New York Magazine

A self-consciously trashy rock bar with in-it-for-life barmaids.

This charming Upper East Side pub also houses the Tiny Irish Museum of Bad Art.

New York and California drinkers sometimes share the same simple needs.

NYC's wildest (but classiest) Upper East Side drinking scene.

The Carlyle Hotel's bastion of old-fashioned upper-crust New York, with live piano music and Ludwig Bemelmans' famous murals.

A classy Upper East Side sports lounge.

Southern-fried beer-and-BBQ nightspot filled with bingeing post-grads.

A New York institution, this high-end cabaret lounge attracts a well-heeled, older crowd eager to hear the standards.

Upper East Side beer mecca with over 150 brews from around the world available for a hearty quaff.

A très gentil wine bar for those who follow taste rather than trend.

It may be hard to find a seat at this cozy Upper East Side pub on Sundays, when Aonach is playing.

This traditional Irish pub may share the name of Joyce's notorious swan song, but its literary pretensions end with a crooked portrait of the author as a wall ornament.

A welcoming Irish pub where hospital workers of all stripes gather to drink.

Wine and pizza, dynamic duo.

A good natured, beer-splattered Upper East Side dive where die-hard karaoke fans (and bartenders) take center stage nightly.

Park Avenue gentlemen looking for a cigar fix after dinner head to Lexington Bar and Books.

At this pub, black-and-white photos, mahogany walls and lantern-like sconces bespeak of calm.

An Upper East Side neighborhood bar with an Irish theme for locals and tourists alike.

NOW CLOSED. This island-themed Caribbean shack offers theme night specials and a departure from the cookie-cutter pubs that line upper Second Avenue.

Murphy was a pessimist, but the hunky doctors at this low-key neighborhood spot keep thoughts on the bright side.

A romantic Upper East Side sake bar with chill, downtown zeal.

A nightlife hybrid that manages to mix a lounge with live music and a dance floor packed like a rush-hour Tokyo subway car.

Finally, a smoochy date place that gives hope to a northern stretch of First Avenue.

A spacious sports bar that features a great happy hour and a bacon-stuffed burger.

The Upper East Side owes an emphatic "grazie" to Vero Panini and Wine Bar.