DINING & DRINKING

DINING & DRINKING

Often dining and drinking go together. For me, it is not a good experience to put alcohol in my body without something to eat, even when I was younger and I wanted that instant light headed feeling. So, I often plan my drinking around eating and/or vice verse.

Saying that one place or another is the coolest bar or cocktail lounge in the world is very subjective.  For me, here is my personal list. They are not all tiki, not all midcentury, but all the components seemed to click. The atmosphere, the cocktails, the music, the vibe, etc.  This obviously does not cover those which just opened, and we cannot keep up with those who have closed their doors. So if there is something you know, please share it

UPDATED November 7, 2026
Remember, in an ever-changing world, it is hard to update
which are still in business and open, especially after the 2020 COVID Pandemic.
If the location is in red then it is closed as of this writing.

Some of these are not only bars but dining experiences as well:

RESTAURANTS

  • Amore Mio (Aruba)
  • Bar Dough (Manhattan NY)
  • Barrow House (Clifton NJ)
  • Becco (Manhattan NY)
  • Bloom (Verona NJ)
  • Blue Steel (Glen Ridge NJ)
  • Calandra’s Italian Village (Caldwell NJ)
  • Casa Nostra (Caldwell NJ)
  • Cloverleaf Tavern (Caldwell NJ)
  • De Novo (Montclair NJ)
  • Del Posto (Manhattan NY)
  • Dough (Fairfield NJ)
  • Finch (Nashville TN)
  • Gianni’s (Aruba)
  • Keste (Manhattan NY)
  • Eataly (Manhattan NY & Short Hills NJ)
  • Francisco’s (Manhattan NY)
  • Hudson Taco (Newburg NY)
  • Live Bait (Manhattan NY)
  • Mama’s Baci Cafe (Hackettstown NJ)
  • Mambo (Harrison NJ)
  • Manila (Manhattan NY)
  • Maracaibo Restaurant (Union City NJ)
  • Paesano’s (Manhattan NY)
  • Patsy’s (Manhattan NY)
  • Razza (Jersey City NJ)
  • Stonewood Tavern (Byram NJ)
  • Tin Wong (Manhattan NY)
  • Wood Stack (Pine Brook NJ)
  • Xunta (Caldwell NJ)

Cocktail Bars & Lounges

  • Algonquin Hotel (Manhattan NY)
  • Amor Y Amargo (Manhattan NY)
  • Cascada (Curacao)
  • Chelsea Hotel (Manhattan NY)
  • Dead Rabbit (Manhattan NY)
  • Death & Co. (Manhattan NY)
  • Existing Conditions (Manhattan NY)
  • Fox Bar (Nashville TN)
  • Gage & Tollner (Brooklyn NY)
  • Glady’s Caribbean (Manhattan NY)
  • Lonewolf (Kingston NY)
  • Lullaby (Manhattan NY)
  • Masonic Hall (Manhattan NY)
  • NoMad Hotel (Manhattan NY)
  • Raine’s Law Room (New York NY)
  • Rum House (Manhattan NY)
  • Tiger Bar (Nashville TN)

Tiki Bars & Polynesian Restaurants

©  (MMXXVII) 2027  JRCX.COM

 

X.com LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest More
×
X.com LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest