Where to Eat and Drink in New York The coolest bars and restaurants in town

Here at Thrillist, we're constantly unearthing the best new places to eat and drink, so we know how overwhelming things can get. That's why we created The Thrillist 47: forty-seven spots that have got it going on more than a supporting character in an Angela Bassett flick. From sure-fire next-big-things to standbys that still pack 'em in, everything you need to plan your next night out is right here.

DOWNTOWN

1) The Dead Rabbit
30 Water St, btwn Broad and Coenties Slip; 646.422.7906
Sean Muldoon (of 2010's "World's Best Cocktail Bar" The Merchant Hotel) and Jack McGarry (Milk & Honey London) created this bi-level cocktail sanctum serving an extensive lineup of libations inspired by the Civil War/Tammany Hall era, making it as good a place as any to drink like a boss.
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2) Pulqueria
11 Doyers St, btwn Pell and Bowery; 212.227.3099
This buzzy, dimly lit Mexican rathskeller specializes in pulques, traditional bevs made from fermented (not distilled) agave sap.
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3) Apotheke
9 Doyers St, between Pell and Bowery; 212.406.0400
Having existed as everything from an opium den to an opera house, this nondescript Doyers St space is now being used by the team behind Apotheke to dull patrons' senses in another way: booze. Five years after opening, the tinctures that line the bar are still filled with local, organic ingredients used to create top-flight cocktails.
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ALPHABET CITY

4) Amor y Amargo
443 E 6th St; btwn First and Ave A; 212.614.6817
The bitters specialists at A&A continue to craft extremely alcoholic 'tails for the extremely limited number of patrons they can tuck into their eight-seat bar at one time.
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5) Gin Palace
95 Ave A, enter on 6th St; 212.614.6818
The Death + Co team turned what used to be El Cobre into Gin Palace, which serves up juniper-y libations including Pimm's Cups, Corpse Reviver #2s, and a grapefruit bitters-kicked G&T on tap.
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6) The Wayland
700 E 9th St, nr Ave C; 212.777.7022
This Ave C cocktailery serves up some of the city's most interesting cocktails (e.g., moonshine, applewood-smoked ice, and spiced apple bitters served covered by an upside-down, smoke-filled glass) in one of its least pretentious settings.
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7) Edi & The Wolf
102 Ave C, btwn 6th and 7th; 212.598.1040
The Austrian wine tavern continues to plate top-notch schnitzel, goulash, and a carbonara-like spaetzle so loaded with Austrian mountain cheese and bacon that the 40ft of ultra-thick rope hanging from the ceiling probably couldn't hold you after you down it.
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8) Evelyn Drinkery
171 Ave C, btwn 10th and 11th
Drop by this cocktail parlor to try their "Spirited Phosphates": housemade sodas concocted using flavored syrups and "a quick punch" of phosphoric acid, then spiked into creations like the vino verde/blanco tequila/serrano agave/pineapple/radish Bone Dry.
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9) Pouring Ribbons
Second Fl, 225 Ave B, btwn 13th and 14th; 917.656.6788
Pouring a tome's worth of old-school and original 'tails, this deco-rec-room clubhouse comes from Joaquín Simó, Tales of the Cocktail 2012 American Bartender of the Year.
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EAST VILLAGE/NOHO

10) L'Apicio
13 E 1st St, btwn Bowery and 2nd; 212.533.7400
The Dell'Anima/L'artusi/Anfora team's latest offers up solid Italian to a crowd that looks suspiciously too attractive to enjoy it, and in a space to match.
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11) Mile End Sandwich
53 Bond St, btwn Bowery and Lafayette; 212.529.2990
You no longer have to trek out to Brooklyn to get Mile End's famed, Montreal-style smoked beef thanks to their sandwich shop outpost, which also dishes traditional poutine.
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12) Empellon Cocina
105 1st Ave, btwn 6th and 7th; 212.367.0999
When pastry chef Alex Stupak left Wiley Dufresne's WD-50 and opened his own taco joint, it was met with critical accolades. His second location ups the attention to detail, focusing on more composed plates in addition to tortilla-wrapped goodness.
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13) The Wren
344 Bowery, nr Great Jones; 212.388.0148
From the team behind the impossibly crowded Wilfie & Nell, this Irish pub transcends those meager roots by having a Gramercy Tavern alum whip up 'tails like the Scotch, black walnut bitters, and maple syrup Great Jones.
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14) The Vault at Pfaff's
643 Broadway, nr Bleecker; 212.252.5421
Quietly nestled beneath a popular cafe, The Vault's libations include the blended Scotch/Bols Genever/egg white/grenadine Subway Rumbles, which rarely feature guys who drink cocktails made with blended Scotch, Bols Genever, egg white, and grenadine.
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15) Booker and Dax
207 E 2nd Ave, entrance on 13th st; 212.254.3500
Momofuku's former Milk Bar space is now B&D, a collaboration between David Chang and French Culinary Institute technology honcho Dave Arnold that uses centrifuges, liquid nitrogen, and flaming pokers in a frequently successful quest to make the tastiest tipples in town.
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16) Proletariat
102 St Marks Pl, btwn Ave A and 1st Ave; 212.777.6707
This brew mecca from the Death + Co team boasts beer cocktails on tap, a nine-tier sequence of sudsy classes "modeled after Dante's descent into the inferno", tinctures for "flash hop infusions", and exclusively rare or unusual brews.
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WEST VILLAGE

17) Chez Sardine
183 W 10th St, btwn W 4th St and 7th Ave S; 646.360.3705
Gabe Stulman, creator of center-of-the-sun-level hotspots Joseph Leonard, Perla, et al, bequeaths Manhattan his take on izakaya-style Japanese grub, which apparently involves tuna topped w/ chicharrones.
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18) El Toro Blanco
257 6th Ave, btwn Bedford and Downing; 212.645.0193
The team behind SoHo seafood standby Lure opened this modern Mexicaneria, which has garnered accolades from industry standouts including Chris Santos and John McNulty. Get the fondue of Mexican cheese, jalapenos, and chorizo, or risk being not totally fat.
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19) Perla
24 Minetta Ln, btwn 6th Ave and MacDougal; 212.933.1824
Didn't want to wait for a table at Chez Sardine? Then don't bother with Stulman's popular West Vill Italian offering, either, because you're not the only one who wants bacon-wrapped rabbit.
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20) Neta
61 W 8th St, btwn 5th and 6th; 212.505.2610
What do you get when the head chef at New York's most expensive restaurant (Masa) teams up with the head chef at the bar of New York's most expensive restaurant (Bar Masa)? The answer: Neta, which serves up ultra-seasonal sushi and top-notch Japanese small plates.
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21) RedFarm
529 Hudson St, nr Charles St; 212.792.9700
Joe Ng's farm-to-table dim sum house serves up the most inventive dumplings in town, and his crispy beef is like eating meaty chicharrones dipped in a vat of sweetened umami. Note: there's basically no rhyme or reason to the seating process, so just stick around and keep bugging them for a table.
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22) Tertulia
359 6th Ave; nr W 4th St; 646.559.9909
An Irishman from Vermont preparing some of the city's most heralded tapas? Yep. Be sure to try a Basque cider, and order the suckling pig if it's available.
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23) Houston Hall
222 W Houston St, btwn Varick and Bedford; 212.675.9323
This gargantuan West Village suds temple boasts 10 tap brews made exclusively for it, and is probably Manhattan's best claim to beer halliness, with huge communal tables set under exposed beams, gigantic windows, old-timey coal ovens, and more bricks than game seven of the 1994 NBA Finals.
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LOWER EAST SIDE

24) Mission Chinese Food
154 Orchard St, btwn Stanton and Rivington; 212.529.8800
One of San Fran's most heralded Asian restaurants now has an outpost in NYC. On the plus side, there's a free keg you can hit while you wait for a table. On the downside, you'll be far from the only person trying to crush free keg beer.
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25) Los Perros Locos
201 Allen St, btwn Houston and Stanton
This LES newcomer is making a bid to upstage Crif Dogs as the premier slinger of bizarre cased-meat creations, with exhibit A being The Pablo Escobar: a frank smothered in apple slaw, crushed potato chips, and a dusting of "cocaine" cheese.
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26) Two-Bit's Retro Arcade
153 Essex St, btwn Stanton and Rivington; 212.477.8161
Rotating selection of classic arcade games? Check. A shockingly sophisticated wine list and 40s of Colt 45? Check. A mural that includes Luigi smelling his fingers? Check. Game over.
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27) No Fun
161 Ludlow, btwn Houston and Stanton; 212.477.1616
The name is actually derived from a Stooges song, which explains why the patrons at this unassuming bar all seem to wish for the halcyon days when New York was an endearingly gross trash heap.
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28) Sons of Essex
133 Essex, btwn Rivington and Stanton
Hidden behind a fully functioning deli lies an ultra-hip restaurant with a Bowery Boys meets Gangs of New York vibe, and of course transforms into a DJ-fueled club somewhere around midnight.
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29) Beauty & Essex
146 Essex St; btwn Rivington and Stanton; 212.614.0146
Chris Santos followed up Stanton Social with the scene-oozing B&E, and just like its older sibling, it's still packing 'em in. Maybe it's the grilled cheese/tomato soup/bacon dumplings. Or maybe it's the allure of eating at a swanky restaurant accessed through a pawn shop.
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SOHO/NOLITA

30) Fonda Nolita
267 Elizabeth St, btwn Houston and Prince; 917.727.0179
The VW Tacombi nested in the middle of this onetime garage still plays a part in the slinging of authentic Mexican tacos, ceviches, and aguas frescas. Grab a quick bite, or spend a few hours playing checkers and enjoying the weather. The recent addition of a liquor license doesn't hurt.
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31) Torrisi
250 Mulberry St, at Prince; 212.965.0955
Having spun out their lunchtime sandwich operation into next-door Parm, Torrisi is still one of the hottest dinner tickets in town, offering only a $75, seven-course prix fixe, and a 20-plus-course Chef's Menu for $160.
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32) Goldbar
389 Broome St, at Mott; 212.274.1568
It's got a revamped look and a fresh drink list from Tim Cooper, but most importantly, it's the new home of Tiki Mondays, a weekly tiki drink soiree whose guest bartenders have included luminaries such as Dale DeGroff.
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CHELSEA/MEATPACKING

33) Rocket Pig
463 W 24th St, btwn 9th and 10th; 212.654.5660
Come here for their namesake sandwich: pork shoulder rubbed with "Old World" European spices, brined for three days, and smoked for three hours before being piled onto fluffy ciabatta.
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34) The Tippler
425 W 15th St, btwn 9th and 10th; 212.206.0000
This ornately columned, vaulted drinking den underneath Chelsea Market was originally a Nabisco factory storage room, but now will have you tossing your cookies after consuming too many delicious libations from big-wig NY mixologists the Tippling Brothers.
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35) The Darby
244 W 14th St, btwn 7th and 8th; 212.242.4411
This effort from Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli attracts large groups looking to knock 'em back and revel in the top-notch musicianship of the live house band, but the stage show isn't the only pleasing throwback: their fried oyster-topped Carpetbagger steak is worth the trip alone.
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MIDTOWN

36) Flatiron Room
37 W 26th St, btwn Broadway and 6th; 212.725.3860
There may be bars with better cocktails in the city, but few can rival FR's list of more than 500 whiskeys. They've also got live jazz and oysters. Which is nice.
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37) Gaonnuri
39th Fl at 1250 Broadway, nr 32nd St; 212.971.9045
Korean food reaches literal rarified air at this table-cooked BBQ joint located on the 39th floor, with views of the Hudson River almost as smoking as the beef you forgot on your grill while checking them out.
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38) NoMad
1170 Broadway, nr 28th; 347.472.5660
11 Madison Park's more "affordable" sibling still has an $80 chicken for two, but what are you, some kind of loser who doesn't appreciate an $80 chicken!?
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39) The Cannibal
113 E 29th St, btwn Park and Lexington; 212.686.5480
This offshoot of Belgian restaurant Resto is a brewy oasis in the middle of the dining desert that is Murray Hill, offering an unparalleled selection of avant garde beers that you can pick from the fridges up front, and enjoy in the garden out back.
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40) The Lambs Club
132 W 44th St, btwn 6th and Broadway; 212.997.5262
If you're stuck in Times Square, make the best of it and take the short walk to The Lambs Club, where Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian kicks out his brand of classic American in a space that once housed the country's first professional theatrical club.
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BROOKLYN/QUEENS

41) Aska
At Kinfolk Studios: 90 Wythe Ave, nr 11th St
Thought-provoking, minimalist Scandinavian fare and a daily changing tasting menu make this one of the most intriguing concepts to hit New York in years.
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42) Pok Pok Ny
127 Columbia St, btwn Kane and Degraw; 718.923.9322
This BK outpost of Portland chef Andy Ricker's rightfully famous Thai restaurant may just be better than the original, and certainly requires a less arduous trek to enjoy real-deal peasant grub.
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43) Gran Electrica
5 Front St, nr Old Fulton; Brooklyn; 718.852.2789
Come for the Mexican street snacks, stay because you've had too many habanero-infused margaritas with beet-salt rims to walk home.
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44) Talde
369 7th Ave, nr 11th; 347.916.0031
Dale Talde of Top Chef notoriety opened this casual Park Slope Asian eatery that serves fare equally inspired by his time at Morimoto & Buddakan, his Filipino mother, and the very Western culture that apparently can't spell "Philippines". So, you know, shrimp toast w/ Chinese sausage gravy and stuff.
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45) St. Anselm
355 Metropolitan Ave, at Havemeyer; 718.384.5054
From the owner of nearby Fette Sau and Spuyten Duyvil, this temple of meat is rivaled only by Lex Steele's pants, and has won national acclaim for its garlic-laced butcher's steak, casual atmosphere, and shockingly low prices.
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46) The Shanty
79 Richardson St, btwn Leonard and Lorimer; 718.878.3579
This distillery from a Brooklyn Brewery co-founder, a Manhattan Cocktail Classic board member, and a Pegu Club vet uses its own spirits to whip up top-notch drinks on the premises.
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47) M. Wells Dinette
22-25 Jackson Ave, nr 46th Ave; 718.784.2084
One of the most nationally recognized (and widely debated) restaurants to open in years found a new home at PS 1, resulting in a cafeteria that serves heart-/morality-challenging dishes like horse tartare.
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