Murray Hill
39th St. btw Park and Madison Ave.
The outpost of it’s Chelsea location, this place is not as secluded or tucked away as it’s older brother.  One side of a hotel lobby (that’ll make sense when you go), it’s about three booths and a bar area that maybe fits about 25-30.  Crowd is tourists and people looking for a pretty good cocktail, and the service is decent. Cocktails at cocktail prices, taste pretty good.
39th St. btw Park and Madison Ave.
Small, proper pub on the ground floor of a townhouse.  It can be crowded right after work hours, and the space is a little dark and has some different levels, but I never really felt cramped.  Crowd is young and old business types mixed in with people waiting for their reservations upstairs.  Plenty of TVâ€s, friendly staff, average British beers at slightly above average American prices, taste fine.
3rd Ave. btw 25th and 26th St.
It’s a sports bar explosion!  Let’s do the bar first.  Lot’s of space, lot’s of tables, and a big bar that you can almost go completely around until you get stuck in this tiny corner just when ou think your journey comes full circle…why they didn’t plan this better is beyond me.  I think that every inch of wall space above 7 feet has a TV on it, so I’m sure anything you want to watch is on, or can be.  Clientele is 20’s and 30’s, intermixed with douche bags, B&T’s, and sports-watchers.  Service is fine with average beers at average prices, taste fine.
3rd Ave. btw 26th and 27th St.
The latest to the cocktail craze in this neck of the woods, but by no means the smallest.  Plenty of space here, about a dozen or so seats at the bar, and then it basically is like every other cocktail bar/gastropub you’ve been to.  Service is friendly (dressed in the usual suspendered attire), crowd is mixed, clever names for cocktails that are at cocktail prices, taste fine.
2nd Ave. btw 31st and 32nd St.
Used to be Whiskey River, and while they’ve stripped the place and changed the decor to something not resembling a lodge and more an actual bar, the same crowd still comes here.  Staff is friendly, average and above average beers at slightly above average prices, taste fine.
La Biblioteca (3rd Ave. and 41st St.)
Basement lounge below Zengo that is trying to be a lot more upscale then it actually is. Also, not entirely sure where the name comes from as there is really nothing here that’s Spanish aside from the tequila, which every bar has. Anywho, most people congregate around the bar (duh), but there’s this whole empty room on the way to the bathroom that needs to be utilized more than looking like a fancy doctor’s waiting room. Crowd is all business kids. Bottled beers and mixed drinks, slightly above average prices, taste fine.
3rd Ave. btw 26th and 27th St.
Use to be McCormack’s, same long bar with a backroom, but now it’s been shined from a pub to a gastropub. The crowd has also changed, from older local sports fans to the late 20’s-30’s crowd that like to search for new hot spots. Drinks are now above average beers with a cocktail menu, slightly above average prices for the beers, taste fine.
26th St. and Park Ave.
This bar basically looks as if they took a rooftop studio apartment, gutted it, put some booths out and added a giant giraffe statue. All that aside (though its kind of peaceful), it’s pretty easy to get a table, though there is decent room outside of the seating area. Service is pretty good, crowd is a mix of business kids and hotel guests. Average beers and mixed drinks, slightly above average prices, taste fine.
39th St. btw 3rd and Lexington Ave.
Definitely one of the best looking roof tops I’ve been on, this place attracts your business kids, B&T’s, people on a date and hotel guests. There’s a good amount of space up here, and a handful of beers on tap. The only downside is that the service can be slow, even non-existent at times. Above average beers at above slightly average prices, taste fine.
2nd Ave. btw 39th and 40th St.
Deceptively large bar, when looking through the small window outside that is. Big bar space leads to a decent sized backyard that has a good amount of room. Crowd is a mix of old and young, lots of people who live in the area. The food’s pretty good, big beer selection, good service. Average and above average beers, average prices, taste fine.
26th St. and 3rd Ave.
