It may be a man’s world…
Holland Cocktail Lounge
This hallowed dive was nearly eighty-sixed last year, but the owner has brought it back. Though the place has been sheared of much of the detritus that once hugged the walls, the population of overwhelmingly male barflies has since restuck itself to its favorite glue strip. 532 Ninth Ave at 39th St (212-502-4609). Average drink: $4.
Farrell’s Bar and Grill
Men never stopped being men at this Windsor Terrace landmark. The collars are blue (like the language) and the drinks simple (Buds served in a 32-ounce Styrofoam cup). Shirley MacLaine was the first woman to ever be served solo here—and while that was back in the 1970s, few have followed her example. 215 Prospect Park West at 16th St, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn (718-788-8779). Average drink: $4.
Blind Pig
With nine huge television screens tracking the night’s sporting action, more than a dozen beers on tap and an unmistakably Y-chromosome-inspired soundtrack, there’s little for NYU’s male population not to like here. The name is a 1920s term for a speakeasy, but it also might refer to what some drunks become after 2am. 233 E 14th St between Second and Third Aves (212-209-1573, blindpigbar.com). Average drink: $6.
Winnie’s
This curious dive may have become an unlikely magnet for drunken, karaoke-loving hipsters, but it also remains the domain of sports-watching, dice-playing, beer-drinking Asian men. 104 Bayard St at Baxter St (212-732-2384). Average drink: $6.
Apothéke
Putting aside widescreen TVs and foosball tables, the pyrotechnic antics that go on behind the ornate bar of this neospeakeasy are catnip to the would-be-mixologist clientele. These guys like sports, sure, but may enjoy cool drinks you set on fire (like the patented homemade absinthe) even better. 9 Doyers St at Bowery (212-406-0400, apothekenyc.com). Average drink: $15.
BULL and BEAR
Middle-aged businessmen doff their blazers at this classic high-end watering hole, where tables ring an undulating mahogany bar, and the testosterone’s so abundant you can almost smell it. The Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Ave between 49th and 50th Sts (212-872-4900, bullandbearsteakhouse.com). Average drink: $8.
View Bar
One of the foulest bathrooms in the city reminds us that this is indeed a man’s world—as do the video monitors interspersing images of abs and penises with promotions for upcoming parties at this unpretentious gay hangout. The cheap, strong drinks, generous happy hour (free food and $2 Bud Light on Mondays) and unusually friendly bartenders make it well worth the pee-break shock. 232 Eighth Ave between 21st and 22nd Sts (212-929-2243, viewbarnyc.com). Average drink: $6.
NEXT >>
Relax! Drink! >>
Winter—and everything—gettin’ to you? Party at our favorite bars, just like the casts of this season’s Broadway hits.