Nice bar in .... Time Square? Maybe?

June 5, 2019 6:54 AM

Where can several people drop in for dinner/drinks near Times Square, NYC? We have tickets to a 7pm show so I need a casual place that people can show up at whenever.

Another Times Square question from me! Tomorrow night I'm going to a show at 7pm with a bunch of people. Beforehand, we'd like to hang out somewhere and get drinks and food. But... it's Times Square, the worst place in the world. PLUS people will be coming from work so who knows who will show up when.

Realistically I'd show up at 5pm and then people would trickle in around 530/6, and then we'd all leave at 630 and head to the show. So... a sit down dinner place really wont work. I need like a casual bar that people can hang out in and maybe grab chicken wings or something like that.

The show is at the Winter Garden Theater which is on 50th and 7th. So it shouldn't be too far away. This is for tomorrow (thursday) night. Help!

posted by silverstatue to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

Best answer: The front/bar area of the Russian Samovar at 8th and 52nd is both fun and good for this sort of thing. The drinks are not particularly cheap, though, and obviously focus on vodkas more than beers on tap. The food is also more Russian and less wings, but the food is actually pretty good.

Faces and Names on 53rd and 7th (I think - or maybe 54th) is also a good bar for something like this.
posted by slide at 7:00 AM on June 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

I would recommend The Polynesian, a tiki-style bar at the Pod Times Square Hotel.
posted by slkinsey at 7:18 AM on June 5, 2019

If you're looking for more of a "beer and wings" kind of place, there are the Times Square Brewery and Restaurant and the Times Square branch of the Heartland Brewery.
posted by slkinsey at 7:21 AM on June 5, 2019

I like Beer Culture on 45th and 8th! Beer is good, food is acceptable.
posted by LeeLanded at 7:25 AM on June 5, 2019 [2 favorites]

Prioritizing ease for people to trickle-in and proximity to your show, I'll second Faces and Names and add Tanner Smith's. You might also try Lillie's.
posted by theory at 7:28 AM on June 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

For a few people, BEA on 9th avenue is our absolute favorite drop-in place.
For a bigger group, the Beer Authority across from the Port Authority is fun.
I also second slkinsey's suggestion The Polynesian, it's new, it's fun, I've been there with a group and sharing a giant fishbowl of booze served in a giant shell with dry ice smoke pouring out is a really fun way to start a night.
posted by exparrot at 7:49 AM on June 5, 2019

The Rum House, inside the Hotel Edison on 47th is pretty solid - but now i think they dont have real food so that might not work.

We've had good happy hours at Havana Central down on 46th too, but it gets very busy and i think you'd struggle with more than a few people.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:58 AM on June 5, 2019

The Ribbon is huge and the food is good. You shouldn't have any problem dropping in at the bar
posted by elvissa at 8:12 AM on June 5, 2019

Characters on 54 is a pretty normal Irish pub - I used to work near there and it was our go-to. Nice staff, decent food, but midtown prices.
posted by Ragged Richard at 9:36 AM on June 5, 2019

The Ribbon is the most civilized of the options mentioned here.
posted by praemunire at 11:07 AM on June 5, 2019

Dalton’s on 9th between 43rd and 44th is a pretty casual pub that has decent pub food and a good happy hour. It’s me and some friends choice in that area and they’re really nice about people trickling in.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 2:22 PM on June 5, 2019

Response by poster: The winner was Faces and Names! It was perfect - exactly what I wanted. The staff was really nice and accommodating when my party ended up being twice as big as I originally expected. The food was good, decently priced, and quickly served. They even brought me balloons when they heard it was my birthday. Thank you everyone for the suggestions!
posted by silverstatue at 8:06 AM on June 7, 2019