Best Nightlife & Bars Near Times Square: An NYC Guide
With its illuminated marquees, world-class theater, and around-the-clock energy, Times Square is one of the most exciting places in the world to spend an evening. Beyond the lights, the neighborhood is home to a vibrant nightlife scene. Historic piano bars, hidden speakeasies, live jazz clubs, and even a cocktail bar tucked inside a subway station.
From its central location in the heart of the Theater District, Aliz Hotel Times Square puts guests within easy reach of the city's best bars and after-dark spots. If you're looking for the best nightlife near Times Square, these are the bars, lounges, and late-night haunts worth your time.
Start at the Top: Dear Irving on Hudson
Before heading out to the neighborhood, take the elevator up. Dear Irving on Hudson, perched on the 40th and 41st floors of Aliz Hotel, is the highest open-air hotel bar and lounge in Manhattan. The bi-level space is split into distinct eras: one side channels a 1960s James Bond fantasy with pink sofas and a sputnik chandelier; the other leans Art Deco, and both open onto terraces with sweeping views of the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings.
Enjoy a cocktail program by bar director Meaghan Dorman (also behind the original Dear Irving in Gramercy), ranging from New York spirit showcases to reimagined classics that are perfect for date nights, skyline pictures, and celebrating in style.
Spin Above the Skyline: The View
For a second rooftop experience with a very different personality, The View is New York City's only revolving restaurant and lounge with a full rotation of the skyline once an hour. The 48th floor lounge, redesigned by Rockwell Group under restaurateur Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, revolves slightly faster than the dining room below it and stays open for cocktails until midnight — a favorite post-show stop for a reason. The Infatuation put it well: it's NYC with jazz hands, and a genuinely fun way to see the whole city without leaving your seat.
Go Underground: The 50th Street Subway Station
Nothing Really Matters is the cocktail bar of the trio, all disco energy and inventive drinks in a space that somehow feels miles away from the subway platform.
See No Evil Pizza sits right next door, a Michelin Guide-recognized pizzeria with an ‘80s punk vibe, black-and-white checkered floors, and a Calabrian-chili-infused "Hell Pie" that's built a cult following. Finish with the vanilla soft serve topped with olive oil and sea salt.
Though Tiny Dancer Coffee is only open during daytime hours, it’s a great option for giving you the boost you need after a fun night out.
Sip Something Classic: The Rum House
Tucked just off of 47th Street, The Rum House has been a Times Square fixture since the 1970s, with a serious cocktail upgrade in 2009 that turned it into one of the neighborhood's most beloved bars. Old-world copper and wood details, nightly live jazz and piano, and a drink menu built almost entirely around rum and whiskey make it feel like a world away from the bright lights outside.
Discover a Hidden Speakeasy: Madame George
Just steps from Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center, Madame George is a subterranean cocktail den that's become one of Midtown's most talked-about hideaways. Jewel-toned velvet booths, pressed-tin ceilings, and live jazz set the mood for a cocktail program inspired by New York's own drinking history — including revived classics from the bartenders who invented them. The menu itself reads like a love letter to the city, organized into categories like Architecture, Parks, and Legends. Try the Grand Central Terminal, a rye and pisco riff built on "limestone & rhythm," or the Madison Square Park, a smoky mezcal cocktail rounded out with pear and scotch bonnet.
Catch Live Music: The Iridium & Don't Tell Mama
For a night built around music rather than a play, the neighborhood has two legendary rooms worth knowing. The Iridium is an intimate jazz club that's hosted legendary guitarists and jazz greats since the 1990s, pairing sets with a full bar and steak-and-pasta menu. A few blocks over, Don't Tell Mama on West 46th Street is a beloved piano bar and cabaret venue where Broadway performers have been known to hop on stage between shows.
Meet the Regulars: Jimmy's Corner
For a taste of Times Square's grittier past, Jimmy's Corner on West 44th Street is a must. Opened in 1971 by boxing trainer Jimmy Glenn, this narrow, no-frills dive is wallpapered floor-to-ceiling in boxing memorabilia. Regulars over the decades have included Sammy Davis Jr., Robert De Niro, Michael Jordan, and Frank Sinatra. The jukebox leans heavily on soul and R&B, and the drinks are famously cheap.
For the Broadway Crowd: Sardi's
No list of Times Square nightlife is complete without a stop at Sardi's, the Theater District institution that's occupied its West 44th Street address since 1927. It's best known for the more than 1,000 celebrity caricatures covering its walls, but the real draw after a show is the Little Bar, a cozy nook perfect for a dirty martini or a classic Manhattan while you take in a century of Broadway lore.
Dance the Night Away
When you're ready to move past the cocktail hour, Times Square has a full lineup of late-night dance spots and lounges within a few blocks of the Theater District:
The Dickens, an inclusive, four-floor cocktail bar and rooftop lounge in Hell's Kitchen with six distinct spaces to explore, from a fireplace-lit cocktail bar to a neon-lit dance floor. Club Nebula, a high-energy modern dance club with world-class DJs, is open late Tuesdays and Fridays through Saturdays. And The Mean Fiddler, a casual Irish pub by day that turns into a lively late-night spot with a dance floor on weekends.
Start Planning Your Night Out
Whether you're starting the evening with skyline views, hunting down a speakeasy, or dancing until dawn, Times Square's nightlife has far more range than the marquees let on.
Reserve your stay at Aliz Hotel Times Square and experience the best of NYC nightlife from the heart of one of the city's most iconic neighborhoods.