Used to be Vertigo, and I like the changes that have been made. It feels like one big room now instead of a roped off space. The bar draws a crowd on most nights, plenty of room to drink and mingle, lots of sports on TV, friendly staff. The one downfall is that the drinks aren’t exactly “brewhouse†caliber, meaning it’s just your average beers mixed with above average beers, nothing you would ever see at a homemade brewers show. Average/some above average beers at average prices, taste fine.
29th St. btw Lexington and Park Ave.
Alright, you can come here to eat too, but for the most part it happens in the back. I usually just see a lot of people drinking from their ridiculously long beer menu. You can even check out the bottles in the refrigerators that line the place. It’s a 20-30’s crowd that usually keeps the place full. Beers are all above average, at slightly above average prices, taste fine.
33rd St. btw Lexington and 3rd Ave.
The same owners of Little Branch have opened up a midtown location, though this place is a little more hidden behind a staircase, as compared to a giant wall on 7th Avenue. If you’re not early, the second/main floor (seating) is usually always packed, but feel free to find a spot on the first floor (standing only). It’s mostly all cocktails with a beer or two available if you’re feeling like Gin won’t cut it. The crowd is young, with most people waiting for their party to arrive and keeping to themselves. Cocktails at average prices for cocktails (~$9), taste fine, good service.
34th St. btw 2nd and 3rd Ave.
Used to be Bar XII. They pretty much just changed the sign on the outside, although the bar feels a little smaller for some reason. Plenty of TV’s, crowd ranges from “after work business†to the people who spill out of the 2nd Ave. bars around the corner (B&T’s). Average beers at average prices, taste alright.
Park Avenue and 39th St.
This place used to be Bogart’s. It’s still the same crowd (Business kids and adults), good looking women, same slow service, same packed crowd from 4 PM on, but it’s brighter than before…and…you can see better…no wait, I used that already. It actually is a little more welcoming than its predecessor and I can actually make a full lap of the bar in under 15 minutes. Drinks are average prices to above average prices, average taps, taste fine.
3rd Ave. btw 23rd and 24th St.
New bar on the scene that specializes in all the above average taps one could ask for. The problem is that there isn’t a lot of room to house the masses who come here. Packed with an inordinate amount of seats, try and make your way to the back where there is a sliver of room. My gripe about space aside, and the selection is pretty good, tastes good, the staff is friendly, and they try to keep the prices in the $6-10 range.
3rd Ave. btw 27th and 28th St.
This place used to be Choice, but now it is one ridiculously long and thi…ahem, wide bar. There is a lot of space in here and it draws a decent crowd. It basically hasn’t changed except for feeling a bit more open. Sports on TV, average pints at average prices, taste fine, friendly staff.
2nd Ave. btw 33rd and 34th St.
Remember those kids who never grew up after college, were d-bags then and still are now? Well they hang out here, and apparently work behind the bar too! Used to be Underground and 1 Republik (and probably will change hands at least a dozen more times) but they at least have cleaned it up a little bit. And a point for each air hockey table they added in the back yard. Other than that, you can refer to the first sentence for what you get here. Drinks are as advertised ($3 for most drinks) and taste alright.
Lexington Ave. and 37th St.
This place is never not crowded. To the point that it’s almost spilling into the hotel next door. Crammed full of business kids, you make your way through the scent of cheese and try to get a beer. It’s all bottles (no taps) and then you either hold fast where you’re standing or attempt to grab a table. During the nicer season, there is a roof, if a rooftop with young, drunk business kids is your cup of tea. There’s not much to it really, average size space, bottled beers are hard to mess up and taste average, average prices.
3rd Ave. btw 28th and 29th St.
This place used to be Maker’s, and now it’s the brighter version of its former self. The crowd is very young, the music system is loud and changing halfway through songs, and the bartenders are pretty slow. I guess it changed to keep up with the new population in the neighborhood, but I think it was better the way it was. After all, it’s good to have a quiet port in a B&T storm once in a while! The beers were average prices, tasted fine.
Lexington Ave. btw 38th and 39th St.
So this place used to be Chill Lounge. They changed the name, brightened it up, and sweet fancy Moses, it’s like night and day. Always packed after work with the B&T’s, so that of course comes with the obnoxious factor. A decent sized space that get insanely crowded, beers taste alright and average prices, average service.
