5 of THE Best Dive Bars in NYC, and 1 REALLY Bad One!

[@mohomoho1]

I was a bike messenger in 79' and our office was right next door to Jimmy's. Grace messenger was the company.Nice man he was. Would say hello when he was opening in morning. Across the street was The Savoy where the band Genesis played. Small venue lucky me went to it. One song ended up on the record 3 Sides Live. Good small Polish coffee shop there also owned by Tony. Times Square was wild around that time.

[@Drunktopus]

WOW. New York has stories. Honestly, I started to tear up toward then end not knowing where that story would end. THANK YOU so much for sharing!

[@scottklein2036]

I met my wife in Rudy’s 27 years ago, I was sitting in a booth smoking a joint and my friend brought over 2 women who both had pitchers of beer. Still going strong!

[@Drunktopus]

Congrats on 27 years! These are the stories that only New York can serve up. A moment, a lifetime, and an experience. Thanks for watching and sharing your moment. Cheers mate.

[@kendallevans4079]

So your relationship is based on booze and pot?

[@rawgab4439]

What Beer was in the Pitchers ?

[@rawgab4439]

AWESOME !!! ;))@@kendallevans4079

[@Drunktopus]

@@rawgab4439 Good question, and now you're going to test my memory here. The friendly dude was drinking a red ale of some sort I believe. He poured some out for me to try, it was also pretty good and a delicious change from the bottled beer I was drinking. Well spotted!

[@2Wheels_NYC]

Rudy's is great! Fun fact... It's referenced in Steely Dan's 1977 hit "Black Cow"

[@Drunktopus]

I'll have to listen to that now! Everyone is so friendly there. Loved it! 🍻

[@2Wheels_NYC]

@@Drunktopus Cheers!

[@Drunktopus]

Rudys literally mentioned in the first few lines. Thanks for the trivia tidbit

[@2Wheels_NYC]

@@Drunktopus No problemo!

[@stuartmiller9648]

Hope to visit NY from Scotland,UK next year and love dive bars so this video was very informative..cheers!!!

[@Drunktopus]

So happy to hear. Now you know where to go and ahem, where NOT to go. Jimmys off Times Square is a winner, also my fave Milano's. I'm currently in Venice looking for some Dives as well. Just not as well advertised as the USA.

[@djjshds287]

ive never drank in my life and dont live in the usa but this is the most underated content ive seen.

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for watching mate. Appreciated. More coming soon!

[@HONESTGUIDE]

Jimmy's Corner is the best!!! Need to check out the rest of them as well!

[@Drunktopus]

I'd say the cheapest beer in town! Can really recommend Rudy's.

[@martinvanburen4578]

I hated that bar. You walk in and get a dead stare. Then you order a drink and they eye ball you. If you don't order another drink, they give you the cold stare to leave. It literally felt like they were counting the seconds for you to drink and leave.

[@rawgab4439]

100 % WORD !!

[@rawgab4439]

I wish I could remember how many times I got a "standing" 8 count " in that place ...Loooovvveee it

[@garethsmith6998]

Excellent video ! I think I will try Jimmys when I’m in New York this week ! I’m a huge boxing fan

[@Drunktopus]

Mate, I can almost guarantee you'll never want to leave this place then.🥊 Have fun and have a whiskey for me 🥃

[@garethsmith6998]

@@Drunktopus I had a whisky for you at Jimmys as well as goof few beers , what a great bar ! I loved it !,

[@Drunktopus]

@@garethsmith6998 this is amazing feedback, so so sooooo happy to hear I could be guide for ya! Made my year. More to come. Much love 🥃

[@davemorris4770]

Jimmy's is my place when I'm in Manhattan. Love it.

[@Drunktopus]

You got that right! Such a great place to say nothing or share your life story.

[@jimbrennan1181]

These may be the "Best" dive bars in NYC, I 100% agree with that and will not argue, but I was expecting the "most divey" bars in NYC and these are not those by a long stretch! Great video!!!

