Tudor City DRINKING GUIDE

As a companion piece to our earlier post on dining recommendations near Tudor City, here is a guide to Where to Drink Near Tudor City. Once again, we've turned to our very close friend (a former Zagat nightlife editor) for suggestions. Here's what he had to say:

There are bars galore around Tudor City. If you don't care about ambiance and just want a drink, walk north up Second Avenue where there are more Irish pubs, sports bars and hook-up joints that you can possibly imagine. 

This is not a guide to these kind of places. We like some ambiance ‒ or at least a rooftop perch ‒ with our drinks, hence the following suggestions. All are within a 15-minute stroll from Tudor City.

Click on the bar name for more info.

S   W   A   N   K

The Campbell, set in the former office of Jazz Age financier John W. Campbell.

The Campbell  

 Back after a hiatus, this posh hideaway in Grand Central formerly known as The Campbell Apartment could be the neighborhood's coolest, classiest bar. Now run by the Gerber Group, it's looking better ‒ if darker ‒ than ever.

Bergamo's
The latest arrival is this new cocktail lounge across the street from Grand Central, a slick boîte with vaulted ceilings and plenty of room to mix and mingle at the 63-foot-long bar. 

Ophelia
 Known for decades as the Top of the Tower, this revamped rooftop lounge near Beekman Place has been given the deluxe treatment, with craft cocktails, slinky waitresses, and knockout city views. Bring money.

Ambassador Grill  
 Landmarked bar and grill that's a time trip back to 1976, the year it opened. Bring someone you don't want to be seen with, as it's usually empty.

Sakagura

 Hidden underground sake bar with an encyclopedic sake list.

Raines Law Room at The William
 Fancy Prohibition-era cocktails served in a speakeasy-ish lair in The William Hotel. A buzzer at the entry and call buttons for the waiter on the tables enhance its back-in-time vibe.

On the more louche side of swank is The World Bar (in the Trump World Tower), a relic from the Sex and the City era.

R  O  O  F  T  O  P  S

Pod 39's rooftop bar, whose terra cotta arches date from 1918.

Pod 39 Rooftop Bar
 It began life in 1918 as the roof garden of The Allerton, a men's club residence, and is now the swinging rooftop adjunct of Al Pastor, the taqueria downstairs. Expect a scene at prime times, better in off hours for serenity seekers. Formerly known as the Salvation Taco rooftop.

Bookmarks
 Like Pod 39's roof, this sweet spot atop the Library Hotel has the same vintage vibes thanks to the liberal use of terra cotta, tile and brick. The 1920 structure was coincidentally enough built by Fred F. French, our founder, as an office building (and was the home of the French Company for several years).

Henry's
 The smallest rooftop in this group, it compensates with intimacy and conviviality.

Rare Bar and Grill
 One of the first rooftops of the aughts, killer views of the Empire State Building.

A   N   D   .   .   .

Detail of a mural in The Overlook, created by members of the National Cartoonist Society 
in exchange for free food and drink.

Overlook 

 Standard-issue sports bar that draws Bears and Islanders fans. Notable for its back-room murals, created in 2005 by famous cartoonists, including Jules Feiffer, Mort Drucker, Mell Lazarus and Al Jaffee.

Hofbräu Bierhaus
 Brawny German beer hall with picnic table seating, live bands and dancing on the tables. Easy-to-miss entrance, then one flight up. Outdoor terrace overlooking scenic Second Avenue.

⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺

See a MAP of these places here.

Click here for the ⭐Tudor City DINING GUIDE⭐