**”Alcohol Alley” is Amsterdam 75th-85th. Mainly 80-83.
Center Bar: Lounge. 10 Columbus Circle @ 59th; Gorgeous lounge with piano music; Date central and a great place to impress someone; Cocktails are $15-$20, wine slightly less. Fancier place; Drink pre-dinner. Great food options. http://centerbarnyc.com/;
PJ Clarke’s: Upscale Pub. 44 W 63rd St @ Columbus; Absolutely outstanding burgers, large seafood raw bar menu; Newly renovated; Classy pub with great after work crowd; Comfortable and cool vibe. Old New York feel; NYC Institution- been around 100 years. Mixed crowd. www.pjclarkes.com/;
Vanguard Wine Bar: Wine Bar. 189 Amsterdam @ 68th-69th; Lincoln Center lounge option; Perfect for a date and to relax early evening; Lots of small bites; Opens at 5pm; Food is cheap – $8-$12. Wine $12, beer $8. Not a fancy place. Fairly small inside. www.vanguard-nyc.com/
Shalel Lounge: Lounge. 65 W 70th @ CPW-Columbus; Sexy, exotic lounge; Comfortable seating; Romantic- date friendly; Cavernous- lots of nooks & crannies; Moroccan/ Mediterranean feel. Known for having excellent food as well; Opens 5pm daily; Can eat dinner here. www.yelp.com/biz/shalel-lounge-new-york
Bin 71: Wine Bar. 237 Columbus @ 71st; Expansive wine list, great cheeses from Artisanal; Wine $12-13, Beer $8. Rare beers; Singles scene; 30s crowd; Mostly standing room only as it’s not huge. Kind of a 30s-40s pick up scene. Has a huge food menu. Open at noon. www.bin71.com/;
Emerald Inn: Irish Pub. 250 W 72nd @ Broadway- West End; Neighborhood spot. 30s crowd; Long bar, decent food; Shepherd’s pie/ fish and chips outstanding; Good place to catch a game. Cozy and warm. Open 11am daily; Opened 1943; Weekend brunch. Casual/laid back. www.emeraldinnnyc.com/
Dive 75: Dive Bar. 101 W. 75th @ Columbus; Beat up couches. Julliard students hang here. Laid back scene – great neighborhood hangout. Back room has dozens of ‘80s and ‘90s board games. Large selection of beer and whiskey. Open at noon weekends. Beers $6-$9. www.divebarnyc.com;
Amsterdam Ale House: Pub. 340 Amsterdam Av @ 76th; Great selection of draft (30+) and bottled beer (65+); Fairly nice décor – House of Brews feel; Inexpensive; Certainly a solid place for lunch or a pub-level dinner. Not as fratty as others in area. Opens 11:30am. Beers $7-$8. http://www.amsterdamalehouse.nyc/
Blondies: Sports Bar. 212 W. 79th @ Amsterdam- B-Way; Sports bar w/ tons of TVs; Dining area; Friendly bartenders & cute waitresses. Great wings; Endless TVs; Great for beer parties. Any possible game is on. Opens 11:30am; Happy hour 4-7 pm: 2 for 1 drinks. www.yelp.com/biz/blondies-sports-new-york
Dublin House: Irish Pub. 225 W 79th @ BWay; Old school pub from the 1920s; Great classic rock jukebox; Open at 9am Mon-Sat, noon Sunday; Burgers, beer and whiskey – keep it simple here. Older crown on average. www.yelp.com/biz/dublin-house-new-york
Jake’s Dilemma: College Bar. 430 Amsterdam @ 80-81; College-aged crowd. Frat feel, but pretty cool. Packed on the weekends with a meat market type crowd. Early 20s in general. Older crowd during day; Great Juke; Tons of beer. See website for insane daily specials. www.nycbestbar.com/jakes/;
St. James Gate: Irish Pub. 441 Amsterdam @ 81st; Solid traditional Irish fare; Offer outdoor seating; Wide Screen TVs; Friendly bartenders; Also has brunch; Food is notably good. Casual, small bar overall. Opens noon daily. http://www.stjamesgatenyc.com/;
Gin Mill: Dive / College Bar. 442 Amsterdam @ 81st; Young crowd. Next to Jake’s Dilemma; Beer Pong; Beer specials listed daily on excellent website; Singles getting loaded and flirting; B&T-ish but overall a good time; Very popular. ½ priced drinks noon-8pm. 17 TVs for games. http://www.nycbestbar.com/ginmill/;