[@Drunktopus]

Hey Jim, thanks for your comment, and what a great idea! I will soon be back in NYC to do a Part II and this could in fact be the direction I head. The 'Diviest' of Dive Bars. If you have some suggestions that would be awesome, otherwise I will do a little research for 1 Star Dive Bars and keep my wits about me. Cheers 🍻

[@kendallevans4079]

True that! A real dive bar looks like its almost not even in business or looks like it's condemned! Usually there is not enough storage room so booze stock and other stuff migrates to the public area. Stools/chairs are mismatched. Repairs are very noticeable in DIY workmanship and materials. And the biggest thing is you can't tell who works there from the patrons!

[@stanreno9917]

A great dive bar is located at 79 st in Manhattan between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave. Beautiful old days bar.

[@bartenderzzz]

Jimmy's and Rudy's are official. They get packed after work and until 4am. Wakamba is a shady dealers type spot. I'd be careful. The rest I don't know.

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for checking them out. Sounds like you're a local so good to know I was on the right track! Check out the others for sure.

[@MissDorka]

loved the video ❤️ i guess i have to check these out 🧐

[@Drunktopus]

Just not the Wakamba please. Say Hi to Keith at Milano's!

[@ALifeintheParks]

Great video! Seriously any bar that’s offering free hot dogs is a must for me. I really liked the look of the Kettle of Fish, that’s my kind of place. How did you get a Corona? What did you actually want? New subscriber here!

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for watching! The free dogs were a bonus and I am sure you'd enjoy Kettle of Fish. Great vibe and ticks most of the must haves. I'd love to spend an afternoon in there to see the change in excitement levels! 🍻

[@sonofagreatsouthernland]

Some fairly seedy looking places there mate, pity you didn't hang around 'til after dark when they'd really start to shine 😁😁

[@Drunktopus]

They also shine first thing in the morning 🙂

[@airgunfun4248]

Day drinking is the thing that shines. That's where it's at

[@Paul-u4d7s]

You need to go to the Larks Nest in the Bronx.

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for the tip. Adding this one to the round two version! Gotta get back soon. Cheers and thanks for watcing.

[@DavidBrothers-j2o]

I recognized that one bar that's where they tried to kill Patangeli !Micheal Corleon says hello

[@Drunktopus]

Haha. Hello back. 👋🏼 Yup. That one is one of the best, spent a little more time there than I remember.

[@DavidBrothers-j2o]

@Drunktopus looks like they would have good food there do they have good food there

[@Drunktopus]

Good question. There is no food menu here, however I did see some people getting pizza delivery there. Its really just for drinking and catching up with friends there. Thanks again for watching!

[@airgunfun4248]

Nothing touristy about 7b. Very much a locals bar. Milano's is great but technically on the south side of Houston it is not east village in the strictest sense. ''New York's ok if you like saxophones''. Cool viddy

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for the feedback! Perhaps I was the tourist then. It came up in all the guides I looked at. 😎

[@TheJewishtraveler]

Great video. Im from Brooklyn and taking notes

[@Drunktopus]

Cheers and thanks for the feedback. Let me know if you find any better places! 🍻

[@TheJewishtraveler]

@@Drunktopus Sonny’s In Brooklyn (Redhook)

[@Drunktopus]

@@TheJewishtraveler adding to my list for next visit! Thanks mate.

[@MAHAN1755]

I wouldn't call 7b(Horseshoe Bar) a tourist bar. Of all the bars you went to Rudy's is the most touristy because of it's Times Square location. It's still a great bar though.

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for the feedback and I think you are right. I figured with all the shoots that have happened there, people would come for the history. A little like Toms Diner. Cheers for watching!

[@bikesrule8347]

Rudy’s forever!

[@Drunktopus]

I wholeheartedty agree! Something about that beer and a dog combo. Cheers for checking out the video. 🍻

[@ChuckOU812]

I plan of visiting a few of the spots this weekend. It Keith is working what is his shot of choice?

