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Nov 14, 2024

Best Restaurants and Bars With Fireplaces in NYC - Eater NY

A burning hearth keeps these dining rooms and bars warm for the winter months ahead The brief escapism that comes with dining out definitely applies to a meal accented by a crackling blaze in the

A burning hearth keeps these dining rooms and bars warm for the winter months ahead

The brief escapism that comes with dining out definitely applies to a meal accented by a crackling blaze in the background — the presence of a fireplace, preferably when fully ablaze, can make a solid restaurant all the more appealing in freezing temperatures. Read on for a selection of cozy spots for warming up. And let’s not forget a fireplace’s romantic propensities — there’s probably no better place for a first date.

The milling room is the former ballroom of an Upper West Side Hotel a stone’s throw from the Museum of Natural History. The dining room is quite grand, and there’s a domed skylight overhead and a fireplace at the end of the giant room. The menu is a crowd-pleasing collection of old favorites, including a tarte flambee, truffle lasagna, and bone-in ribeye big enough to be shared by two, served with broccoli rabe and au gratin potatoes.

Founded in 1885 by Albert Keen, a notable theater personality, this classic Midtown chophouse has two floors, each with its own warren of rooms. The pub room adjacent to the downstairs bar has a fireplace, where diners can choose between the regular menu and a more casual pub menu. Though you can ask for a reservation near the fireplace, it’s not guaranteed — so get there early, late, or at an odd hour.

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Since 1977 this unprepossessing cozy Italian restaurant has sat at the Queens side of the bridge that makes its way across New Town Creek to Greenpoint. The food is lusty and red-sauced, the wine list extraordinary for an unassuming place. Regulars know its Long Island City’s foremost hidden gems.

At this Chelsea tapas restaurant and bar, the Basque-inflected small plates from San Sebastián-bred chef Luis Bollo are complemented by roaring flames. Book your meal in the garden room to be seated next to the fireplace, and chow down on salt cod risotto with bomba rice, fideos pasta with chicken and fava beans, and a hamburguesa Iberica that features melted arzúa cheese, tomato confit, and piquillo pepper.

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A clubby, intimate American restaurant on a West Village side street, the Waverly Inn offers a cozy, fireplace-accented setting for dining on spendy comfort fare. The food is served in curved red booths nestled into two attached townhouses. Classic dishes include grilled octopus, crisp-skinned Scottish salmon, tomahawk rib chop for two, and Waverly’s famous chicken pot pie.

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The white marble fireplace dominates the room at this Art Deco restaurant inside the Walker Hotel in Greenwich Village near Union Square. Breakfast, brunch, dinner, and a happy hour in the late afternoon make ample use of the fireplace, and the wrought-iron clad skylight overhead, making a very pleasant place to dine. The dinner menu runs to a stone fruit and tomato salad, Spanish octopus, cavatelli with lamb ragu, and a handful of pizzas.

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Once a dockworkers bar — the ironclad Union ship the Monitor was built at a bay nearby — Achilles Heel is now a small cozy restaurant with much of the seating within view of a wood-burning hearth from which much of the food flies. The place, via Andrew Tarlow’s Marlow & Sons restaurants, specializes in cocktails and small plates that change daily on the basis of available ingredients, but might include grilled pork jowl, mushroom confit, and a salad of Jimmy Nardello peppers.

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Now nearly 30 years old and located in the heart of Greenwich Village, Blind Tiger led the craft beer revolution, carrying small production and local beers before it was popular. The small pub is clubby, and the fireplace can be enjoyed from any part of the room. A menu of sandwiches, quesadillas, and small plates is also available, which can readily be turned into a full meal.

Ensconced in a Federal style townhouse dating to 1828, La Lanterna is one of those old coffee houses that line MacDougal, where you might expect to see Bob Dylan sitting by the fireplace smoking a cigarette. The provender is strictly Italian, with lasagne options that emerge bubbling, brown, and cheesy. The fireplace is in the main dining room betwixt bar and enclosed backyard — which is down a few steps and where the eponymous lanterns hang.

Grab an ale at this beloved New York institution and have a seat near the fire. The fireplace, by the way, has a banner that reads “bible house” across the mantel, pointing to the building’s past as a bible manufacturing center. Founded in 1854 and still retaining many of the original fixtures, McSorley’s serves only its own ale — dark or light — and provides an accurate picture of what bars were like in the 19th century. Cash only.

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Both cocktail bar HiLot and its attached, clubbier sibling Joyface have electric fireplaces, but HiLot’s gives off heat (Joyface’s does too, but it gets shut off during busier hours). This themed bar takes reservations, which makes it a slightly more adult option than the party spot next door. Stop by with a group or with a date.

This Williamsburg Italian joint is an offshoot of a nearly century-old, family-run restaurant in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. Huge domed light fixtures give a lounge-y vibe, and there’s also a fireplace to complement the menu of Roman dishes, including a number of traditional pastas, including spaghetti cacio e pepe and rigatoni all’Amatriciana, and Sunday is lasagna night.

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There’s not one but two fireplaces at this bar adjacent to the Smyth Tavern in the heart of Tribeca. Go for the sleek vibes and classic cocktails at this lowkey spot, and consider a burger and fries, pigs in a blanket, a shrimp cocktail, or mini crab cakes. A fuller menu — and the same beers, wines, and cocktails are available next door in the dining room.

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With over a dozen cheeses on its menu, some even made on-premises, Tuffet is a favorite spot for ordering craft beers with a plentiful meat-and-cheese board. Thanks to the bar’s outdoor fireplace, hanging out here is cozy year-round. Drinks run to cocktails, coffee, and a seasonal sangria, which goes perfectly with cheese.

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The Boerum Hill raw bar and cocktail spot has all the trappings of a solid neighborhood watering hole, with a wraparound bar, weathered wood floors, and a fireplace. It all adds up to ideal surroundings for sharing a seafood platter and sipping a well-constructed cocktail.

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This cash-only Bed-Stuy bar is one of the neighborhood’s best date spots, thanks to its low-lit interior, busy but not bustling vibe, and a modern pot-bellied fireplace in the back. Stop by for drinks, a slice of cake, and lighting that helps set the right tone. Eat elsewhere, because this in not one of those bars that insists on serving hamburgers and other pub grub.

Cobble Hill cocktail bar Clover Club has been at it since 2008, serving good creative cocktails in an intimate space perfect for a date or a cozy night out. In addition to the small fireplace in the back, the space features throwback elements like tin ceilings, wallpaper, exposed brick, and dark wood trimmings, rugs, and a chandelier.

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This barely marked building steps west of the Gowanus Canal on a street connected to the other side with a picturesque bridge, is in fact a wine bar with a spectacular range of affordable vintages by the glass, plus cheese, charcuterie, and small plates for snacking. It feels a bit like a rustic bed and breakfast inside, with log detailing, Adirondack chairs, and a wood-burning, stone-finished fireplace.