Macondo, New York

When it comes to the NYC bar scene it often seems like one is relegated to either frat boys and beer pong or pretension and $20 cocktails. Macondo, the restaurant/bar from the same folks behind Rayuela, offers a welcome alternative with $5 beers, $7.50 cocktails (including the Aguacate+Mezcal made with avocado), along with an extensive list of small plates that are so authentically Latin American you’ll need some help translating ($6-15). The crowd is a nice mix of hipsters, older folks, and groups of 20-something girls and the wood-floored space has comfy couches with removal armrests, which along with the food (meant to be shared), makes Macondo perfect for groups. No reservations are taken, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a table you can grab drink or some eats by the long bar inside or by the street-side bar with stools facing inward. Sunlight fills the cheery space, outfitted in light, beachy wood accents and flushed with a sunset glow. Don’t forget to check-out the chalkboard-walled bathrooms where you’ll find everything from love-note scribbles to X-rated drawings.