(212) 228-5680

507 E Fifth St (Between Avenue A and Avenue B)
New York, NY 10009 40.724791 -73.984235

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Neighborhoods: Alphabet City, East Village, Downtown

Hours:

Daily 3pm-4am

Last updated 8.12.09

Category:

Bars & Pubs, Bars & Clubs, Billiards Bars

Payment Methods:

Visa

Smoking Permitted:

No

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Sophie's

Featured Review

Melanie Berliet

Contributor

It always feels like happy hour at this neighborhood dive, where a half-pint served in a glass beer mug costs just two bucks and a whole pint costs four. The original oak bar is still in place from the venue’s opening decades ago, but the evident wear and tear of time seems fitting. Though Sophie’s has its fair share of well-past-their prime regulars, good deals on booze lure plenty of younger, hipper kids, too, who pound brews, shoot pool and take advantage of a roaring jukebox that rotates between indie, punk and soul tunes.

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Don’t bother with mixed drinks concocted with canned juices. Stick to the basics (i.e., beer).
The Extras:
There’s a rifle-equipped Buck Hunter video game system.
Know Before You Go:
The bar only accepts cash, but ATMs are plentiful in this ‘hood.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “But if you give it some time, you're likely to feel the warm and comfortable vibe that quietly floats around this place.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “Everyone loves a good dive bar”
  2. “Perhaps there aren't enough people left in NYC who appreciate what a bar should be, and that's a crying shame but for those who don't want to smoke a hookah, or play Rockstar, or god forbid sing Karaoke, Sophie's is a living breathing reminder of what the”
  3. “The music is great, the people are great, the bartenders are great and make great drinks.”
service
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The music is great, the people are great, the bartenders are great and make great drinks.”
  2. “Perhaps there aren't enough people left in NYC who appreciate what a bar should be, and that's a crying shame but for those who don't want to smoke a hookah, or play Rockstar, or god forbid sing Karaoke, Sophie's is a living breathing reminder of what the”
  3. “If you're young and looking to meet people I recommend Fridays or Saturdays, otherwise the crowd can be a bit sketchy but you gotta love it anyway.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/10/09

Bars like Sophie's keep me from leaving NYC

by catsanddogs at Citysearch

Although not for everyone - thank god - Sophie's is indeed an old fashioned, unapologetic, dirty, grouchy, poetic, genuine NY dive with its own subtle code of conduct and cast of characters. There is room for everyone here, but no one is going to go out of their way to make you feel welcome - or unwelcome for that matter - when you walk in the door. But if you give it some time, you're likely to feel the warm and comfortable vibe that quietly floats around this place.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/09/08

The real thing

by pophops at Citysearch

Sophie's looked like it was on the chopping block for awhile there but it seems to have been saved from the plight of becoming a Wine Bar. That's real good news for a city that seems ever homegenized and less and less interesting. Sophies is really one of the very few remaining East Village (hell, city-wide) bars that is the real thing. Yeah, it's a little raw at the edges but it's authentic. Perhaps there aren't enough people left in NYC who appreciate what a bar should be, and that's a crying shame but for those who don't want to smoke a hookah, or play Rockstar, or god forbid sing Karaoke, Sophie's is a living breathing reminder of what the East Village, New York, and all great places should be.

  • Pros: Just about everything
  • Cons: The spillover from the Ace Bar can be annoying on a Saturday night.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/14/05

Everyone loves a good dive bar

by yankeesandbeer at Citysearch

Sophie's is the place to grab some cheap pitchers and hang out with friends. If you're young and looking to meet people I recommend Fridays or Saturdays, otherwise the crowd can be a bit sketchy but you gotta love it anyway. The jukebox is in pretty high demand and the bathrooms aren't so hot but it's what makes us love the place.

  • Cons: No Bob Seger!!
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/24/04

One of the best

by tonita999 at Citysearch

this place is awesome... I am a regular now and love it. The music is great, the people are great, the bartenders are great and make great drinks. It can get crowded but thats when it is the best. I always have a good time at this bar no matter the day of the week. i

4.5 Star Rating: Recommended

09/27/03

My home away from home!

by mitsy4400 at Citysearch

No idea what that last reviewer was talking about. I have been going to Sophie's for about a year and I love it. The bartenders are some of the best in the city. And the regulars are some of the most welcoming people i've met. When I first started going there I never felt like I was in "their" bar (which now I guess is "my" bar). All we want is people who leave their attitudes at the door. Yay Sophies :)

  • Pros: cool people, cheap drinks, awesome bartenders
  • Cons: too crowded weekends

The Details on Sophie's

Place Categories:

  • great place
  • comfortable vibe
  • great bartenders
  • like bars
  • great drinks
  • sketchy crowd
  • great people
  • loves everyone
  • good dive bar
  • great music