Guide: New York Bars
From Blondie to The Velvet Underground, New York has been a focal point for rock ‘n’ roll just as much as London has. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, Sinatra once sang. So it’s no wonder that the bar scene is thriving. Though our trip was shorter than we hoped, we found some pretty decent places to kick back with a large bourbon. Here are our favourite pit stops in New York.
Manitoba’s
This is the brain child of punk band The Dictators’ front man. It has become a staple New York punk clubhouse which dishes up fairly priced shots of Jack. This bar is one of the oldest on the list and potentially one of the best. It’s also a great place to do some star spotting.
Hogs & Heifers
Once you see past the booze-stained bras, you’ll notice that there is a decent selection of drinks- and fairly cheap too. This biker bar has a similar feel to Coyote Ugly, only with more wood shaving and country music. The bartenders’ modesty is protected by only two triangles of material while the barflies are mainly of the male variety. It makes you wonder where all the bras came from…
Otto’s Shrunken Head
A tiki bar with tons of attitude. The bar and the barmaid are adorned with skulls whilst the music pumps out some old school music. The till behind the bar is old too. The drinks menu is lavished with rum and different ways to drink it. Drinks like frozen chocolate pie tastes more like dessert than booze. It’s comfortable enough to sit with friends yet strange enough to sit alone. I could sit and look at the lights made out of puffa fish for hours. Sometimes a band takes to the mini stage. Live music and Cruzan rum served in a skull seems like the perfect partnership.
Blarney Rock Club
