NYCGuide
21 NYC Bars With Private Rooms
Where to have your next birthday party, work event, or very awkward date.
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 21 great bars with private rooms, sorted by capacity. Party on.
THE SPOTS
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: 14
Terroir has one of the smaller rooms on the list, and it’s great if you just want to drink a bunch of wine and eat some meatballs in an intimate setting (in the basement). The wine list here is huge, the small plates they serve are surprisingly good, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. So if you generally consider yourself too cool for wine bars, this one might be an exception.
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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.
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: 20
Blue Haven is a super casual option for your next birthday. In the rear of the bar, there’s a small room with a few dart boards and a couple of tables, and you can reserve it for your own private hang. This isn’t the biggest (or fanciest) room on the list, but if all you want on your birthday is to drink some whiskey and throw some darts with increasingly poor aim, this is the place. Blue Haven is also a sports bar, so if TV’s factor into your decision, you'll like it here.
Capacity: 30
If you want to hang out in a private space with a big group of friends downtown, consider the Winslow. You can book the back room in advance, and there’s no fee, just a minimum spending requirement. Get enough people together, and that minimum won’t be an issue. This place is a civilized pub in the daytime, but, late at night, it tends to attract post-college types who aren’t above putting vodka in their Red Bull. So book the back room here for a birthday you might not remember.
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
On the 64th floor of a building in FiDi, Overstory’s classy-but-clubby room and vast terrace can be rented out for up to 60 people for any indoor/outdoor event that requires a killer view. This is a top-tier choice for a company holiday party or an especially significant birthday, but a cozier event with less guests wouldn’t feel out of place here either.
Capacity: 60 people
Brooklyn Kura in Sunset Park is closed to the public during the week. But that’s good news for you, since this sake brewery and taproom is available for your private birthday party Monday through Thursday. The huge industrial space is essentially all cement, windows, and globe lights, which makes it easy for you and your guests to focus on learning more about how rice wine is made.
Capacity: 60
The downstairs space at The Wren looks like the private bar you’ll never have in your dream house. It also fits up to 60, and we’re thinking you should have your after-party there the next time you premiere a film. Or if you’re getting married, have an engagement party there. (That’s a thing, right?) Everyone will think the space is attractive, and there will likely be a crowd in the bar up top, so your party down below will feel like your own private nightclub.
Capacity: 60
The Penrose is a zoo of a bar on the Upper East Side. The overall vibe of the place is tavern-inside-a-West-Elm, and, judging by the crowds, that’s exactly what the Upper East Side wants. But if you walk all the way to the back, you’ll find the Spencer Room, with its own private bar and plenty of seating. It’s pricey, but a good choice to keep in mind if you have a corporate budget. Alternatively, if you happen to have lots of cash and enough friends to fill the space, you can have a pretty fun birthday.
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)?
Draught 55
Capacity: 50-100
Draught 55 is a multi-level bar with several different rooms, some of which can be rented out to private parties. The atrium fits up to 100 people, but you might be in the market for something more like the cellar bar. It’s an intimate basement space for up to 50 with its own private bar, and it’s a good middle-of-the-road option for a work event. If your boss is making you arrange a company party that has to be in Midtown, this is not your worst option.
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.
