Nassau Bar

Best bar in Manhattan. There– I said it. bartenders in bikinis. Def leppard on the sound system — might have been old school High n Dry when I was there — can’t really remember. Bunch of regulars and back office folks camped at the bar leering at the semi retired stripper+ bartenders who don’t seem to mind. Asked for a water with my beer and the bar lady misunderstood because «Let it Go» was cranked to 11 and called me a «pussy» because she thought I just wanted a water. Either way, she was right and I liked it. Christmas lights and Bud Light Shamrocks from St Pattys 2014. This is a the kind of dive bar that made manhattan awesome and is quickly disappearing — FU deBlasio you fun sponge of a mayor. The only thing this bar has in common with deBlasio is the union guys who sneak in for quick few at lunch before heading back out to drive the cranes. Great place to get drunk in downtown, full of characters, you might even see a fake boob if you order your drinks like a grown up and tip well. Ps — this is the real deal — there’s no irony here so hipsters who come asking for the rye menu will get kicked out and beaten like a drum so stick to Rusty Knot or ear inn.

Every now and then you get tired of all the frou-​frou cocktail lounges, bars with «mixologists» instead of bartenders, fancy wine bars, etc., and just wanna grab a drink at some place that’s low brow, low stress and low end. Just get dirty in other words.
Sometimes you just wanna go back to what Manhattan used to be — when it used to have an edge — when it was primarily a grimy, seedy, dirty, rundown, inexpensive city with sketchy bars with weird themes.
Like the old Paradise Club near Penn Station, where lonely married guys on their commute home to NJ, would stop by for a $ 10 slow dance with an attractive woman (yes, slow dance)…no lap dances, only slow dancing like at a high school prom, lol.
And all those places on 8^th Avenue near the Port Authority, that offered $ 15 striptease shows behind a plexiglass window in a private booth. Yes, those places really did exist, but now just a part of history and turned into chain stores — the old Playpen (is now a Shake Shack), Show World (now Duane Reade), Peep World (now the Westin), and Peep O-​Rama (now Bank of America).
Or the Vault in the old Meatpacking, where they had live sex and S&M shows… now a Dos Caminos restaurant.
Or Bar d’O («Bardoe»), a West Village bar that featured drag queen shows every night… now, a trendy seafood restaurant named Ditch Plains (after a Hamptons beach of all places lol). Wow, how times have changed.
And along those lines, there were a string of «Bikini Bars» in the city. No stripping, just bartenders in bikinis in dumpy dive bars with dirt cheap drinks and great jukeboxes. Most have disappeared — Billy Stopless (now a Starbucks), Deno’s Party House (now a Taco Bell), Red Rock West (now Artichoke Pizza), and countless others.
But thankfully, a few survive… probably not for long though as the city continues to «yuppify» and «suburbanize». Notably, Nassau Bar, Port 41, Snafu, Wakamba, Ipanema and The Patriot.
However, of those, only Nassau Bar is a true bikini bar, the others are more like «daisy duke shorts & crop top bars».
Nassau Bar was the 1^st bar I went to when I first moved to NYC in 1999. My boss at Goldman Sachs (when we were at 85 Broad Street) took my group there on my first day at work to introduce me to my new colleagues and the city…8 Beers, 6 Tequila shots and 4am later, I was indoctrinated and sold on NYC.
So, this place has some sentimental value for me.
As the years went by, I completely forgot about it, until one day walking home from work a few weeks ago, when I happened to pass it and was shocked that it was still there. I went in, and it was exactly as it was over 15 years ago, NOTHING has changed. Which is refreshing given this constantly changing city.
Since stumbling in, I’ve gone back with co-​workers for after-​work drinks, and even though it seems like this may be a ‘guy-​only’ bar, I’ve taken a few girl friends of mine and they’ve enjoyed it and had fun.
So, if you want to step back in time for a moment, or just grab some cheap drinks with a good jukebox, or if you’re just a creepy old guy that’s never seen a woman in a bikini, then this is your spot!
And just like Toby Ketih’s song, which is on their jukebox…“I Love this Bar”.

