Sunburnt Cow   (Photo: Shanna Ravindra)

Antarctica
287 Hudson St., at Spring St.; 212-352-1666
A gloriously un-packed downtown dive, meaning the pool table, large booths, and the bartender’s attention will be there for you and your party’s taking. Try to match your special day with "Name Night" and drink for free.

Barcade
388 Union Ave., nr. Ainslie St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-302-6464
The 30 vintage arcade games that give Barcade its name mean plenty of entertainment for your large, potentially mismatched friend group. The open, loftlike space provides lots of room for toasts.

The Magician
118 Rivington St., nr. Essex St.; 212-673-7851
A pleasant tavern with an L.A.-noir décor and a back room that rarely gets overcrowded. Its location smack in the middle of the Lower East Side entertainment zone makes it the perfect starting-out point for an epic celebration.

Floyd, NY
131 Atlantic Ave., nr. Henry St., Cobble Hill, Brooklyn; 718-858-5810
The official Best of New York Birthday Bar is a great place to entertain—reservations for larger parties are accepted and an indoor bocce court scores novelty recreation points.

Sunburnt Cow
137 Ave. C, nr. 9th St.; 212-529-0005
The Cow has the perfect mix of raucousness and themed cheesiness that make a birthday location great. You can also reserve the large, cavelike back room–smoking patio for free.