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Manhattan Piano Bars


Thursday, November 6, 2008

mainpiano.jpgManhattan piano bars range from raucous karaoke+piano affairs to the elegant, sit-quietly-and-listen kind your parents would probably enjoy. Most of the venues mapped here fall into the friendlier, participatory, and more colorful category, but every once and a while it's fun to play dress-up and sip martinis in the midst of a tuxedoed-out pianist. A few have cover charges, but most piano bars only enforce a one or two drink minimum -- a price worthy of the entertainment, or a necessity depending on the vocal chords on display that night.

[Photo: Miss Aniela]

1

Don't Tell Mama

343 W 46th St
New York, NY 10036

Rose's Turn's sister piano bar in Times Square is far bigger than it looks from its slightly below ground level entrance. It's a loud and jovial mix of young and old, locals and tourists, and any other pair of opposites you find in the Big Apple.
[link]

N 40° 45.38368 W 73° 59.21933
2

Bemelman's Bar

35 E 76th St
New York, NY 10021

Located inside the Carlyle Hotel (which hosts Woody Allen's band regularly), Bemelman's is an upscale piano bar predictably quite different from the rest in this list. Also predictably, they charge a $20 cover on weekdays and $25 on weekends accompany the performances of the resident pianists.
[link]

N 40° 46.27739 W 73° 57.48632
3

Duplex

61 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014

The Duplex is as colorful as one would assume from its Christopher Street location in the West Village, operating for over 50 years and recently undergoing renovation upstairs. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to sing "Sonny and Cher" with one of the folks you see here.
[link]

N 40° 44.1276 W 74° 0.8596
4

Townhouse of New York

236 E 58th St
New York, NY 10022

If you fancy a fancy piano bar with a dress code, this "most elegant gentleman's club of NYC" is the place to go. The crowd tends to be more homogenous (read: gay middle-age men) than downtown spots, but straight girls, you won't get hit on by hammered NYU boys that way.
[link]

N 40° 45.37011 W 73° 57.56019
5

Brandy's Piano Bar

235 E 84th St
New York, NY 10028

Operating since 1979, this Upper East Side hole-in-the-wall serves a mixed audience, and the singing bartenders and wait staff -- veterans of the stage themselves -- perform an equally mixed collection of songs.
[link]

N 40° 46.37765 W 73° 57.12484
6

Marie's Crisis

59 Grove St
New York, NY 10014

Marie's is yet another tiny piano bar patronized by the gay community in the village, but it sticks to the proverbial showtune. This one's for the Broadway lovers or drunk incoherent haters whose ears are already ringing.
[link]

N 40° 43.59574 W 74° 0.12250

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