This place had the longest bar I’ve ever seen! Which i loved.
Basically it’s just a bar with girls in bikinis serving you beer. Nothing special.
Ive been on two different occasions and the first time was dead, second time packed. Service was quick even when they were slammed.

Came here with some co-​workers after dinner. Admittedly, we did not know what we were walking into (it was right around the corner from where we had dinner), but that wouldn’t have influenced my rating because I DO love dive bars. The female bartenders wear bikinis as other reviewers said, so immediately you get a sense of the clientele. The bartenders were friendly, no problems with the service at all. But as a woman walking in, every head turned and it was like flies to a lightbulb. Creepy. The novelty expressed by other reviewers doesn’t ring true when you’re objectified and watch other women being objectified. It leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Maybe it’s kind of cute during that happy hour rush, but at 9pm when the bar is almost empty and the creeps lurk behind, not so much. I would only drink bottled beer here.

Good dive bar in FiDi. Great happy hour place to start and load up on $ 3 bottle beers!!! Oh yeah, and women in bikinis– just don’t be a creep and they’ll be super nice to you!

the talent of bar tenders have diminished, I think they found better jobs, so sad, boots where are you?

My coworkers and I nicknamed this place «the bar out back» as it is literally behind our building. The nickname lives up to this place. It is the epitome of a dive bar. I wouldn’t suggest bringing a lady here as the bartenders wear bikinis and it’s pretty much a de facto gentleman’s club.
They have very short happy hour times (12−1pm and 5−6pm), but you can get some cheap drinks. They have no food but will order delivery pizza for you. The bartenders are very friendly and courteous.
If you’re looking for a dive in the financial district close to the subway/​path but don’t want to venture to Jeremy’s, this is your spot.

This is the place you come if you want to see a little skin. Enjoy the dim lighting and beers with the cities working class. The dingy and patriotic can be friendly in this atmosphere. Btw… Hot female bar tenders are scantily clad. No pictures allowed.

I mean, come on, it’s a bar with bartenders in bikinis. What’s not to like?
Another good thing to like is the fact that there are cheap drinks. Plenty of cheap drinks.
In fact, I may still be hungover from last night.
P. S. No hipsters.

This place… Wow thats all I can say. Its very dark, its your typical BAR. Didn’t see any food in here just liquor so not to sure about that. I walk by here often and I notice that they are always playing good music. The one thing I found disturbing was what the bartenders were wearing. As another girl in her review said «im no prude» but I was definitely not feeling the bartenders attire. Ive been to many bars, lounges and clubs where the girls had on matching coordinating sexy outfits but these ladies had on bras, underwear and bathing suit bottoms. It was awkwardly confusing. They were not in shape or toned and it looked like they just picked out anything out of they’re underwear drawer. Pretty gross. Its no wonder this place is always jammed packed after work. Anyway Id hate to sound like a «hater» but if the bartenders were younger and more fit with better lingere Id give this place a better review but it definitely had the creeps in there! No thanks! 2 stars for the drinks and the music.

I’m no prude, but was certainly a bit startled to see both female bartenders wearing tiny tiny bikinis. They were very lovely and served my friend and me quickly (we were the only females in the bar besides the bartenders). This is a pretty run of the mill dive bar that DEFINITELY caters heavily to men. Barely anyone batted an eye that we were there, but we quickly felt a bit uncomfortable being the only females with clothes on. I highly recommend to all the men out there though!

Hot girls in bikinis! This is a classic Old New York Dive Bar. NO Hipsters here!
A very early happy hour targeting all those strong hardworking construction workers.
The crowd is very eclectic, the drinks are cheap, the music is loud.
Gets a little rough after 7.
Love it.

