5 Must-Visit Underrated Bars on the Cutting Edge of New York City’s Mixology Scene

New York City is bursting at the seams with World’s 50 Best Bars and otherwise acclaimed mixology destinations. At spots like Superbueno and Double Chicken Please, Overstory and Martiny’s, the cocktail selections are as extensive as the weeks-long reservation lists necessary to grab a seat. Though we’re fond of all of these spots in their own way, they’re not the only bars serving up dazzling cocktails worthy of a Michelin star. Far from it.

Over the past few months, we’ve explored New York City in search of a different kind of bar. Ones where boundary-pushing drinks aren’t compromised by long lines or TikTok hype cycles, where the atmosphere is every bit as friendly as your living room, plus some extra boozy perks. Here are five of our recent discoveries that demand a visit.

1. Madame George – 45 W 45th Street

(Photo: Madame George)

Down a nondescript staircase, through a hallway and behind a pair of sweeping doors you’ll find Madame George, a 4,400-square-foot subterranean cocktail lounge that pushes the definition of “speakeasy” to the limits of plausibility. The decor: Velvet Prohibition-era couches and dangling chandeliers. The crowd: Just got out of a Broadway show, probably Moulin Rouge. The drinks: As theatrical as your wildest dreams.

The bar’s recently revamped menu pays homage to the great artists and musicians of New York City, all of whom have been reinterpreted into liquid form with a dash of Instagram-friendly showmanship. An obvious standout is the 32 Cans, a tribute to Andy Warhol mixed with mezcal, mushroom gin, cumin and cardamom, served alongside a Campbell’s Soup sidecar that holds an extra glass or two of the savory martini. For fans of ’90s hip-hop, we’d recommend the Mary’s Interlude, a deceptively simple mix of amaros, vermouth and Islay scotch garnished with an olive skewer that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. Guests clink teacups filled with clarified milk punch, trading bites of Rockefeller Oysters heaped with panceta and herb hollandaise. On the weekends, a jazz trio takes to the stage surrounded by flickering candles. There might come a point where the vibes feel too painstakingly crafted, but lord knows we haven’t gotten there yet.

2. Hello Hello – 151 West 26th Street

(Photo: Hello Hello Bar)

Cozy, friendly and affordable aren’t descriptors usually associated with bars in Chelsea. Nestled between skyscrapers and thrift stores, however, you can now find Hello Hello, a self-described “hi-dive” that eschews the $30 cocktails and flat-screen TVs of its neighborhood contemporaries.

Opened this summer by industry veterans Luis Hernandez, Brendan Bartley and Robert Nieves, Hello Hello offers unpretentious, yet elevated twists on the classics. During a recent visit, we had the chance to try a clarified Vodka Redbull served inside a glass beer mug, poured from tap and skewered with an oversized ice spear. Guests wandered in after work as we sampled our way through a bright-yellow Pornstar Daiquiri, freshly made wings served with a blackberry compote and an Espresso Martini spruced up with the bar’s in-house coffee liqueur (did we mention that Hello Hello doubles as a distillery?). It’s the rare bar that weaves whimsical, toyetic cocktails with an attention to the finer details, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few accolades steered its way by year’s end. 

Watch Our Full Review of Hello Hello Bar.

3. Mexi Stone Street – 57 Stone St

(Photo: Mexi Stone Street)

The recently opened Mexi Stone Street is a mezcal lover’s paradise. Helmed by José María Dondé of Maison Premiere and Cosme fame, the bar claims to boast one of the most extensive agave spirits programs in the United States, complete with over 400 bottlings sourced from Oaxaca, Durango, Jalisco, Guerrero and beyond.

There’s plenty to love if you’re sampling shots by the glass, and even more to discover in the bar’s wildly inventive cocktail selection. Leafing through Mexi Stone Street’s menu — presented as a series of illustrated cards — we immediately gravitated toward El Dracula, a bitter-sweet blend of hibiscus-infused mezcal, cacao liqueur and Campari that tasted like a Tim Burton movie crossed with a Negroni. For agave skeptics (yes, we know you’re out there), a heavy pour of rum dosed with almond horchata and chile liqueur should hit the perfect spot.

Read Our Full Review of Mexi Stone Street.

4. Soft Bar – 200 Banker St

(Photo: Soft Bar)

It wouldn’t be 2025 if we didn’t include at least one nonalcoholic venue in the roundup. For our money, none have executed the up-and-coming concept quite as elegantly as Williamsburg’s Soft Bar, opened in September by “Summer House” star Carl Radke.

Pulsing house music and sleek countertops add up to an atmosphere not unlike an Equinox Gym, and the menu delivers on that promise and then some. The bar’s 10 nonalcoholic cocktails are built around functional ingredients like ashwagandha, L-theanine and kava, each subtitled with a helpful hieroglyph that translates into a particular vibe (a crescent moon for “Chill,” a Cheerio-shaped circle for “Digestion). Did we say Equinox Gym? We meant apothecary. Highlights include the Mint Condition, a Mojito riff made with amethyst grapefruit basil, spiced cane, vanilla, mint and guava black tea, and the Golden Hour, a saffron- and B12-forward concoction that tasted like a Fuji Apple Aperol Spritz. If you’re comfortable in a crowd of beanies and tote bags, then Soft Bar is well worth a visit to understand the burgeoning possibilities of nonalcoholic drinks.

Read Our Full Review of Soft Bar.

5. Bar Calico – 23 Lexington Ave

(Photo: Bar Calico)

Located on the second floor of Manhattan’s Freehand Hotel, Bar Calico imagines itself as a dual tribute to the American Southwest and painter Georgia O’Keeffe. The inspiration oozes through every inch of the menu, which shines the spotlight on a beastly selection of sotols and not one but five cocktails that make use of cactus as a key ingredient.

We’re particularly fond of The Shelton, a crisp highball that combines gin, Mexican sake and a housemade apple-and-watercress soda that tasted just like Martinelli’s. For one of those aforementioned cactus cocktails, allow us to introduce The First Word, a nonalcoholic serve with a frothy, vegetal mouthfeel halfway between watermelon rind and jalapeño peppers. Head bartender Alex Rodriguez has managed to curate a menu that feels wholly faithful to the spirit of the Southwest, even for those who’ve never trekked the arid wilds of Arizona or New Mexico. At Bar Calico, the desert is alive and well in the Big Apple.

Read Our Full Review of Bar Calico.