Whether you're a cigar connoisseur or just like to partake of the odd puff now and again, this New York cigar bar has something to offer. The stylish lounge produces its own line of hand-rolled stogies and you can watch these being made on site. The room has a masculine air (perhaps not surprisingly given that the majority of the clientele are male)…

Rye House is popular among those who know their booze. It’s admirably well-stocked and has the kind of bar tenders who can expertly debate the particular merits of a single cask whisky or a certain vintage of rum. But while they’re clearly passionate about their chosen profession, this place is more tavern than temple…

Painkiller, a hip Lower Eastside tiki den, is the creation of the crew behind Brooklyn’s Dutch Kills, Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richard Boccato. The bar merges the usual tiki kitsch with a vibe that’s pure New York: the interior is a collage of urban graffiti, bamboo-clad walls and Polynesian masks; the cocktails may be served in pineapple cups and coconut…

The space that was formerly Ono in the Gansevoort Hotel has been turned into Provocatuer, a hip, seductive lounge bar. The room has been completely overhauled and given a 4,000-square-foot retractable roof that they plan to open on warm evenings; inside, there are deep purple banquettes and the walls are adorned with black lace in a nod to one of Madonna’s…

It’s funny how quickly things change. This place already feels like a relic of another time, but its sheer unashamed excess has to be marveled at. This place is as gold as it gets – it couldn’t be more bling if it tried. Seriously this place is something to behold – there are gold skulls embedded in the walls, gold light fittings and gold ceilings –…

The Tangled Vine knows and cares about wine; there’s an emphasis on biodynamic and sustainable wines and there are plenty of options available by the glass as well as a 150-plus bottle list full of interesting and unexpected varieties. This superior Upper West Side wine bar may be simple in design – bare brickwork, lots of wood, meant to resemble a…

You’ve got to admire a pun like that. Well you don’t have to, but we do. There are, to be fair, many other things to admire at this character-rich tapas bar. This former Brooklyn glue factory has been turned into a luxuriously decorated space by a talented mother/daughter team…

Cienfuegos has impressive credentials. This East Village rum social club is the work of the people behind the rightly acclaimed Death and Co and has a cocktail menu created by some of the best in the business. Its chintzy yet chic Cuban-themed décor (mismatched chairs and antimacassars) provides an apt backdrop to some superior drinks…

The lounge beneath West Village eatery DeSantos takes its name from a certain Ms Joplin who once lived in the same building. It’s an attractive, if rather rustic and unfinished space, with raw walls, battered leather sofas and strong drinks (appropriately enough)…

La Esquina is another offering from designer and entrepreneur Serge Becker, the man behind Area and Bowery Bar. Housed in a restored diner car still bearing the neon-lettered name of its former incarnation, the attractive space is split into a number of areas…