The best nightlife in New York

It may be the 'city that never sleeps', but New York nightlife caters just as well for those vistors who count midnight as a late one as it does for the 4am clubbers. Discover the next Alicia Keys at Joe's Pub while sipping on frozen sangria, dress to the nines for an evening performance of The Metropolitan Opera, or indulge your inner cinephile at the city's only non-profit cinema.

Below our expert gives the low-down on the very best night-time venues the Big Apple has to offer. And for further inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping, attractions and free things to do, plus how to spend a weekend in New York. 

Manhattan

SoHo

Film Forum

In an age of IMAX theatres and blockbuster premieres, Film Forum might be considered 'retro' by some. But to others – let’s say real film buffs – it’s more of a glance back to the golden age of cinema. The only non-profit cinema in New York, it originally opened on the SoHo/Greenwich Village border with 50 folding chairs and a single projector. Today, it features three screens showcasing new, independent American releases, foreign art films, and American classics. Expect anything from Goddard to Fellini, and Howard Hawks to Wes Anderson.

Website: filmforum.org
Price: £
Getting in: Reservations essential
Nearest metro: Houston St

West Village

Mezzrow

Greenwich Village is the place to listen to jazz. Legendary local clubs like the Village Vanguard and Blue Note are known throughout the world and listed in every guide book. But this basement jazz club, named after musician Milton 'Mezz' Mezzrow and owned by the folks who run Smalls jazz club at 183 W. 10th St., is frequented by real jazz lovers who come to hear up-and-coming (as well as established) musicians while sipping Manhattans and snacking on charcuterie and cheese. Walk-ins are welcome, but to ensure a seat make a reservation. 

Website: mezzrow.com
Price: ££
Getting in: Reservations recommended
Nearest metro: Christopher St

Le Poisson Rouge

Located smack in the center of Greenwich Village, this subterranean music venue and night club has a strong pedigree: it was the space that housed the historic Village Gate, founded and run by the late nightlife impresario Art D’Lugoff, where 'unknown' musicians such as John Coltrane and Aretha Franklin, started out. Le Poisson Rouge keeps in the spirit of its predecessor by hosting promising new bands as well as doubling as an art exhibition space. Cocktails and snacks are served but the real lure is the music and historic ambience. The cover price varies from free to $25 (£18).

Website: lpr.com
Price: ££
Getting in: Reservations recommended
Nearest metro: W. 4th St 

Katana Kitten

Japanese cocktail wizard Masahiro Urushido is the man behind the bar at this two-level vaguely retro bar on Hudson Street. Expect classic cocktails with a Japanese twist. Gin and tonics are laced with shiso and there’s a nice a riff on the Negroni using aged umeshu instead of Campari. The bar bites are excellent too: miso-spiked deviled eggs and a grilled cheese layered with nori and yuzu kosho are a few of the edible standouts.

Website: katanakitten.com 
Prices: £
Getting in: Reservations not necessary
Nearest metro: Eighth Ave

East Village

Joe's Pub

Perhaps something of a misnomer, Joe’s isn’t actually a pub for pints. Instead, it’s one of the city’s great small music and performance venues. Leonard Cohen, David Byrne, Alicia Keyes… the list of marquee names who’ve performed at the swanky bar-meets-cabaret lounge of The Public Theatre, is long and storied. The space is intimate, with red-cushioned seating, snug booths and small tables. Tasty cocktails include the Frozen White Sangria (made with rum, white wine, peach and strawberry), and there’s good food too, running from salads to steak frites. It gets crowded, so arrive half-an-hour before the music starts.

Website: joespub.com
Price: ££
Getting in: Reservations essential
Nearest metro: Astor Pl./8th St-NYU

KGB Bar

The only spying that may be going on at this well-known literary bar might be to see what you’re reading. Clad in all shades of red, this first-floor bar is a fun place to nurse a pint of beer, not only for the faux Soviet propaganda but also because of the nightly readings that start at 7pm and last for 60-90 minutes. Some speakers are literary stars, and the space was once the home of a Ukrainian socialists club – so saying na zdravje and toasting to your favorite Russian writer should probably be an obligatory gesture before every drink.

Website: kgbbar.com
Price: £
Nearest metro: Astor Pl

Hell's Kitchen

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

A comedy institution in New York, UCB Theatre does almost nightly shows featuring comedians doing long-form improv – in which an entire show with interconnecting scenes is made up right there on the stage by the actors. Since it was created by now very successful comedic actors Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, and Matt Besser, the theatre has been the proving grounds for up-and-coming actors. Often though, cast members from Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show turn up to refresh their improv chops. There’s a second location at 153 E. 3rd St. in the East Village.

Website: ucbcomedy.com
Price: £
Getting in: Reservations recommended
Nearest metro: 42nd St./Port Authority 

Upper West Side

Lincoln Center for Performing Arts

Comprising nearly 30 distinct performance spaces, Lincoln Center hosts a mishmash of high-brow entertainment. It’s the home of The Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the New York Ballet. It also hosts film premieres, charity galas, and even Mercedes Benz Fashion Week – all in the same iconic complex. There are numerous cafés and restaurants within, including chef Marcus Samuelsson's American Table Cafe and Bar connected to Alice Tully Hall. If all that performing arts viewing builds up an appetite, plant yourself there and tuck into a maple bacon grilled cheese sandwich or jumbo lump crab cakes.

Website: lincolncenter.org
Price: £££
Getting in: Reservations are essential
Nearest metro: 66th St-Lincoln Center/59th St-Columbus Circle

Brooklyn

Park Slope

Union Hall

Brooklyn’s attractive and leafy Park Slope neighbourhood is one of the most eye-pleasing swaths of the city. Known for the ubiquity of prams, 'The Slope', as locals call it, is also home to a playground for adult hipsters – the quirky Union Hall. In the basement is a performance venue for stand-up comedy, literary readings, and musical performances. The ground floor boasts a library, a couple of bocce ball courts and a long bar for beer, wine and cocktails. Mixing booze and heavy bocce balls. What could possibly go wrong?

Website: unionhallny.com
Price: £
Nearest metro: Bergen St

Gowanus

Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club

Bringing some geriatric Florida fun to Brooklyn, owners Ashley Albert and Jonathan Schnap have succeeded in getting the young and the hip into shuffleboard. This palace of fun boasts several lanes to keep even non-experienced shufflers entertained of an evening. A few bars sprinkled throughout the large room serve up cocktails and beer. There are a handful of house cocktails but first timers should opt for the gin-and-coconut-juice-laden Shuffleboard Bob. Ballers can rent cabanas for the evening – think unlimited booze by the hour – to get the full-on Royal Palms experience.

Website: royalpalmsshuffle.com
Price: £
Nearest metro: Union St 

Fort Greene

Brooklyn Academy of Music

For the last 120 years, this popular performing arts venue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, has been hosting cutting-edge performances by artists and musicians. Known by locals as BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music has played an integral part in the Brooklyn renaissance by bringing big-name theatre, opera and dance productions to the borough. On any given night, you might find essayist David Sedaris reading his humorous stories or artist Laurie Anderson performing. After a show or movie, head across the road for dinner at brilliant German restaurant and beer garden Der Schwarze Kölner.

Website: bam.org
Price: ££
Getting in: Reservations essential
Nearest metro: Atlantic Ave-Barclays Center