Best-of list · City Comparison
New York vs Chicago bars compared by our editors. Cocktails, craft beer, late night, and value — we pick a winner across every category and name the.
The short answer
8 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
The new york vs chicago bars debate does not get enough attention. Chicago's bar scene has been quietly building one of the most interesting cocktail and craft beer ecosystems in the country, and it does it at price points that make New York feel like a premium tax on geography. We have been to both cities specifically to settle this question, and the honest answer requires nuance. Here is our category-by-category breakdown, with the specific bars that make each city's case.
New York has more top-tier cocktail bars than any other American city by a significant margin. The Lower East Side and East Village alone contain bars that would be the best in Chicago. But Chicago's top programs are not far behind, and the city's newer wave of cocktail bars in Logan Square and Pilsen is closing the gap faster than most New Yorkers have noticed.
How we picked
New York wins on the ceiling. The absolute best bars in New York are better than the absolute best bars in Chicago, and there are more of them. If you are chasing the finest cocktail you have ever had, go to New York. Chicago wins on value, craft beer, sports culture, and the kind of neighbourhood bar experience that does not require a credit card limit check. For a long weekend of genuinely excellent drinking without financial damage, Chicago is the right answer.
The cities deserve each other's respect. Any serious drinker should visit both at least once a year. The debate is worth having precisely because both cities have a case.
James covers American bar culture and has strong opinions about which Chicago neighbourhood wins on cocktail value per dollar. He visits both cities at least twice a year and considers the Malort shot a rite of passage.
Last reviewed 2025-12-12 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.