2nd Ave. and 33rd St.
Best way to describe this would be “neighborhood barâ€â€¦and yes, because no one was eating and people were only drinking, it’s a bar. It’s a quiet bar, kind of small, the crowd consisting of older people/people who just came from the movies/people who know the staff. Beer tastes average, average prices.
33rd St. btw 3rd and Lexington Ave.
New bar in this neck of the woods, tucked off the 3rd Avenue beaten trail. It’s a lot of space, mostly seating in the back, very thin up front…not unlike an ex-girlfriend of mine, zing! The beer is your next level above your standards (non-Bud Light’s, etc.) so the average price is $7 for your Six Points, Goose Necks, et al. The service almost took a hit when I got charged normal price for happy hour, but on my next trip to the bar, he realized, without a hint from me, that he goofed, free round for me…well played. Crowd is the business type, 30 year olds and coworkers looking to have a more adult experience than 3rd Ave.
Lexington Ave. and 39th Street
First time I walked in here, I took one look around and walked out. Wasn’t a bad looking place at all, just that I wanted one drink and was wearing a t-shirt. Came back with a smart lookin’ shirt and some friends and felt better. Upscale-ish place that can get pretty crowded with the B&T/club crowd, the beers were slightly above average prices (bottled), though I was impressed with the quick service for the huge crowd.
3rd Ave. btw 28th and 29th St.
This is a pub, no matter how upscale it tries to be and look. Hard to find a more talkative bartender, plenty of good taps and they all are average prices. It’s gets a little claustrophobic here on Friday night’s, due to the mix of a big crowd and the low ceilings.
Lexington Ave. btw 38th and 39th St.
Small bar competing for the clientele that is not really in this area, unless they’re heading towards 3rd Ave. The bartender was nice enough and they had an alright special for happy hour. We hung around and the beers stayed around average prices, tasted fine. It was basically us and a couple of people on dates here.
34th St. btw 2nd and 3rd Ave.
Hmm, well, it’s a sports lounge, if I had to call it anything. This place is packed with tables (uncomfortably so) but there are tons of TV’s, whatever space you’re occupying. The beers are good and surprisingly average priced. The service is a little slow and you can skip the food. There is what looks like a VIP section, which is automatically a negative gajillion points.
2nd Ave. btw 31st and 32nd St.
I’m guessing the guy who owns Black Bear Lodge owns this place too, because it’s almost the exact same setup, except way too many walls and doors and a frat party right in the middle. The beers are good and average prices, but you are almost always guaranteed to sit in the front where you can’t even see the rest of the bar nor have anyone acknowledge your existence. It’s really just good for a quick drink before a movie across the street.
Lexington Ave. btw 28th and 29th St.
Years ago there was another bar in this location, so I’m glad someone put another bar on this stretch of Lex. That being said, you would walk right past it if you weren’t looking for it. This place was empty after work on a Tuesday except for friends of the bartenders. They had a cheap happy hour special, the tap tasted clean (I mean, the bar IS brand new), you toss in a couple of old Italian guys at the front of the bar, some popcorn on the bar and there’s not much that stands out (not a bad thing), besides the cheap happy hour or if I’m randomly eating Indian food and want a beer.
3rd Ave. btw 38th and 39th St
This place is almost always packed, and there’s a lot of room. I finally stumbled upstairs the last time I was here and there was tons of space up here. I recommend upstairs just to stay away from those fun loving, just out of college business kids. The beer tastes fine, average prices and there’s plenty of space to watch football.
30th and 2nd Ave.
I popped in here before a movie for a drink and a bite to eat. Skip the food from now on. There’s a decent amount of space here with a younger crowd as the clientele. Plenty of TV’s for watching a game, service is alright, the pints taste fine and they are average prices. Most of the bar has seats, but aim for the back if you want to get one.
3rd Ave. and 25th St.
