#nightlife-rankings

#nightlife-rankings

Golden Child aims for a polished yet social atmosphere, resembling a members' club vibe without the exclusivity, making it accessible to all guests.

The Times Square branch, at 7 Times Square, closed in early March after opening in 2023, according to Crain's New York Business. Delivery and reservation platforms now mark the Times Square location as permanently closed.

The Day Party will feature big-name DJs such as Mark Farina, Shiny Objects, J Boogie, and Collette back to back with DJ Heather, celebrating three decades of future music.

I was panicking. You don't know what you might have been caught doing. What if they've got a horrible video of me? After all, she was just literally stood having a conversation. Yet she felt embarrassed. That intrusive lens completely violates all privacy.

For the past few years, we've been rounding up the best new restaurants in New York City as they open, with the sentiment being that anyone visiting the Big Apple can get a glimpse of our vast and diverse culinary scene by dining at a younger spot or two alongside the old-school institutions.

Bea is a neighborhood favorite. A mere 12-14 minute walk west from Times Square gives you enough distance to breathe normally again. Inside, it's low-lit and lively, with servers and bartenders who manage the pre-theater rush like they've seen it all a million times. The bar program is what sets Bea apart from others of its ilk with a short but sweet cocktail menu offering novelty and fun.

Last month, I found myself sitting in what looked like the world's most boring strip mall restaurant. Beige walls, no signage except for a tiny brass plaque, and a parking lot filled with understated luxury cars. I'd been invited by a source who'd built three successful companies before turning forty. As we ate perfectly prepared Dover sole at 7 PM on a Tuesday, surrounded by other quietly powerful diners, something clicked. This wasn't about exclusivity or showing off. This was about something else entirely.

The latest crop of bars are doing all of the above and then some, putting an emphasis on zero waste, housemade distillates, off beat wines, and immersive vibes. What's also clear is the geography of drinking culture: its clear epicenter is Lower Manhattan, with a few exciting entries in Brooklyn and one in Long Island City, Queens.

Edinburgh and Glasgow have a busier nightlife than London, according to data on late-night journeys from Uber. The global ride-hailing app analysed millions of trips and takeaway deliveries from the UK's biggest cities, and found that Edinburgh had the highest proportion of journeys made between 10pm and 4am. The most popular late-night spot was Cabaret Voltaire. Glasgow had the next highest number of late-night trips, with most rides requested to and from Sub Club, the world-renowned basement venue that has been going since 1987.

Situated on Great Russell Street in Bloomsbury, the museum welcomes more than six million visitors each year and houses over eight million items, making it the UK's most visited museum. Popular restaurant chain, The Ivy, which has branches in Kensington, Clapham, Covent Garden and Liverpool Street, was named the most requested destination for restaurants. Meanwhile, Harrods, in Knightsbridge, topped the shopping category.

But then the playoffs arrive, and you and I are reminded of what makes twilight football-outdoors and on grass-special. You start off in broad daylight as both teams fuck around for a quarter or two. Then the sun slowly begins to bleed away, taking all distractions along with it as it sinks below the horizon. Now we're in primetime, when everyone is watching. Now every player on the field is in the spotlight, and you, the viewer at home, are dialed in.

Sometimes, all you really want is a cheap beer and a shot or a simple, strong highball that may or may not arrive in a plastic cup. That's where the beloved dive bar comes in. And NYC is practically crawling with dive bars - or spots that deliver on the promise of a dive bar, even if whether or not they're true 'dives' is up for debate.

Somewhere between truffle fries and fully loaded fries, we crossed a line. What began as indulgent extras has turned into a full-blown flavour arms race. Carrots arrive drenched in hot honey and chilli. Cabbage is glossed with XO. Potatoes are crushed, confit, fried twice, showered in herbs, spice blends and something crunchy for good measure. Sides aren't padding. They're flavour bombs, competing with starters and mains for attention.

The project comes from a deep bench of hospitality heavyweights: Jimmy Rizvi, the restaurateur behind Bungalow, and Kanvar Singh, of Midtown's ever-popular Elsie Rooftop, lead the partnership along with beverage director Hirotomo Akutsu, formerly of Tokyo's Bar Trench (ranked 94th on the World's 50 Best Bars 2025) and creative director Rio Azmee of Shinka Ramen. Every detail, from the way a cocktail is built to the way the room feels, is deliberate.

At the end of last year, XOYO (along with other London venue The Camden Assembly) was acquired by the newly formed Propaganda Independent Venues group, run by Propaganda founder Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and TEG founder Richard Buck. By acquiring the Shoreditch club, the group wanted to help it "thrive under independent ownership and become a cultural hub for the area, offering opportunities and support to local artists and businesses".

Clara Greenstein, a 28-year-old who lives in Queens, New York, can be found several nights a week at her local bar, The Seneca. The spot serves good burgers and drinks for a good price, but the main draw is a pool table. Greenstein entered a tournament about two years ago, and now she's inherited the role of running it. "I get a free hamburger every week and get to basically have office hours for all my friends," she tells me.