[@Drunktopus]

Awesome. Love to hear it! Keith will drink amost any brown spirit so you are safe there. I got him Jack Daniels. Tell him I sent you, and show him this video. He will not have seen it yet. Remember the jazz on Sundays, but also Jimmys Corner for a cheap beer, and then the free dogs at Rudys! Enjoy and Cheers! 🥃

[@ChuckOU812]

@@Drunktopus I got a list of places to go. My plan is to take the train from Connecticut to Grand Central. Hit up the midtown spots and go south.

[@Drunktopus]

@@ChuckOU812 PS. If you're in Grand Central after 3pm go look for The Campbell. Not a Dive Bar, you will not be disappointed 🥃

[@ChuckOU812]

@@Drunktopus I will put it on my list.

[@hauptmanndrinen2286]

You have to go to Wakamba at night. Not a daytime place. And get a Presidente not Corona, good beer.

[@Drunktopus]

Nice tip. Not sure I would make it there in the evening. The place is really sketchy. Read some of the reviews after visiting, and they were not exactly glowing. Thanks for watching! 🍻

[@bobshark123]

The Whakamba was a personal favourite of mine, then Rudys.....I think the ~Whakamba is closed.....1st time I went in there about 1999....I met a guy who basically was Ratzo Rizzo.....he told me 'the girls don't have dates tonight' while chewing a straw out of the side of his mouth.........straight out of a movie ffs

[@Drunktopus]

That's a crazy story! But I hear you on that. Bonkers place indeed

[@columcunningham4458]

Milano’s would never close! I bartender in Brooklyn and the city for 13 years / left in 2012 Milanos was some thing else from 4 am till whenever with bartenders / mobsters / cops / you name it. That’s all ended maybe 07/08. My friend met his wife there ( she was the bartender at 7 am) and I had a gun pulled on me by a mob guy cos a guy skipped his song on the jute box ( still friends to this day ) / I could go on. Blessed to have experienced that time period in NYC. It was fun as fun can be all the best

[@Drunktopus]

Same vibes I got from the place too. I have dropped by there at all hours and hence the reason I label it as my fave. Crazy to hear the stories from the past! Note to self, don't mess with the jukebox. Nice to have a locals validation! Cheers 🥃

[@tomcarl8021]

The Kettle of Fish has a lot of history. It was The Lions Head in the 1960s and it was a writers bar. Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Pete Hamill, Jimmy Breslin, the list is endless. The Clancy Brothers and Bob Dylan were regulars. Pete Hamill wrote about it in his book 'A Drinking Life', and Frank McCourt drank there when he was a public school teacher. He also wrote about it in his book 'Tis. And there's a famous photo of Jack Kerouac in front of the neon BAR sign next to the dart board.

[@Drunktopus]

I had no idea! Thank you so much for this little gem of history. I need to return and soak in it's splendor. Perhaps with a few beers in had. Cheers!

[@roadtrip2943]

Decades ago Guys used to go up from the subway in the downtown business districts and have a few belts to start their day.

[@Drunktopus]

Oh yeah. I hear that. Back in the heyday of the MadMen. Cheers and thanks for watching! 🥃

[@roadtrip2943]

@@Drunktopus are the discount saloons blarney stone and Killarney rose still serving those shot and short beer deals

[@Drunktopus]

@@roadtrip2943 thanks for the tips. Sounds like a second video forming.

[@nycrich139]

I remember referring to them as "gin mills", good times.

[@Drunktopus]

Those were the days my friend. Cheers and thanks for checking out the video.

[@CharlieMoney777]

Rudy’s. Nothing else comes close.

[@Drunktopus]

I hear you, it was a great experience there with an upbeat vibe! The perfect place for a few drinks, and the dogs can't be beaten. Cheers for checking out the video 🍻

[@markgill7651]

I’ve only been to Rudy,s bar and it was great 👍🏻🇬🇧

[@Drunktopus]

Great time and a really friendly crowd. Easy bar conversations here!

