The Top 100 Places to Drink Near The Esters
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Rank 2. The Sunken Harbor Club
Tropical Cocktail Bar
- VinePair 2024 · Bartender of the Year · The Next Wave Awards · Garret Richard
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
- Time Out #2 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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- VinePair 2024 · Industry Icon of the Year · The Next Wave Awards
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
- Time Out #8 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #1 · U.S. Latte Art Championship · Piyapat "Flook" Lapteerawut
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · John Chau Ly
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Brewers Cup · Peace Sakulclanuwat
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- VinePair 2023 · Industry Icon of the Year · The Next Wave Awards
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
- Time Out #11 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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Rank 7. Theodora
Mediterranean Seafood
Wood smoke hits you the second you walk into this Fort Greene seafood spot, and that's basically the thesis statement. The team is serious about dry-aged fish and open-fire cooking, which sounds like a cooking-school project but tastes like a very good idea. The crowd skews creative-Brooklyn, probably has opinions about natural wine, and doesn't need to look at the menu. Go hungry, and let the fire do the talking.
- VinePair 2024 · Food & Beverage Program of the Year · The Next Wave Awards
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Time Out 2026 · The 45 best restaurants in NYC right now
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Rank 8. % Arabica
Japanese Coffee Shop
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- 50 Best #46 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #33 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
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- VinePair 2023 · Bartender of the Year · The Next Wave Awards · Patty Dennison
- Time Out #15 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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- 50 Best #41 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #35 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
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- 50 Best #72 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #37 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
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- Esquire 2023 · The Best Bars in America
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. East
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Rank 16. Superbueno
Mexican Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best #12 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #9 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Winner · Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service · Ignacio "Nacho" Jimenez
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #1 · U.S. Latte Art Championship · Piyapat "Flook" Lapteerawut
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · John Chau Ly
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Brewers Cup · Peace Sakulclanuwat
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Rank 19. Schmuck
European/Middle Eastern
- 50 Best 2026 · Three Cents Best New Opening Award 2026 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best #59 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #4 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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Rank 20. Sip & Guzzle
Innovative Japanese Cocktail Bar
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · World’s Best Cocktail Menu
- 50 Best #39 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #1 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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Rank 21. Maison Premiere
New Orleans-Style Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best 2026 · #40 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Time Out #7 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
- The Infatuation The Best Cocktail Bars in NYC
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Rank 22. Tigre
Seafood
- Esquire 2023 · Cigarette Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Esquire 2024 · The Best Bars in America
- The Infatuation The Best Cocktail Bars in NYC
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Rank 23. Martiny’s
Japanese Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best #75 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #23 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Takuma Watanabe
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- 50 Best 2026 · #3 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Bar Team
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- Esquire 2024 · Candarin Orange · The Best Martinis in America
- Punch 2024 · Best New Bars
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
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Dayglow is a coffee boutique that clearly decided "just coffee" was for quitters. The Bushwick spot stocks an absurd range of imported beans and signature drinks with ingredients like blue algae and clarified matcha, plus a full hand-brew menu if you just want something excellent and weird. The back of the house hides Niteglow, an in-house distillery pouring craft beers on draft. The crowd looks like they read the ModBar Wikipedia page for fun.
- Sprudgie Awards 2024 · Finalist · Notable Roaster
- Sprudgie Awards 2023 · Honoree · Best New Cafe
- Eater The Best Coffee Shops in New York City
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Rank 27. The Dead Rabbit
Irish Cocktail Bar
- The Pinnacle Guide 1 Pin
- Esquire 2024 · Steakhouse Martini #2 · The Best Martinis in America
- Time Out $22 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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Rank 28. Bar Madonna
Italian Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best 2026 · #36 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
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Rank 29. Arcane Estate Coffee
Panamanian
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Rank 30. Leyenda
Mexican Cocktail Bar
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- 50 Best #95 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #45 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Time Out #24 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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Rank 32. Shinji’s
Japanese Cocktail Bar
- VinePair 2024 · Bar Program of the Year · The Next Wave Awards
- The Pinnacle Guide 1 Pin
- 50 Best 2026 · #77 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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Rank 33. Clemente Bar
Vegan
- 50 Best 2025 · Best New Opening Award
- 50 Best 2026 · #15 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Esquire 2024 · Martini of the Year: Clemente Martini · The Best Martinis in America
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- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
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Suited is a seriously good multi-roaster coffee shop tucked into the Financial District's canyon of glass and chrome, and it feels more like a Brooklyn espresso bar that took a wrong turn near Wall Street. The gear is expert-level, the coffee selection is genuinely adventurous, and there's a small food menu plus housemade pastries if you need something to eat. The crowd is suits with their jackets off, mostly.
