The best bars and cafés New York (Manhattan)

Timetable

Most bars are open by noon, but the more upscale places rarely open before 4pm on weekdays. Smaller neighborhood bars close at 1 or 2 a.m., but if you're going out on the Lower East Side, West Village, Meatpacking or Midtown, it's much later. On weekends, the nights get longer and the bars rarely close before 4am on Friday. As for coffee shops, which are legion in New York, they generally open at 7 or 8 am and close before 8 pm.

Budget & Tips

If you're planning to take full advantage of New York's nightlife by scouring the city's bars (and you'd be wrong not to!), it's best to go out with a well-stocked wallet. Prices do not include local tax (8.875%) or tip. It's customary to leave a US$1 or US$2 tip per drink or, if you've had many drinks and are paying by credit card, around 18% of the bill.

Rooftops undoubtedly charge the highest prices, as do speakeasies, where cocktails can cost up to US$20. Wherever you go, beer remains the most affordable alcoholic beverage, and there are some local and artisanal brands that are well worth the splurge! Conversely, wine is atrociously expensive, especially if you're from France... In bars and restaurants alike, the price of a glass of wine varies between US$12 and US$18. In cafés and tearooms, a hot drink generally costs between US$3 and US$4.

Fortunately, there are plenty of broke people in New York, and they've found a way to go out without breaking the bank! Ask them what their secret is, and they'll whisper two magic words: Happy Hour. This usually takes place on weekdays, between 5pm and 7pm, sometimes earlier. Alcoholic beverages are half-price or a few dollars cheaper than usual. In some bars, reduced prices also apply to food, usually starters or plates to share.

Age restrictions

In the United States, alcohol consumption is subject to very strict rules. The minimum legal age for ordering alcohol and drinking in public is 21 years. As you enter the bars, no matter how old you may be on the slope of the quarantine, a doorman will systematically ask you for your identity card. Anyone who is not of legal age will be expelled. In some places, at specific times, young people over 18 years of age are allowed to enter but are not allowed to buy or consume alcohol once inside. A word of advice, don’t think you should break alcohol laws, it doesn’t amuse Americans who have inherited some puritanical reflexes.

What's very local

Cocktails are to New York what wine is to Bordeaux... Every bar and restaurant in the city serves them, and even in the most unassuming places, the bartender will be able to concoct you a killer Cosmopolitan, shaker in hand. This pink cocktail popularized by Sex and the City was born in New York, as were the Bloody Mary, the Manhattan, the Gin-Gin Mule and the Old Fashioned, Don Draper's cocktail of choice in Mad Men. New York's trendy bars offer not only these classics, but also signature cocktails of their own invention.

Americans are also big fans of beer, especially IPAs, the bitter, highly hopped beers. In bars, restaurants and liquor stores alike, you'll discover that New York beers exist, and that they're pretty good: Brooklyn Brewery, Coney Island Brewery, SingleCut Beersmiths are just some of the local brands.

When it comes to non-alcoholic beverages, Americans, and New Yorkers in particular, are big coffee drinkers. It has to be said that a good dose of caffeine is often necessary to keep up with the fast pace of the Big Apple! When strolling through Manhattan, no more than 5 minutes go by without coming across a crowded coffee shop or a New Yorker with a cup of coffee in hand. Here again, there's something for every taste: cappuccino, iced coffee when it's hot, matcha latte for the trendiest, and black coffee for the purists.

Kids

In New York, there's no law against taking a child to a bar, as long as the child is accompanied by a responsible adult and the venue serves food.

Smokers

New York's smoking laws are very dissuasive. As in France, smoking is obviously prohibited inside stores and cafés, with the city's few cigar bars being the only exception to this rule. The same applies to electronic cigarettes. Where there are tables outside, you'll sometimes see a no-smoking sign. But even if you don't, smoking on the terrace of a café or bar is not allowed in the USA. If you dare light a cigarette, you'll be kindly asked to move away.