Strangelove Bar: where the walls have more tattoos than I do. Rock, metal, horror movies, graffiti, cheap beer, and that legendary $6 beer-and-shot combo. The coffin-shaped DJ booth may be permanently retired, but the vibe is still very much alive. No pretension. No judgment. Just good people, loud music, and a dive-bar atmosphere that doesn't need to try too hard. Strangelove proves you don't need fancy cocktails or velvet ropes--just cold drinks, good vibes, and people who actually know how to have a damn good time. read more

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Disgusting place! Saw a cockroach crawling on the wall. Service was rude. Definitely avoid this place!

Cool little punk rock dive bar on midtown on the east side. Great music and the friendly bartender played a mix of 80's metal and old school punk the night I was there. Terrific drink and shot specials which won't break the bank. Dim lighting, graffiti on all the walls, plenty of seating in it's narrow space, along with a chill non-pretentious vibe. Just a cool cheapo grungy dive bar you normally don't find up in this part of town. My type of joint. read more

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I really loved Strangelove. It really speaks for itself and it's a REAL gem in the community. The drinks are made well and they have premium beer and drafts for cheap! You won't find this anymore anywhere. You def will leave full from the drinks and happy read more

Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Stopped by Strangelove to grab a quick drink before heading home after a long day of New Yorking. It's definitely a chill small punk bar with your usual dimly lit, stickers on the wall, lil TV up on the wall kinda establishment...and I likes that! The drinks were priced okay. Had a margarita ($8) with a extra double shot ($11). Music was good. Nice space at the bar with some great bartenders. And they aren't against you bringing your own food in to eat if that's your style. read more

Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Walked in expecting Midtown snobbery and instead found a rock‑soaked wonderland, every inch tagged in graffiti like invitations to pick up a marker and leave your mark. Cheap beer + shot specials feel like they're daring you to stay. It's noisy, it's divey, there's that charming basement feel, and that's when you realize this place is exactly perfect for exactly nothing except pure good times. Bartender was chill, crowd was cool, and I'm already plotting my next "nothing fancy" night here. read more

Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Dark, moody, and unapologetically grungy--this spot is perfect if you're looking for a no-judgment zone to make out in a corner or just vibe with someone in low light. Not for the faint of heart, but if you're into that basement-bar energy, it's a gem. read more

Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This place is narrow but full of character. I total rebel feel with an awesome vibe. Walk in to a dark bar that knows who it is and doesn't care what anyone thinks. read more

Friendly service. Great drink specials. Good, loud music. Nice dark interior. Seems like one of the few rock bars still around in this area.

love this lil dive. they take cards. blast the good music. excellant shot & drink specials. honestly, everything is under $10. great staff. open late. clean bathrooms. great pregame or afterhours spot. read more

It's a breath of fresh air to find an actual dive like this in midtown. Although, it's not literally a breath of fresh air, because it is still a basement dive. However, affordable drinks, punk rock music and sensibilities, dim lighting, floor to ceiling graffiti, and friendly bartenders all make for a good time. The crowd is a solid mix of people blowing off steam after work, couples looking for something intimate, some young punks, and some over the hill guys happy to be reuniting over too many drinks (that was us)...all types of people who also seem relieved to find a place to get shots and beers in Midtown Manhattan. I liked that a girl dropped all her drinks, and no one even blinked. It's a good bar. read more

Strangelove - Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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A dive bar with chill vibes and cheap drinks and good place to get a pint and a couple of shots

it's great close to both the subway and MTA and open till 4 it is nice if you are like me and don't have anywhere to go really. I know a few of the bartenders by name and even the ones I don't are still really nice and chill. its nice that there is a place I can go where I actually like the music they play and while sometimes spots might be on id say it's more of a dive bar then a sports bar might not be for everyone but I really like not having to care about sports in a bar. I have anxiety out the ass about everything ordering drinks included and I hate bothering people. 99.9% of the time If you give me the wrong order or mishear me I wont say anything. i have a certain drink order i like its very simple and every bar has all the ingredients but outside of the names I've given the drink myself there is no official name for it and there is one bartender there that makes it for me everytime I'm there and I don't even Have to tell him He just remembers even if it's been a while its just really you don't always get that and its really nice. I keep to myself and always go out alone when I do I find the customers that go there can be really chill the possibility of socializing i feel is way more likely at Strangelove then other Bars Ive been to in the area. it's definitely a vide that might not fit some people but personally I kinda like that even more and the drinks are simple and cheap another thing I really like. read more

