8 Best Nightlife in Upper West Side, New York City

From the same father-son team who made Jacob's Pickle a neighborhood fave, this pleasant restaurant is deservedly famous for its French-dip sandwiches, melts, and other filling dishes. But its "old-school but progressive" cocktails, wine, and beer menus keep both of its separate bars busy. This is the sort of place where one visit will make you a regular.

Despite the generic name, this is far from a traditional dive bar. Yes, there’s a long list of domestic microbrews and imports on draft, along with whiskeys and other spirits and there are TVs playing sports. But this dive bar features an extensive and inventive menu with daily mussel specials, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, and even poutine, the stick-to-your-ribs dish from Québec (fries topped with gravy and cheese curds). The kitchen is open late and the bar even later—until 4 am daily.

At this intimate supper club, an integral part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, you can enjoy jazz, dinner, and drinks along with stellar views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park. The food is hearty and Southern-inflected (catfish po'boy, gumbo), but the top-notch music provides the main attraction. There are two sets; the late-night sessions are ideal for after-dinner nightcaps of classic drinks with new twists.

The fantastic neon signs, padded black walls, large round mirrors, and L-shape bar here make you think you've wandered onto a 1930s movie set. Settle into a booth or banquette, and watch the neighborhood bons vivants (and bon-vivant wannabes) leap into action nightly, be it early for the daily happy hour or late weekend nights. A raw bar serves seafood and sushi to wash down your boilermakers.

Head to this low-key club that lends a stage to both aspiring comedians and veteran comics who pop in to polish their material. Catch a preshow drink in the front bar, then join the laughter in the back room for the price of a ticket from $10 online; $25 in-person and on weekends) plus a two-drink minimum ($18). FYI to parents: the comedy showroom is open to guests 16 and up, as long as those under 18 are with a guardian. There are free shows on Monday (one drink minimum).

Opened by a former high-school English teacher, the appropriately named Dead Poet is the place to go for a properly poured Guinness, a shot of Irish whiskey, or—if you're looking to tie one on—the namesake cocktail, which manages to taste like grape soda despite being made with seven liquors (and a splash of sour mix). Other cocktails are named for books (Moby Dick, for example) and authors (Hemingway). For conversational inspiration or life contemplation, the mahogany-paneled walls are full of poetic passages, literary quotations, and black-and-white photographs of some authors. There's even a bar library so you can sign out classic literature.

The only thing better than hanging out in Lincoln Center on a lovely night is hanging out a dozen stories above and taking in city views. Thanks to the Empire Hotel's sprawling rooftop bar—most of it outdoors, covered by a retractable roof, and heated in winter—you can enjoy that pleasure even on nights that are less than lovely, whether or not you are a hotel guest. Check online for the schedule for live music and dancing under the stars.