11's: Places to Drink a Beer in NYC
Pull up a chair, let's have a pint
I’ve noticed a concerning trend when placing drink orders where people will say something along the lines of “I’ll just have a beer.” It’s like beer has been relegated to some uninspired fallback plan amidst cocktail and wine indecision.
I’m not having it. Whether it’s a crisp pils or a cheeky stout, a beer can be an invigorating beverage. It can refresh on a scorching day, and comfort on a frigid one. It brings people together. A beer can be the best choice, the right choice.
There are a million ways to slice and dice the bar category — the best cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars, places for a date, and places to break up with someone, to name a few. Today’s list isn’t about any of that, although some of these places would certainly fit in those categories as well. Today is about my favorite places to drink a beer. Less about the beer itself, and more about the beautiful act of assembling a crew, clanking glasses, and taking a clean first sip in unison.
This list isn’t a list about IPAs or sours. It’s not about breweries or beer halls. It’s a collection of bars where I feel incredible sitting in their space, and within that space, there’s no drink I’d rather have than a beer – even in the presence of innovative craft cocktails and a robust selection of natural wines.
Today’s 11’s is, perhaps surprisingly, not sponsored by Big Beer. This is a self-funded and self-motivated endeavor. I’m doing it because I truly believe that the right beer at the right bar can result in profound joy, togetherness, and belonging. So here we go – 11 of the best places to drink a beer in New York City.
11's: Places to Drink a Beer
11] Josie’s East Village, New York
On a chilly night in Lower Manhattan, there isn’t a bar I’d rather crawl into than Josie’s. Tucked away on 6th Street, it’s a quiet, chilled-out dive offering respite from a neighborhood synonymous with energy and chaos. Josie’s is a bar where you’ll be surrounded by long-time regulars – a designation you’ll never achieve. There’s one pool table, and you probably won’t get a turn. If you go anywhere near the jukebox you’ll get side-eye. It’s stripped down, dingy, and there’s even a little taxidermy going on. But the beer is cheap, and it goes down easy – and that’s why you’re here. Settle into a corner table and take Josie’s for exactly what it is: a dive bar in the East Village.
The Order: Pitcher of Molson
10] Long Island Bar Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Long Island Bar might be a surprising entrant on this beer-related list as they notably serve the best martini in the neighborhood – classic, cold, and strong. Stiff martinis have a time and place, but I can’t be putting myself through that on the regular. The crisp, refreshing kölsch on draft, however, is a beverage I can almost always get behind. Long Island Bar is buzzing at all hours, and seats can be hard to come by. I often find myself posted up along the long ledge adjacent to the bar, where you’ll hover between conversations and can look out over the most interesting collection of bargoers in Cobble Hill.
The Order: Kölsch
09] Sharlene’s Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Sharlene’s is a place for everybody – I really mean it. It’s a classic bar on Flatbush Ave that’s the perfect place to congregate over a round of beers. Inside, there’s an old-school, unpretentious feeling that allows you to drop your guard and be your truest self. It’s a touch less gritty than a dive, but it still has the stickiness in the air that allows for optimal High Life consumption. We’re living in a period where social plans are quite premeditated – hanging with friends requires headcounts and precise arrival times. Sharlene’s is the perfect place for open invitations – it’s there for however many people, whenever you want.
The Order: Miller High Life
08] Iona Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Scottish darling Iona is one of my favorite bars in Williamsburg, a neighborhood that has no shortage of options. Many of those options are doing too much for the average day – be it intricate cocktails at Fresh Kills or swanky, oyster-filled happy hours at Maison Premiere. Iona is an everyday bar doing just enough. It’s lively but with conversational volume and energy. It’s a simple, narrow room that’s draped in quintessential pub memorabilia and paraphernalia. Iona’s sprawling backyard setup is one of the best in Brooklyn – an outdoor oasis on a heavily trafficked stretch of Metropolitan Ave.
