My Favorite Cocktail Bars in the East Village (No Reservations Needed)
Posing for my author’s photo with a dirty martini at Banshee
My List of East Village Cocktail Bars Without the Wait
The East Village is filled with amazing cocktail bars. The hardest part is getting in.
I’ve lived in the East Village for three years now and I’ve spent many a Friday and Saturday night wandering from bar to bar and being told that there is a two hour wait because I did not think to make a reservation two weeks in advance.
Thankfully, there is still hope. There are some bars that don’t get the same attention despite having amazing drinks and smaller, if any, lines or crowds.
These bars are great for tourists and locals alike and when my friends and family come in town with little notice, these five bars are where I take them to enjoy a night out.
Banshee
143 1st Ave, New York, NY
Website
Banshee is a new addition to the East Village, arriving late last year and quickly becoming one of my favorite places to grab a drink.
You can’t go wrong with any option on their martini menu, but, as a gin drinker, I prefer their Classic martini with a twist or their Gibson martini that comes with a heavier pour of vermouth and a cocktail onion.
No reservations needed here, and every time I’ve come, there's been a table available inside or on their lovely back patio. You order drinks at the bar, and they have a few food items, including Irish potato chips and toastie sandwiches if you need more than a stuffed olive or a cocktail onion.
Bar Snack
92 2nd Ave, New York, NY
Website
I heard about Bar Snack from the bartender at the nearby Schmuck (another great cocktail bar that is very hard to get into!) as a “bar for bartenders.” Needless to say, I was intrigued.
When I finally ventured over a Saturday night in the summer, the bar was filled up with young, boisterous 20-somethings. I felt a pang of regret and thought about turning round. Instead, we grabbed the last outside table, and were in for a great surprise. All of our drinks were inventive, interesting and delicious. Service was incredibly friendly, and I soon forgot that I was easily the oldest person in the bar by about a decade.
I still go, but now I prefer to go on weekday nights when the clientele tends to be less university students and more bartenders. Either way, the drinks have remained fabulous.
I particularly enjoy the cantaloupe- and basil-based “Melonade,” which is sweet without being over the top and refreshing for warm-weather nights, as well as their take on a Spicy Margarita with apricot.
Oddball
188 Avenue B, New York, NY
Website
When Oddball replaced the previous cocktail bar here, Hi-Note, I was worried. Hi-Note had been my go-to cocktail bar where I could bring friends in out of town for a night of delicious cocktails without worrying about reserving a table weeks in advance.
It turns out I had nothing to worry about because Oddball far surpasses Hi-Note in every way. The ambiance is '70s-funky, with moody lighting, glowing lava lamps, mirrored walls, and turquoise-and-orange booths.
Oddball specializes in weird drinks, but they also offer a full menu of classic cocktails if you’re not in the mood for something unusual- they do an excellent espresso martini.
My favorites are the “Pseudo Banana,” which turns into a banana candy that tastes like a real banana as you sip, the slightly savory sesame gin, and the guava-based “Infinite Loop,” which comes with its own galaxy swirl on top.
You can make reservations for Oddball on Resy, but I don’t think I've ever had to do that. Either there have been a few seats at the bar or a table available, or I’ve put my name on the list, gone next door to the York to have a drink while I wait, and then been called back in under 20 minutes.
The Infinity Loop cocktail at Oddball
The Wayland
700 E 9th St, New York, NY
Website
Not a lot of tourists venture past Avenue A in the East Village, and it’s a shame. On Avenue C and East 9th Street, The Wayland is a charming cocktail bar with hardwood floors and an airy, garden-like setting. It’s particularly lovely in the summer, as the front windows all open like balcony doors and the breeze comes in. It also makes for great people watching on the avenue.
I come here for the $10 Mezcal shallot martinis and a dozen oysters during their happy hour. During regular hours, their “Garden Variety Margarita” is practically healthy, with fresh kale and ginger juice, and it's still everything I want in a margarita. Less healthy, but their substantial “sausage bread,” served with a pot of ricotta and topped with basil, is a great pairing to soak up any drinks.
Like Oddball, you can reserve a table at The Wayland via Resy; however, I’ve never made a reservation because there are usually seats available. It can get crowded late on weekend nights, but there is almost always standing room by the bar.
The York
186 Avenue B, New York, NY
Website
The York is the ideal neighborhood bar. It’s cozy in winter, has a back patio for the summer, offers a fantastic happy-hour smashburger deal, and has well-priced, well-made cocktails for New York.
During happy hour, which goes on until 7 p.m. every day, you can get a smashburger, fries, and a Miller High Life for just $14. I like to upgrade my beer to a Kronenburg for an extra $1.
For cocktails, you can’t go wrong with the classics. Usually I order a Negroni or a White Negroni, but in the winter I am partial to their Irish coffee, topped with house-made whipped cream, which could warm up anyone suffering in the New York cold.