Well, I liked this place. I didn’t think I would because every time I pass the bar it seems like a bunch of yuppies. Lots of space and even a big screen in the back with a Wii hooked up, though this could’ve been a one time occurance.  There were tons of TV’s spread around for everyone’s viewing pleasure, the beers were good, average prices, and the staff was also friendly.
3rd Ave. btw 27th and 28th St.
These Aussie bars are popping up all over the place, and this one is as great as the other ones. There’s a good amount of space here, plenty of good taps that are average prices and lots of bottles Aussie beers that are your average prices with good service behind it all. The space could’ve been used differently on the second floor, but, oh well. Definitely one of the nicest bar owners, very accommodating, he must live there because I’ve seen him every single time I’ve been in there.
3rd Ave. and 29th St.
You’re either going to get one of two scenarios here: hoity toity right-out-of-college kids who think they’re in a club or people from an alumni association watching their team on one of the many TV’s. The drinks are good with average prices, the service does what it can to serve everyone quickly, and there are multiple levels to accommodate everyone, including a rooftop.
3rd Ave. and 35th St.
Though it’s still a young college crowd in here, most of the people who go here think they’re better than their classmates that go to Joshua Tree and 515 next door. This could be looked at either way…I think they’re still a bit pretentious and just want to watch sports. That and the setup is kind of weird, probably because I’m never a fan of pleather couches, especially not in bars. The beers are good, average prices, excellent dollar special at night.
27th St. btw 3rd and Lexington Ave.
Alright, I admit it, I came in here with a friend who wanted to meet other Buffy fans for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer “meet upâ€, purely as moral support though. Needless to say, the place was kind of empty, not even having many normal customers either.  A little small, but the beers tasted fine and were your average prices. I was hoping for maybe at least Eliza Dushku.
38th St. and Park Ave.
Yes, I’m calling this a bar. It’s a little uppity for my taste but a friend insisted I go in and try it. A very quiet place to grab a drink, though in fairness there aren’t too many other places to drink on Park. The drinks were actually good and not too above average prices. The bartender was friendly and there was a decent amount of space to move around, though you will feel like you’re intruding on tables if you venture to far from the bar.
3rd Ave. and 27th St.
Where this blog idea began. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like when I have a seat in this place because the service is good, the drinks cheap to average prices, and the food is always good to munch on. But if you have to stand at the bar, good night and good luck. I’m always dumbfounded as to how many people actually come for the live country shows that play in the adjacent room, but thankfully the sound never impedes on the atmosphere within the bar.
41st St. btw Lexington and 3rd Ave.
Apparently a lot of business people come here. Thankfully, I go later at night and on the weekends to avoid it. Went in for football and this place is packed with TV’s and fans. Now, there are a lot of tables, but restaurants don’t have a bar this big. The drinks were surprisingly average prices, tasted fine, and the service was great.
www.publichousenyc.com
35th St. btw 1st and 2nd Ave.
An extremely quixotic bar. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. There is a nice amount of room here but the problem is that it’s divided into too many rooms. It’s almost as if they purchased the front room at first and then bought adjoining rooms and only put a door in the wall instead of opening it up a little. As for the location itself, it’s a little off the beaten path. The wait staff is friendly and the beers and mixed drinks were pretty cheap. Good place for a drink after a Kips Bay movie if you’re not up for the crowded 2nd Avenue scene.
40th St. btw 3rd and Lexington Ave.
Perfect…well, nothing’s perfect but this place comes pretty close. This is the closet thing to a pub in Midtown. Good amount of space, booths all over the place, plenty of places to sit, great music. There’s a crowd of the business types but, and I didn’t know they existed, the fun types, old and young. Staff is friendly, knows the regulars, beer tastes good, average prices, TV’s all over.
3rd Ave. btw 33rd and 34th St.
Nice pub, has good pub food, and quiet enough to be able to hold a conversation with the people you’re watching them with. You’ll get the occasional group of people who are pre-gaming before going to Joshua Tree or 515 up the block, but they don’t linger for long. Definitely one of the better bars in the Midtown East area. Beers taste pretty good, average prices, slightly older crowd.
