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New York does Christmas bars better than anywhere I have been, and I say that having spent a genuinely unreasonable amount of December in them.
The catch is the lines, and the crowds. Some of these are worth standing outside in the cold for and some absolutely are not.. So here are my nine favorites, what each one is actually like inside, and — the useful part — which lines I would join and which I would walk past.
Jump To:
- Rolf’s
- Oscar Wilde
- Frosty’s
- Lillie’s Victorian Establishment
- The Dead Rabbit
- Pete’s Tavern
- Grand Boucherie
- Loreley Beer Garden
- Papillon Bistro & Bar
- Tips for Doing the Christmas Bar Circuit
1. Rolf’s
The famous one, and the one everybody means when they say “the Christmas bar in New York”. Rolf’s is a German restaurant that is decorated to within an inch of its life all year round, which is exactly as unhinged as it sounds — deep reds and golds, thousands of baubles, not a bare patch of ceiling anywhere.
Go early and beat the line. That is the whole strategy. Turn up for opening, do one drink, take your photos and move on — it is not really a place to settle in for the afternoon, and it is not trying to be. Treat it as the first stop of a crawl rather than the destination.
Worth knowing: drinks are around $20, and they will make you order one — they are firm about people coming in purely for a photoshoot and then leaving. Fair enough, honestly.
Is the line worth it? Only if it is short. Get there at opening and it is a non-issue.
2. Oscar Wilde
One of my absolute favorites, and the one I would send you to first if you only had time for one. It is a big space with an enormously long bar and — crucially — lots of actual seating, so unlike most of this list you can genuinely sit down and stay a while.
The decor is classic with a touch of kitsch: garlands, warm lighting, the kind of decor that photographs well. The room is gorgeous the rest of the year too, which I think is why the Christmas version works so well.
Is the line worth it? You usually will not have much of one, which is a big part of why I rate it so highly.
3. Frosty’s
Frosty’s is the annual pop-up and it is the opposite of Rolf’s in almost every way — big, loud, maximalist and built to be wandered around rather than sat in. There are multiple rooms and set-ups to explore and it is genuinely fun to just poke about in.
It gets rowdy as the day goes on, which is either the appeal or the warning depending entirely on what you are after. Early afternoon it is festive and photogenic; later it is a party.
For 2026 Frosty’s returns from 15 November for its usual short run of about six weeks, in Midtown. It is 21+ and tickets have started around $15 in past years — check the venue address when you book, as the location has moved between seasons.
Is the line worth it? Yes, but book ahead rather than standing in line — it is a ticketed pop-up, not a walk-in.
4. Lillie’s Victorian Establishment
Lillie’s has two locations and both go all out.The Victorian styling means the Christmas decor layers onto an already ornate room, and the effect is lovely.
I prefer the bigger uptown one — more room, more of a sense of occasion. The branch near Union Square is cosier and smaller, and genuinely cute in its own right. If you are already downtown doing the Union Square market, that one slots in perfectly.
Is the line worth it? Rarely an issue at either, and if there is one, try the other location.
5. The Dead Rabbit
The Dead Rabbit is my kind of bar in any season — it is one of the most celebrated cocktail bars in the world — and at Christmas it goes properly all out. It is always packed, and I would argue that is part of the vibe rather than a strike against it. A filled, noisy, beautifully decorated bar in the Financial District in December is exactly the point.
It pairs perfectly with the Financial District tree at the Stock Exchange and the lights on Stone Street, all of which are within a few minutes of each other — make an afternoon of that corner of the city.
Is the line worth it? Yes. Go upstairs if the ground floor is impossible.
6. Pete’s Tavern
Pete’s is all dive bar energy with the cutest decorations in the city layered over the top, and the contrast is what makes it. One of the oldest bars in New York, zero pretension, and then suddenly: garlands everywhere.
It is near Union Square, so it slots neatly into a downtown day alongside the holiday market and the smaller Lillie’s. Of everywhere on this list it is probably the easiest to just walk into and enjoy without a plan.
Is the line worth it? There usually is not one. That is the beauty of it.
7. Grand Boucherie
Grand Boucherie is more of a restaurant than a bar, so set your expectations accordingly — but the decor is worth going for on its own. The space is a gorgeous belle époque room with a glass atrium, and at Christmas they dress it beautifully.
Go for a meal or an actual sit-down drink rather than treating it as a crawl stop. It is the one on this list I would make a reservation for. The French Onion soup and steak frites are my favorites.
Is the line worth it? Book instead of standing in line.
8. Loreley Beer Garden
A lively beer garden that is covered and heated for winter, then absolutely buried in decorations. It is a lovely change of pace from the dark, packed interiors of most of this list — you are outdoors but warm, under a canopy of lights, with a beer.
It is a good one for a bigger group, because there is actual table space and you are not shouting over a crush of people.
Is the line worth it? Make a res it gets insane
9. Papillon Bistro & Bar
Important for 2026: Papillon is currently closed. A kitchen fire in July 2026 shut the Midtown bistro and, at the time of writing, no reopening date has been announced and it is not expected back for this Christmas season. Check before you make the trip.
I am leaving it in because it is a genuine classic and because when it does come back, this is the thing you need to know: the long line outside is for a table. If you only want a drink, there is a separate, much shorter line nearer the front for bar seats. I watched people wait in line for an hour who did not need to.
The decor is a classic — florals, lights, the whole front of the building done up — and it is one of the most photographed spots in Midtown in December for good reason.
Tips for Doing the Christmas Bar Circuit
- Start at opening. The single highest-leverage thing you can do. Rolf’s at noon is a completely different proposition to Rolf’s at 4pm.
- Work geographically, not by ranking. Rolf’s, Oscar Wilde, Pete’s and the smaller Lillie’s are all broadly midtown-to-Union-Square. The Dead Rabbit is downtown. Do not bounce back and forth.
- Know which lines are for what. At Papillon the long line is for tables and there is a shorter one for the bar. It is worth asking anywhere you see a line.
- Book the ones that take bookings. Frosty’s is ticketed and Grand Boucherie is a restaurant — neither rewards turning up hopefully.
- Budget properly. Cocktails run around $20+ at the famous ones. You are paying for the room, and that is a fair trade once, not six times in a day.
- Pace it with something outdoors. Two or three bars plus a market or the tree makes a much better day than five bars in a row.
Christmas Bars in NYC Map
Every bar on this list is pinned on the Christmas layer of my New York map below.
