New NYC Bars of 2014

From makeshift tasting rooms to bourbon-fueled BBQ joints, here's where you'll be breaking all your New Year's resolutions.

Chris Schonberger

It’s a testament to how spoiled we are as drinkers that 2014 felt like a relatively subdued year in bar openings. There wasn’t a breakout trend like tiki or amaro to rally behind, or a game-changing beer bar to rattle the ground beneath our feet (see: 2013’s Tørst).

But novelty isn’t everything, and if you look more closely, you’ll see that this was a year of maturation for the booze scene: The era of the thoughtful all-rounder bar hit its stride at spots like Boilermaker and Bar Sardine, where Negroni sippers and IPA obsessives find common ground. Fully formed cocktail dens like Nitecap and Dear Irving fired on all cylinders from day one, with pace-setting female mixologists at the helm. And the local brewing community finally realized that a tiny tasting room under the Gowanus Expressway can be just as fun as a sprawling beer hall.

These things are the new norm in New York City, and we fully support them. Instead of waiting for the next big thing, go enjoy these standout bars that remind us why NYC is one of the greatest places in the world to drink.

Written by Chris Schonberger (@cschonberger), Erin Mosbaugh (@JayBlague), Alia Akkam (@aliaakkam), Joshua M. Bernstein (@JoshMBernstein), Aaron Goldfarb (@aarongoldfarb), and Regan Hofmann (@regan_hofmann)

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Nitecap

Neighborhood: Lower East Side Address and phone: 120 Rivington St (212-466-3361) Website: nitecapnyc.com If its tipsy owl mascot wasn't your first clue, Nitecap's newspaper-like menu, "The Daily Hoot"—stuffed with boozy quotes, comic strips by "Seymour Butts," and drinking games—is here to let you know: Nitecap doesn't take itself too seriously. Which is important to spell out, because even though the dimly lit basement bar looks like any number of hyper-pretentious, arm-garter joints, the drinks themselves are nobody's joke. Partner Natasha David's massive list of original cocktails runs the gamut from night-starting spritzes to decadent last-call "Bookends," deploying old-school liqueurs, sommelier-level wines, and in-house infusions in drinks that taste smart, not showoffy. In the alleged Year of the Boilermaker, David is the only one thinking outside the beer-and-brown-liquor box. Try the Corner Office, which matches root beer flavor with bitter amaro and bourbon in the world's most fun variation on a Manhattan; Bananarac, a banana-tinged Sazerac (trust us); and anything off the "Shorties" list.—RH
Bar Sardine

Neighborhood: West Village Address and phone: 183 West 10th St (646-360-3705) Website: barsardinenyc.com It's easy to get cocky when you're on a winning streak, so you've got to hand it to hitmaker Gabe Stulman for having the self-awareness to change course when things aren't working. There was plenty to like about his Québécois-inflected izakaya, Chez Sardine—especially pork-and-unagi hand rolls and hamachi sushi with chicharrónes—but it wasn't the type of two-nights-a-week standby that Stulman's known for. His simplified remix of the space, Bar Sardine, may be his first every-night-of-the-week venture, preserving the intimate buzz of the original space while going right for the jugular of our yuppie-conditioned cravings: solid craft beers, well-priced wines, and bar food that runs the gamut from "I'm peckish on a Monday" (local burrata with radishes) and "I'm shitfaced on a Saturday" (the messy, smoked-cheddar Fedora Burger). A cast of top-notch bartenders—like Pegu Club alum Kenta Goto—turns out amusingly named drinks like What's Your Favorite John Hughes Movie? (tequila, Bordeaux blanc, graefruit juice), though our go-to tipple is the barrel-aged Boulevardier.—CS
Other Half Brewing Co. Tasting Room

Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Address and phone: 195 Centre St (347-987-3527) Website: otherhalfbrewing.com Drinking imperial stouts and world-class double IPAs a stone’s throw away from of fermentation tanks is a life-affirming feeling. Thankfully for New Yorkers, this was a breakout year for craft-brewery tasting rooms in NYC—Finback in Ridgewood, Transmitter in Long Island City, and Other Half all came onto the scene, not to mention urban brewpubs like Threes Brewing and Dirck the Norseman. The most exciting of the bunch, Other Half, sits tucked away in an industrial stretch of Carroll Gardens; it’s here that fruity, floral IPAs and well-balanced pale ales are minted in the style of West Coast gold standards. And that's not to mention the brewery’s experimental program of farmhouse ales, barrel-aged beers, and funky sours, which has upped the ante for progressive brewing in NYC.—EM
Boilermaker

Neighborhood: East Village Address and phone: 13 First Ave (212-995-5400) Website: boilermakernyc.com The ol’ shot-and-a-beer combo—destined to jumpstart the night, or send you into a dizzying tailspin of despair. The problem with this classic pairing is usually one of quality control: uniting cheap beer and even cheaper whiskey. But that's not a problem at Boilermaker, a decidedly 2014 barroom that stakes out the middle ground between cocktail and craft beer bar. Here, frou-frou secrecy is banished, replaced by affordable cocktails on draft and dependable craft beers (Green Flash, Bronx, Two Brother) sold by the pint or pitcher. As for shots, an extra $3 will staple a bolt of Kentucky-based Heaven Hill to any beer. Giddy-up.—JB
The Bonnie

