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Bar Contra, New York, NY
Award-winning

Bar Contra

4.5
4.5
259 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 16 times today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Hot spot
  • Innovative
A New York cocktail bar founded by Dave Arnold, Fabian von Hauske & Jeremiah Stone. We specialize in delicious drinks and tasty food.

Your reservation will grant you 90 minutes in one of our tables.


Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
  • Phone number
    (212) 466-4633
  • Website
    http://www.barcontra.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
  • Catering
    Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com
  • Location
    138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
  • Neighbourhood
    Lower East Side
  • Cross Street
    Between Delancy and Rivington
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.<br />
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 259 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bar Contra offers a vibrant atmosphere with "amazingly creative cocktails" and inventive bar snacks. The "incredible" hospitality and service elevate the experience, making it ideal for groups. While some find the portions small, the "fantastic cocktails" and chic setting make it a great spot for drinks and light bites.

259 Reviews

  1. Liza

    New York City

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We will be coming back for those impeccable ice cream desserts! 😍 We had such a wonderful server who took care of us. Very memorable NA cocktail options for our friends too.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Wedge

    New York City

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Cocktail menu is the main reason the visit – everything on it was delicious and well-conceived. Food was more hit or miss, with a strong highlight in a generous wagyu carpaccio. Space is so tight it's hard to manoeuvre without jostling people. Noise level is high and the oontz club music was confusing the vibe and didn't help. Prices are highish, but value is there. With better music and a few more inches, this would be a prime spot.

    Is this helpful?

  3. H James

    New York City

    52 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    52 reviews

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This is the best cocktail program in Manhattan, full stop. The food is also excellent, but it’s hard not to wish there was at least one genuinely filling option. A focaccia pizza or a bowl of gnocchi would be very welcome.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Karena

    New York City

    7 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 23, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Food tastes great but the portion was extremely tiny. Not only each plate is personal size but it’s literally one to max 2 bites. Was really excited to order the red prawn, but they changed from 3 pc to 2 pc with same price while all social media photos shows 3pc. The price here compares with similar style of restaurants is pretty pricy. You def don’t want to come here hungry.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Andy

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazingly creative cocktails and bites with friendly service in a hopping space

    Is this helpful?

  6. Kyle

    New York City

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The best drinks in NYC. Don’t sleep on this place.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Eden

    Berlin

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Nice bar! Food was good, but was expecting more. Drinks were very nice. Atmosphere was good and the service was good as well. A bit pricey overall.

    Is this helpful?

  8. fabian

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food and really creative cocktails, really good place for a group.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Molly

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great experience! Huge drink selection and we really enjoyed our drinks, especially the Fantasy Island and Acid Granny. Wish we could've tried more dishes, but the Bar Contra ice cream bar was really tasty!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Coulter

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 1, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and drinks overpriced and taste fine. Not something I would choose to go back to

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bar Contra is rated 4.5 stars by 259 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 16 times today
Google Map for Bar Contra

138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
  • Cross Street
    Between Delancy and Rivington
  • Neighbourhood
    Lower East Side
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.barcontra.com/
  • Phone number
    (212) 466-4633
  • Catering
    Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com
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