Best nyc gay bars

Drink, dance and raise a glass year-round at NYC’s best gay bars and LGBTQ+ spots, offering drink specials, drag shows and more. Find the best gay bars in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, USA. Check out reviews, photos, gay map, and more information on We've got it all—whether you're looking to take a pilgrimage to a landmark of the gay rights movement, make it rain dollar bills on some of the world's most sickening drag performers, show off your new harness at a leather bar, or cheer on the New York Liberty at a watch party.

Experience the vibrant LGBTQ nightlife scene in New York City with this curated list of the top gay bars offering fun, music, and acceptance. Whether you opt for a chill hangout in Brooklyn, a sweaty all-nighter in the club or a quick beer with old friends, these LGBTQ+ bars are the very best that NYC has to offer.

The gay bars on this list should appeal to various types at various ages. Personally, my priorities have changed enormously from those of my early twenties, when going out to gay bars simply meant drinking cheap beer and making eyes at beautiful strangers. My experience has grown with a better understanding of the amazingly diverse gay communities existing throughout New York City, many of which embrace the gay bars as not just a place to flirt, but a place to build a chosen family.

I now enjoy and respect the important role the historic bars of the West Village, especially, play. I now go to gay bars to support places that host queer performers and events benefiting community members. Speaking of community events, on any given day, the Thotyssey blog will tell you what is happening around the huge gay scene in NYC, including events in Queens, Brooklyn, and beyond.

It also has a wonderful archive of conversations with gay bar staff and community members. I organized the below list by neighborhood. Cubbyhole is a historic lesbian bar known for tight quarters, eccentric decor dangling from the ceiling, a fantastic jukebox, cheap drinks, and friendly people. This bar really does have it all, and they are very welcoming of gay men, too, in case you were wondering. I was under the assumption this tavern was just a dive for older gay men.

This piano bar is a treasure. Cheap drinks, free entertainment, and a musical education! Come here to see a quirky mix of locals singing obscure Broadway songs. Pieces is a fun bar that has a stage perfect for hosting musical and drag performances, bingo nights, and other such events. Barracuda was a favorite of mine in my younger days. Their Sunday evening drag show still stands out as one of the most exciting way to spend a late night in NYC.

Oh, and I once sat next to Rufus Wainwright here and successfully ignored my impulse to tell him what a huge fan I am! Boxers is large.

It has multiple pool tables that can be converted to accommodate beer pong, sports on TV, and a back garden. The bartenders wear bright red boxer shorts. Gym is the original gay sports bar before Boxers entered the scene.

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It also is located at a very central location on 8th Avenue in Chelsea with a bitty front terrace. Go here early to start your night with a nice mixed drink before continuing on to a more lively spot after. They have a beautiful roof terrace and with a sports-theme, remains a popular spot for gay sports leagues to grab that after-game beverage.

The bartenders are all trained dancers, who, wearing tight jeans and western boots, dance right on the bar. Relatively new to the scene, Hardware took over an old hardware store and turned it into a nice venue that does a good job of balancing several gay scenes at once. Posh is a classic. Therapy has a beautifully renovated, open, two-level space, that include an epic staircase in the center of the bar.

The upstairs hosts several events with use of a modern stage and technology. This bar is an ultimate den dive. I enjoy the unpretentious attitudes and use of the old-school record player.