By our count of active liquor licenses, there are approximately 11,362 bars in New York City. And after a rigorous, scientific analysis—entailing countless hours of exhaustive research—we've decided which five establishments have the best barkeeps. These elite five are our favorites because of the way their personalities fill the room (sometimes in subtle ways) and keep us coming back for more than just their succulent alcohol. A cynic (or physician) might call them enablers, but we consider them buddies—and in some cases, dare we say role models? And so here is the definitive list of the best barkeeps in town:
Sunny Balzano at Sunny's in Red Hook, Donald O'Finn at Freddy's in South Slope, Lucy Mickevicis at Lucy's on Avenue A, Mark Penza at Billy Mark's in Chelsea, and Dave Pollack at The Diamond in Greenpoint are the best barkeeps in town. PERIOD. We LOVE these barkeeps, they're our BEST friends, we would TAKE A BULLET FOR THEM, have we ever told you that? Click on the images for why they win.
