New York's Best Bars For Book Lovers

Jessica MacLeish

For all the literature lovers out there, these are the seven bars to visit in New York so you can drink the same beer as Hunter S. Thompson or sit in Dorothy Parker’s favorite booth.

Beer Taps

The Round Table Room and The Blue Bar at The Algonquin Hotel

The Round Table Room is the restaurant where the famed group of writers, critics, and actors known as the ‘Algonquin Round Table’ congregated for long lunches filled with brainstorming, boozing, and industry gossip, and The Blue Bar is the adjacent bar at The Algonquin Hotel. Charter members of the Round Table include literary legends Dorothy Parker, Heywood Broun, Ruth Hale, Franklin Pierce Adams, George S. Kaufman, and more. The group would often expand to welcome Harpo Marx, Margaret Leech, Frank Sullivan, and Donald Ogden Stewart, among others. Stop in for a drink and soak up the creative energies still floating around this gorgeous space.
The Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street, New York, NY, USA +1 212 840 6800

Dorothy Parker & Alan Campbell

2. McSorley's Old Ale House

Bar, Pub, Irish

Looking for a tall glass of dark beer, raw onions, and a seat that E.E. Cummings once occupied? Look no farther than McSorley’s Old Ale House, an East Village institution. The historic bar (which only started serving ladies in 1970) is the subject of a 1923 E.E. Cummings poem, and Hunter S. Thompson, Joseph Mitchell, and other illustrious writers were also regulars. Fun extra fact: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Teddy Roosevelt also visited McSorley’s in their day. The best present-day part? Two-for-one mugs of crisp, cold, cheap beer. Your options are light or dark, so leave the fuss at home.

3. Old Town Bar

Bar, Restaurant, American

Old Town Bar and Restaurant
© Eden, Janine and Jim/Flickr
Be sure to stop by the Old Town Bar in the Flatiron District for a drink and a taste of history. As the name suggests, it’s one of the oldest bars in New York City—it opened its doors all the way back in 1892. It managed to retain its original charm, as most of the décor and furnishings are from the bar’s early days (including the oldest working dumbwaiters in New York). Old Town has appeared in movies such as Bullets Over Broadway(1994) and The Last Days of Disco (1998), and literary patrons of the past and present include Frank McCourt, Nick Hornby, Nuala O’Faolain, Seamus Heaney, Billy Collins, Christopher Hitchens, and many more. History buffs should get this one on the list immediately.

4. White Horse Tavern

Bar, American

The White Horse Tavern in the West Village is one of the few gathering spots of creative types in the 1950s and 1960s that remains open today. Dylan Thomas was a patron of the White Horse (and in fact, imbibed heavily there before he returned to the Chelsea Hotel, got ill, and passed away a few days later of unrelated causes). Jack Kerouac was also a regular, and other literary guests included James Baldwin, Mary Travers, Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jane Jacobs. The bar is still cash only, but with drinks as cheap as they are, you probably won’t need too many bills.

5. KGB Bar

Bar, Pub Grub, American

This bar may be Russian-themed, but don’t worry, you’re still in New York’s East Village. At the KGB Bar, patrons can enjoy live readings of poetry and fiction writing nearly any night of the week (and admission is free). Founder and President Denis Woychuk is an author himself and opened the bar in 1993. Past appearing authors (who read pro bono) include Jack Womack, Frank Browning, Jonathan Lethem, Rick Moody, and Mary Gaitskill—and more are reading any night you choose to stop by. So stop by. You won’t be sorry.

6. Sardi’s

Restaurant, American

Sardi’s has been a theater district go-to for the show biz crowd since time immemorial (or since 1927). Celebrity caricatures cover the walls at this classic establishment, and those same celebs—and more—are liable to be found at the bar or crowding around a table for a snack. But did you know that Heywood Broun (also an Algonquin Round Table standby), journalists Ward Morehouse and Walter Winchell, plus numerous Broadway writers also congregated at Sardi’s regularly? Come by to dine, drink, or gawk at the displayed ‘art’ — you might even catch one of your idols doing the same.
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article