After a long day at work, nothing beats the feeling of walking into your trusty local late-night haunt and having your favorite drink poured and ready for you on the counter and your must-have midnight snack hot and ready. And few people know this feeling more than chefs. Working hard into the wee hours of the morning, they are often in need of a strong nightcap and filling meal. Our favorite chefs reveal their eight favorite dive-y eateries—the true gems of New York’s after-hours scene.
1. “My favorite bar and restaurant is Extra Fancy in Williamsburg. They always have a great, low-key atmosphere, but it also always feels like something interesting might happen at any second because of the people who frequent there. My go-to item is their trout BLT because it’s a delicious, clean, and light late-night take on a classic, which makes me want to eat it every night.”
—Sandy Dee Hall, Black Tree
2. “8th Street Wine Cellar for wine and a pork sandwich, or Sushi Seki for a blowout sushi extravaganza.”
—Dan Kluger
3. “Sake Bar Hagi on West 49th—it just doesn’t get any better for me. Dozens of little plates of raw and cooked fish, shellfish and cephalopods, grilled skewers of meat and vegetables, noodles, affordable sake and cold beer.”
—Josh DeChellis, Il Buco Alimentari
4. “I like Burnside in Brooklyn. Great drinks, fried cheese curds, and a tasty burger called the Juicy Lucy . . .”
—Daniel Holzman, The Meatball Shop
5. “Joseph Leonard’s when I’m in New York and Anchovies in Boston!”
—Ken Oringer, Toro NYC, Toro Boston, and Coppa
6. “Mother’s Ruin in Soho. You can get pretty much anything under the sun to drink and a deft hand will execute it quickly. The food is fantastic and served until 3:30 a.m. every night.”
—Phillip Kirschen-Clark, Cafe Cluny
7. “The best late-night spot is chef Deuki Hong’s Korean BBQ place, Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, in Koreatown. It’s open until 2:00 a.m. most nights, and till 6:00 a.m. on the weekends. The brisket stew or anything you grill at the table is great.”
—Rob Newton, Wilma Jean, Nightingale 9, and Smith Canteen