14 Legendary New York City Bars You Must Visit

Wanna sip a tipple like a Gotham local back in the 1700s? Dust off your beer goggles, we're taking you on a tour of New York City's must-visit legendary bars.

Pour one out for all the hammered heroes who went before you, blazing the trail from a well-worn barstool to the dimly lit washroom — and back again — with nary a dart to the head. These are the watering holes that lived to tell the tale, that smell like prohibition and spilled pints, that welcome you like an old friend. They're the historic haunts of New York City. And you've really gotta see them to believe them.

In a city with 25,000 bars, clubs, and restaurants, sampling the keg behind the bar of a true icon can feel kind of needle-in-a-haystack-ish. But thanks to stories passed down by seasoned bartenders, expert historians, looong-time residents, and architectural conservationists, you can put your butt in a seat that Abraham Lincoln sat in, too — actually, you can't sit in it, but he did! Let's throw one back, shall we?

Well you can't take yourself too seriously when you're drinking a martini next to an illustration of a rabbit smoking a stogie and all the schoolgirls from the Madeline books. The bar's namesake Ludwig Bemelmans (original creator of the Madeline series) painted the murals on the walls and accepted 1 ½ years of free boarding at the hotel above the bar (also for his family), as payment.

Nestled into The Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side, Bemelmans feels like an art deco hideaway from the bustle of the city. Established in 1947, and restored to its original glory in 2002, you can snuggle up on a chocolate leather banquette and hypnotize yourself by looking at the glimmering 24-karat gold leaf ceiling. For the pint-sized set, reserve a spot for the beloved, sing-a-long Madeline Tea, hosted every Saturday in November and December. (Word on the street is that the kid-friendly dessert bar is its own legendary experience.)

Drink: Gold Fashioned with Oban 14 yr Single Malt Scotch Whiskey ($34). Eat: Homemade Pigs In A Blanket ($23). Be merry: A live music cover charges begins at 5:30 p.m. for the pianist with additional table and bar charges for jazz performances. A smart dress code also starts at 5:30 p.m.: collared shirts for men.

Bemelmans Bar
35 East 76th St., New York, NY 10021

(212) 744-1600

Powder your puffiest wig. Fraunces Tavern [FROWN-siz] is the actual location you wish your high school American History class took place. Written accounts show that George Washington celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War by popping in for dinner there in 1783. It's a legit national treasure, people!

An icon of the Financial District, Fraunces Tavern is one of New York City's oldest bars, having been established in 1762. The building survived several fires, near-demolitions, new owners, almost being razed into a park, additions, renovations, and multiple addresses. While it may not look exactly like its original self, it certainly acts like it. Fraunces Tavern even hosts their own public museum and tours, showcasing the building's patchwork past. Pick your poison with multiple rooms to choose from; Hit up the Independence Bar for casual drinks, the luxurious and leathery Dingle Whiskey Bar for an extra rare bottle, or the newer Piano Bar for a full bar with plenty of yummy snacks.

Drink: Presidential Punch ($18). Eat: Slow Roasted Chicken Pot Pie ($26 *It was George Washington's go-to, America). Be merry: Enjoy live music every night of the week.

Fraunces Tavern
54 Pearl St, New York, NY 10004

(212) 968-1776

A favorite of Hell's Kitchen, The Landmark Tavern has been cooking up Irish American bangers and mash since 1868. Now, there's plenty of Guinness, Smithwick's, and their own Landmark Lager on tap.

Back when it first opened, The Landmark Tavern sat on the Hudson River waterfront (The place where 12th Ave would later be built). The building itself has been spiffed up in the years since, but still maintains most of its original charm. That means you can grab a seat at the indestructible mahogany bar, under the pressed tin ceiling, with a penny-tiled floor that's cracked and uneven, showing its age. 

Drink: Knappogue Castle 12 ($ N/A). Eat: Corned beef sandwich ($14.50). Be merry: This place does St. Patrick's Day like it's their job. Wear something green or get pinched (Them's the rules).