2nd Ave. and 29th St.
After you’ve made a fool of yourself trying to open the front barn door, you’ll be in a quiet pub with good music, tasty pints and average priced beer. You have your locals sitting at the bar but other than it’s your run of the mill pub to go to when the rest of 2nd Ave. is too much for you. Definitely one of the more authentic Irish pubs in NYC.
3rd Ave. btw 33rd and 34th St.
Went here on a Friday night and it is definitely more manageable than the other flashy bars in the area. The beers were average prices, taste fine but the big thing I noticed was the good looking crowd and the non-blaring music. The crowd is on the younger side and can get crowded but not as much as the other bars one block north.
3rd Ave. btw 26th and 27th St.
Run of the mill pub amidst a sea of kitschy bars going for flair. The taps taste fine and they are decently priced. The atmosphere is a little relaxed to borderline silent and the bartender is friendly enough to accommodate your TV watching preference, though they charge an arm and a leg for soccer viewing when it’s free two bars down.
3rd Ave. btw 38th and 39th St.
I love this block, nice cozy Black Sheep at the start, run of the mill bar (this place) in the middle, then a sports bar/little bit of crazy, to the north. This place is like other cookie cutter bars in the city: TV’s, right off the boat accent accented bartender who’s pretty cool, decent amount of room, shitty quesadillas. The beers taste fine, average prices, and an average crowd of business kids and people who don’t like the other options on the block.
3rd Ave. btw 26th and 27th St.
Well, they did have a lot of TV’s for sports. The only problem was the older crowd cheering for every ball and strike (mostly Yankees fans that are silly and think throwing a strike on a 3-0 count is something to cheer for). The beers were pretty good, average priced, and they had a pretty good happy hour, especially with liquor drinks. This bar gets as packed as most of the other bars on 3rd Avenue.
3rd Ave btw 34th and 35th St.
The other half of this bar/lounge duo on the east side of midtown. It gets very crowded here but I’ve still never had a problem getting my drink quickly and having a fun time dancing with my friends in the back, which is really the only reason you should come here. The main negative is the dopey crowd made up of frat boys/B&T’s and guys who will hit on anything, all the time The beers are average prices, taste fine, can get easily spilled.
2nd Ave. btw 33rd and 34th St.
As I’ve heard many times in my life, I thought it would be bigger. This is probably one of the smallest bars I’ve been in. The taps were a little off but priced averagely. The bartender was pretty nice. Randomly, the bar was pretty sparkly, like a bedazzler gone wild on the tables.
3rd Ave. btw 29th and 30th St.
After defying my friend by proving this wasn’t a fondue bar, I found a decent place to have a drink. There was a good amount of space here, but it wasn’t that crowded, probably because it’s tucked into a recessed corner next to a large building. I seriously would’ve believed my friend that it wasn’t a bar. The pints are good and averagely priced and the service was very attentive, but that was most likely due to it being me and another group of 4 watching the NCAA tournament being the only patrons.
3rd Ave. and 25th St.
This bar could be looked at in two ways, a sausage fest or a B&T fest. The best bet is to come here on a random weekday night to avoid both. They have a bunch of taps and a decent amount of room. The beers are on the higher side of average prices but at least taste fine.
3rd Ave. btw 24th and 25th St.
A very friendly bar on the east side, this place always has a decent sized crowd in there, usually all from Baruch or the NYU Hospital campus. The bartenders are friendly, they have a good beer selection for your average prices, a dart board in the back, and a decent amount of space. They also don’t mind if you drag in a cheese steak from across the street later in the evening.
2nd Ave. btw 29th and 30th St.
Nice bar with lots of space. The music is good and the pool table is usually open. Drinks are average prices, taste fine and the clientele are the non-hipster/yuppies that occupy most of the other bars one avenue over on 3rd. However, I doubt that anyone in here can properly pronounce the name of the bar. Good for a pre movie drink.
3rd Ave. btw 37th and 38th St.
