Holiday Cocktail Lounge

"Even if the phrase “cocktail dive” makes us want to run for the hills and never show our faces in this town again, the fact is Holiday Cocktail Lounge fits that exact description. This dark, sticky-floored bar on St. Marks has been around since 1950, and doesn't get overrun with newly legal espresso martini seekers. Order one of their balanced classics off the menu that looks like a graphic novel and sink into a leather stool or booth." - bryan kim, kenny yang, neha talreja, will hartman, sonal shah

"Holiday Cocktail Lounge has been around pretty much forever (Leon Trotsky apparently used to hang out here, if an establishment’s Marxist pedgiree is important to you). After closing for a while, the classic dive bar was recently revamped, and now makes very legit cocktails as well as some tasty bar bites. Despite the mixology thing, this place still has a dark, classic feel." - katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg

"An iconic dive bar located in the East Village, known for its rich history and eclectic atmosphere." - Tierney Plumb

"Holiday Cocktail Lounge, which opened in 1950 at 75 St. Marks Place, at First Avenue, is getting into daytime coffee service. The spot owned by Pirate’s Booty founder Robert Ehrlich, with creative director Barbara Sibley (La Palapa owner), and chef Drew McVety (Law & Order, All My Children), will open at 8 a.m. to serve coffee from Superlost, pastries, croissants, mini beignets, and sandwiches. The 70-seat space that, over the decades had been a local for Keith Richards, the Ramones, and Madonna, also offers wi-fi and outdoor tables. Cocktails along with the full menu begins at 4 p.m." - Melissa McCart

"We only recently found out that this near-perfect dive bar on St. Marks has a luscious, string-lit backyard filled with inexplicably tall trees. So the next time you and some friends want to drink in the sunshine in the East Village (without having to deal with the East Village), retreat back here. It’s also a useful place for a casual date in the area, since a lot of other neighborhood spots fall into the “cocktail bar” or “going-out bar” buckets." - hannah albertine