It's that time of the year again - SPOOKY season is upon us and luckily, NYC has no shortage of bars to get BOO-zed up at. The following itinerary includes some of our favorite Halloween inspired bars to stop in to for a little fall bar crawl action.
The Details
Stop 1: The Garret Cocteleria
The Garret Cocteleria in Nolita decks out their small Caribbean
outpost with Dia De Los Muertos decor every year for the fall months. It's a great first stop to make to ease into the day and start with some food for fuel as their tacos are show stoppers (especially the short rib birria taco + pork carnitas taco). We can't turn down an ice cold Mexican coke, but for those craving a seasonal drink, you won't be disappointed to try one of their many offerings.
Stop 2: Beetle House
Walk about 15 minutes to get to this East Village gem. Beetle House is a Tim Burton decked out bar, open year round but best enjoyed during ~spooky season~. You can elect to try walking in for a spot at the bar + enjoyment of one of their Halloween inspired cocktails or reserve a spot ahead of time at one of their dinner tables offering a $55 per person prix-fixe-menu with a choice selection of one appetizer, one entree and one dessert. Candidly, we thought their food was mediocre but well worth the visit for the fun we had when Jack Skellington came around to greet and converse with every table (and give us quite the jump scare). On the low, we learned that you don't technically NEED to order off of the prix-fixe menu, but you do need to order food/drink/merchandise combining to at least $55 per person if you choose to eat there. Regardless of how you choose to enjoy it, we can't imagine a Halloween Bar Crawl without a stop here.
Stop 3: Death & Company
Just a few blocks away you'll find the next spot - Death & Company isn't necessarily decorated for Halloween as much as it's a year round old-timey Gothic style bar that epitomizes where vampires might've hung out in the prohibition era. This walk-in only spot offers bow-tied bartenders and an extensive + unique cocktail list. You'll feel like old Hollywood as you cozy up shoulder to shoulder with the other bar goers + ring in the sinister season.
Stop 4: Café de L'Enfer
Literally right around the corner, you'll find this Absinthe and Champagne cocktail bar in the basement of Amor Y Amargo. From their website, the bar describes itself as "inspired by the legendary Cabaret de l’Enfer in Victorian-era Paris and features cocktails created by famed mixologist, Sother Teague of Amor y Amargo". Unfortunately, there was a glitch in their reservation system when we tried to go and our reservation had to be cancelled on account of them being closed on Sundays so we don't have any first hand accounts of this spot but we can share a picture of their door that we took while waiting for our Uber and the reminder not to show up here on a Sunday.
At this point in your bar crawl, you should be fairly filled with ~spirits~, but if you're looking to continue the fun, there's no shortage of bars + Halloween inspired experiences to explore. One of our favorite non-drinking activities includes walking around different neighborhoods to explore their brownstone "stoop" decor, or if you choose to continue drinking we've got some more spots for that.
With a little extra logistical planning, these bars are additional great additions to a Halloween bar crawl [ordered in relative proximity to one another]:
- Flying Fox Tavern - Ridgewood - A cinematic horror themed pub
- House of Yes - Bushwick - one of the city's most chaotic dance clubs with themed nights, including House of Screams, Vampire Ball, Blood Night, Zombie Prom and Dirty Circus to name a few
- The Cauldron - Financial District - bookable pumpkin carving + potion making
- Fraunces Tavern - Financial District - NY's oldest + most historic bar & restaurant [sure to be haunted] and with frequent piano entertainment
- Stone Street - Financial District - not one bar but a whole lot of em' line this historic street with old world niche vibes + Oktoberfest festivities
- The Watermark Bar - Seaport District - Waterfront bar with views of the Brooklyn Bridge + lower Manhattan and seasonal cocktails + decor
- The House of Spirits - Financial District - a ticketed immersive cocktail experience serving cocktails and theatrics in a "haunted mansion"
- Madhouse on Mulberry - Little Italy - themed drinks, haunted maze + bar
- Madame X - Washington Square Park - tarot readers + entertainment frequent this sexily clad red adorned space
- Jekyll & Hyde Club - West Village - world famous haunted house
- The Headless Horseman - Union Square - old-timey tavern by the namesake of the famed Headless Horseman
- Oscar Wilde - NoMad - decked out in spooky clown decor for their chosen theme this year
- Citroën - Greenpoint - decked out in Halloween decor
- Lantern's Keep - Midtown - an understated cocktail bar inspired by prohibition era
- Lillie’s Victorian Establishment - Hell’s Kitchen - they go all out with their Halloween decor
- The Auction House - Upper East Side - serving old haunted mansion vibes
If these bars aren't enough for you, stay tuned for our guide on Sleepy Hollow coming to you live later this month! As always, let us know how you put a little disco in the details with your Halloween itineraries.
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