I will be visiting New York in December for 5 nights and would like any suggestions on some really good bars where we can soak up some atmosphere and maybe get some good food. Last time I visited we were given information on some good Irish bars, but never did find them. Any suggestions would be very much welcome

where can soak up some atmosphere

A bar rag would be good for that.

There are hundreds, here is a full listing:

http://www.murphguide.com/irishpubs.htm

As far as food, many have traditional Irish dishes now such as blackened catfish and wraps with tahini sauce.

Bars don;t necessarily have hhe best food (new news!). So - do you want to dine or to drink. And just Irish bars? There are a million other kinds - depending on what you are looking for.

There are actually a lot of bars serving good food now in Brooklyn ... probably more so than in Manhattan. But you can still find decent food at some of the Irish bars, and some places are known for hamburgers, etc.

And it depends on the kind of atmosphere you're looking for. There are also a lot of upscale restaurants that serve small plates and great cocktails The Modern's Bar Room is one example if that's the kind of atmosphere you are looking for. There's a special bar menu.

What kind of atmosphere are you looking for? As Aduchamp says, there are literally hundreds (I'd be willing to guess thousands) of bars in NYC, of which quite a few serve food.

Thanks for the information. To answer some of the queries, it was not specifically Irish bars I was looking for - this was just an example of some information I was given before. In terms of atmosphere, I just wanted to know some good bars/pubs in Manhatten where we can enjoty a good drink and maybe even some music (food it not that imortant as we can eat in several other places) Hope this helps.

For some ideas go to menupages.com to see reviews and menus, and filter it by gastropubs. You can also filter by neighborhood.

I've always been fond of Knickerbocker's in the West Village. Live jazz on the weekends. The bar area is small, though - just fyi, so either try to reserve a table in that area, or get there early.

I only used to go for the music (and ambiance) but I know I've eaten there. Having said that, I can't speak to the food, but since I don't remember, I'm guessing it was neither awful nor great.

Gastropubs such as the Breslin and Spotted Pig offer fantastic food.

But, honestly, there are THOUSANDS of bars in Manhattan. I'd approach it by neighborhood.

If you want to hang out in the East Village, for example, perhaps check out Zum Schneider. http://www.zumschneider.com/

So, do you have any specific neighborhoods in mind?

Thanks everyone.

In answer to your question Gekko, I will be staying at the Waldorf Astoria so I would say anywhere in and around that area. To be honest having only been to NY once I am not that familiar with the areas and as I will only be there for 5 nights I just wanted a few good places to consider.

You'll want to leave the Waldorf area, which is in a boring part of midtown (great location for tourists, but horrible location for bars).

For example ...

If you like fun dive-y bars, head to St. Mark's Place in the East Village. Start at Third Avenue and just walk east towards Tompkins Square Park. You'll have many bars to choose from.

If you prefer fancy bars, consider the Standard Hotel's beer garden and Gansevoort Hotel's rooftop lounge. Very nice.

German beer gardens? Zum Schneider on Avenue C is a ton of fun and, not too far from the Waldorf, Bierhaus is great (3rd Ave at 44th St.)

Just last night I was in a Village dive bar and talked to Jesse Eisenberg (Social Network) and Justin Bartha (Hangover).

If other areas or types of bars interest you, let me know. I can point you in the right direction.

Bookmarking!

From the Waldorf, head south, down 3rd Ave to 34th St, lots of good bars in that area.

A FAVORITE of mine in the West Village on Hudson St is The White Horse. GREAT burgers there, and lots of choices of beers.

In Manhattan, there are bars on almost every street or on every corner, so you won't have a problem finding just the right spot, or spots or spots or spots..........

The potential problem with 3rd Avenue in the 20's and 30's is that the patrons at those bars tend to be very young. My friends refer to them at "frat bars" and avoid that area.

But it certainly could be what Marty31 is seeking.

White Horse Tavern is a great suggestion. Excellent bars not far from the White Horse include Blind Tiger Ale House (rare cask beers), Peculier Pub, and Lederhosen.

Similar to the White Horse but across town the Old Town Bar http://www.oldtownbar.com/ has a nice atmosphere and serves a good burger as well.

The oldest and most idiosyncratic bar in New York is McSorley's Old Ale House. http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/ The memorabilia on the walls can keep you busy for hours. Must be a beer drinker, though, because all the serve is their own brand of ale, in light and dark. Avoid on the weekends with its overflow crowds.

The midtown 2nd Avenue bars mentioned above -- usually styled as "Irish Pubs" have very little to remind you of a true pub, and share a horrid flaw: they all hang multiple flat screen televisions in any available space. (Maybe that wouldn't bother you but imo bars should have a maximum of one tv, preferably an old crt model, turned OFF except for *important* games.) One which has fewer TVs than most is the Manchester http://www.manchesterpubnyc.com/, but they are always on.

I'm a little past bar age, but these are a few I step into, now and again.

> traditional Irish dishes now such as blackened catfish and wraps with tahini sauce.

Funny!

I don't know, I don't find Molly's TOO young (3rd, near 23rd), but maybe it was the time of day I was there.

OK, since we're throwing classics out there, let's not forget the Ear Inn - love love love that place.

For your record, I think McSorley's is disgusting and wouldn't wish that place on anyone. They only offer two beers served in dirty glasses and the place usually smells like a sewer.

Yes, I know it's old and famous, but that's not enough in my book.

Gross.

Gekko criticisms are correct as far as they go, except maybe the sewer part. It actually smells of sawdust, beer and coal (from the potbelly stove that heats it in winter).

Sorry to hear about your book, Gekko. Joe Mitchell has a nice piece about McSorley's in his book.

We had a friend who used to live on the block of McSorley's and she would take a sick day every St Pat's day so she would not have to deal with the drunks, the barfing, and the harrassment.

On the other hand, the block does represent NYC in that the new Cooper Union building is there, a large Ukranian Church, a hotel/hostel for young religious cuckoos, and a Burmese restaurant that puts local kielbasa in their egg rolls.

There are so many great bars in the area, there's absolutely no reason to suffer McSorley's.

Burp Castle is one of my favorites. http://burpcastlenyc.wordpress.com/