The Best Bars for a Date in New York

Layla keeps the focus on the drinks in Williamsburg, with funk and Khruangbin usually on the soundtrack and a patio out back when you want some air. Start with Layla's Juice, a mix of tequila, Aperol, ginger, pineapple juice and yuzu, then take it outside.

Meet over natural wine and French small plates at Entre Nous in Clinton Hill. We'd start with the smoky mushroom croquettes or the seafood platter. A small number of seats can be reserved two weeks ahead, while most are held back for walk-ins.

Bodega Nights gives a Bushwick first date a relaxed setup with natural wine by the carafe and picnic tables outside. Inside, high ceilings and big windows open up the room. If you want something to eat, try the bolinhos de bacalhau.

Doris is a low-key Bedford-Stuyvesant bar with candlelit corners and vinyl records, easy for a drink that can stay simple. Order a margarita, and grab a grilled cheese on the way out. The room gets livelier later in the night.

Sugar Monk in Harlem feels a little more hidden away, with heavy curtains, tropical wallpaper and green velvet seats in a tiny lounge around the corner from the Apollo Theater. Cocktails use ingredients that range from eucalyptus to sage and lemon balm, and the flaming drinks give you an easy ice breaker.

Frog Wine Bar is a casual Bedford-Stuyvesant pick for natural wine, orange wine, a game of pool or time in the backyard. There is no regular food menu, so come when drinks are the plan.

The Bonnie in Astoria keeps things casual with a garden out back, filled with picnic tables and umbrellas. We'd start with a dirty pickle martini or spicy margarita, then add cheese fries if the date is going well.

The Penrose works when you want an Upper East Side bar that feels lively without getting so loud you cannot talk. Classic cocktails and beer come with a full food menu, and the Q train stops nearby at 86th Street. The bar becomes 21+ after 8pm. Walk-ins are standard, with reservations only for groups of four to ten.

For more of an occasion, head to Dear Irving on Hudson on the 40th and 41st floors of the Aliz Hotel Times Square. The city views do a lot of the work, while small seating stations for two create a little bubble of your own. Try the bartender's choice, then snack on lobster rolls and macarons. The bar is 21+ only.

Maison Premiere in Williamsburg can be the whole date or just the first stop, with cocktails along the curving bar and more than 30 varieties of oysters if you want to stay for food. The absinthe list is what the bar calls the largest in the United States, and the garden stays open from April through November.