I've only been to New York one time and that was for a short stay on business so I didn't have a lot of time to experience the nightlife in the "city that never sleeps." But, when I do go back, I will be armed and ready with a great reference tool, "Best Bars of New York", by Turner Publishing Group. This is a gorgeous, hardcover book, loaded with great photography along with stories and histories about some of the top nightspots in the Big Apple. The locations in this book aren't the trendy, here today-gone tomorrow type places, but rather the long-established businesses that are often off the beaten track and known only to the locals...but not anymore thanks to Jef Klein's fascinating research.

Klein interviewed people at over 50 locations in preparation for his book, and the stories are truly mesmerizing. As a history buff who loves to visit local historical spots when I travel, Klein's book is the perfect offering, presenting clubs, taverns, and bars that have been around for decades, sometimes centuries! Klein doesn't give you just listings of establishments with notes on fare and prices...it's not a traveller's guide per se. Rather, Klein gives readers and inside and intimate look at the thirty bars that made the cut. You'll learn about the history of each one, and hear stories as if you were sitting barside, talking to the chatty barkeep.

Liquor has been dispensed at 279 Water St since 1794. The site on the waterfront is now the Bridge Café. The site has a history that is colorful to say the least. It was formerly the site of a bordello in the 1850's. When it was purchased in 1979 by the current owners, basement excavation turned up artifacts dating to not long after the revolutionary War period! Today, the café is romantic and elegant, perhaps haunted by a ghost or two, but much more quite than it was a couple of hundred years ago.

Chumley's is one of the more unique bars in the book...a former speakeasy, it has no name outside to identify itself, only the number "86" on the door...one of two doors with the same number, often leading to embarrassing mistakes. The bar had secret exits so its patrons could get out quickly during prohibition-era police raids. The bar was a popular spot among literary figures and the likes of Hemingway, Kerouac, Faulkner, Mailer, Steinbeck, and many others, all tipped a drink there.

The building that is now home to the Corner Bistro has been there since 1827. It's become a West Village establishment that has been frequented by the famous including James Baldwin, Bobby Timmons, Miles Davis. Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro.

In all, thirty bars are covered, from meeting places of the rich and powerful, to neighborhood hangouts, Jef Klein brings you all of their unique tales. Take this book with you on your next trip to New York and start your journey to all of these bars!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I've only been to New York one time and that was for a short stay on business so I didn't have a lot of time to experience the nightlife in the "city that never sleeps." But, when I do go back, I will be armed and ready with a great reference tool, "Best Bars of New York", by Turner Publishing Group. This is a gorgeous, hardcover book, loaded with great photography along with stories and histories about some of the top nightspots in the Big Apple. The locations in this book aren't the trendy, here today-gone tomorrow type places, but rather the long-established businesses that are often off the beaten track and known only to the locals...but not anymore thanks to Jef Klein's fascinating research.

Klein interviewed people at over 50 locations in preparation for his book, and the stories are truly mesmerizing. As a history buff who loves to visit local historical spots when I travel, Klein's book is the perfect offering, presenting clubs, taverns, and bars that have been around for decades, sometimes centuries! Klein doesn't give you just listings of establishments with notes on fare and prices...it's not a traveller's guide per se. Rather, Klein gives readers and inside and intimate look at the thirty bars that made the cut. You'll learn about the history of each one, and hear stories as if you were sitting barside, talking to the chatty barkeep.

Liquor has been dispensed at 279 Water St since 1794. The site on the waterfront is now the Bridge Café. The site has a history that is colorful to say the least. It was formerly the site of a bordello in the 1850's. When it was purchased in 1979 by the current owners, basement excavation turned up artifacts dating to not long after the revolutionary War period! Today, the café is romantic and elegant, perhaps haunted by a ghost or two, but much more quite than it was a couple of hundred years ago.

Chumley's is one of the more unique bars in the book...a former speakeasy, it has no name outside to identify itself, only the number "86" on the door...one of two doors with the same number, often leading to embarrassing mistakes. The bar had secret exits so its patrons could get out quickly during prohibition-era police raids. The bar was a popular spot among literary figures and the likes of Hemingway, Kerouac, Faulkner, Mailer, Steinbeck, and many others, all tipped a drink there.

The building that is now home to the Corner Bistro has been there since 1827. It's become a West Village establishment that has been frequented by the famous including James Baldwin, Bobby Timmons, Miles Davis. Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro.

