Many NYU students typically enjoy exploring the bar scene in the East Village and the Lower East Side, but bar hopping around the West Village is equally intoxicating. Known for its upscale boutiques and aesthetically pleasing restaurants, the West Village could become the next hotspot for you and your friends to explore on your bar-hopping adventures. To get you started, here are seven of our favorite bars in the West Village, one for each day of the week.
On Mondays: Bandits Diner + Dive
44 Bedford St.
To kick off the week we are starting at Bandits Diner + Dive for its “Martini Mondays.” The Monday evening deal offers $10 vodka martinis or a $15 “Happy Meal” with your pick between five different types of tater tots.
If martinis aren’t your beverage of choice, Bandits also has a wide variety of wines, beers, shots or punch to choose from. For instance, we first got the “House Hot Toddy,” which is a warm Scotch-based drink, but ended the night with the “Rattlesnake in the Jukebox” cocktail — a recommendation from the bartender — which was sweet but also nutty from the sesame seed rim.
The atmosphere is ideal for a chill Monday evening. It was relatively quiet when we visited, and the bouncer was exceptionally friendly. Frank Ocean’s music was a house favorite and played consistently throughout the night. The bar offers other promotions like Disco Brunch on Sundays from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., making Bandits the great spot on weekdays and weekends.
On Tuesdays: Dante
551 Hudson St.
Decorated with flowers on the outside, the bar is easy to spot. Located on the corner of Hudson and Perry Street, Dante is one of the prettiest bars we have stepped foot in. Dante has been in business since 1915, and many celebrities have been spotted at its locations over the years.
Dante has a martini happy hour every day from 3-5 p.m. For just $10, you can choose between seven different martinis. Our favorite is the “20th Century” martini, which tastes like lemonade.
Besides the various martinis, cocktails and wines that the bar serves, it also has a variety of appetizers to choose from. Our favorites are the roast fingerling potatoes, which were very well-seasoned and perfect for sharing.
On Wednesdays: Temperance Wine Bar
40 Carmine St.
Wind down on Wine Wednesdays at Temperance Wine Bar on Carmine Street. Not only does this bar have countless wines to choose from, but it also has cheese plates and snacks. It is the perfect place for a pick-me-up.
Our waitress was very sweet and accommodating. With a friend, we all ended up sharing a bottle of Corvina, Trebbiano and the Moses Sleeper cheese plate, which included a block of soft cheese, the house cranberry jam and toast.
For $25, customers can also participate in blind tasting sessions and sample three half-glasses of wine on Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. These deals don’t end on Wednesdays though — there are also various specials on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as well as a daily happy hour on light bites and discounted wine bottles from 4-6 p.m.
On Thursdays: The Happiest Hour
121 W. 10th St.
Before starting the weekend, check out The Happiest Hour on West 10th Street. The vibes at this bar were immaculate — hot pink walls with palm trees, a disco ball and pink LED lights. If you are into tropical cocktails, this bar is a must to check out with your friends.
We ordered the “Can You Fig It?” cocktail with gin and vodka, which was tart but tasty. Meanwhile, We then tried a daiquiri, which just tasted like refreshing lemonade. Each cocktail was priced between $16-$18, but they were very strong and the bar was a great place to start the night. We also ordered a plate of “Mac + Cheese Bites” to munch on while we enjoyed our drinks.
On weekdays, The Happiest Hour has happy hour specials from 5-6:30 p.m. where it serves draft beers, wine by the glass and martinis at a discounted rate. But no matter what day you visit, we guarantee that you will be at your happiest after having a drink or two here.
On Fridays: Pieces
Eight Christopher St.
If you want to keep the good vibes going, stop by Pieces, a popular gay bar on Christopher Street. Pieces is one of the oldest gay bars in the city, and it features drag shows every night and various events throughout the week, such as karaoke and bingo.
Usually crowded on Friday nights, this is definitely a place to stop at on your bar-hopping adventures. You definitely don’t want to miss Frisky Fridays, which is hosted by Ruby Roo and Brita Filter. The bar plays all the best songs, specifically all the bops from the early 2000s.
Pieces also offers various deals throughout the week, like a happy hour from 2-8 p.m. every day. Pieces also presents “Liquid Brunch,” a deal that consists of $6 margaritas, mimosas and bloody marys and a $8 “Long Island iced tea.”
On Saturdays: Houston Hall
222 W. Houston St.
Hopefully, the hangover headache isn’t too bad, because we’re going out again. Dance the night away at Houston Hall’s all-day DJ sets on Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to midnight. Although this beer hall doesn’t offer a happy hour deal on Saturdays, the prices on its wide variety of draft beers, wine and classic cocktails are reasonable.
The brew pub also hosts fun events throughout the year celebrating holidays or sporting events. One of its upcoming events is National Margarita Day, where it will be offering a margarita-making class with Patrón Tequila ambassador Sam Willy on Thursday, Feb 22.
On Sundays: Due West
189 W. 10th St.
To tackle the Sunday scaries, end the week at Due West, another bar on West 10th Street. If you want to watch a sports game, Due West is a great bar to do so.
The bar has a variety of cocktails, beers, wine and spirits to choose from as well as food options. It is also a great place to go during the colder months because it has three strong, hot cocktails to order. We ordered the hot chocolate cocktail, which tasted exactly what you think it would taste like — a hot chocolate with a whiskey aftertaste. Continuing on the hot beverage trend, we tried the warm cider cocktail, which was made with their local cider, lemon, caramel and rum.
Due West is not like your traditional loud and rowdy sports bar — the Saturday crowd is consistently calm. The velvet booths and white brick walls elevate the space, making it very homey and the perfect bar to close out your week.
Contact Leila Anderson and Liz Lindain at [email protected].
