Bar Orai

This is my favorite listening bar in the city. The music is always spot on (I'm always leaving with a new playlist) and I love the cocktail and menu variety. Service is prompt too. All do the food is so good so these are my recommended:-ebi fry-yuzu tomato-tako wasabiYou MUST order these three. You won't be disappointed! Will return back to try the rest of the menu!

Japanese whisky, vinyl, and streetwear culture with a dash of speakeasy. Trust the Google Maps locator, and follow the (diminutive) signs to reach Bar Orai. Reservations recommended, but don't show up too early since your table might not be ready yet. There are three dining sections comprised of two main sitting areas separated by the bar. The larger seating area evokes a cozy retro living room, and where vibes are best, in my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised that my chair didn't just look luxurious, but was actually comfy to sit in. There's an air of quiet luxury in Orai, toeing the line between casual and sophisticated. Think tiny beanies and tucked T-shirts with the vintage J's. Supreme merch and Bearbricks line the walls dutifully amid carefully arranged bottles of whisky and hundreds of records. Music, obviously, is tasteful and the perfect volume to get lost in but also to have a conversation. I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of whisky, so my selections were limited to the Highball and wine section. And also the single beer - who else knew that Suntory makes a beer? For people with real taste, there's a very nicely curated selection of whisky, whiskeys, and bourbon, and cocktails involving the aforementioned. Let's not forget the kitchen either, which shells out some delicious Japanese and Korean tapas to pair with your drink. Portion sizes for the food are pretty small, but think of it as a vibe surcharge. Part of the lovely time we had was attributed to the great service - all the house staff were super polite and thoughtful, keeping our waters topped off and moving things around for our small table to accommodate the drinks and food. Several hours goes by in a flash, and if not for them closing for the evening, we probably could have stayed much longer.

Cool vibes and good drinks! Love the Japanese record bar aesthetic. There's communal seating and lounge areas. Cute, chill spot if you're in the area but also not blown away by the experience.

This might be my favorite cocktail bar I've been so far in nyc (in terms of how good the cocktails were). This was my first whiskey sour and... I was blown away. Service was great, vibes were great (very speakeasy vibes), and cocktails were great. Sad that I visited so late that I couldn't try out their other cocktails or food menus, but I will definitely be back!

Bar Orai is one of my favorite bars in the city. The vibes are good for small groups or dates and it's a very lowkey spot. The menu is Asian-inspired and I've been here a couple times and you truly can't go wrong with anything on the menu.I got a yuzu highball, but all of their highballs are refreshing and tasty, even for those who aren't fans of whiskey. My personal food item is the Mentaiko Mac & Cheese, but the Truffle Tots and Kani Cream Croquettes were up there for me too.I'd recommend getting a reservation if you can as the space is a bit small with limited seating.

When people ask me for bar recs in the city - Bar Orai always comes to mind! Definitely one of my faves - with the causal couch seating, it feels more like a chill hangout at a friend's apartment with a top notch playlist full of jams :) I'm not a fan of whiskey but I still enjoyed my whisky highball here! Highly recommend getting food/dessert here as well - mentaiko mac & cheese is a must get!

Cool lowkey spot great for a date or small get-together. Whiskey only, but with varying levels of intensity so I'd say there's something for everyone if they're willing to try something new. Service was solid. Their food looked good, but we didn't try any. I'd definitely send friends here if they were visiting.

My friends and I ended up coming here on a whim, but I was really pleased with our experience here.The entrance is rather unassuming, as you walk up a few flight of stairs before you open a door into the bar. We ended up getting drinks and food. For food, we tried the karage. The karage was good, but nothing spectacular, and I think I could have gone without it. We also got the mentaiko mac and cheese, which I really enjoyed. It was a bit spicy, but I enjoyed the flavor. For drinks, we tried their different cocktails, and I thought all of them were good. You can't go wrong with any of them!If you're in the area, this is a nice chill space to hang out and grab a drink or a bite.

I almost want to gatekeep this spot because of how much I love it --- but I decided to write this anyway to promote their business because I need them here forever! This is currently my favorite bar. It's a cozy listening bar with awesome vinyls and perfectly curated speakers for the space (I really appreciate how much effort is put into enhancing the sound quality). Drinks are delicious, decor is incredible and service is so welcoming. I've never had a bad time here. Make sure you make a reservation!

I loved the ambiance and whiskey selection. Food and service was great. Would visit again.