This dive bar was recommended to me by a longtime local. You're not coming here for a world class cocktail program. You're coming here for the punk music, the grittiness, the company, and the cheap prices. Most people were drinking canned beers. I had a couple terrible, but strong gin and tonics. The bartender was a talkative, no nonsense guy who would talk about everything from conspiracy theories to bad band names or music. The atmosphere was like Cheers, but grunge--locals from all ages and walks of life, sitting around, shooting shit, laughing. These are real New Yorkers. No tourists here. Late into the evening a guy brought by tons of insomnia cookies that were leftover from the day. It was a special kind of New York weird. This is a shotgun style bar and has some tables. The bathroom had no toilet paper, so that was fun! This isn't a place I would frequent because I appreciate good drinks. But this was yet another special New York night. read more

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Great dive bar! Highly recommend if you're looking for a no-frills chill place to visit and hang.

Found this gem if a bar uptown and had a great time thanks to a bartender named Pete. Beer + shot combo yes please! This place is laid back in comparison to some of the high end bars in this area. So glad we discovered it read more

This place is the epitome of a dive bar, in kind of a good way. There's graffiti all over the walls, and it has kind of a B.O smell when you walk into it. I came here with a friend while waiting for our Cinco de Mayo table up the street and aside from the rough interior (namely, the smell), it was an okay experience. The bartender was friendly and attentive (we were also the only people in here at 3 pm on a Sunday), and drinks were well priced enough ($9 for a Tito's and soda). I'd be curious to see what kind of crowd this place draws during happy hour or even on weekend nights. Given it's location, it's a solid spot for folks wanting to grab a few drinks or a night cap before hopping on the subway right up the block. read more

This place is awesome. The bartender made the night. We love everything about this bar and we will probably be back tomorrow. We are only in town a few days and my husband can't wait to go back. Thank you for carrying no alcoholic buds! read more

Great vibe, cheap drinks, great music and great service! Visited from out of town and glad we found this gem.

I never thought I would've found this bar like this smack dab in the middle of midtown Manhattan. Awesome shotgun style bar with cheap drinks and amazing punk music. Can't wait to get back and visit. The staff was also super friendly but hey, it is New York City one of the friendliest places on earth! With the East Village and alphabet city unfortunately turning into a yuppie paradise this will definitely be one of my new spots. read more

Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Great happy hour, cool vibe and a bartender with a lotta rizz. Came here on a Thursday with a few friends after work and met Pete the bartender. Witty and friendly. We had a great time. Will def come back read more

Great bar!!! Highly recommended!!! Check this place out when you can!!! PuNk bar!!!! Also check out their sister bar, Clockwork Bar. Located on Essex in Chinatown. read more

Strangelove - Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a great little punk rock dive. If you ever find yourself in the abysmal wasteland of consumerism that is midtown, you can stop here for a drink and a brief escape from the tourists. read more

Super cool dive bar with great cheap fun drinks and good service. Love the decor and plenty of cozy seating. read more

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We went to a fancy meal and my wife surprised me with this treasure after. If you like dive bars, if you like glam rock, and if you like places with no marketing department, then THIS is your place. David and Gayla were the regulars we hung out with. If they aren't there, just sit on the far right, and look up. Their names are on the ceiling. They were awesome. I bartended for 14 years and tried to make everyone's day better through my actions. You MEET Pete for 10 seconds, and he doesn't have to talk. Your day is already better. He knew about the Britney Fox breakup and played the band, he knew about how Whitesnake dissed John Sykes, and now will go listen to Blue Murder albums. He played Warrant. He played Kix. And he played Extreme pre-Van Halen and then had a conversation about all Van Halen singers. And there are specials, some with Bud, and one shot and beer for us IPA drinkers. Magical experience. And pretty sure Ed Norton was there. Pic below. Good luck finding the entrance, but it is worth it once you do. Definitely recommend, and see you there (next time I am out East). read more

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The vibes are unique in a good way. The drinks are cold and great. The staff is very professional too. Definitely 5 stars. read more

Great neighborhood dive bar. Place is perfect for a small group. No food. Service is only at the bar. read more

Punk rock and cheap drinks. What's not to love. Awesome vibe and cool decor. Nice to see a place like this still exists in New York.