Neighborhood: Astoria, Queens Address and phone: 29-12 23rd Ave Website: thebonnie.com Astorians have long lamented the dearth of proper cocktails in their craft beer-fueled ‘hood. Finally, they got what they've been waiting for this year at the sprawling, brick-walled The Bonnie. Sister hangout to the fried pickle-dispensing Sweet Afton a short walk away, its two bars are jammed nightly with an increasingly younger set of locals sipping on barman (and horticulturist) Mike Di Tota’s botanical-laden concoctions. Settle in with the smooth, bracing Bitter Truth (Cynar, Carpano Antica vermouth, lemon, grapefruit bitters), then steady yourself with toast slathered in whipped ricotta and bacon jam. Di Tota’s drink menu reveals a particular affinity for the cobbler, that refreshing, circa-1800s crushed ice tipple. The heady Madeira version, fragrant with citrus and chocolate bitters, feels like an old-fashioned reprieve when savored in the small, sexy middle room tucked away behind curtains.—AA
Fools Gold NYC

Neighborhood: Lower East Side Address and phone: 145 E Houston St (212-673-2337) Website: foolsgoldnyc.com Most weekends, we’d rather rip out our fingernails than wade into the Lower East Side nightlife scene. But thoughts of self-harm disappeared with the emergence of Fools Gold, the latest beer-geek jackpot from the Beerly Legal Group (Alewife, the Jeffrey). While the décor sticks to the exposed-brick industrial script, the LES outpost stands out for its slavish dedication to good beer—not to mention a temperature-regulated tap system. The 30-odd drafts are split between fiercely local selections from Barrier, SingleCut, and Other Half, and gotta-tick-’em-off-the-list offerings from the likes of Almanac, Perennial, and BFM. Great lakes of whiskey, solid cocktails, and sobriety-saving sandwiches (BLT, please) seal the deal.—JB
Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club

Neighborhood: Gowanus, Brooklyn Address and phone: 514 Union St (347-223-4410) Website: royalpalmsshuffle.com Although the proliferation of themed activity bars in NYC seems to have slowed down in the last few years, Royal Palms proved there's still room for the genre to grow. At this 17,000-square-foot warehouse space in Gowanus, you'll find ten bright-blue shuffleboard courts lined up in rows, but don't expect senior citizens—just 20-somethings taking sips of craft beer in between pushing pucks (technically, they’re called biscuits). The pink-flamingo wallpaper covering the bathroom and black-and-white-striped cabanas pay tribute to the '70s Palm Beach theme. On the menu? Key-lime fizzes, coconut cocktails, and a variety of snacks from rotating food trucks.—EM
Covenhoven

Neighborhood: Crown Heights, Brooklyn Address and phone: 730 Classon Ave (718-483-9950) Website: covenhovennyc.com The laundromat is one of the few equalizers in any neighborhood, which is why it's fitting that Crown Height's best new watering hole replaced a bunch of old washer and dryers with that other great equalizer: beer. Named after a bygone farmstead, Covenhoven is the Cheers of Crown Heights, accommodating to hops heads and neophytes alike. Taps abound (around 16, cut between local and national); fridges boast 200-300 bottles for in-house consumption or take-out; and friendly bartenders make you feel at home in the grassy backyard. (Eds note: Just remeber to pace yourself on the high-ABV brews, lest you end up like this guy.)—JB
Arrogant Swine

Neighborhood: Bushwick, Brooklyn Address and phone: 173 Morgan Ave (347-328-5595) Website: arrogantswine.com Vogue recently dubbed Bushwick the seventh coolest neighborhood in the world, but vast swaths of it remain an industrial dead zone, with nary a bag of Utz or tallboy for sustenance. Enter Arrogant Swine, ex-financier Tyson Ho’s ode to whole-hog North Carolina ’cue. In his cavernous “church of pork”—equipped with a 44-foot-long bar—Ho doles out smoky, crackling-packed swine by the pound; 20 of-the-moment drafts from the likes of Cigar City, Westbrook, Founders, and Evil Twin; and more bourbon than one human should drink in an evening (or ever). The kicker? A 3,000-square-foot garden awash in picnic tables and street art.—JB
Bondurants

Neighborhood: Upper East Side Address and phone: 303 E 85th St (212-249-1509) Website: bondurantsnyc.com For so long, the Upper East Side drinking scene has been defined by its classless serving vessels: unwieldy buckets and pitchers. But thanks to places like Bondurants, it's slowly transformating into a reliable drinking destination. Tucked alongside the unyielding mess of Second Avenue Subway construction, it’s almost a miracle people discovered this supremely likeable gastropub. A relaxed “professional” crowd (it's still the UES...don't expect a miracle) fills up the gorgeous bar-in-the-round every night to enjoy Southern-inspired small bites, top-flight American whiskey selections, and one of the city’s best new beer lists. And nothing’s served in a goddamn fishbowl.—AG
Dear Irving

Neighborhood: Flatiron Address and phone: 55 Irving Place (no phone) Website: dearirving.com

When the Raines Law Room team opened Dear Irving in a posh Gramercy townhouse, it not only provided another serious drinking option near Union Square (a rarity), but also created a new stage for bartender Meaghan Dorman to show off her golden touch. The long, narrow space, which morphs from a 1920s hideaway with crystal curtains to a gilded Rococo den fit for Marie Antoinette, is decidedly glamorous. Begin with the balanced and bitter Godfather Part Two (Scotch, amaretto, Amaro Abano, Barolo Chinato) and end with the liquid Samoa (genever, bourbon, crème de coconut, cacao), which tastes far more alluring going down than the Girl Scout cookie of the same name. In between, summon your server with the touch of a buzzer for a round of petite lobster rolls. This is the good life.—AA

The Best New NYC Bars of 2014

Nitecap

Bar Sardine

Other Half Brewing Co. Tasting Room

Boilermaker

The Bonnie

Fools Gold NYC

Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club

Covenhoven

Arrogant Swine

Bondurants

Dear Irving

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