At its heart, New York is a maritime town. Long before waterfront parks and luxury towers lined Manhattan’s perimeter, the city’s rivers were working waterways filled with ferries, fishing boats, oyster barges, and trade ships from far flung regions.
Today, though they envelop us, these arteries are less crucial to our everyday lives. Until it comes to cocktail hour, that is. Suddenly, summer Friday becomes a tropical vacation, and it feels like you’ve finally scored a friend with a boat.
Such is the magic of New York’s floating bars and restaurants. Some are perched aboard century-old vessels, others sit on rocky docks so close to the water you’ll feel the tide beneath your feet. But all offer the promise of a breezy respite. Here are eight floating establishments for cold drinks, stunning views and good vibes.
Grand Banks
New York was once an oyster haven: in its 18th- and 19th-century heyday, floating barges existed for the sole purpose of serving up the juicy bivalves. Grand Banks, run by maritime restaurant group Crew, revives that tradition. The oyster bar sits aboard the Sherman Zwicker, a wooden auxiliary fishing schooner built in 1942 that now can claim being the largest wooden vessel in New York City.
Whether seated at a table or the gorgeous round bar, you’ll find more than six varieties of oysters on the menu, including Crew’s own Sailor Baby, a crisp, deep-cup proprietary line cultivated in partnership with West Robbins Oyster Farm in the Great Peconic Bay. Beyond that, there are the usual seafood suspects (lobster rolls, scallops, shrimp cocktail, crudo) alongside a few less expected ones (tater tots topped with caviar, crab dip), plus cocktails made to pair with the views. Speaking of which, for the best sight lines, grab a table near the bow, by the water. Pier 25, Hudson River Park, Tribeca, crew.fun
The Frying Pan
Opened in 2007, the Frying Pan in Hudson River Park is an OG of floating restaurants and a maritime museum in one. It pairs a Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western railroad barge with the barnacle-encrusted 1929 lightship it’s named for — sunken and salvaged, once used as a floating lighthouse, and one of only 13 lightships remaining from more than 100 originally built.
Once known for its fratty party atmosphere, the spot has mellowed with age, settling into a laid-back spot to grab a cocktail alongside Hudson River views. There’s table service for those who reserve ahead, plus a beer garden serving lobster rolls (Cape Cod and Connecticut styles), fish tacos, calamari, and surprisingly good burgers. But you’re really here for conviviality and booze, which (aside from spritzes and martinis) come both by the glass and by the pitcher, a rarity in this town. 207 12th Ave., Chelsea, fryingpan.com
Baylander Steel Beach
An aircraft carrier once used as a US Navy helicopter landing trainer now sits docked at the West Harlem Piers, transformed into a restaurant and bar by the owners of Prohibition Lounge. Its name comes from the Navy nickname for a ship’s flight deck — though these days it trades choppers for a Chopper Chopped Cheese with Black Angus beef.
Beyond that, the food serves as a nod to its Harlem roots, and leans into easy shareables such as shrimp, carne asada, and falafel tacos; fully loaded Navy Nachos in a Box, BBQ wings, chicken tenders, and calamari. The drinks — including a substantial mocktail menu — come with flair, served strong in fun vessels like Patron bottles and rounded branded baubles.
Seating spans both the upper and lower decks, with picnic tables that suit a group outing and a two-top by the railing that works just as well for a date night. Stop by Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. for happy hour, order a $12 frozen Captain’s Colada, and enjoy the breeze off the water. 125th St. W. Harlem Piers Park, Ste. 1, Harlem, baylander.nyc
Concrete Shoals
This bar looks like a mirage, a cottage bobbing at the end of a pier in Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina with the city skyline in the distance. It’s certainly an anomaly. But this is Concrete Shoals, a reservation-only venture by Sean Feeney of Fini Pizza, who took over this tiny bungalow perched at the edge of the harbor and transformed it into a nautically inspired bar that charms with picnic tables, rattan café seating, and green Adirondack chairs.
