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Bar Contra, New York, NY
Award-winning

Bar Contra

4.5
4.5
262 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 18 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Hot spot
  • Neighborhood gem
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
  • 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
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
  • Neighborhood
    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.
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • NYE at Bar Contra

    $200.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Dec 31, 2024 only
    9:00 PM
    Your ticket grants you access to our NYE party, which will be held from 9pm to 1am. It includes an open bar with our cocktail menu, passed canapés, and a champagne toast at midnight. We look forward to bringing in the new year with you!

What 262 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
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

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.

262 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    New York City

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and drinks were great but our server was not good. Expected better hospitality

    Is this helpful?

  2. Rick

    New York City

    69 reviews

    4.0

    69 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Drinks are great. I have no problem spending money on a quality experience (liked the music btw), and typically spend considerably more when out to dinner. But, if I were to order two drinks each (for 2 people) and enough food to make it a meal, it would be considerably over $200, which is fine except for that price point, I'd dine elsewhere. Come for the drinks.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Hugo

    New York City

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on December 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We always have a great time at Bar Contra. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Small plates from wild air are delicious and the cocktails are creative and there is something for every one. Theo is the best! We always try to sit at the bar when him and his colleague are there, usually on Fridays. Will be coming back repeatedly

    Is this helpful?

  4. Liza

    New York City

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 10, 2024

    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?

  5. Wedge

    New York City

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 6, 2024

    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?

  6. H James

    VIP

    New York City

    52 reviews

    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?

  7. Karena

    VIP

    New York City

    7 reviews

    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?

  8. 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?

  9. Kyle

    VIP

    New York City

    3 reviews

    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?

  10. 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?

FAQs

Bar Contra is rated 4.5 stars by 262 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 18 times today
Experiences are available.
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
  • Neighborhood
    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
  • 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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