The Order: Guinness (a pretty good one)
07] Brooklyn Inn Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
Having a beer at Brooklyn Inn is a holy experience everyone should have. Perched on a quiet, leafy corner of Boerum Hill, it’s a bar where you’ll feel the historical significance just stepping inside. The room is dripping in faded luxury – towering ceilings, intricately carved wood details, and worn-in vintage fixtures. During the day, light pours in through the stained glass windows. At night, it’s candle-lit and gets a bit rowdy. Brooklyn Inn is everything you’d hope for in a neighborhood bar – a perfect room that’s accumulated dust and character over time. It plays in all situations, but I can’t imagine ordering anything but a beer here.
The Order: Miller High Life
06] Doris Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
When life gets a little too serious, head over to Doris for a proper night out – doctor's orders. Once the ice-cold Lone Star and second-hand incense smoke permeate the blood/brain barrier, you’ll be loosened right up. The vibe is always right – well-curated music, friendly enough bartenders, and a crowd that just gets it. This is, without a sliver of doubt, my favorite San Antonio-themed bar in New York. Doris is a reminder that feeling like a million bucks doesn’t have to cost you – $4 for a Texas local light is all it takes.
The Order: Lone Star(s)
05] Sunny’s Red Hook, Brooklyn
Sunny’s has cemented itself as an institution – it’s a special slice of New York culture down in Red Hook. There’s a nautical feeling in the air, and the sweet sound of live bluegrass music rounding out the experience. There’s no better beverage for a little bit of hip swaying to banjo playing than a cold, light beer – paid for in cash. Biding your time at Sunny’s from late afternoon to night is a day well spent.
The Order: Pacifico
04] Jones Bar Ridgewood, Queens
Living in New York, it’s hard to come by the comfort a small-town bar delivers. I find myself dearly missing the warmth and familiarity of cozy, midwestern corner bars – personable places where the bartenders treat everyone like regulars. Jones Bar, nestled on a quiet street in Ridgewood, is the closest thing I’ve found to a small-town bar in New York. It’s a place built to serve the community, but it’s beyond welcoming to all. On a cold winter night, huddling around a 4-top at Jones Bar is exactly where you want to be. The hours just melt away – it simultaneously feels so regular, but so special.
The Order: Estrella
03] Swift Hibernian Lounge Noho, New York
Swift is one of the best bars in Lower Manhattan – an impossible place to be in a bad mood. The gravitational pull is almost too strong; any time I’m within a 10-block radius I find myself thinking about drinking a creamy pint in their cavernous back room. You’ll enter into a bustling, high-energy front area where live Irish music plays. In the back, the lights are dimmer and things are a bit more chilled out. Grab a stool and some space along the long, low communal table and take in the classic pub energy as you crush nicely poured pints.
The Order: Guinness (a damn good one)
02] Gold Star Beer Counter Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Every neighborhood should have a bar like Gold Star. Posted up on the corner of two tree-lined streets in Prospect Heights, it’s a well-designed, approachable watering hole with an everchanging selection of easy-drinking beers. There’s not an ounce of pretentious energy – just a straightforward, wholesome neighborhood vibe. Inside, it’s decked in curvy wood, hanging plants, and lots of records – a warm, inviting space. Gold Star is the place for a post-run libation, to catch up with friends, or to sit and read in peace.
The Order: Pilsner
01] Hartley’s Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Walking up the wooden front steps to Hartley's cherry red front door is a borderline religious experience – those 4 steps serve as a metaphor for ascending to the heavens above. Hartley’s is a classic, warm, homey bar that takes their Guinness seriously — and it’s my favorite pint in the entire city. They get so much right here: candle lighting, music and volume, the flow of ordering, and even the suspense of waiting while a perfectly creamy pour settles. They have roughly 8 beers on tap (which I cannot imagine get ordered much), and a SEPARATE TAP for Guinness. That’s right, a designated Guinness station. It’s glorious. Hartley’s is the total package – a tremendous pint, and the perfect room to drink it.
The Order: Guinness (best in class)
Up Next
Places I want to get a beer next:
Clockwork Bar Lower East Side, New York
Bierwax Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Jimmy’s Corner Midtown, New York
Tip-Top Bar & Grill Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn