Temple Bar

great spot for cocktails before dinner.

I really don’t understand the crazy high reviews for this place. We walked in and were assaulted by smell of fried calamari and raw tuna. The smell of fish is really overwhelming. Maybe it was an off night, but it just smelled so unappealing. I really don’t understand the tapas menu either. This place is supposed to be a date place and they have the stinkiest food that will give people gas and bad breath! Deviled eggs?! Samosas with curry?! Caramelized onions and goat cheese on toast? Fire the chef, stat.
I ordered an Aperol Spritz and it came garnished with a green olive. My husband’s Abita smelled like feet. Needless to say, we will not return.

I really dig this bar. The atmosphere is classy, dimly lit, and reminds me of a speak easy or something similar. It makes me think people like Sinatra and Buddy Rich would visit on a regular basis. Surprising it doesn’t get crazy crowded on the weekends. The drinks are fantastic and not too pricey, i think about $ 14 – 18 per drink. Service is good and the music selection is also top notch.

Ok, Im old which is probably enough to put you all off this place. Thats fine with me. Im old enough to remember when this place was just one room (the big room) and the only server made very interesting eye makeup choices. But I love this place. I love it. I took a lot of dates here, including the woman who would eventually be the mother of our two children. I still go every couple of years and it is dependable as a Swiss watch.

Sometimes I hate reviewing my favorite secret spots for fear that they will be too crowded next time I stop in, but Temple Bar is so great it’s worth the risk and you should definitely know about it. This is the best date spot in the city when you are looking for a place with top notch drinks and tasty bites of food, in a hip setting where you can actually hear what the other person is saying. Plus its very convenient to several trains. Granted, the prices are on the higher end but you do get what you pay for here. All the bartenders are skilled in crafting cocktails and I would suggest you be daring and ask them to make a drink of their choice off menu. Most recently I had a surprise drink that was made for me based off my previous orders, it was a Penicillin and was supreme.

Very nice intimate bar. The noise level is low and the ambiance is great. I would definitely go back with a date or a group of friends.

Very cool, slightly hidden bar. Stopped here after dinner one evening for a nightcap with a friend. Great staff, amazing cocktail list and the atmosphere was completely unique and similar to a speakeasy. Basically worth the high price cocktails for the cool experience. Great place to bring an out of tower when waiting to get into Gato right next door or for a night when you just want casual cocktails with friends.

Every time I come to Temple Bar I am pleasantly surprised to see it’s still around. Temple Bar is an enigma, and a wonderful one. Speakeasy under the radar in a way that makes you wonder how anybody else even knows about it. Excellent cocktails, and great atmosphere too.

I’ve tried at least 10 different cocktails. All are great! I love to get whatever the special of the day is and also it’s fun to watch them make it. It’s usually a very involved process. I also love that this bar is for grown ups. Relatively quiet and well lit!

Really cool cocktail lounge in NoHo. We came here around 11:30pm after seeing a show at the nearby Angelika theater. It has a unique entrance, slightly hidden from the street, where you walk through two black doors to get inside.
Once inside, you’re in essentially a hallway, with a bar to the left that runs all the way down, to the back of the room. When you walk along the bar, on the left, it opens up into a decently-​sized dining/​seating area. There is a very speakeasy type vibe in this place, from the minute you go through the double black doors. Dark tones/​hues outline the bar and furniture, along with dim lighting. The lighting is neat because it gives off a dark, intimate tone, but you can sill see everything (at least in the bar — the dining area seemed pretty dark from afar). It’s a fairly quiet ambiance too, making it an ideal date spot for a nice cocktail before dinner or even after dinner.
We sat towards the end of the bar and had two great bartenders. They were friendly, knowledgeable about drinks, and were great mixologists. We were debating about what to drink and the bartenders helped us narrow down our options based on our interests. They always have a special cocktail that’s been aged in oak barrels, and this month happened to be their Negroni. I enjoy Negroni’s, but they were definitely an acquired taste (the bitterness of the Campari). Since it was their special, I decided to get it and I’m glad I did. It was in a small cocktail glass with a large rectangle ice cube (which I think are really cool) and an orange peel on top. Given that it was in an oak barrel, the wooden tones definitely came out when I drank it, but it wasn’t overbearing. If anything, the slight orange taste, mixed with the oak taste, helped soften the bitterness of the drink. Overall, it was a solid drink.
For my second one, I got the Royal Hendrick’s. It was definitely night and day difference from the first drink, although it was also a gin drink. This one was super tasty, light, flavorful, and smoother to drink. It was garnished with a few cucumbers which complimented the flavor profile of the drink.
Overall, as I mentioned, this is a solid place to grab a drink. It’s a bit difficult to miss, but I’ll definitely come back here when I’m in the area again.