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #1 · U.S. Latte Art Championship · Piyapat "Flook" Lapteerawut
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Brewers Cup · Peace Sakulclanuwat
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · John Chau Ly
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Rank 38. Bar Chucho
Mexican Cocktail Bar
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Rank 39. Bar Goto
Japanese Cocktail Bar
- Esquire 2023 · Sakura Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
- Punch 2025 · Best New Bartenders · Capucine Prager
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Rank 40. Ciao, Gloria
Contemporary Italian Coffee Shop
Tucked into the base of a Frank Gehry condo on Vanderbilt, this contemporary Italian coffee shop manages to be genuinely warm despite its very photogenic bones. The pastry case is loaded with housemade Italian-style cakes and seasonal sweets, the kitchen does real food, and the staff actually seem happy to see you. The crowd is friendly, queer-friendly, and local, which in Prospect Heights means everyone from dog-walkers to people who are definitely late for something.
- Time Out #20 · The 21 very best coffee shops in NYC
- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide to Coffee In South Brooklyn
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Rank 41. Milady’s
Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best 2025 · Julie Reiner · Industry Icon Award
- The Pinnacle Guide 1 Pin
- Esquire 2023 · The Best Bars in America
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Rank 42. Bar Goto
Japanese Cocktail Bar
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
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- 50 Best 2026 · #71 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Esquire 2023 · Cartagena · The Best Martinis in America
- Esquire 2024 · The Best Bars in America
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Rank 44. Sauced
Natural Wine Bar
- Time Out #23 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
- Roadbook The Best Restaurants and Bars in Williamsburg
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Rank 45. Amor Y Amargo
Italian Cocktail Bar
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Ravi DeRossi - Overthrow Hospitality
- The Infatuation The Best Cocktail Bars in NYC
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Rank 46. Katana Kitten
Japanese Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best 2026 · #52 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 4 Finalist · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Masa Urushido
- Time Out #18 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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- Esquire 2024 · The Best Bars in America
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 4 Finalist · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
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Rank 48. Angel’s Share
Japanese Cocktail Bar
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Rank 49. Kabawa
Caribbean
Caribbean fine dining finally gets its flowers here, and Paul Carmichael makes sure they're worth it. Kabawa runs a prix-fixe tasting menu that takes the flavors of the diaspora seriously without making you feel like you're in a lecture, just a really good meal. The room is dark and elegant, the crowd is dressed up and leaning in, and the cooking carries real weight. Next door, Bar Kabawa keeps things loose if you just want a drink and a patty.
- 50 Best #14 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
- Esquire 2025 · Chef of the Year · Paul Carmichael
- Punch 2025 · Bay Leaf Daiquiri · Our Favorite Cocktails
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- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Esquire 2024 · The Best Bars in America
- Esquire 2024 · King Tusk · The Best Martinis in America
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Rank 51. Abraço
Coffee
This East Village espresso bar has been around forever and earned its reputation the honest way, by roasting their own beans and making you feel like a regular even when you're not. It's small, lively, and packed on weekends with the kind of crowd that owns exactly one interesting jacket. No laptops means actual conversation happens. The olive oil cookie is genuinely worth the hype it carries.
- Time Out #3 · The 21 very best coffee shops in NYC
- Eater The Best Coffee Shops in New York City
- The Infatuation The Best Coffee Shops In NYC
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
- VinePair 2025 · Drinks Professional of the Year · The Next Wave Awards · Meaghan Dorman
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
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Rank 53. Smithereens
New England Seafood
A New England seafood joint gone slightly rogue, tucked below street level in the East Village where the lighting is low and the menu is almost entirely ocean. The crowd runs young and food-curious, squeezed into every corner of a room that feels like someone's very cool basement. The wine list leans bright whites, and the celery root float for dessert sounds like a dare but absolutely delivers.
- VinePair 2025 · Sommelier of the Year · The Next Wave Awards · Nikita Malhotra
- The Infatuation 2025 · #7 · The Top-Rated New Restaurants
- Punch 2025 · Best New Bartenders · Logan Rodriguez
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Rank 54. Sunn’s
Korean Wine Bar
Sunny Lee has turned a wine bar so small you'll wonder if the fire marshal knows about it into one of the more quietly exciting spots in the city. The move here is banchan, elevated from obligatory side dishes to the whole point, with a rotating daily set that drifts between Korean, French, and Italian without asking permission. The crowd looks like it already has a natural wine dealer on speed dial.