[@doinitlive3015]

@@Drunktopus Totally agree with the friendly atmosphere!

[@Tealstipschannel]

Good picks here. I have a few more to add next time you visit, including one I would pass on my way to work in the morning seeing business men drinking their scotch before work then stumbling out and barfing on the sidewalk. Lol. Whatever gets you through the work day? 😂

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for watching. This was a side quest on a very very ambitious agenda I had planned. The problem/best part of a good dive bar is you never want to leave. I still have many more in the plan, so maybe a Part 2?

[@Tealstipschannel]

**band

[@stevo728822]

Do you have to tip in these bars?

[@Drunktopus]

You don't have to, however it's customary to leave a couple of dollars. It also ensures you get faster service for your next round. It all ends up coming back to you in one way or another. You'll end up with a free beer or a shot of something at some point. 🍻

[@vchaudhary7474]

Good job. just a suggestion, add menu photos too. Thanks

[@Drunktopus]

Great suggestion man. I'm new at this so all feedback is welcomed.

[@vchaudhary7474]

@@Drunktopus No problem, i also write reviews on Google. Do let me know if you need any help or suggestions!! I am in New york for 2 months.

[@airgunfun4248]

Menu ? Rookie

[@kusterbowski8691]

Many of good times at Milanos.

[@Drunktopus]

Yes indeed. It really is my favourite there. However there have been many many more places mentioned here in the comments that I will have to explore! Cheers and thanks for watching 🍻

[@drtybrdy75]

No Veronica’s’s or big lees aka the big swallow?

[@Drunktopus]

Hey thanks for watching and these tips! I'm pretty sure I'll be back to pick up a few more. Some have even suggested I visit some more grittier establishments. Time will tell. Cheers 🍻

[@kchez5586]

No Mars Bar mention? Doesn't get more "dive" than that.

[@Drunktopus]

Yeah. I was new to exploring the spaces there. This was for sure on the list for next time, how it appears to have closed some years ago, a few others have mentioned it. Thanks for the tip and of course. Cheers for watching. 🍻

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Is the Patriot at Church and Chambers still going? That was my favorite dive bar with a stuffed alligator on the ceiling and womens lingerie hanging from it and Hank Williams Sr. on the juke box.

[@Drunktopus]

This place sounds like a jam! I just checked out the location and sadly there does not seem to be anything called Patriot there. So many one of kind places there. Thanks for watching! 🍻

[@LetsSeePaulAllens]

The Patriot was fun as hell.

[@rawgab4439]

Anybody remember Subway Inn ??

[@Drunktopus]

I just looked this up. WOW, it looks like an institution. Is it still running? It appears to still be there on maps.

[@rawgab4439]

Well ..the original one I refer to was in a different location ..back in the day @@Drunktopus

[@magamaga1827]

Sorry mate, the best NYC dive bars are the hidden Irish bars out in the boroughs of Queens and parts of the Bronx. I'm 50 years old life long NYer of Irish descent and NEVER went to any of these bars except for Rudys, which is a tourist bar at this point. Sadly, Manhattan sucks for bar drinking in 2022. There aren't enough middle class ethnic whites like the Irish and Italians left in the city to keep those types of bars open anymore. Old NYC is gone.

[@Drunktopus]

This is great feedback and thanks for letting me know what I missed. I will have to let you know when I drop back over and go real dive bar hunting with a local! I would love that 😎

[@roymunson1]

Where do the Irish and Italians all go? Long island or Jersey? Respect from Ireland. I know irish people in Woodlawn.

[@Drunktopus]

@@roymunson1 Maga maga is the person to answer this question for us. I will add them to the list for my next visit!

[@christmas10023]

THE PATRIOT CLOSED IN JUNE 2022 & YOGIS is long gone.

