The 11 Best Fireplace Bars In NYC
Jan. 7, 2016, 2:20 p.m.
It's time to move our drinking indoors. Here's where to do it by the fire.
Winter has arrived, according to the frost on my window, and though we were able to booze in backyards through December, it's time to move our drinking indoors. Any bar is a good bar (provided it's not in Murray Hill), but the best winter drinking hole is one with a fireplace, where you can sip a hot toddy and freak yourself out by remembering that fire ghost episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark (NEVER STARE INTO THE FLAMES OR THE GHOST WILL COME). Here are our favorite fireplace bars in the city; as always, leave yours in the comments.
SHOOLBRED'S: East Village pub Shoolbred's is more than just a laid-back reprieve in an area overrun with rowdy college kids. The bar's crackling fireplace, which is blessedly surrounded with leather seats, keeps the church-like space warm all winter. Show up early, order a $7-$10 draft (two-for-one during happy hour!) and a Shoolbred's Burger ($11.50) up at the bar, steal a seat by the flames and stay put until closing time, like a good lad. Bonus: the hot toddies here have healing powers.
Shoolbred's is located at 197 Second Ave between 12th and 13th Streets in the East Village (212-529-0340, shoolbreds.com).
BLACK MOUNTAIN WINE HOUSE: Ever-romantic Black Mountain Wine House has been our go-to fireplace bar for some time now, and it's still going strong. The rustic, farmhouse-style wine bar's got a warm fire roaring all winter long, where you can settle in with a glass ($6.50-$11) or bottle ($28-$45) of wine and small plates like Black Mountain Mac & Cheese ($11) and House Panini ($11) until winter fades into a distant memory.
Black Mountain Wine House is located at 415 Union Street between Smith and Hoyt Streets in Gowanus, Brooklyn (718-522-4340, blackmountainwinehouse.com).
LANTERN'S KEEP: In spite of its horrors (or perhaps because of them), Midtown's got a few worthy drinking holes, this lovely, warm cocktail bar included. Housed inside the Iroquois Hotel, this intimate spot's kept warm by an elegant gas-powered fireplace, though if that's not enough for you, cocktails like the Iroquois #2 (Cognac, Lemon, Yellow Chartreuse, Pineapple), the Clinton Cocktail (Cognac, Aged Rum, Sweet Vermouth, Angostura), and the Scotch-heavy Sir Walter Raleigh will drum out some of the chill, too. Bargoers can also score small plates like $17 bison sliders and marinated lamb tenderloin ($18) if the cold's got you aching to put some meat on your bones.
Lantern's Keep is located at 49 West 44th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in Midtown (212-453-4287, iroquoisny.com/lanternskeep).
CLOVER CLUB: Flame-seekers, beware. Getting a spot near this Cobble Hill bar's fireplace is nearly impossible during peak hours. But if you're one of the lucky, lucky few that manage to snag a fireside seat in the bar's back parlor room, you're in for a treat. The room boasts an elegant stone fireplace and fancy vintage couches where you can sit down and warm up with cocktails like the signature Clover Club, made with gin, dry vermouth, lemon juice, raspberry syrup and egg whites; the fierce Pyrenees made with aged apple brandy, Cognac, sherry, and coffee-infused dry vermouth; or a seasonal Apple Turnover, comprised of Ron del Barrilito, white rum, bonded apple brandy, dry curacao, guava syrup and lime juice. Drink until all the dead trees are gone, and then drink some more.
Clover Club is located at 210 Smith Street between Butler and Baltic Streets in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-855-7939, cloverclubny.com).
ALEWIFE QUEENS: Beer isn't as warming as, say, spiked hot cider or a gallon of whiskey. But if you pair one of Alewife's many, many craft brews with a table near the LIC bar and restaurant's fireplace, even the coldest of ales won't make you shiver. You'll get even warmer if you wash your beer down with, say, a plate of house mac 'n cheese or an Alewife Burger; just note that the fireplace is located upstairs, and they usually don't light the flames until Real Winter sets in.
Alewife is located at 5-14 51st Ave in Long Island City, Queens (718-937-7494, alewifequeens.com).
