No longer just a waiting area or afterthought, more and more restaurant bars are becoming destinations in their own right, offering the best bar food in NYC through unique menus with exclusive items that aren’t available in the main dining room.
At three standout New York City establishments—Oiji Mi, Le B., and Hawksmoor—sitting at the bar rivals traditional table service. From cheffed-up takes on classic bar fare to iconic burgers, these bar-only offerings provide a distinctive break from the traditional dining experience that many in-the-know diners deliberately seek out.
Whether you’re looking for delicious food without committing to a full tasting menu, opting for a more casual night out, or simply looking to dine solo with a cocktail in hand, these three restaurants prove that sometimes the best seat in the house isn’t in the dining room.
Read on for a look at three restaurants serving the best bar food in NYC, and book your seat on OpenTable.
For the luxury version of the best bar food in NYC: Le B. (West Village)
The nine-seat bar is where the early-bird and late-night magic happens at chef Angie Mar’s Le B., a sumptuous restaurant that focuses on French-influenced dishes and nostalgia. While the entire Le B. menu is available here—both as a la carte and as a tasting menu—there are two dishes exclusively available at the bar: Le Burger and Le Fried Poulard.
“Le Burger” is a 2013 creation so exclusive Le B. only makes nine per evening (one for each bar seat). This isn’t just any patty—it’s a custom blend made out of 90% aged rib eye that once defined Mar’s original Beatrice Inn, earning a “Birkin of Burgers” title from Vogue. The only way to ensure getting one is to reserve a seat for the Bar Experience at 5pm, when the restaurant opens.
Plus, now on weekends after 9pm, the kitchen is no longer gatekeeping Le Fried Poulard, a fried heritage chicken from Four Story Hill Farm in Pennsylvania that was previously reserved for the restaurant’s exclusive Members Club only. It’s served two ways: The breast backbones and wings are fried with Meyer lemon and garden herbs, while the foot-on, deboned leg is stuffed with Grúyere and truffles.
The Le B. bar experience “is a culmination of our history rooted in an iconic downtown restaurant scene,” Le B. chef and owner Angie Mar says. Standout drinks include the Bemelmans at the Ritz, a caviar martini made with three different vodkas that was named one of America’s 50 Best Martinis by Esquire magazine, and the Samkus, Le B.’s version of a Manhattan with Japanese whisky, shochu, and oolong smoke that’s also a Financial Times favorite.
For a taste of a Korean tasting menu: Oiji Mi (Flatiron)
When you want a fancy cocktail and outstanding Korean food, but don’t want to commit to a full tasting menu—the Oiji Mi bar is your spot. Chef/owner Brian Kim, who first won New Yorkers’ hearts with East Village hit Oiji, offers up his award-winning fare in a more casual way at the bar. “Offering an a la carte menu here allows for spontaneity,” he says. “It gives the guests the freedom to explore the depth of our flavors at their own pace.”
Take his word for it, and slide into a bar seat and order dishes like the chili lobster ramyun or the bo ssam, a heritage pork belly feast complemented by fresh oysters and spicy mustard mignonette. The bar’s front-row view of bartenders crafting Korean-influenced cocktails like the Hanoks Secret (a blend of soju and yellow chartreuse) or the Melon Milk Fight (featuring traditional makgeolli and Yakult) is the cherry on top.
For playful steakhouse favorites: Hawksmoor (Gramercy Park)
The Hawksmoor bar room is like a restaurant in and of itself. Grab a seat at one of the turquoise stools, and enjoy the bar menu that delivers the traditional steakhouse flavor Hawksmoor is known for, but in a more casual way.
The bar-only Reuben nuggets—made with corned beef, Briana cheese, and sauerkraut with a side of Russian dressing—are a playful way to snack or start a meal, especially alongside hash browns with Marshallberg caviar and citrus crème fraîche. Then there’s the cheeseburger, available at lunch only in the dining room or at night, too, at the bar. With grass-fed beef, bone marrow, and melty Briana cheese, there’s a reason why it’s earned cult status among NYC burger fans. And—this is the bar, after all—it all goes perfectly with a fun cocktail like the sour cherry negroni or an NA take on a penicillin.
The best bar food in NYC can be found at restaurants that go the extra mile with exclusive offerings and plenty of vibes. Plus, if you’re an eligible Visa cardholder, you can access primetime reservations at these restaurants through the Visa Dining Collection on OpenTable.
Alexis Benveniste is a big fan of Persian food, sushi, and finding hidden gems she can recommend to her friends. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The MICHELIN Guide, Bloomberg, and New York Magazine. You can find her on Instagram at @apbenven.
