The top outdoor bars in NYC

Situated on Pier 25, on the Hudson River Park’s southwestern edge, Grand Banks is less an outdoor bar than a docked schooner that serves oysters and champagne. While some might declare this all a bit tone deaf – well, welcome to New York.

Hand-built in 1942, the Sherman Zwicker is the last original saltbank fishing vessel in existence. Earning its keep trading salt and cod throughout the Americas, today it’s swapped fisherman for finance bros, with the city’s plutocratic elite descending to Tribeca to do their best impression of the Kennedys.

Once you’ve donned your best pair of Sperrys, you can make your way over and soak up the sun over a plate of caviar hash browns, lobster salad, and, of course, oysters ($29 for a half dozen). To drink you’ll probably want to opt for champagne, though the menu breezes competently through summer cocktails, spritzes, and G&Ts dry and sharp enough to complement the East Coast WASP vibe.

For those wanting to push the boat out further (sorry), you can hire out the schooner, giving you and 140 guests an unrivaled experience of a New York outdoor bar.

Manhattan has two SoHo Park bars, one in actual SoHo, and one in Times Square. No points for guessing which has a decent outdoor area and which one makes you want to pack up and move back to Ohio, or wherever you moved from.

SoHo Park, on the corner of Prince Street and Lafayette, has been charming regulars with its outdoor bar area since 2006. The USP is, thankfully, its accessibility. Few other spots in SoHo will see you cop a decently-made Mojito for $10, alongside classic American and European-inspired eats.

They do offer private hire, where you can make use of their private parking, PA system, and, of course, affordable menu.

Cheap, easy & classic – that’s why it’s our #1.

While raucous parties at Good Judy often spill out onto the tree-lined street of Park Slope, there’s a little-known backyard out the rear where you and a few friends can polish off jello shots, inhale vegan hot dogs and just soak up the general summer vibes from Brooklyn’s most high-key outdoor bar.

It’s a community feel here, with regular drag and DJ nights, a bi-monthly zine, and a dedicated radio station doing some heavy lifting for Brooklyn’s queer sphere. You’ll find it all on 5th Ave in Park Slope.

Bandit’s outdoor offering is a little weird, to say the least. Imagine an on-street patio designed in the manner of a 1970s Middle America diner, then fill it with drunk people scoffing down tater-tots and smash burgers.

The Greenwich Village spot (formerly Daddy-O’s), has made a name with its laid-back approach and high-effort drinks. Of particular note is the caffeinated take on a classic, the ingeniously named ‘Jolt-Fashioned’. It sort of shouldn’t exist but we’re glad it does.

Bandits is a rarity in the Village, but doesn’t rest on its novelty - this is a great bar any time, and private hire is available for groups of 8 and beyond.

Named after the Portuguese word for ‘passion fruit’, Maracuja is a cozy little spot just north of the Williamsburg Bridge. The menu is heavy on natural wines, with there being enough variety of orange wines available to make you think it’s 2023.

The outdoor area features enough trees and greenery to make the concrete jungle feel a little less, well, concrete. You’ll also often find tables and chairs set out the front, for those who enjoy people-watching with their low-intervention red.

Happy hour extends from 5-7 pm every day, and the bar stays open till 4 am on weekends, meaning you can practice your faltering Portuguese well into tonight.