(212) 478-3021

432 E 13th St (Between 1st Avenue and Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009 40.73036 -73.982361

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Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown

keybar.com

Hours:

Sun-Tue. 6pm-4am

Fri. 4pm-4am

Wed.Thu. & Sat. 5pm-4am

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Bars & Clubs

What People Are Saying About KeyBar

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – It's a sophisticated cocktail party and you're invited to mingle with the neighborhood regulars. Relax on a comfy banquette and sample some of the wackiest cocktail concoctions this side of the Rhine. If you're into subtle red lighting and exposed brick, you'll be a permanent fixture in no time. – – The Draw – The Hungarian owners bring some of their homeland to the bar in the form of elegant, reasonably priced platters of cured meats, cheeses and duck liver pate that can easily serve four people (try the Key platter for a sampling of the best). Sip house…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Looking for a place to throw a party? KeyBar is available for private birthday parties and other events. Inquire directly for additional info.
Happy Hour:
All drinks are 2 for 1 until 10pm every day.
ambiance
95.45000076293945% positive
  1. Just good fun and great music.
  2. The place is not huge and there isn't a lot of seating, but the atmosphere, music, concoctions and interesting people make up for it.
  3. the fireplace is the best when its chillly and when its not the place has great atmosphere.
  4. awesome atmosphere, cheap drinks, beautiful bartenders, incredible music.
  5. Lots of fun without the huge crowds.
  6. search for a nice bar to have fun and take a girl to a second date.
  7. This place is amazing, AWESOME MUSIC and not to loud ,great service, beatiful women, great to have a good time with your friends and beatiful decoration.
  8. The atmosphere is great, and I'm crazy about their real wood fire place!
  9. It was extremely crowded from about 11 pm on but the people were fun and random hook-ups ensued.
  10. The scene and ambiance is also really cool.
  11. The atmosphere was very laid back and friendly, the staff was great, and the drinks were yummy.
drinks
84.28999900817871% positive
  1. great drinks, AWESOME STAFF
  2. Great place to go to during the week if you just want to chill out and have a couple of drinks, or even better to go back on the weekend to drink, dance and meet interesting people from all over the world.
  3. great place to have a drink.
  4. Who would think that such a small place has yummy cocktails -cumm- yummy music -cumm- yummy crowd?
  5. Thanks for your amazing variety of drinks and mindful bartenders and longest HAPPY HOURS!
  6. went there with a few friends on Friday- when we came in the bar was pretty empty and the service was slow
  7. The bartenders are very nice and the 2 for 1 drink tickets before 10pm are quite nice as well!
  8. Service gets a little slow when the bar gets packed, but the more the merrier, so be patient!
  9. drinks are amazing, crowd is friendly, the bouncer was like a big teddy bear and the music is not that teeny bopper stuff.
  10. This bar will easily become a favorite.
  11. This bar is full of people who like to talk about themselves.
  12. WORST bar I've ever been to
  13. the bartender was friendly, answered our questions and make some strong drinks.
  14. The music was great, the staff is so nice and accomodating, and the drinks are amazing!
  15. The atmosphere was very laid back and friendly, the staff was great, and the drinks were yummy.
  16. Good service, terrific drinks, excellent music.
  17. so seeing that keybar was crowned best signature drinks of 2006, i decided it sounded like a good place for a birthday party and i was soooo right.
  18. I'll recommend this place to anyone who likes to meet new and friednly people, enjoy great music, and like to drink their face off.
  19. They have delicious signature drinks and shots and the people who work there are really friendly.
  20. Great bar but the service.
  21. If you're looking for a place to bring a date for a few drinks after dinner, this is a great spot.
  22. Beautiful bartenders, good drinks, kick ass DJ, great party.
  23. They have great drink specials if you get there before 10 and they have a nice selection of very tasty shots.
  24. search for a nice bar to have fun and take a girl to a second date.
  25. Always great music and cheap drinks.
  26. The people are friendly, the owners are amazing, the drinks are delicious, the staff is hot, and the happy hour lasts until 10pm.
  27. Great date bar
  28. awesome atmosphere, cheap drinks, beautiful bartenders, incredible music.
  29. Keybar is pretty much my favorite bar in the world.
  30. The drinks are overpriced and disgusting.
  31. With the coziness and comfort of soft seating, a crackling fire in the brick fireplace on cold nights, and oddly over-saturated artwork hanging on the walls, this quaint east village bar is the perfect pitstop to linger on several of their specialty drink
  32. My favorite bar in NYC :)
  33. The bartenders are amazing, the music is live and different every night (Fridays always 70s/80s/90s, Saturdays always House), the drinks are great, and the crowd has some of the most interesting people I've met in New York.
  34. The drinks were very good and not too pricey.
  35. KeyBar is a great place to hang out with friends, meet new people or just to have a drink.
food quality
100.0% positive
  1. They have delicious signature drinks and shots and the people who work there are really friendly.
  2. The people are friendly, the owners are amazing, the drinks are delicious, the staff is hot, and the happy hour lasts until 10pm.
  3. If you want the real East Village feel with just a splash of authentic Euro-flavor, Keybar is an absolute must.
  4. The atmosphere was very laid back and friendly, the staff was great, and the drinks were yummy.
  5. my friends and i ordered food and the wonderful owner whole heartedly invited us to dine right in the lounge.
  6. Who would think that such a small place has yummy cocktails -cumm- yummy music -cumm- yummy crowd?
  7. They have great drink specials if you get there before 10 and they have a nice selection of very tasty shots.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. Thanks for your amazing variety of drinks and mindful bartenders and longest HAPPY HOURS!
  2. They have great drink specials if you get there before 10 and they have a nice selection of very tasty shots.
  3. amazing shot menu, wonderful vibe.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. KeyBar is a great place to hang out with friends, meet new people or just to have a drink.
  2. great place to have a drink.
  3. the fireplace is the best when its chillly and when its not the place has great atmosphere.
  4. The atmosphere is great, and I'm crazy about their real wood fire place!
  5. so seeing that keybar was crowned best signature drinks of 2006, i decided it sounded like a good place for a birthday party and i was soooo right.
  6. East village feel but very laidback good place for happy hours and meeting up after work.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. Great place to go to during the week if you just want to chill out and have a couple of drinks, or even better to go back on the weekend to drink, dance and meet interesting people from all over the world.
  2. dont get me wrong the place looks nice but the owners need to get a whole new staff until that happens i dont wanna come back here and i sure will tell people not to go here either.
service
88.15999984741211% positive
  1. This place is amazing, AWESOME MUSIC and not to loud ,great service, beatiful women, great to have a good time with your friends and beatiful decoration.
  2. The bartender was a sweetheart, and the owner of the place is very friendly and welcoming.
  3. The DJ was spinning some great 80s dance music that had all my friends grooving and the beautiful bartenders made sure that the alcohol was flowing.
  4. Great place to go to during the week if you just want to chill out and have a couple of drinks, or even better to go back on the weekend to drink, dance and meet interesting people from all over the world.
  5. dont get me wrong the place looks nice but the owners need to get a whole new staff until that happens i dont wanna come back here and i sure will tell people not to go here either.
  6. They have delicious signature drinks and shots and the people who work there are really friendly.
  7. Good croud, great people
  8. Good service, terrific drinks, excellent music.
  9. the bartender was friendly, answered our questions and make some strong drinks.
  10. It was extremely crowded from about 11 pm on but the people were fun and random hook-ups ensued.
  11. Met some cool people when I was there and the bartenders were top notch.
  12. Bartenders are attentive, friendly and know how to ply their craft.
  13. The bartenders are very nice and the 2 for 1 drink tickets before 10pm are quite nice as well!
  14. Beautiful bartenders, good drinks, kick ass DJ, great party.
  15. awesome atmosphere, cheap drinks, beautiful bartenders, incredible music.
  16. Great bar but the service.
  17. The bartenders are amazing, the music is live and different every night (Fridays always 70s/80s/90s, Saturdays always House), the drinks are great, and the crowd has some of the most interesting people I've met in New York.
  18. The crowd is friendly and unpretentous; but still hip and desirable.
  19. went there with a few friends on Friday- when we came in the bar was pretty empty and the service was slow
  20. Cute bartenders were friendly.
  21. The atmosphere was very laid back and friendly, the staff was great, and the drinks were yummy.
  22. after abouyt a half hour, more people began to trickle in, it was a chill crowd, they play good music, but its not so loud that you can't have a conversation with someone.
  23. I'll recommend this place to anyone who likes to meet new and friednly people, enjoy great music, and like to drink their face off.
  24. KeyBar is a great place to hang out with friends, meet new people or just to have a drink.
  25. drinks are amazing, crowd is friendly, the bouncer was like a big teddy bear and the music is not that teeny bopper stuff.
  26. This bar is full of people who like to talk about themselves.
  27. guess we had came on a bad night because the staff was very rude.
  28. The owners, bartenders, and crowd are very friendly.
  29. The service is horrible.
  30. The people are friendly, the owners are amazing, the drinks are delicious, the staff is hot, and the happy hour lasts until 10pm.
  31. The bartender is from an eastern European country & we had a great conversation.
  32. thats what i call good service.
  33. The owners and staff made sure that everything was perfect for my big day.
  34. The bartender was very nice and responded well to me asking her to make anything she wanted.
  35. Great place with many interesting people.
  36. Thanks for your amazing variety of drinks and mindful bartenders and longest HAPPY HOURS!
  37. The place is not huge and there isn't a lot of seating, but the atmosphere, music, concoctions and interesting people make up for it.
  38. The music was great, the staff is so nice and accomodating, and the drinks are amazing!
value
75.0% positive
  1. The drinks were very good and not too pricey.
  2. awesome atmosphere, cheap drinks, beautiful bartenders, incredible music.
  3. Always great music and cheap drinks.
  4. The drinks are overpriced and disgusting.
  5. Lots of fun without the huge crowds.
  6. The place is not huge and there isn't a lot of seating, but the atmosphere, music, concoctions and interesting people make up for it.
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. Service gets a little slow when the bar gets packed, but the more the merrier, so be patient!
  2. went there with a few friends on Friday- when we came in the bar was pretty empty and the service was slow
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/31/10

