Award-winning

Bar Contra

4.5

272 Reviews

$30 and under

American

Make a booking

2 people

27 Feb 2025

8:30 pm

Booked 28 times today

Experiences are available.

Great for creative cocktails
Hot spot
Neighbourhood gem

A New York cocktail bar founded by Dave Arnold, Fabian von Hauske & Jeremiah Stone. We specialize in delicious drinks and tasty food.

Your reservation will grant you 90 minutes in one of our tables.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
Phone number
(212) 466-4633
Website
http://www.barcontra.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
Catering
Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com

Location
138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
Award-winning
1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
Area
Lower East Side
Cross Street
Between Delancy and Rivington
Parking details
None
Public transit
JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Bar Contra Party
USD 85.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Looking to throw a little party at Bar Contra? We would love to have you with us, with our small space we can only take one large group of up to 12 guests each night - all we ask is a $85 per person minimum spend agreement as well as a $25 a person deposit that will count toward your minimum the night of your your event. You are welcome to hit your minimum spend however you wish as long as you are having a good time!

What 272 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.2Service
4.5Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Bar Contra offers an exceptional cocktail experience with "amazingly creative cocktails" and "fantastic drinks." The atmosphere is lively, and the service is friendly. While the food is "incredible," portion sizes can be small. It's perfect for drinks and small bites, making it a must-visit for cocktail enthusiasts.

272 Reviews

j
joamna
Miami
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 20 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing experience. Food, drinks, service, everything was excellent
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J
Joshua
New York City
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 18 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Incredible drinks, good bites. Perfect for pre-dinner/night out drinks.
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C
Ciara
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
It was such a great night. Drinks, food, ambience were perfection!!! That carpaccio!!! I die. In love with this spot. This team does immaculate work.
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R
Rhea
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
loved all the drinks!!! madeline was so sweet : ) def coming back to try the food
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H
Hugo
New York City
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on 14 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a reservation for dinner on Valentine’s Day. We were greeted and sat immediately by staff and Theo. The drinks here are always great! The scallop and tartlet were outstanding. Got the Valentine’s Day drink special with a freeze dried rose incorporated in which was awesome
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N
Nick
New York City
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 12 February 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 5
Made a reservation to celebrate an engagement to my partner and was really excited to try this place. Ive heard nothing but great things. Server messed up our order then made sarcastic comments belittling our experience and saying “you got it mamma” as a response 💀
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I
Iris
New York City
19 reviews
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on 12 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Drinks to die for. So creative, delicious and unusual. Food equally special.
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N
Nicole
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 25 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing service and incredible food. Did not feel rushed at all which never happens in the city!
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K
Katherine
VIP
New York City
96 reviews
3.0
96 reviews
Dined on 17 January 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The drinks were absolutely excellent. Food was a mixed bag. Carpaccio and tuna were excellent, roast potato ice cream was a surprising hit. The crumpet was overly oily and disappointing and the mushroom tartlett also didn't deliver. Service was very nice but wish they'd driven the experience more - run us through the menu, make recommendations - it was a bit too casual.
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B
Ben
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 3 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Contra is your favorite bartender's favorite bar right now. Excellent, nuanced, tasty cocktails and similarly great small bites. Come with 2-4 people, have a couple rounds and snacks (get the wagyu tartar), and then walk to dinner in the neighborhood. Or the other way around!
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FAQs

Bar Contra is rated 4.5 stars by 272 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

27 Feb 2025

8:30 pm

Booked 28 times today

Experiences are available.

138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

Additional information

Award-winning
1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
Cross Street
Between Delancy and Rivington
Area
Lower East Side
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Public transit
JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.barcontra.com/
Phone number
(212) 466-4633
Catering
Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com

Bar Contra

Make a booking

Additional information

Experiences

Bar Contra Party

Menu

What 272 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Bar Contra restaurant rated?

Is Bar Contra currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information