New York City bars as books

If you know me, you know a list of my favorite things includes the following: dirty martinis, clean manicures, unreasonably long walks, over-the-top dinner parties, a go-to pair of kitten heels, and a good book. And I love when a few of my favorite things come together at the same time — wearing my favorite heels whilst drinking a dirty martini with a fresh manicure discussing books at a fabulous dinner party? Heaven.

If there’s a city where you can check off so many favorites in one night, it’s probably New York (maybe this is to make up for the sacrifices we all inevitably make when finding an apartment here). But it’s also probably because there is just simply so much to do. For any vibe you want, the city has an option, and for any question on how to make the most of a night out, the city has an answer. You choose the mood and the city will do the rest. It’s a lot like reading a book — except you’re telling the story.

As a self-proclaimed vibe matcher, I thought it’d be an interesting exercise to pair some of my favorite books with some of my favorite bars in the city. Literature professor Rudine Sims Bishop says books are windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors — and on a night out in Manhattan, they’re also bars.

So, I present to you my curated list of New York City bars as books. Some of these are matched by themes, some by settings, others more obviously (and dare I say superficially), and some strictly on feelings and vibes. If you’re a literature lover who also enjoys a good cocktail and a fun, bullshit-esque analysis, this one’s for you.

A speakeasy, Prohibition-style bar in the West Village, Employees Only has all the glitz, glamour, scandal, and libations of Jay’s dreams. It’s retro but still upscale, intimate but extremely lively, and serves old school drinks with an inventive touch. The vibes remind me a lot of both the novel and the Baz Luhrmann film adaptation.

Collegiate secret society meets hidden library at The Raines Law Room in the William Hotel. The bookcases, suede sofas, dark wood, art, and leather chairs all look like they could be the backdrop for any dark academia novel, but particularly Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Come for the secret vibes, stay for one of the best old fashioneds in the city.

A cool spot on the Lower East Side, Bar Valentina is a more casual place — less pretentious, less dressy, and less snooty than some other cocktail bars in the city. It’s not exactly a dive bar, but an elevated cafe vibe with a great atmosphere and great drinks. Daisy Jones would definitely be a regular here. They also have an excellent dirty martini.

Elegant, luxurious, and grand, the King Cole Bar in the St. Regis is a celebration of New York in the early 1900s. It’s upscale, glitzy, glamorous, and pairs perfectly with the 1930s backdrop seen in Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.

A dark, sultry, cocktail bar in the city, The Temple Bar in Noho just feels like obsessive love in bar form. Definitely great for an intimate date that hopefully goes better than Catherine and Heathcliff’s romance did!

Katie Kitamura’s novel Audition is a trip — but still a fantastic read. It’s unsettling, creative, and intriguing, much like Pearl Box, a vintage-inspired cocktail bar in Soho. Something about the design of the space is strangely irritating to me (maybe it’s the color scheme or the try-hard, nostalgic, vintage feel they’re going for?). Either way, they have a happy hour with a $5 mini martini that honestly isn’t all that good, but hey, what can you get for $5 these days?

Lobby Bar has my absolute favorite martini in New York, so I had a tough time placing it with a book. I ultimately decided on A Gentleman in Moscow, because Count Rostov would drink a mean martini at the chic Lobby Bar, and if I’m ever placed on hotel-arrest because I’m a secret aristocrat, pls let it be at The Hotel Chelsea.

Ok, this one’s a little obvious but fits like a glove and there was no way I was leaving my favorite Ann Patchett novel off of this list — sorry! Have a classy glass of champagne at one of the most beautiful places in New York City and take in the sophistication of the Met Opera crowd while paying homage to a moving story about art, music, and humanity.

A bookstore, cafe, and bar in one, Bibliotheque is 2000 sq feet of perfection in the middle of Soho. It’s cozy, warm, and comforting, just like the way you feel when reading Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s happy ending in the classic masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice.

Please also enjoy this hilarious book review of Pride and Prejudice while you’re here:

A fun cocktail bar with giraffe decor, elevated vibes, and a chic, young crowd, Obvio is definitely where I can see Lorelai Lee charming her next finance bro. The movie with Marilyn Monroe is probably more popular than the book, but it’s a fun, fascinating, and unexpectedly deep read by Anita Loos that proves Lorelai is not just a little girl from Little Rock. I really enjoyed both Obvio and this book (and not because I’m blonde!).

Bemelmans Bar in the ritzy Carlyle Hotel feels like stepping back in time. With live jazz music, the cutest murals by the creator of the Madeline children’s books, and a killer martini, it’s upscale bar culture at its finest. It reminds me of the Gilded Age glamour in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, and somewhere I definitely see Newland Archer mingling with New York high society. Go for the classy vibes and the stellar tini, stay to hear the legendary Earl Rose play the piano.