[@joedimaggio3687]

​@@roymunson1 the suburbs of long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut, and completely out of the New York tri-state area.

[@ctrlfreaq]

the difference between u and Anthony Bourdain is that he doesn’t seem to mind being served by people who don’t speak english so i’m not sure why that was such a deal breaker when you were there.. idk seems weird to include that bar in this review when it checks all the boxes

[@Drunktopus]

Thank you for watching firstly and thanks for dropping a comment. I never thought I'd see my name in the same sentence as Anthony's in my life. And a fun fact Wakamba used to be about a block away from where he lived and did many of his press interviews. Yes the bar fit the criteria for sure which it was on my list to begin with. However as you see, not that classic style I was looking for. If you have time read the reviews for the place and the history of many other things that have occured here. None of that I included to leave it open to interpretation. Cheers for watching and get ready for a second exploration of even more dives! 🥃

[@tallguytv6272]

Is it Safe for A tall black guy visiting these bars?

[@Drunktopus]

I don't see why not? Places mentioned here are for any, and everyone. Just avoid the one I mentioned. Really. Cheers 🍻

[@outlawjoseywales6159]

A cold beer and a sexy bartender to have some conversation with? I don't see the problem..

[@Drunktopus]

There were some upsides. Read the reviews after and the place had some choice comments. It was a dive bar, so.... Thanks for watching!

[@outlawjoseywales6159]

@@Drunktopus I am just a sucker for cold beer and a pretty girl to talk too even when I can't understand a word they say!! LOL Great video. You are a good sport!

[@Drunktopus]

@@outlawjoseywales6159 Trust me there was zero comprehension going on. This was said to be Anthony Bourdain's favourite place to meet journalists too.

[@Cander509]

Too bad you missed the original Milady’s in SoHo..

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for the tip. I think round two of this list is growing now. Might have to travel back again very soon. 🍻

[@rawgab4439]

Or Subway Inn....;(( back in the day

[@dx42]

Mars Bar in the East Village.

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for the tip. Will have to add this to the next adventure. I'll buy you a beer! cheers and thanks for watching 🍻

[@campblood]

this guy didnt finish a single shot!

[@Drunktopus]

Haha. Thanks for watching and for sure I did!

[@marshallgreen7815]

I hate the shaky camera work.

[@Drunktopus]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm investing in some better gear for this very reason planning my shots a lot better.

[@adrian-qr6zk]

wow spanish speaking bar. why so shocked?

[@Drunktopus]

Not what I expected in the middle of New York and a place that the legendary Anthony Bourdain was said to visit very often.

[@carpenoctem775]

Most dive bars are sketchy. A lot of them are fronts for the black market.

[@Drunktopus]

Something always to consider. I'm there for the cheap beer and chill vibes.

[@adrian-qr6zk]

Miller Lite? really?

[@Drunktopus]

You ask for a beer, you get a beer. Best not to be fussy in these places.

[@adrian-qr6zk]

totally but Miller Lite isn't beer 😂@@Drunktopus

[@CRAZyLittleMeMe]

I’ll never understand why the bartender is entitled to get drunk while being responsible for being a good judgement for customers that could be too drunk.

[@Drunktopus]

Good point and well understood. Also kind of an unwritten law of the dive bar culture. It should never be your intention to get them drunk but more a gift of gratitude and thanks.

[@retlaw190]

These places are probably all closed down by now and replaced with 3 options Corporate Coffee, Gym or bank

[@Drunktopus]

Good observation. Most, if not all of these places are institutions that go far beyond any direction of corporate America, thankfully. I can almost guarantee you will find all of these open today. 😆 Cheers and thanks for watching, Perhaps I will catch you in one of these places and share a cheers with you! 🍻

[@lakmeister]

Rudy's is running it....fab place,great music,nice ladies and cheap bud and a dog? What you waiting for? Met a girl and she was so hot!!!

[@Drunktopus]

Yup Rudy's was great. And a super friendly crowd as you can see. 🍻