- Food & Wine 2025 · Sunn’s Salad · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- Esquire 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Time Out #19 · The 30 best bars in NYC right now
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Rank 55. Dante
Italian Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best 2026 · #58 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Esquire 2023 · Dante Mini Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
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- Esquire 2023 · 1884 Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Esquire 2023 · The Best Bars in America
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. East
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Rank 59. L’Americana
Italian Coffee Shop
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Takuma Watanabe
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Top 4 Finalist · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Takuma Watanabe
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Rank 60. Midnight Blue
Japanese Cocktail Bar
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Takuma Watanabe
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Top 4 Finalist · U.S. Bartender of the Year · Takuma Watanabe
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Rank 62. SEY
Nordic Coffee
- Time Out #4 · The 21 very best coffee shops in NYC
- Eater The Best Coffee Shops in New York City
- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide to Coffee in North Brooklyn
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Rank 63. Hi-Collar
Japanese
- Time Out #12 · The 21 very best coffee shops in NYC
- Eater The Best Coffee Shops in New York City
- The Infatuation The Best Coffee Shops In NYC
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #1 · U.S. Latte Art Championship · Piyapat "Flook" Lapteerawut
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · Peace Sakulclanuwat
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Brewers Cup · John Chau Ly
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
- Vogue 2026 · The 25 Best Restaurants in Brooklyn, According to Vogue Staff
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Rank 66. La Cabra
Danish Coffee
A Danish coffee and bakery import that's earned its New York stripes, La Cabra is the kind of coffee shop where the croissants are genuinely worth the detour and the espresso is taken seriously without making you feel judged. The sleek bar draws a mix of design-minded regulars and people who wandered in from shopping and decided to stay a while. Go for the pastries and a well-made pour.
- Eater The Best Coffee Shops in New York City
- The Infatuation The Best Bakeries in NYC
- Eater The Best Croissants in NYC
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Top 10 U.S. Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
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- The Pinnacle Guide 2026 · 1 Pin
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
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Rank 69. Keens Steakhouse
Steakhouse
Keens has been around forever, and the room alone, dark wood, white tablecloths, a ceiling covered in centuries of clay pipes, is worth the trip before a single bite lands. This is old-school New York steakhouse dining at its most unapologetic, full of regulars who never glance at the menu and first-timers quietly trying to act like they belong. The mutton chop is the move, though the prime porterhouse holds its own. Ranked among the world's best steak restaurants.
- World's 101 Best #68 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Winner · Timeless U.S. Award
- Eater 2026 · The Best Classic Restaurants in NYC
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Ninth Street Espresso has been around forever and still feels like ground zero for how NYC coffee is supposed to work: no fuss, no fifteen-modifier orders, just seriously good espresso from beans they roast themselves. The staff is warm enough to offset the bare-bones room, and the picture window looks out onto a community garden. Regulars nurse their cups on the benches out front like it's still 2004, which is honestly the vibe.
- Time Out #15 · The 21 very best coffee shops in NYC
- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide To Coffee In Lower Manhattan
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #1 · U.S. Latte Art Championship · Piyapat "Flook" Lapteerawut
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · Peace Sakulclanuwat
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Brewers Cup · John Chau Ly
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Rank 78. Bar Americano
Spanish/Northern Italian Wine Bar
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Greenpoint
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Rank 80. Che
Natural Wine Bar
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- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. East
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. East
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Rank 84. Yafa Cafe
Yemeni Coffee
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Rank 85. Chin Up Bar
Cocktail Bar
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #1 · U.S. Latte Art Championship · Piyapat "Flook" Lapteerawut
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · John Chau Ly
- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #7 · U.S. Brewers Cup · Peace Sakulclanuwat
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Rank 87. Devoción
Colombian Coffee
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Rank 88. Cocktail Omakase
Japanese Cocktail Bar
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Rank 91. COQODAQ
Korean
Getting a reservation here requires the kind of persistence usually reserved for concert tickets, but this sleek Korean fried chicken spot on 22nd Street is genuinely worth the hustle. The move is the bucket feast, a multi-course spread that somehow manages to feel indulgent and light at the same time. Champagne is practically a food group here, which tells you everything about the crowd filing in dressed like they have somewhere better to be after.
- Condé Nast Traveler 2024 · The best new restaurants in the world
- Wine Enthusiast 2024 · Forward 50 Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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Rank 92. After Eden
Vietnamese Cocktail Bar
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- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
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Rank 95. Echo Lake
Rum Cocktail Bar
A rum bar in Williamsburg where the whole point is the daiquiri, and they price it like they actually want you to have one. Echo Lake pairs a serious, wide-ranging rum list with seafood snacks that make sense alongside it, and the crowd looks exactly like Williamsburg on a good night: casually stylish, clearly there on purpose. The basement rum bar downstairs, Undercurrent, is worth seeking out if you want things to get a little more serious.
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Rank 97. Pitt's
Southern
- Food & Wine 2025 · Pancake Soufflé · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- Punch 2025 · Rosie Martini · Our Favorite Cocktails
- Punch 2025 · Best New Bartenders · Ben Hopkins
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Rank 98. maman
French
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Rank 99. Bluestone Lane
Australian Coffee
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Rank 100. Kinda Nice
Cocktail Bar
A cocktail bar in Williamsburg where the drinks taste like someone raided a diner menu and a dive bar's well in the same evening. The team behind Grand Army built this place around genuinely weird, genuinely good cocktails, the kind where "Greek Salad martini" sounds like a dare until you try it. The crowd is the late-night, pleasantly-unhinged type who will absolutely order another round.