NYCGuide

15 NYC Bars With Private Rooms

Where to have your next birthday party, work event, or very awkward date.
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You hardly ever need a private room, but once you do, a good one’s hard to find. That’s where we come in. Maybe you have to plan a holiday party, maybe you have to take some clients out, or maybe you just want to celebrate your birthday around a bunch of people who can definitely tell a taxi how to get you home. Some of these private rooms are on the pricier side, but a few of them are actually pretty reasonable. Whatever the situation, here are 15 great bars with private rooms, sorted by capacity. Party on.

THE SPOTS

Bar

Nolita

$$$$Perfect For:Drinking Good CocktailsDate NightFirst/Early in the Game Dates
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Capacity: 9

It can be tough to get a table at Temple Bar even for a couple of people, so you should inquire about the private space if you're looking to get anything more than a handful of friends together there for a special occasion. The Art Deco-inspired bar is typically quite loud and dark, so you’ll probably want somewhere you can tuck away and hear your guests anyway.


Capacity: 80 

This East Village speakeasy is decked out in Basquiat-inspired art, enough neon for a mini rave, and creepy family portraits of people who look like they lock their children in the attic. It’s also unusually huge for a downtown bar with plenty of room and one of the more elaborate (and cool) private spaces you’ll find in the area. You want to book the VIP Room, which has its own little bar and the ability to play your own music.


photo credit: RPM Underground

$$$$Perfect For:BirthdaysBig Groups

Capacity: 40 

RPM Underground takes private karaoke rooms and turns them all the way up with themes like The Avengers and Sunset Blvd. Most regular rooms have a capacity of 5 to 12, but parties with up to 40 people can rent one of the larger rooms with diner, fashion, and Marilyn Monroe themes. We fully endorse adults having comic-book themed birthday parties, especially when the party favors are so much better than those plastic goodie bags from Party City.


Capacity: 15

All of the walls, booths, and tables in the private room at Mister Paradise are red, which might make you feel like you’re inside of a blood vessel. It's fun and helps set the mood. The drinks here are some of the best in the East Village, and if ingredients like popcorn butter and parmesan don’t sound like things you’d usually want to drink, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.


photo credit: Porchlight

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Capacity: 15 or 40

We almost never write full-length reviews for bars, but we like this Chelsea spot so much that we couldn’t help ourselves. There are two private rooms here where you can drink good cocktails and eat Cajun bar snacks with all fourteen of your still-active Facebook friends or all 39 of those people you only talk to while waiting in line for the office water filter.


Capacity: 15

If your small company wants to have a quiet dinner, or if you’re turning 35 and don’t mind making this fact public, La Compagnie’s space might be right for you. It fits up to 15, and it’s semi-private. There isn’t a door, but it’s secluded enough that no one from a less-fun party will intrude. The food is (you guessed it) French, and it’s moderately priced, but most of your money will probably go towards a few good bottles from their extensive wine list.


Capacity: 35

Tucked in the far back of Jake’s Dilemma, past the college party chaos of the main bar, is the private Riverside room. Up to 35 guests can enjoy a private bar that looks like one of the classier campus pubs frequented by professors. Of course, you can still step outside for a couple games of foosball and beer pong with some strangers if you want the real junior year experience.


Capacity: 45

Picture the lobby of the hotel where your very rich grandparents stay. That’s the parlor at The Clover Club. Here you’ll find some couches, armchairs, coffee tables, and a chandelier. (There’s also a fireplace and a bar with a few seats.) This place would probably be best for a graduation party, an upscale family gathering, or a boozy corporate event—but if you dim the lights, romantic vibes will probably appear. This is also one of the top cocktail bars in Brooklyn, so if your guests only drink alcohol with hand-carved ice, the Clover Club has you covered.


Capacity: 50

Johnny’s, AKA the private room at Pebble Bar named after Johnny Carson, is accessible only via private elevator to the top floor of the townhouse. If you’re bringing someone as famous as Johnny himself (or if you’re one of the celebrity owners), you can also enter the room through a hidden entrance in Rockefeller Center. The understated room can host up to 50, and it has a bar, sofas, and a black piano.


Capacity: 35-60

The Ten Bells is a very nice looking wine bar on the Lower East Side, and they have two private rooms where you can sit down with 35 people (or stand up with 60). If you need to plan an event on the LES, but you want it to be a little more grown-up, this is a good choice. For food, they serve some tapas that won’t blow your mind, but you come here for the wine anyways. A lot of it is natural, organic, or biodynamic—so wine geeks can do their thing.


Capacity: 60

The third-floor event space at The Dead Rabbit is called the Occasional Room, and it’s a good option for corporate events or very special occasions. The room is decorated exactly like the rest of the 19th-century-themed bar, and it fits up to 60 people. This is also one of the best cocktail bars in the city, so you know you’re going to get good drinks, and the FiDi location is convenient for both those who work in finance and those that just got out of central booking and want to celebrate.


Capacity: 75

This is a brewery in Gowanus with a large bar, a big backyard, and a room for private events that fits 75. The space is called Tiny Montgomery, and it’s good for just about anything. Invite a bunch of people for a mellow birthday dinner or bring in someone with a banjo and have a dance party. And, in case you were wondering, they serve more than just beer. They have wine, liquor, and food as well.


Capacity: 75

The second floor of Jungle Bird is the best place in Chelsea to host the kind of cocktail party that says, “I’m wearing a $200 white T-shirt to my birthday party and I’m proud!” Like the bottom floor, the upstairs space has a mirror-backed cocktail shelf that stands proudly behind a marble-top bar. But since there are huge windows, less furniture, and wall-to-wall velvet booths, you’ll be comfortable while various guests buy you drinks that they’ll probably Venmo you for later.


Capacity: 20-100

This is, arguably, the best overall deal on the list. At Loreley, all you need is 20 people and (for no charge) you can reserve the downstairs party room. Surely you must know 20 people who want to celebrate your birthday in the basement of a Lower East Side beer garden. If someone’s on the fence, just tell them there are two TVs, a sound system, and a private bar. Of course you’ll have to pay for food and drinks, but where else can you spend your birthday watching your two favorite movies simultaneously while your roommate DJs (and everyone eats bratwurst)?


Capacity: 25-100

There are four rooms at Dear Irving, and every room has a different theme. So you could technically rent out Dear Irving and have four different costume parties. That would run you more than $3,000 per hour, however, so the practical alternative is to rent a single room, such as the one inspired by Marie Antoinette. It’s all the way in the back, and you can reserve it for a swanky birthday or a classy bachelorette party. Dear Irving is located in Gramercy, so it’s a good middle ground for uptown and downtown people, and it’s an ideal option if you have money to spend and you care about interior design.


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