A little bit of old with a smattering of new. Temple Bar offers an old Manhattan vibe on the outer limits of SOHO. The outside actually reminds me of an old Chinese restaurant from my hometown but you walk in and you know you’ve arrived at a première cocktail bar.
I came on a Friday with two friends and after adjusting my eyes to the dark interior we settled up to the bar for some strong cocktails and conversation. I stuck with an old standby — vodka martini up with a twist. Made exceptionally well by the array of bartenders at our disposal. My friends went on the more creative side and picked from the menu. As far as I can tell everyone was nothing but pleased. We also dabbled in the food and enjoyed deviled eggs, calamari, and crisp spiced pork belly on buns. I have to say the pork belly was ON POINT, I was sad there were only 2.
One thing that we especially enjoyed is that we didn’t have to scream at each other, nice amount of people but not so crowded you couldn’t hear yourself think. I’ll be returning soon to enjoy some new libations I know are in the mix.

I love that this place is so low-​key — my boyfriend and I were looking for this bar and managed to walk right past it without noticing! I also love the décor — dim lighting with a very 1920s-​type vibe. It’s a nice, quiet bar (you really don’t see a lot of quiet bars on Saturday nights in NYC!), and is perfect for date night.
The only reason I take one star off is that the drinks were way too strong. That’s usually not a problem in my book, but the rum in my drink was so over-​powering that it started making me nauseous — I had about 75% of my drink before I called it quits. My boyfriend also thought his drink was incredibly strong, so it was definitely not just me! I suppose for $ 14 each, it’s better to have a strong drink than a weak one!

I’ve only been here twice, yet Temple bar is always on my mind. It is the definition of elegance. Yes, the cocktails are amazing. Yes, the service is courteous and prompt. But, what blows my mind is the ambiance and how incredibly decadent and yet subdued the décor is. I come here to sit and feel luxurious as I sip a great cocktail as I am bathed in dim, warm light and surrounded by mahogany wood and vintage sensibility. Temple bar is an oasis for me.

Great low-​key, no fuss cocktail bar. Dim lights and strong drinks make it equally great for going out with the guys or a date.
The pork buns are fantastic — save your waiter a trip and get two orders.

Amazing drinks and great staff, but not a fun bar at all. The drinks were delicious (try the gin gimlet!) and the waiter was great!
Sadly, besides the nice décor and the mood lighting (which takes some adjusting to for your eyes… NO! I’m not that old!), the rest of the place seemed lacking.
If you want a nice place where you can sit back, relax, unwind, and have an awesome drink, then you found it! If you want music and an uplifting bar, well…

This place is great! A coworker recommended it as a nice place to get cocktails so my friend and I went before going to an event at the Met. We were all dressed up and didn’t want to just go to a pub and this spot was perfect. The cocktails are fantastic and it’s really quiet and cozy inside. Very dark, intimate interior with great service. I’ve been back twice now, it’s a little pricey but definitely worth it and a great spot to get a beautiful cocktail before dinner. I had the «Betty Draper» and it was awesome!

I love this place. My group of friends and I were wandering around the area, looking for a bar that had room for a big group, but was also not too loud so we could catch up with each other over drinks. Stumbled across this place and it was perfect.
Had some delicious little foods. The place was beautiful. Their drink menu is separated by Liqour types and has so many kinds of unique drinks.
Best of all: this pickle /​dill cocktail we had. If you like pickles this is a must experience.

I loved this place! Came here last night with my dad and brother. It’s a very intimate and cozy bar, dark wood paneling, low lighting, and delicious cocktails. The bartenders are attentive and friendly.
There is a seating area separate from the bar where you can order food. Everything coming out of the kitchen looked great!
I wish I could have tried more of their drinks, so I’m looking forward to coming back!

+ Great atmosphere
+ Quiet, but not so quiet that you can’t have a group conversation
+ Friendly waitstaff and great cocktails (Ginger Highball and Quiet Flows the Dawn were my favorites)

You may have walked by this place multiple times, and never knew it. There is no name on the outside of the bar – just a dog skeleton (?) logo. Don’t be alarmed. Check it out and you won’t be disappointed.
I am a big fan of this place. I had the guac and chips, and the samosas. These were the best appetizers I’ve had in a very long time. I was excited to find out that they were coming out of the same kitchen the owner has next door, NoHo Star. I went back to NoHo Star the next day to have dinner (based on my appetizer experience) and was extremely disappointed. Stick to the Temple Bar for food and drinks. The service is top notch. The drinks are fabulous (and affordable). I love this place and love the vibe. It’s also great for groups because it’s not too loud, but not too chill.