FAWKNER: Fawkner debuted in Cobble Hill just a few months ago, but it's more than proved its worth in its short time on Earth. Helmed by the crew behind The Bell House and Union Hall, the 2,300-square-foot space boasts a cheerful fireplace located just across from a robust bar serving up craft beer, whiskey, cocktails and wine.
The fireplace is flanked by plush chairs and couches for drink-swilling loungers, and you can score small bites like a fried chicken sandwich and steak, eggs and frites if you're hungry. Feast, drink, take in the flames, and enjoy the old-timey decor that manages to be cute without drifting too far into twee territory.
Fawkner is located at 191 Smith Street between Baltic and Wyckoff Streets in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-522-3172, fawknerny.com).
BRANDY LIBRARY: Those of us who prefer to do our heavy boozing in the company of many, many books will find refuge in this cozy Tribeca bar, which is blessedly set up to look like a library, complete with crackling fireplaces. Sadly, the bookshelves are filled with bottles of alcohol and not, say, the complete works of Shakespeare or The Hunger Games trilogy, but if you drink enough scotch you can trick yourself into reading fancy labels instead of chapters.
The bar boasts a long list of brandies, whiskies, rums, tequilas, wines and beers, along with specialty cocktails like the Russian Caravan ($15), made with bourbon, pine-smoked tea, elderflower, and lemon; and the Musket ($15), made with Armagnac, muddled fig, honey and lemon juice. You can also snack on small bites like foie gras ($16), sushi and even a rack of lamb ($19), like the distinguished ladies and gentlemen you all are.
Brandy Library is located at 25 North Moore Street between Hudson and Varick Streets in Tribeca (212-226-5545, brandylibrary.com).
DYNACO: Dynaco is best served cold and bright. That is, go on a day that is very cold, before the sun sets. The front section of this wood-paneled Bed-Stuy bar is narrow, and fills up quickly at happy hour. A few lucky first-daters nab the deep booths near the front, and everyone else is relegated to leaning awkwardly against bar or wall. But show up at, say, 3:30 p.m. on a Saturday and a path is clear all the way to the back, where a jumble of benches, stools and swivel tables surrounds an adorable, angular, canary yellow, Jetsons-style fireplace. It's a true wood smoker, and every hour or so the bar-back steps up to poke the flames or add a log. That same bar-back doles out free goldfish, which are refilled without question. (Emma Whitford)
Dynaco is located at 1112 Bedford Avenue between Gates and Lexington Avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
MOLLY'S SHEBEEN: This wee Irish pub not only griddles up a ridiculously good burger, they also torch a roaring wood fire that fills the space with a warm glow and plenty of heat. Stop in for a perfect pint or an Irish Coffee—watch the special cream whipper in action!—to warm frozen noses; they've even got coat hooks next to the flames so you'll keep warm when you eventually stumble back out into the chill. Just make sure you remove electronics from your pocket first; we learned that lesson the hard way. (Nell Casey)
Molly's is located at 287 Third Ave between 22nd and 23rd Street in Gramercy (212-889-3361, mollysshebeen.com).
HOT BIRD: Clinton Hill bar Hot Bird won our respect after it banned babies from its premises a while back. Infant-free zone aside, though, the bar boasts an outdoor fire pit, which makes its massive patio a welcome spot no matter how fierce the weather (okay, not this fierce). Grab a few beers and gather 'round this rare and welcome bonfire, and leave smelling like cedar and sheer joy. Again, leave your babies at home or we're tossing them on the fire.
Hot Bird is located at 546 Clinton Avenue between Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (718-230-5800).
BRONX ALEHOUSE: Bronx Alehouse's gas fireplace hit the scene in 2009, when the beer bar debuted in Kingsbridge near Van Cortlandt Park. Craft brews are the name of the game here, with goodies from the likes of Logsdon Farmhouse, Left Hand, Ommegang, Gunhill Brewery and The Bronx Brewery (obviously) on hand on a rotating basis. Pub fare like mac and cheese and smoked ribs help soak up some of the beer, or you can snack on complimentary homemade popcorn while you warm up by the fire.
Bronx Alehouse is located at 216 West 238th Street in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx (718-601-0204, bronxalehouse.com).