In all, thirty bars are covered, from meeting places of the rich and powerful, to neighborhood hangouts, Jef Klein brings you all of their unique tales. Take this book with you on your next trip to New York and start your journey to all of these bars!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

So glad I bought this book and can think of several people it would make a great gift for. I plan to use it as the basis of a few tours of New York (though at this point in my life, I'll only be sipping water at the later stops). What a fun thing to do with out-of-town guests--and the book will make you an excellent tour guide, as it contains so many great stories. You can tell that the author, Jef Klein, is a former bartender and somebody who knows and loves New York. Her passion for these places is contagious--it makes you want to visit them...or maybe head to your neighborhood bar and become part of the lore. The photos by Cary Hazlegrove are also incredible, and one of the great things is that they're in black and white, which is so fitting for the book's sense of history.

Mr. Klein has done a remarkable job of bringing to life some of the most well known bars and restaurants of New York to life in this photographic collection. Revisit the glory days of historic New York with this title. Each bar or restaurant has its own individual chapter, detailing the history of the location through pictures and antidotes. This form allows a more intimate introduction for the reader, especially if you are not terribly familiar with the business.

This is a must have for anyone's personal collection, would make a beautiful gift for those that enjoy a leisurely stroll through history with entertaining captions along with a healthy dose of beautifully taken photographs. This is one title I highly recommend.

Mr. Klein has done a remarkable job of bringing to life some of the most well known bars and restaurants of New York to life in this photographic collection. Revisit the glory days of historic New York with this title. Each bar or restaurant has its own individual chapter, detailing the history of the location through pictures and antidotes. This form allows a more intimate introduction for the reader, especially if you are not terribly familiar with the business.

This is a must have for anyone's personal collection, would make a beautiful gift for those that enjoy a leisurely stroll through history with entertaining captions along with a healthy dose of beautifully taken photographs. This is one title I highly recommend.

I had already heard these stories about the usual suspects ("21". King Cole Bar. Fraunces Tavern. The Algonquin Hotel.)... I was looking for other bars that aren't in every other book about famous NYC bars. Basically there are no bars here that are less than 20 years old. Which is sad, because these are amazing too, and have not been done to death. Where is Red Rock West Saloon in Chelsea, which is an amazing and gorgeous place to photograph (with fire-breathing barmaids)? Flute (W. 54th St location) which at one time was owned by Texas Guinan and was a speakeasy? The Ava Lounge, an art deco masterpiece on top of the Dream Hotel?

Basically, this is a pretty good book if you want to read about bars you already know about, but it doesn't take any chances with the "new" generation of what, I think, are the real "Best Bars of New York" around.

Jef Klein sure knows how to put the reader in the story-or bar in this case - I thoroughly enjoyed "touring" the old glory days as well as the existing booths at some of the most interesting places NYC has to offer. I've made a list of which ones I plan to visit first- most notably the places with deep carpets, mood music, thick leather seats, soft lighting,and perhaps a celebrity or two (just for atmosphere). Thanks JK for a lovely evening! -RG

Knowledgeably authored by Jef Klein and featuring the outstanding photography of Cary Hazelgrove, The History And Stories Of The Best Bars Of New York is an intriguing collection of histories and tales about the inherently fascinating and justly famed bars, pubs, and clubs of New York City. Introducing readers to an extensive survey of New York bars, The History And Stories Of The Best Bars Of New York includes fun stories and facts presented in a casual, almost conversational style, for places such as Milano's Bar, the Dublin House, The Sketchpad, Callahan's, White Horse Tavern and many more. The History And Stories Of The Best Bars Of New York is very highly recommended to all New York scene enthusiasts and bar-hoppers veterans for its remarkable clarity and universal comprehension of its unique and exclusive content.

This book is a high-quality coffee table book, but it's more than just a coffee table book: it covers a very interesting topic really well. The book itself is pretty large (about 10 inches), with a square layout. It covers about 30 bars and each one has a multi-page spread. The photos -- and there are a ton of them -- are great black and whites and are BIG. It isn't a guide book, but it could be for those who want an unusual tour of cool places where interesting things happened, and maybe grab a pint or two in the process... The writing is very readable and covers historic anecdotes on all of these places. Most of them predate prohibition and have a host of colorful characters and stories. If you haven't been to the bars in New York, there is nothing like them in the world and this book is a great way to have a deeper understanding of the history that helps make them so special. You have stories of gangsters in the twenties, political figures in the thirties, writers in the fifties. In New York, people live in the city, not in their apartments. This book gives you some understanding of why!