Cool gritty, edgy punk bar. Tons of graffiti everywhere. Drinks are standard for a dive bar. I like the feel of it. Bartenders are nice. Drinks are fairly priced. read more

Honestly I do not know how this bar got the rating it did but the bartender was rude to me and my friends. There was no sense of the term "respect" given to us. read more

This was our favorite bar in this area. There are so many types of people here, couples, after work crowd, young, old, people in bands, everyone would feel comfortable here. Our bar tender from Fall River, was THE MAN. He literally greeted every person who walked in and had a way to connect with everyone. He makes the place for sure. Small but welcoming and can't wait to go back. read more

No matter who you are...you'll stick out! Cheers! Same goes for Clockwork the sister bar. I suggest going to both in the same night like I did. If you're a middle aged rocker with memories of what is now a boutique clothing store, Fuckin John Varvatos, come feel nostalgic NYC gutter punk vibes and tunes here! The music lives forever and our connection to it never dies. RIP CBGB read more

lol most contrived wanna be 'crappy dive' (attitude included). Nothing much to offer except a shell of what a 'dive bar' looks like, but in the richest part of town. Plays tough but has zero bite read more

As soon as I entered the bar, I feel into deep deep Strangelove! My god, the music. Joy Division being played at a bar?! Yes! All of your throwback darkwave/goth/synth favorites, and not at a club (some of us don't really want that experience), but a bar, where you can pull up a stool and just talk to your friends and drink. This place, it's perfect. It's a small, dark space, but the graffiti is oddly comforting and really, all I wanted to do was sit at the bar with a vodka soda and pretend it was 1995 again. Thank you, fine owners of Strangelove for making this possible. I also appreciate that you feel like you're in the East Village (the vibe of the EV prior to the last decade or so), but you don't have to actually go to the EV and face what the EV has become (this isn't the place to talk about that, though). This is close enough to Grand Central that I can put this on my regular itinerary. Finally, they have a frozen drink which means I'm coming back in warm weather, because the idea of hearing Siouxsie while sipping a frosty cold boozy bev might be just the thing to get me through winter. read more

I will be honest... when we passed by Strangelove and saw the pictures online, we decided to move on, and we did. We went to another bar but, for some reason, we decided to go by it again after and in we went. There was something pulling us in, and we didn't fight it again. So glad we did. Yes, the place is a total dive bar. Graffiti all over the walls, no top-shelf liquor that I could see, and do NOT even attempt going to the restroom (yes, only one and, by what I was told, it should have a huge "not in service" sign"). So why after all this I give it 4 stars? Because the place is awesome!!!! The casual atmosphere is comforting. Anyone and everyone is welcomed and treated like a regular. The bartender greeted everyone that came in, either with a handshake, a fist bump or a sincere sounding hello and welcome. He talked to everyone at the bar, and integrated others in the conversations. He apologized if someone was getting rowdy or taking a while to order. And he never left you with an empty glass for more than 2 seconds. On top of that they had LOTR playing on their small TV which prompted everyone to join in conversation. Imagine all these different kinds of people having this "nerdy" conversation and having fun. Becoming friends, even if only for the time seating there and, again, thanks to the bartender talking to and including everyone. Even when I had to use the restroom (which I went to another establishment for it) I came back to have another drink and keep enjoying the friendly atmosphere there. Plus drinks are like $5 - cheap! So, a place we almost passed, ended up being the perfect ending to our night, and had us there for a lot more than we had planned. And we loved it! read more

Delightful local spot with its own unique personality. Pete behind the bar was super nice and welcoming. Can't wait to come back!

So this place I thought was going to be a great spot - but it was a disappointment. The restrooms were not clean and the vibe was just not what I had read about - music was not that great - read more

Cool graffiti bar! Nice chill vibes, decent drinks. Great music too. I'd definitive for again. read more

Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Yeah, this place is awesome. Officially my new midtown bar in the 50's on the east side. $5 beer shot combos, $3 beer shot combos before 7. Fresh popcorn cooked. Clean bathrooms. Cool bartender. Honestly, in an area with bougie expensive bars, this is a freaking gem. I'm almost afraid to write this review with the chance that more people find out about this place and they raise the prices. For now, it's easily the best bang for the buck, dive bar but not trying too hard, cheap drink joint you can find anywhere near the area. read more

Strangelove - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Love this place, open almost always until 4. The bartender always watching old school wrestling. The prices are great even due to the city. Clean bathrooms and a good selection of alcohol read more