All this comes perched right on the dock, with Manhattan on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other. The menu leans fully into the breezy vibe that gets wavier as boats pass by. Grab some Crab Toast for a snack, or go all in and order a pizza, shuttled over from Fini Patio Bar, Feeney’s nearby pizza spot. Top it off with a spritz or a round of Painkillers, and a killer sunset. 159 Bridge Park Dr., Brooklyn Bridge Marina, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, concreteshoalsbar.com
Fireboat
A good name and a solid theme can go a long way. Fireboat is a floating Caribbean-inspired bar aboard the retired 1961 FDNY firefighting vessel Governor Alfred E. Smith, now docked at Brooklyn Bridge Park as the latest addition to Crew’s floating restaurant empire. And this one is fun: fire hose valves have been converted into taps to dispense drinks with names like Wildfire, made with tequila, lime, habanero, strawberry, Aleppo pepper, and salt.
The New York hot spot is walk-in only, and alongside those East River views comes a concise, no fuss menu of island bites. Think Jerk Chicken Sandwiches, Cod Hushpuppies with smoked roe dip, and Halloumi Pineapple Skewers. Top it all off with a piña colada ice cream and understand how this fireboat still knows how to make a splash. Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, crew.fun
The Honorable William Wall
Oh, it’s a boat you want? You’re in luck. That’s the only way to get to The Honorable William Wall, aka “Willy Wall,” a double-decker bar on a barge anchored north of Ellis Island, that functions as a floating party — especially during full moon shindigs. Run by the Manhattan Yacht Club, it’s named for William Wall, a 19th-century entrepreneur and eventual U.S. Congressman who founded Wall Rope Works, once a premier supplier of cordage to the shipping industry.
Luckily, you don’t have to be a member to visit, just buy a launch ticket from Jersey or Manhattan (running $25 to $35), pack some food if you’d like (they don’t serve any), and grab whatever you desire from the fully-stocked bar. Bring some Dramamine if you get seasick, and take comfort in the fact that a strict headcount keeps the barge from overcrowding. Anchored in the New York Harbor, launch from the Manhattan Yacht Club, 140 Dudley St., Jersey City, New Jersey; or at special times from Brookfield Place Terminal, Battery Park City, willywall.com
Six Coasts
The eight-minute ferry ride to Governors Island in New York now delivers on the promise of an actual escape, thanks to this year’s addition of Six Coasts, a Pan-American coastal bar from Smorgasburg that fully embraces island life. Spread out on Soissons Landing on the north shore where you’re greeted with a fresh fruit station and the smell of jerk chicken wafts in the air. Food comes courtesy of Jamaican-American chef Scotley Innis, whose menu channels the cultural diversity of New York itself.
Think an oyster station with mignonettes like mango and Scotch bonnet, and pineapple-yuzu granita; sweet and tangy Tamarind Wings served right in the foil to keep it steaming, Crab Croquettes with plantain and mango, plus a requisite Soft Shell Crab Sandwich. The drinks follow suit, with names like Chiquita Scandal and the Carioca Fire — a refreshing mix of cachaça, pineapple, Brazilian pink peppercorn, orange curaçao, and lime. It’s a welcome tropical detour with the Manhattan skyline in view. 146 Carder Rd., Soissons Landing, Governors Island, sixcoasts.com
High Tide
The Fulton Ferry Landing pier at the foot of Old Fulton Street is one of Brooklyn’s most historic sites, marking the location of the first ferry service between Brooklyn and Manhattan back in 1642. Today, it’s also home to High Tide, the third outpost on this list from Crew, an easy, breezy waterfront hangout with sweeping front-row views of the East River, Brooklyn Bridge, and Manhattan skyline.
The menu and location beckons to take a break from the grind: lobster rolls with fennel, hot dogs, and raw oysters. It’s amped up with cocktails like the mezcal and banana Smoke on the Water, or a frozen Negroni. It all pairs well with watching the ferries go by. 1b Water St., Brooklyn Bridge Park, DUMBO, crew.fun