From the nuttiness of Cinco de Mayo, I declare this a bar. This place gets packed on that quintessential spring day and can hold its own for the remainder of the year as well. Their margaritas are $10, though they do have beers that go for the usual prices. There’s not a great amount of space inside but the “outdoor patio†always calls me, though I think most inanimate objects talk to me after a while. The drawback, tons of yuppies and B&T’s.
Park Ave. btw 29th and 30th St.
If you want to escape the glitz and glamour of Park Avenue, but stay on Park Avenue, then come here! The bar is a little dingy, but they serve good beers at average prices. There’s a decent amount of space, but it can be filled with a live act in the back.
3rd Ave. btw 27th and 28th St.
A surprisingly big bar on the East Side. Could only have been open barely even a year, this place almost sparkled. I would even go so far as calling this place an acceptable amount of classy without being over the top. Not much to complain about; the staff was great and the taps were your typical selection, tasted fine and average prices. Lots of room to watch sports on the TV’s, but it doesn’t seem like a place that gets many rowdy sports fans.
Lexington Ave. and 31st St.
Good lord this place is huge, and after 5:30, it is almost completely packed. If you want to sit down, a reservation is almost definitely needed. This is one of the few bars on Lexington Ave., so that gets bonus points, because I really don’t want to walk to 3rd Ave. all the time. The service was actually pretty fast for the crowd that was here, and you have your normal domestic beer specials with the standard Brother Jimmy special prices, especially pitchers (god I love those cheap pitchers), all beer tasting fine.
2nd Ave. and 38th St.
There aren’t a lot of bar options in this neck of the woods (near the Midtown Tunnel) so this place was a very nice surprise. Good amount of space, good food, average priced beers that taste good, and a very friendly staff. Also an extremely mixed crowd, from young to old.
Park Ave. and 39th St.
I really don’t know what to make of this place. On one hand, it’s a decent space and the drinks are only slightly over average price, clearly taking advantage of the clientele’s hedge fund wallets. But the patrons themselves, geesh. I’ll sum it up with late 20’s to older sausage fest. Though there are lots of TV’s, the club vibe that’s here does not mix well, especially with the geriatric crowd that tends to find there way in. The beers tasted fine, service was good too.
3rd Ave. btw 38th and 39th St.
I love this bar. Nice and quiet and extremely cozy. Very friendly staff and good tasting, average priced beers. Funny how I say more about the bars I hate. Definitely in my top 5 in the city.
3rd Ave. and 30th St.
I thought this was a restaurant at first glance but it turned out to be a decent bar. Yeah, not a lot of space to move around, but the three bartenders trying to accommodate everyone in the place have to be commended. Well, a nice pat on the back will do. The drinks are average priced, tasted fine, and I was surprised that I could watch both the Rangers and Mets at the same time. Pretty hot clientele too.
39th St. btw Lexington and Park Ave.
The most awesomest bartender ever…that one’s for you Becks! The bar itself, located in the W Hotel, is not. When you get back from the mile long walk through the hotel to get to the bathroom, you’re in a posh bar/lounge that attracts that awesome young business kid crowd that wants to have their “2 month since graduating†reunion close to their office. That group aside, it’s pretty quiet in here, the beers are actually average prices and taste as good as anywhere else.
3rd Ave. btw 27th and 28th St.
I think I found a bar in this neighborhood that I really like. Though I would normally hate bars that contain neon lights and have this “look†to it, it turned out to be a really nice place. The bartenders are really friendly, they have a nice small bar downstairs, lots of space upstairs, especially in the back, the beers taste good, average prices, and plenty of TV’s. The downstairs is a little weird (is it possible to drink and feel like you are in a tanning booth) so I would stick to the top floor.
3rd Ave. btw 34th and 35th St.
One of two bar/lounges that are exactly the same, on the same block, on the east side of Manhattan. If it’s too crowded, hit up Joshua Tree (practically the same) and vice versa. The difference is that it’s easier to get food here but it becomes a crowded bar after 11. It’s a fun place where they do the typical mix of 80’s music and hip hop and the beers aren’t too expensive and taste fine.
Map
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