(212) 979-8476

531 E 5th St (nr. Ave. A)
New York, NY 10009 40.7247 -73.9834

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Neighborhoods: Alphabet City, East Village, Downtown

ACEBAR.COM

Hours:

Daily, 4pm-4am

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Bars & Pubs, Neighborhood Bars, Bars & Clubs, Singles Bars, Dive Bars, Billiards Bars

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Bar & Pub Special Features:

Jukebox, Happy Hour

Bar & Club Special Features:

21 & Over

Smoking Permitted:

No

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Ace Bar

Featured Review

Kara Zuaro

Contributor

The glass brick exterior is a remnant of '80s bad taste, but happier memories of the era abound inside, where a custom-made bookcase displays over 100 vintage lunchboxes with nostalgic TV heroes like Scooby Doo and the Dukes of Hazard. Yet the overall vibe manages to be more classic than kitschy--dark wood lines the walls, and laid-back neighborhood folks drop quarters into a Simpons pinball machine while sipping a carefully poured pint or powerful Bloody Mary. Stocked with classic rock and up-to-the-minute indie tunes, the jukebox doesn't disappoint. Groups can settle comfortably into…

Editor's Tips

Happy Hour:
From 4pm to 7pm daily, beers are $3 to $3.50, and well drinks cost $3.
The Extras:
Ace is open seven days a week, 365 days a year--making it a convenient and perpetually available home away from home for its devotees.
Happy Hour:
From 5pm to 7pm daily, beers are $3 to $3.50, and well drinks cost $3.50.
Fun Fact:
Ace is open seven days a week, 365 days a year -- making it a convenient and perpetually available home away from home for avid drinkers.
The Extras:
Assorted theme and game nights abound--from "Sunday Bloody Sundays" (bloody mary specials) to Tuesday Dart League and Wednesday Skee Ball. Call for the schedule or to join one of Ace Bar's game leagues.
What to Drink:
The bar carries about a dozen brews on tap, including Yeungling Lager and Boddingtons, plus another 10 varieties are served by the bottle.
ambiance
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “This is a great place to have a drink and goof off in a relaxed atmosphere with a few friends.”
  2. “It's too bad, ace bar used to be really fun, but this was just horrible.”
  3. “This is the ultimate East Village dive bar, with every game imaginable, good ambiance, angry bartenders, and enough seating for everyone.”
drinks
90.4800033569336% positive
  1. “This is a great place to have a drink and goof off in a relaxed atmosphere with a few friends.”
  2. “The service here is great, the drinks are moderately priced and the crowd is eclectic but not annoying.”
  3. “It's too bad, ace bar used to be really fun, but this was just horrible.”
  4. “The drinks are good, the beer is good.”
  5. “This friendly dive bar has turned into a place that actually has a LINE out the front on saturday night, and now resembles a chuckie cheese more than a dive bar.”
  6. “Any bar with darts AND skeeball is good in my book.”
  7. “all in all a good spot to meet a group for drinks.”
  8. “love Ace bar.”
  9. “In the back, twin red velvet pool tables are surrounded by back-wall banquettes and a small dart gallery-Ace bar is a raucous kitsch arcade of soused activity, friendly macho challenges and laidback lounging.”
  10. “My favorite neighborhood bar.”
  11. “This East Village thirty something hang-out is not your typical dive bar, the entrance boasts an impressive pop-art culture contrived lunch box collection, lavish antique booths, games galore and a gigantic werewolf poster peering at you as you order your”
  12. “There's nothing like a good old dive bar filled with”
  13. “This is the ultimate East Village dive bar, with every game imaginable, good ambiance, angry bartenders, and enough seating for everyone.”
  14. “Service was good, crowd Cool, and beer selection decent.”
food quality
100.0% positive
  1. “this place was awesome, whaaaaaaa, i was able to play skeeball then walk outside every hour and get a different food, huhhhhhhhh, causaaaaa.”
  2. “unless of course you favor meat markets, a space so crowded you can barely move, and a barely legal crowd.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Service was good, crowd Cool, and beer selection decent.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Thinking this would be a great place to get a bunch of people together, I was sadly disappointed.”
  2. “This is a great place to have a drink and goof off in a relaxed atmosphere with a few friends.”
  3. “If ever there was a good place to take Gen-X-age friends, put liquor into them, and make them talk, this is it.”
service
90.90999603271484% positive
  1. “On top of that, I had spoken with very nice manager Lucy and her colleague Natasha beforehand, and they were so nice to reserve two tables for my group for us to put our coats down (and where our pregnant friend could sit).”
  2. “The service here is great, the drinks are moderately priced and the crowd is eclectic but not annoying.”
  3. “it can get quite packed on the weekends but you'll meet some pretty interesting people.”
  4. “In the back, twin red velvet pool tables are surrounded by back-wall banquettes and a small dart gallery-Ace bar is a raucous kitsch arcade of soused activity, friendly macho challenges and laidback lounging.”
  5. “This is the ultimate East Village dive bar, with every game imaginable, good ambiance, angry bartenders, and enough seating for everyone.”
  6. “Thinking this would be a great place to get a bunch of people together, I was sadly disappointed.”
  7. “I'm worried it'll attract more people than ever on weekends, and the regulars can't enjoy the place anymore.”
  8. “The employees are nice.”
  9. “it was dead at 9pm but a good crowd built up over the course of the night, and yet the lone bartender held his own well.”
  10. “organized an outing to Ace Bar for 20 people on Saturday night, and everybody LOVED it.”
  11. “This friendly dive bar has turned into a place that actually has a LINE out the front on saturday night, and now resembles a chuckie cheese more than a dive bar.”
value
0.0% positive
  1. “Beers were way too expensive for this dump as well.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/06/11

