Explore the world without leaving Manhattan at these downtown bars

Once home to vast hardwood forests and lush salt marshes, the island of Manhattan has undergone a truly stunning transformation over the past few centuries, with more than 300 skyscrapers discovered today within its borders – and Hundreds of years of immigration have also permeated the island. region with a particularly diverse food and dining scene. While Manhattan measures just under 90 square kilometers, visitors can experience an incredibly diverse range of cuisines throughout the borough, with Lower Manhattan alone home to a multitude of must-see destinations.

For any foodies visiting New York for the first time, the following bars showcase Manhattan’s culinary prowess in its most impressive form, with each individual venue offering a glimpse into a remote region of the globe without having to step outside the confines of the Empire State.

Wonderland

A recent addition to the Manhattan bar scene, the Sichuan-inspired Wonderland offers a host of carefully curated cocktails that are both visually stunning and bursting with flavor. To start your visit, the Slow and Steady is the perfect welcome drink thanks to its bold notes of ginger and pepper – and it also includes a particularly adorable marshmallow duck as a garnish – while the Not Tom Yum highlights value the bar’s masterful use of Sichuan. flavors in the drinks area, with vodka, lemongrass, ginger and fish sauce all combined to form a truly unique flavor profile. As an added bonus, guests can also choose from a carefully curated list of small plates during a visit, with the Food Truck’s Pepper Squid and Crossroads Spring Roll being two must-try items for seafood lovers in visit.

Love and Amargo

While most bars in New York are dedicated to wine, beer, and spirits, lovers of European herbal liqueurs should look no further than Amor y Amargo, a great place to sample all kinds of amaro . During a tour, guests can sip tasty concoctions like Cynar, a bittersweet drink that’s bursting with artichoke notes, or have a glass of Campari, a fragrant liqueur invented in 1860 in the province of Novara, in northern Italy. After trying a few neat pours, guests are invited to see how amari play in a cocktail, with options ranging from the génep-laden Suspect Terrain to the Montenegro-infused Bermuda Triangle.

Bar Go to

Fancy some refined Japanese-style cocktails during your trip to New York? Look no further than Bar Goto, a refined Lower East Side spot that debuted in 2015. While the menu is full of refreshing drinks like the maraschino Sakura Martini and the cantaloupe-and-honeydew-infused Melon Ball, Visitors can also browse the bar’s huge selection of shōchū and sake, with brands like Kokuryu, Daiyame and Yanagita up for grabs. And to sweeten the deal, the place also offers its fair share of savory snacks to enjoy, with shime saba (or dried mackerel) and vegetarian okonomiyaki pairing perfectly with a classic whiskey highball.

Superbueno

After winning the title of “Best New American Cocktail Bar” at the 2024 Spirited Awards, Superbueno has established itself as one of Lower Manhattan’s most esteemed cocktail bars, with a host of agave-laden concoctions that make homage to the Mexican roots of the place. . For mezcal lovers, the Mushroom Margarita is a refined take on a classic thanks to the addition of Huitlacoche, a type of mushroom that gives the drink extra earthy notes on the palate, while the milk punch is perfect for Rum lovers, with charanda, salted plum and lojana tea come together to form a particularly refreshing flavor profile.

The dead rabbit

Just a short walk from The Battery, visitors can experience a little slice of the Emerald Isle in the form of The Dead Rabbit, a historic venue that offers four distinct drinking areas spread over three floors. While cocktails range from mezcal Saints & Sinners to the tropical fruit-infused Pub Tropicana, Dead Rabbit is best known for its Irish Coffee, a frothy blend of nutmeg, demerara sugar and Teeling whiskey that’s particularly soothing on a cold winter night. . In addition to top-notch cocktails, the bar also offers its fair share of hearty dishes inspired by the Atlantic archipelago, with options like all-day Irish breakfast, chicken pot pie, bangers and mash adorning the menu.