NYCGuide
The Best Bars In Chelsea
photo credit: Eric Medsker
Chelsea is one of those neighborhoods you’re bound to wind up in. Maybe you just got off work somewhere around 23rd Street. Maybe your parents are in town and really want to see The Highline. Or maybe you know people who still go to clubs in Meatpacking and you’ve agreed to meet them in the general vicinity. In any event, you’re going to need a drink beforehand. And probably afterwards as well.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Annie Schlechter
Located in the newly renovated Hotel Chelsea, Lobby Bar looks like the foyer of a gracefully aging mid-tier palace. The space features couches and armchairs, a long marble bar under a massive chandelier, and a garden room to the side where you can get some sunlight. All of that might sound stuffy, but Lobby Bar is pretty laid-back, and it’s one of our favorite spots to drink an extremely strong martini, eat some fries, and catch up with a friend. If you want to grab dinner after your drinks, head next to door to Café Chelsea.
photo credit: Eric Medsker
Jungle Bird is the best all-purpose bar in the area. It's a nice-looking place, with leather banquettes and tropical plants spread throughout, but you can show up in shorts and flip-flops if you want. Also, there's an upstairs section with a second bar, so there's plenty of room for groups. If you're planning a birthday hang that includes all of your third-tier acquaintances, bring everyone here, and get some food, like Taiwanese-style fried chicken. Drinks start around $17—which is, unfortunately, very reasonable for the area—and they're made with nerdy ingredients like matcha and chili oil.
photo credit: La Noxe
La Noxe is a speakeasy in the 1 train's 28th Street station. You enter at street level, then walk down a set of stairs to a small, loungy room channeling the 1970s, with velvet furniture and a few low tables. Despite the gimmicky concept, this is a very pleasant spot to hear some good music and enjoy a mellow drink with a couple of friends. Around 11pm, the space turns into a walk-in-only party, so swing by then if you’re looking to dance.
photo credit: Sid Gold's Request Room
There are bars where you can sing karaoke, and there are bars where you can hear live music. Then there’s Sid Gold’s Request Room, a magical place where you can do both. Six nights a week, Sid Gold’s hosts live piano karaoke in their back lounge area. You can request anything from Elvis to Olivia Rodrigo, but you’ll have to sing your selection in front of a room of strangers. It’s a great time. Reservations are easy to get, and there’s no cover, just a two-drink minimum.
There are two levels at this Chelsea spot—a staple for the NYC leather community—each with its own full bar, and an excellent rooftop for warmer nights. The drinks are reasonably priced and you’ll find early 2000s Falcon porn (the young Matthew Rush kind) playing on the TV screens around the bar. If you don’t come prepared with the proper attire, there’s a leather and fetish gear shop in the industrial elevator which floats between floors.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Located directly under Chelsea Market, The Tippler is a massive bar that’s useful for exactly two things: parties and group outings. If you need to organize a Happy Hour for everyone who works on your floor, come here. The subterranean room is filled with rugs, tables, and exposed brick, and there’s more than enough room for huge groups to mingle. There aren’t many snacks available, but you can bring in your own food from Chelsea Market.
A good spot for impressing out-of-towners, Bathtub Gin is your standard-issue Prohibition-inspired speakeasy with a quirky name and a secret door. In order to get in, you have to walk through Stone Street Coffee and speak to a bouncer (you are dangerously close to Meatpacking, after all). If you want to guarantee yourself entry, make a reservation. As the name would indicate, gin is the focus, and there’s a bathtub. You can also catch live music and DJs most nights.
Porchlight is a big space on 11th Avenue operated by Danny Meyer, and it’s great for when you need to gather a large group—of coworkers, say—in a fun, unpretentious environment. They have a solid booze selection, as well as some excellent takes on bar food, including everything from Texas chili to chocolate chip cookies. There are plenty of tables that wrap around the Southern-themed space (sort of like a barbecue joint meets a nice cocktail bar), and there’s a room in the back you can book for parties.
photo credit: Trailer Park Lounge
True to name, Trailer Park Lounge is a trailer park-themed bar, which is actually better than it sounds. The space is jam-packed with Christmas lights, Elvis memorabilia, and other knickknacks like old license plates and bowling pin lamps. This is probably not the place to plan a meeting of any professional nature, but it’s a good, unique spot to kick back with a few friends over some beers and tater tots.
