Best Bars in Gramercy
Gramercy's bar scene is more useful when you separate cocktail rooms, old-school pubs and relaxed neighborhood bars. This shortlist stays close to Irving Place and Third Avenue instead of drifting into the East Village or Union Square.
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Gramercy works best when the bar matches the kind of night
A quiet cocktail reservation, an old New York tavern and an Irish pub solve different problems. Treating them as interchangeable “best bars” makes the list less useful. The strength of Gramercy is that several styles sit within a short walk of Irving Place and Third Avenue.
For cocktails, start around Irving Place
Dear Irving is the most obvious reservation-style cocktail choice in the neighborhood, while Martiny's offers another more deliberate drinks-led night nearby. Pierre Loti adds a wine-focused alternative on the same corridor.
For an older tavern feel
Old Town Bar on East 18th Street brings a different historical atmosphere and works especially well before or after a Gramercy/Flatiron dinner. Molly's Shebeen is the casual pub counterpoint farther east on Third Avenue.
For a simple neighborhood drink
Ampersand fills the gap between destination cocktails and old-school pub culture. The right choice depends on whether you want a reservation, a full meal nearby or one uncomplicated drink before continuing home. Current hours and booking policies are time-sensitive.
How this shortlist was made
We reviewed active bar, cocktail-bar, wine-bar, pub and gastropub listings within 0.26 miles of the Gramercy guide center. We then removed places whose practical identity belonged more clearly to the East Village or Union Square and selected a deliberately mixed set of drinking experiences. Historical reputation, room style, route fit and use case all matter; review score alone does not determine position. Current reservation, door and operating policies should be checked directly.
The shortlist
Order is editorial, not a raw review-score ranking. Ratings and review counts are supporting context and can change.
Dear Irving Gramercy
Best for: A planned cocktail-focused night
Dear Irving is the clearest destination cocktail option in the Gramercy core and works best when the drinks room itself is the evening's anchor.
55 Irving Pl, New York, NY 10003
Martiny’s
Best for: A refined cocktail reservation
Martiny's on East 17th Street provides another serious cocktail experience close to Irving Place, useful when you want a quieter, deliberately planned night.
121 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003
Old Town Bar
Best for: Old-school New York tavern atmosphere
Old Town Bar is included for a completely different reason from the cocktail rooms: historical tavern character and an East 18th Street location that fits a Gramercy walk.
45 E 18th St, New York, NY 10003
Molly's Shebeen Bar + Restaurant
Best for: A casual Irish-pub evening
Molly's Shebeen gives the list a relaxed Third Avenue pub option and makes sense when conversation and a simple drink matter more than a cocktail reservation.
287 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10010
Pierre Loti Wine Bar
Best for: Wine on Irving Place
Pierre Loti is the wine-focused choice on Irving Place and is useful for readers who want a lower-key drink rather than a formal cocktail program.
53 Irving Pl, New York, NY 10003
Ampersand
Best for: A straightforward Third Avenue bar stop
Ampersand fills the practical neighborhood-bar role close to the Gramercy center, balancing a list that otherwise leans toward destination cocktail rooms and historic pubs.
294 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10010