Bar? anyone

by Alwashere at Citysearch

I don't like bars. I find the false cheer and immodest prices to be a bit of a bore. Call me a misanthrope, but I hate standing around making bad conversation with drunk people. It is rare to find me in one, and even rarer for me to enjoy it.

Which makes my love of Keybar all the more unusual. The place is full of generally interesting people. The set up could not get more eclectic.

But my absolute favourite part of the Key experience are the jams on Friday and Saturday nights. It is one of the coolest and least known events in the city.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/09/09

My favorite bar in NYC :)

by Maris1103 at Citysearch

I've just had a great time there without exception. I used 2 go there almost every weekend (unfortunetly I've moved out of New York, that's the only reason I just used 2....) Thank U guys 4 all the good memories, friendships end everything. I hope 2 C U soon :) Maris

  • Pros: Best service, best staff, best times, best friends........
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/13/09

Best Neighborhood Bar... Even If It's Not Your Neighborhood!

by Affection410 at Citysearch

Keybar is pretty much my favorite bar in the world. The bartenders are amazing, the music is live and different every night (Fridays always 70s/80s/90s, Saturdays always House), the drinks are great, and the crowd has some of the most interesting people I've met in New York.

Weekends at Keybar are busy yet cool, but the other 5 nights of the week is when Keybar is an intimate lounge where one can meet new people, take a date, or just chill and enjoy being alive in the city.

  • Pros: Cool people, 2-4-1 on everything 'til 10 every night
  • Cons: I wish I were at Keybar when I should be working
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/02/09

Not what i had expected

by JenkinsRich at Citysearch

I had decided to come here with my sister and brother who came out of a town. we stumbled by and remembering i read about them on here i thought why not. i guess we had came on a bad night because the staff was very rude. i get it still new york but never had i seen service like this it took forever for our drinks to come and one of the bartender told me she had to add her tip on our check. excuse me tip is voluntary . dont get me wrong the place looks nice but the owners need to get a whole new staff until that happens i dont wanna come back here and i sure will tell people not to go here either.

  • Pros: not a bad location
  • Cons: almost everything
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/27/09

AWESOME

by Barhopperny at Citysearch

KeyBar is an awesome place. They have great drink specials if you get there before 10 and they have a nice selection of very tasty shots. Met some cool people when I was there and the bartenders were top notch. Will definitely be back

  • Pros: Drink Specials, Shots, People

The Details on KeyBar

Place Categories:

  • great place
  • great cheap drinks
  • beautiful cute bartenders
  • interesting people
  • nice european crowd
  • good service
  • favorite date bar
  • very friendly owner
  • good lounge scene
  • great conversation
  • great awesome staff
  • terrific rolo shot
  • good end everything
  • great time thanks
  • worst bar
  • great decoration
  • great house music
  • wonderful vibe
  • great happy hour spot
  • delicious signature drinks
  • great house mix party
  • very tasty shots
  • great music
  • great atmosphere
  • overpriced drinks

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