It is a time to celebrate for (well dressed) barflies of Manhattan, a time to indulge in all of the well designed, fabulously comfortable watering holes that have filled up our city. The mood is intimate, the lighting is forgiving, and the drinks are masterful and potent….As my cockney friends would say, "Cheers Big Ears"! (Tip:Unless you’re a Brit, "Salute" sounds a bit more refined.) 
**NEW**Wet Bar
**NEW**Joe's Pub
10th Street Lounge   Orchard Bar    B-Bar
Grand Bar    The Bubble Lounge    Temple Bar    Merc Bar
Royalton Hotel    Pravda    Sway
WET BAR
130 E. 39th St.
(212) 592-8888
In the utra-chic new W Court Hotel, this little bar is where the buzz is at for that after work scene. Very hetero, very aggressive and very fun, if you’re in the mood to be hit on left right and center. It’s another Randy Gerber venue, so you know the drill. Ladies: Show up, position yourself right next to the dark handsome stranger with the Rolex, dig ineffectively through your purse and then ask for a light. Men: have matches handy.
JOE’S PUB (at the Public Theatre)
425 Lafayette St.
East Village
(212) 539-8777
Great late-night crawl, you have just entered into a Lenny Kravitz video. The place looks like the sound stage…..Everyone is gorgeous, très funky and getting down. Joe’s is all about having fun in style. Straight, gay, black, white, Supermodel or not all come together in this dimly lit multi-leveled lounge. Booths are great for groping (don’t ask, don’t tell, darlink!). Getting past the ropes can be tricky if you’re not with Debbie. Guys will get in if they’re famous…If not, best show up with hot chicks or know the bouncer by name (or slip him a wad). Live Cabaret and food, too.
10TH STREET LOUNGE
212 East 10th St.(between 1st and 2nd)
East Village
212-473-5252
Finally the East Village has gotten its shit together. This bricked interior, gothic-chic, candle lit lounge has the most comfortable leather couches and most concise cocktails east of 3rd Ave. Everyone here looks like they popped out of a Janet Jackson video…So if you’re not genetically blessed, be dressed.
ORCHARD BAR
200 Orchard St.
212-673-5350
Lower East Side
This is the new hip part of town…And this is the most upscale of the venues. Cool professional patrons who like to pretend they’re still struggling chat casually. The drinks are stiff and reasonable and the place is reasonably chic without much pretense. The somewhat cramped corners make for easy conversation. And the back area is nice for a small group’s gathering. Décor works in that kind of neo-pan-Asian type of way.
B BAR (formerly and still referred to by most as BOWERY BAR)
358 Bowery(@4th St.)
212-475-2220
The Bowery
Still a place to be seen after all this time! Yuppies, trendoids and the glamorous people all convene to eat, drink and act pretentious! I love it, needless to say. Not bad for booking a table, having some starters and then drinking the night away from your prime post. This former gas station is high on my list of design with its nearly-perfect-for-table-hopping main room, and huge outdoor area that can be partitioned off by the huge glass garage-like doors. Tuesday’s Beige night rocks the fashion set and gets pretty gay.
GRAND BAR(@Soho Grand Hotel)
310 W. Broadway
SOHO
212-965-3000
Cool, slightly understated, yet highly pretentious (not necessarily a bad thing!) hotel bar is the place a downtowner will undoubtedly bump into one of his own. High ceiling and a high clientele puts this bar high on my list!
THE BUBBLE LOUNGE
228 W. Broadway
(Between White and Franklin)
Tribeca
212-431-3433
If You’re a champagne and caviar type of girl (or you want to meet one) then this is your place. Too many different kinds of bubblies are served to even begin mentioning. The atmosphere here, a mix of high camp homage and pure sophistication lends itself to a post-dinner pop in. Just don’t get too drunk and order out of your range.
TEMPLE BAR
332 Lafayette St.
212-925-4242
Ok, so the martinis are ten bucks a pop, but worth every penny. Served in quite possibly the perfect glass with the most perfect peanuts, they’re the best in Manhattan. The dimly lit and heavy wood-paneled lounging room is a throwback to another era when being naught was good. It’s the kind of place you take someone you’re not supposed to be with. So, order up the caviar plate, down a "dirty" and slip your nickers off under the table. Debbie won’t tell a soul.
MERC BAR
151 Mercer St.
(Between Houston and Prince)
212-966-2727
This is where the people that think they’re hip hang out (there ain’t nothing wrong with that).Oh yes, they dress the part, the do the mandatory posing and forced "casual" lounging on the cushy sofas and chairs, and drink the trendy drink du jour. But be forewarned: Don’t bring up Bosnia or any other current-ish events references or they’ll know you’re an imposter. Impersonating a poser….hmmm…that’s a concept. This crowd is more comfortable discussing the discomfort of their Prada shoes (those shoes do hurt!) than who’s the shoe-in for next term. It’s all in a day of being faboo…. Be sure to pick up a copy of CITYNY magazine when you pop in... and give owner/cutie pie John McDonald a wet one from me!
ROYALTON HOTEL
44 West 44th St.
212-869-4400
MIDTOWN
Fierce Phillipe Stark lobby lends itself perfectly to posing with a cocktail or two. Very chic crowd. Lots of bilingual hotel guests fill the bi-leveled lounge, buying drinks for each other….Magazine editors, video directors, etc. And if the crowd is thin, there’s always the staff to stare at. Or if you want to feel really in the know, hang an immediate right upon entrance. Share in the secret of the "tiny" bar where attitude and style abound aplenty.
PRAVDA
281 Lafayette St.
212-226-4696
SOHO
Not the freshest game in town, but still sprinkled with supermodels and the men that gawk at them. The room is cool, reminiscent of a basement bar in the former Czech republic. They’ve got killer varieties of Vodkas to be had straight up and chilled to perfection . Nibblies include caviar plates, pates, and tapas style portions of hotter stuff. The girlfriends and I make an evening out of it. Just don’t let the foolish door dorks scare you off…It’s probably not even that crowded inside.
SWAY
305 Spring St. (West of Varick)
(212)620-5220
Looking for that hip,cozy,bar, to bring that guy/girl who's pants you've been dying to bust open? Perfect Second-Date place... Moroccan decor, cushy banquettes (perfect for the ever-requisite second-date make-out party) and low key, yet luscious atmosphere will keep you coming... back for more. The crowd has been exceptionally hot each time I've bopped by...and my favorite Brit, Sid, will make you feel right at home. P.S. Rumor has it this place rocks on super-late, whateverthat means!






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