The Landmark Tavern
626 11th Ave, New York, NY 10036

(212) 247-2562

The motto at McSorley's Old Ale House is, "We were here before you were born." Since the business launched in 1854, that's usually true. (No offense, ghosts.) The golden rule for the bar? "Be good or be gone." (Re: Ghosts.)

While ladies weren't allowed until 1970 (they didn't install a women's bathroom until 1986), during the nearly 80 years prior to that, a whole lot of shenanigans went down. What began as The Old House At Home, briefly became a full bar in 1905. McSorley's then stuck with beer-only (light or dark) to become America's oldest Irish bar. Look for an original John Wilkes Booth "wanted" poster, and handcuffs worn by Harry Houdini. Abraham Lincoln also stopped in after his Cooper Union address (his chair hangs above the bar). Plus, Teddy Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy regularly knocked back a pint or two. 

Drink: Light or dark ale, which comes as a 2-for-1 ($8). Eat: Liverwurst sandwich ($6). Be merry: Cash only, and no kids after 6 p.m. (P.S., just because it's cash-only doesn't mean the same etiquette for tipping won't still apply.)

McSorley's Old Ale House
15 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003

(212) 473-9148

Lean into that ancient dive bar energy. You might usually be nose-deep in the latest craft beer power rankings, but at Boerum Hill's coveted outpost, The Brooklyn Inn, you'll have what they're having. 

It's one of the borough's oldest watering holes, featuring a wooden bar brought over from Germany, circa 1870. The spot officially opened 15 years later, in 1885. Inside, you'll find pool tables, a jukebox, usually-friendly service, and a full bar — all of which make this a go-to hang for Brooklyn locals. While they don't serve food, you are more than welcome to order in. Pull up a chair and stay a while.

Drink: Brooklyn Lager ($ N/A). Eat: No food — but takeout menus provided. Be merry: Cash only.

The Brooklyn Inn
148 Hoyt St, Brooklyn, NY, 11201

(718) 522-2525

Ever since 1864, Pete's Tavern has been graciously serving the Gramercy Park crowd and anyone else who stops by. Around here, a pint of dark beer goes with summer, fall, winter, spring, summer — did we mention summer?

Pete's Tavern goes head to head with McSorley's for the oldest continually operating restaurant and bar in the city (missing the title by a teensy decade). While it might reveal a little less personality than the other bars on this list, the stunning rosewood bar, tile floors, cavernous wood booths, and shiny tin ceilings are originals from back in the day. Most famous of the booths would be the second one, where writer O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) wrote "The Gift Of The Magi." And the tavern's prohibition-era business front? Selling flowers. 

Drink: O. Henry's Negroni ($18). Eat: Gramercy Burger ($23). Be merry: Happy hour from 4-6pm Monday through Friday. Kitchen closes at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 11pm the rest of the week.

Pete's Tavern
129 East 18th Street at the corner of Irving Place

(212) 473-7676

At the West Village's White Horse Tavern, it's just another day in 1880 — retooled for people accustomed to reliable electricity. It's one of the holdouts of a working class era, in a neighborhood that's decidedly boogie. Think elevated takes on classic bar food and drinks, without being a snoot about it.

Affectionately known as "The Horse," it was a home away from home for bohemian music industry legends like Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison, plus literary icons like Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Dylan Thomas, and James Baldwin. Don't miss the original bar and tin ceilings from this registered landmark as you navigate through the NYU crowd. Who knows, maybe a few sheets to the wind and you'll be writing the next best-selling novel in a moody corner of the bar. (Keep your tab open — you've got some stiff historical competition. Dylan T's reported max whiskeys was 18 at a time.)

Drink: White Horse Martini ($18). Eat: French Dip Sandwich ($28). Be merry: Happy hour is 4-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 2-6 p.m. on Friday. Brunch specials like $10 cocktails happen on Sundays 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

White Horse Tavern
567 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

(212) 989-3956