This is your ultra-​classic, stereotypical dive bar — with waitresses wearing bikinis.
My buddy Steve and I met here to discuss business. The location was chosen at it’s central to both our apartments, and admittedly, I wanted to see what a bikini bar in Manhattan could deliver on a Monday night.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a passed out guy with his head on the bar. Pretty funny. Next thing was a guy in a suit that was barely cohesive. He gave me the once up and down as I walked in (I guess I stood out as a newbie) and then went back to the 2 beers and shot in front of him.
THEN I NOTICED 2 scantily clad waitresses. Uh…
OK, everyone likes something different and that’s why the world is great — so I will be objective. One had DDs and the other maybe EEs/​FFs. Huge. That said, both were lovely ladies and knew how to make their patrons smile — a lot. I couldn’t even talk to Steve, or notice that the BCS game was on every TV in the bar it was so distracting. Ha ha.
The crowd is a little rougher feeling, but no one will bother you. The waitresses were sweet and enjoy the oooggling. The beer is CHEAP and the music is really loud. If you want a place to get away from it and have a good laugh — Nassau Bar is your spot!

It’s a creepy feeling that lingers in the air, and the bathroom is on the small and not so nice side, but it’s a dive bar. Good for a few laughs and cheap beers. Not sure if they take card so bring cash. I would go back, just wouldn’t expect very much out of this spot as far as feeling comfortable and kicking back in a good atmosphere.

The only good thing about this place is the happy hour special between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm ($ 3 shots and beers). Yeah it’s cool that the bartenders are in bikinis. But the place is divey and just a real hole in the wall. If I wanted to stare at girls wearing barely nothing, I would go to a strip club and get dances. The bathrooms are disgusting and it seems like they never wipe down the bar. If you’re tight on cash and want to get a good buzz, then go for it. Otherwise, there are many other bars with a much better atmosphere than this place.

I laughed my ASS off at the reviews written by women that had no idea what they were getting into before they wandered in.
I LOVE this place! The AMAZING bar staff keep the assholes out and the good times in!
Shun the naysayers and let them go to John Street which smells like puke. The bathrooms at Nassau Bar may not be stellar but I have never walked in to find it reeking of beer, vomit, pee or anything vile. Just everyone having a great time.

Great unpretentious attitude here.
Bartenders are friendly if you’re not a creep and they have live music sometimes too.
Good times with an edge
:)

What more is there to say? super friendly chicks in bikinis serving cheap drinks. Does it get any better? the bartenders are very pretty but not the least bit snobbish… then again how can they be since they work in a dive bar lol they also have a great jukebox …
Single ladies take note — this bar is FULL of Pace students and union workers — translation — I was only one of 3 women in a bar filled with men. Granted they werent all lookers but there were certainly lots of cuties to choose from had I been single.
Their only downfall is the bathrooms are DISGUSTING bring your purell lol

No.
Came in here drunk one night because I walk by it EVERYDAY (its right by work) and a bar that is crowded at 1:15 in the afternoon is alluring. I never really noticed that the crowd is ALL men. But there is a reason for it, its a bikini bar. The bartenders were nice and pretty when i went in but the place is just tacky. And not cheap. I feel like we paid $ 4 or $ 5 for a bud light. So unless you want to get off on the bar tenders, I would never come here. Ever. No reason for me to ever go back. If they had killer drink specials the tackyness would completely turn into fun factor. Sticking to John St. just a couple blocks away for an awesome time, cheap drinks, without leaving your dignity at the door.

My boyfriend works in the area and we were thirsty one Friday evening and the following took place:
Him: «Oh, let’s try this place, there’s always mad people… even at 1pm!»
Me: «Wow, sounds like my kinda place!»
Him: «Let’s get whiskey on the rocks.»
Me: «Dammit, I only have $ 20! Wait, they’re only $ 7!»
Alright, enough of that convo. Basically, I had no idea this was a bikini bar, but I genuinely had a good time. Great convos with the bartender who, not lying, actually gave her number to my boyfriend who was seated right next to me. Just saying…