Beer, Pool & Darts

by pepelapeu at Citysearch

This is an East Village institution. A great place to go if you want to sit in a booth and drink with your friends or shoot pool and throw some darts. Also has great bartenders and a fantastic jukebox.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/11/10

DMANBURGER "Ace Bar"

by DMANBURGER , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

This East Village thirty something hang-out is not your typical dive bar, the entrance boasts an impressive pop-art culture contrived lunch box collection, lavish antique booths, games galore and a gigantic werewolf poster peering at you as you order your Bud or cocktail. In the back, twin red velvet pool tables are surrounded by back-wall banquettes and a small dart gallery-Ace bar is a raucous kitsch arcade of soused activity, friendly macho challenges and laidback lounging.

  • Pros: games
  • Cons: N/A
4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/24/10

a fun bar for any night

by Redger82 at Citysearch

It's always a good time here. Fun games, pool table. The drinks are the same prices as anywhere so it's fine. Bartenders always nice. It's kind of a dive but maybe a half a step up...I recommend.

  • Pros: games and atmosphere
  • Cons: nothing fancy, dive bar
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/20/09

fun hangout spot with cheap drinks and $1 pool, skeeball, darts

by Chupichu at Citysearch

I love Ace bar. The drinks are very reasonably priced (though I've never made it here in time for happy hour) because the location is not the most accessible to those who don't live in the area...BUT they have 2 pool tables in the back, skee ball, and darts for $1 !!! it can get quite packed on the weekends but you'll meet some pretty interesting people...definitely not the most diverse nyc hangout spot

  • Pros: reasonably priced drinks and games
  • Cons: location
1 Star Rating: Poor

02/05/07

Not the place it used to be

by walkabout1 at Citysearch

A tramatizing experience at Ace prompted me to write this review, to inform all the other long time east villagers like me to avoid ace bar on the weekends at all costs! - unless of course you favor meat markets, a space so crowded you can barely move, and a barely legal crowd. This friendly dive bar has turned into a place that actually has a LINE out the front on saturday night, and now resembles a chuckie cheese more than a dive bar. Thinking this would be a great place to get a bunch of people together, I was sadly disappointed. I have to say the poor waittress tried her best, but the mob like crowd of jersey kids and nyu students left her powerless! I guess this just goes with the overall trend of my once beloved east village - yuppies and college kids. A sad night indeed. It's too bad, ace bar used to be really fun, but this was just horrible.

  • Pros: it's big, but that didn't seem to make a difference
  • Cons: lines, horrible crowd, packed

The Details on Ace Bar

Place Categories:

  • great place
  • good old dive bar
  • cool crowd
  • good beer
  • great service
  • love ace bar
  • awesome dart boards
  • pretentious nobody
  • unique charm
  • big ace
  • good spot
  • not impressive poster
  • order cocktail
  • not enjoy regulars
  • poor waittress
  • very nice manager lucy
  • good drinks
  • good ambiance
  • big buck hunter
  • always nice bartenders
  • very nice colleague
  • favor meat markets
  • order bud
  • friendly macho challenges
  • nice employees