Dead Poet: Irish Pub. 450 Amsterdam @ 82nd; Irish Pub that has mixed 20-30s crowd; Stylish place; Small, w/ awesome atmosphere, pool and good bartenders; College and Professional types; Happy Hour all day on weekends; Great Bloody Mary weekend specials. Giant special cocktail list. www.thedeadpoet.com
Hi-Life: Bar / Restaurant. 477 Amsterdam @ 83rd; Vintage lounge. 1930s décor; Fun place! Low-priced swank. Fun tropical drinks. Cheap brunch. Great Food- Japanese mostly including sushi; Nice ambiance; Almost a West Village feel. Happy Hour 4-7pm daily. Retro all the way. www.hi-life.com/
George Keeley’s: Irish Pub. 485 Amsterdam @ 83rd; Massive beer selection and the best bartenders; Live bands some nights. Darts, with room to play; Have a Beer Club (need to drink 100 diff TYPES of pints to join!); Great jukebox; Beer-inspired menu. This bar works in every way. Excellent pub menu- wings & burgers especially. Beer about $7. www.georgekeeley.com;
Prohibition: Lounge. 503 Columbus @ 84th; Bar/ Lounge/ Live Music venue. Very trendy lounge that isn’t too hip. Yuppieville- Still, welcoming to all types of people. 20s-40s crowd. Excellent after 10pm. Staff is sexy, friendly and fun. Sunday bottomless brunch. Pricy drinks at night. Cheap Happy Hour weekdays. www.prohibition.net/main.htm;
e’s Bar: Bar / Restaurant. 511 Amsterdam @ 84th-85th; Fun, popular American Pub; HH is 5-7pm M-F; Great food menu. Opens 1pm on weekends and gets packed; Try e’s Burger; They have a bottomless brunch for two hours with Bloodies, Mimosas and margaritas. Great location. https://e-barnyc.com/
The Parlour: Irish Pub/ Sports Bar. 250 W 86th @ B-Way- West End; Two Levels; Some live bands. Very casual place; Downstairs bar & lounge, food, 2 bars; Singles Scene; Neighborhood spot; Pool tables; Happy Hour- 12-7pm, $5 drinks weekdays; Opens 11am; http://theparlour.com/
Amelie Wine Bar: French Wine Bar. 566 Amsterdam @ 87th-88th; Maybe the best liked wine bar in Manhattan; Endless positive reviews. Opens at 11:00am Sat/Sun, 5pm weekdays. Food is to die for as well. Glasses around $11-12; Gorgeous décor; Comfortable seating; Wine flights available. HH daily until 7pm. In West Village too. https://www.ameliewinebar.com/west-village
Dive Bar: Dive Bar. 732 Amsterdam @ 95th; Same ownership as Dive 75 & Broadway Dive; Pool; Happy Hour specials; Inexpensive; Excellent bar food; Lots of drinks of all types; Great burgers, wings; Cheap beer; Pub atmosphere. Has Poutine like the other spots. www.divebarnyc.com;
Broadway Dive: Dive Bar. 2662 BWay @ 101-102nd; Amazing bartenders, fun & relaxed atmosphere, cool décor and cheap drinks. Decor has all sorts of fun things hung on walls; Large Pub menu including Poutine; Classic spot. Ideal for a dive bar crawl. http://divebarnyc.com/broadway-dive/
Smoke: Jazz Club. 2751 B-Way @ 105th; Fun date spot to listed to great live Jazz; Doubles as a bar/supper club; Unobtrusive service and excellent acoustics; Check out website for a schedule of acts; They have an 8 and a 10pm show on weekends. Great drink menu. Jazz Brunch Sundays; www.smokejazz.com;
Amity Hall: Beer Bar. 982 Amsterdam Av @ 108-109th; Daily specials; From owners of Stout and Half Pint; 40 craft beers available; HH is M-F noon-7pm; Daily specials too. Manchester City fans here; Frat feel but lots of fun and in a great location; Excellent website. Bottomless Brunch for $20 more; https://amityhalluptown.com/
Lion’s Head Tavern: Pub/ Sports Bar. 995 Amsterdam @ 109th; Frequent cheap beer and wing specials; Neighborhood feel with Colombia students; NFL game central; Beer $6, Wine $8 and cocktails $13; Fun menu; Kitchen open late each night. www.lionsheadnyc.com;