New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [112]
The New York Times has listings of cabaret and jazz shows, most comprehensively in their Friday and Sunday Arts section. Bear in mind that a venue’s life span is often measured in months, not years. Phone ahead to make sure your target hasn’t closed or turned into a polka hall (although you never know—that could be fun, too).
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Lower Manhattan | TriBeCa | SoHo | East Village | Lower East Side | Greenwich Village | West Village | The Meatpacking District | Chelsea | Gramercy | Murray Hill | Midtown East | Midtown West | Upper East Side | Upper West Side | Harlem
LOWER MANHATTAN
Bridge Café.
A hop away from South Street Seaport, this busy little restaurant flanking the Brooklyn Bridge is a world apart from the surrounding touristy district. The bar, dating from 1794, is one of the oldest in Manhattan. Though the space is small, the selection is quite the opposite: choose from more than 100 domestic wines and 85 single-malt scotches. | 279 Water St., at Dover St., Lower Manhattan | 10038 | 212/227–3344 | www.eatgoodinny.com | Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, M, Z to Fulton St./Broadway–Nassau.
TRIBECA
Bars
B-flat.
The decor is red-on-red here, and the Asian-style cocktails are particularly groovy (literally—one, with citrusy Japanese yuzu juice and vodka, is dubbed the Groovy) at this Japan-meets-’50s America lounge. Get some fine Japanese food treats and check out the upstairs area with amazing wall and ceiling murals of the Tokyo Bar. | 277 Church St., between Franklin and White Sts., TriBeCa | 10013 | 212/219–2970 | www.bflat.info | Subway: 1 to Franklin St.
Brandy Library.
Alas, the only book in this exquisite, wood-paneled room is the leather-bound menu listing hundreds of brandies and single-malt scotches. The bottles are on gorgeous backlighted “bookshelves,” though, and you can learn what makes each of them special by chatting with the spirit sommelier—or by attending the twice-weekly Spirit School tastings. | 25 N. Moore St., between Varick and Hudson Sts., TriBeCa | 10013 | 212/226–5545 | www.brandylibrary.com | Subway: 1 to Franklin St.
Canal Room.
Polished wood floors, potted palms, and stylish chairs give this intimate club an air of glamour. Musicians perform here several times a month, but they also come just to enjoy themselves. The owners’ record-business connections, a spectacular sound system, celeb sightings, and DJs with reputations as big as their turntables (size does matter) keep the crowds moving. | 285 West Broadway, at Canal St., TriBeCa | 10013 | 212/941–8100 | www.canalroom.com | Subway: A, C, E to Canal St.
M1-5.
For the more bohemian of TriBeCa pub goers, this lipstick-red, high-ceiling spot is a vast playground (as in pool and darts). A reggae jukebox helps keep it real, as do discounts for local artists on the diverse cocktail menu. Extra points, too, for the bar’s name, which cites TriBeCa’s warehouse zoning law. | 52 Walker St., between Broadway and Church St., TriBeCa | 10013 | 212/965–1701 | www.m1-5.com | Subway: J, M, Z, N, Q, R, 6 to Canal St.
Smith and Mills.
Attractive scenesters frolic giddily at this tiny gem of a gin mill, where mixologists who resemble Daniel Day-Lewis dispense elixirs (and caviar) from a bar hung with pots and pans. There are cozy table-nooks for couples, and an elevator-toilet (yes, you read that correctly) for anyone who feels “nature’s call” while heeding “the call of the wild.” | 71 N. Moore St., between Hudson and