The Nines is an intimate piano bar in Noho with leopard-print carpets and wallpaper. It’s upscale without being overly pretentious, and it almost seems to poke fun at its own extravagance while still being fabulous and fun. The vibes remind me of the glamorous protagonist and sultry Hollywood world of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Another obvious one, but when you think of literature and portraits, Oscar Wilde’s Gothic horror novel is one of the first that comes to mind. Located in the upscale Fifth Avenue Hotel, The Portrait Bar in Nomad is a great spot for either a date or girls’ night. I haven’t had the food here, but I’ve heard the burger is very good. It’s dark, it’s chic, and it’s indeed filled with portraits — none though of Dorian Gray, luckily.

A cozy West Village bar with one of my favorite martinis in the city, Wilfie & Nell is unassuming, intimate, and draws a younger crowd that can get loud and rowdy late into the night. It seems like a spot where friends and lovers see each other through stages of life, and it’s somewhere I picture the friend group from Meg Wolitzer’s novel grabbing a drink for hot takes over cold martinis during their early years in the city.

The Bowery Bar at the Bowery Hotel is a crimson velvet, 1900s-inspired dream. Roaring fireplaces, dark wood paneling, and the hushed whispers of circulating hotel guests matches the moody tone and darkly majestic setting of Manderley in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

A cute, airy bar located on the Upper East Side, Festivál Café is New York City’s “only Farm-to-Table & Farm-to-Bar experience,” according to their website. Their seasonal menus feature inventive food and drink options all with the freshest ingredients made in-house (they currently have an all day, all night August happy hour with $10 specialty cocktails!). Anything farm-sourced just reminds me of Yesteryear right now. Hopefully no turkey basters are involved (iykyk).

Book Club Bar is an independent, lowkey bookstore, cafe, and wine and cocktail bar that’s also a cozy community hub of the East Village. It’s open daily either til midnight or 1 a.m. if you’re a late-night book lover, and the ambiance is vibrant and intellectual, but still unpretentious and chill. In another life and in another place that’s not 1950s Naples, I think Lenu and Lila would’ve made this their weekly neighborhood catch up spot, filled with profound conversation, occasional debate, and the rich fulfillment that comes with having a brilliant friend.

Bougie, bustling, and beautiful, Clemente Bar is an upscale expansion above the famous Eleven Madison Park. The decor, the service and the drinks are all top-tier, and the excessive lavishness (and the bill) make me think of Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary.

For as hard as it is to get in here, Schmuck is a surprisingly laid-back bar in the East Village. It has a little bit of a pretentious “cool” vibe, but honestly the menu is so inventive, the bartenders so attentive, and the overall experience so good that I get it. I paired it with this wonder of a book by Gabrielle Zevin because both explore creativity, invention as a collaborative process, and the power of play. The Schmuck Martini is one of my favorites, but there are SO many good, creative ones on the menu that this is a must-visit for any cocktail lover who appreciates a good twist.

A fun Noho bar, Jac’s on Bond is busy, crowded, and loud, especially on the weekends. It’s very social and high-energy, filled with a young but sophisticated crowd of 20 somethings all trying to make their way in the city. I feel like this is a spot where a lot of the intense relationships unique to your early and mid 20s start and end, which is why I paired it with Lily King’s Heart the Lover. (Their Caprese martini is a must-get.)

If you’re an oyster lover, The Tusk Bar inside The Evelyn Hotel should be at the top of your list. Reservations aren’t too difficult to get, and both the food and the drinks are excellent. Forget Newport — The Wedding People’s Phoebe should come here for oysters instead. And yes, that is possibly the least important detail in the book. But I never forget the oysters, and if you come here, neither will you!

Located in the heart of Midtown, Valerie is a fun, retro bar perfect for a post-work happy hour for those in need of a libation after making it through the day in one of the many surrounding offices. The bar is completely packed with young professionals chattering away on a weeknight, and because of this, I associate it as part of the corporate 9-5 routine: work, drink, vent, repeat. That’s why I paired it with Ling Ma’s Severance, a satiric novel about a post-pandemic, apocalyptic world where the infected are stuck doing their daily routines on a loop, aka CORPORATE-19 (too soon?). Scary indeed!

Classy, upscale, and lively without being overly-crowded, The Bar Room at the Modern is the perfect place to end your night after going to the MoMA (which is open late on Fridays and free for all New York State residents). The vibes are elevated, the marble bar is beautiful, and the martini is a great option. Getting a bar seat for one isn’t difficult, and it’s great for both people watching or catching up on some reading. I imagine a perfect solo date for Sybil entails all of the above, with a touch of journaling and planning out her next correspondence.

One of my favorite things about New York is that every place, like every book, has its own unique feel, characters, and vibes — a truly remarkable accomplishment in a city with so many options. If you have any bars and books you think make a great pairing, let me know!

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