Award-winning

Bar Contra

4.4

268 Reviews

$30 and under

American

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 17 times today

Great for creative cocktails
Hot spot
Neighborhood gem

A New York cocktail bar founded by Dave Arnold, Fabian von Hauske & Jeremiah Stone. We specialize in delicious drinks and tasty food.

Your reservation will grant you 90 minutes in one of our tables.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
Phone number
(212) 466-4633
Website
http://www.barcontra.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
Catering
Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com

Location
138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
Award-winning
1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
Neighborhood
Lower East Side
Cross street
Between Delancy and Rivington
Parking details
None
Public transit
JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 268 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.2Service
4.4Ambience
3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Bar Contra shines with "amazingly creative cocktails" and "fantastic, friendly service" in a lively atmosphere. The bar's "nuanced, tasty cocktails" and small plates are a hit, especially the wagyu carpaccio. While prices may be high, the "excellent, creative" drinks and bites offer a unique experience worth trying.

268 Reviews

R
Rhea
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
loved all the drinks!!! madeline was so sweet : ) def coming back to try the food
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N
Nick
New York City
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 5
Made a reservation to celebrate an engagement to my partner and was really excited to try this place. Ive heard nothing but great things. Server messed up our order then made sarcastic comments belittling our experience and saying “you got it mamma” as a response 💀
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I
Iris
New York City
19 reviews
5.0
19 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Drinks to die for. So creative, delicious and unusual. Food equally special.
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N
Nicole
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing service and incredible food. Did not feel rushed at all which never happens in the city!
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K
Katherine
VIP
New York City
96 reviews
3.0
96 reviews
Dined on January 17, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The drinks were absolutely excellent. Food was a mixed bag. Carpaccio and tuna were excellent, roast potato ice cream was a surprising hit. The crumpet was overly oily and disappointing and the mushroom tartlett also didn't deliver. Service was very nice but wish they'd driven the experience more - run us through the menu, make recommendations - it was a bit too casual.
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B
Ben
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 3, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Contra is your favorite bartender's favorite bar right now. Excellent, nuanced, tasty cocktails and similarly great small bites. Come with 2-4 people, have a couple rounds and snacks (get the wagyu tartar), and then walk to dinner in the neighborhood. Or the other way around!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 19, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
Food and drinks were great but our server was not good. Expected better hospitality
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R
Rick
VIP
New York City
70 reviews
4.0
70 reviews
Dined on December 15, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Drinks are great. I have no problem spending money on a quality experience (liked the music btw), and typically spend considerably more when out to dinner. But, if I were to order two drinks each (for 2 people) and enough food to make it a meal, it would be considerably over $200, which is fine except for that price point, I'd dine elsewhere. Come for the drinks.
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H
Hugo
New York City
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on December 13, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We always have a great time at Bar Contra. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Small plates from wild air are delicious and the cocktails are creative and there is something for every one. Theo is the best! We always try to sit at the bar when him and his colleague are there, usually on Fridays. Will be coming back repeatedly
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L
Liza
New York City
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 10, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We will be coming back for those impeccable ice cream desserts! 😍 We had such a wonderful server who took care of us. Very memorable NA cocktail options for our friends too.
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FAQs

Bar Contra is rated 4.4 stars by 268 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 17 times today

138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

Additional information

Award-winning
1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
Cross street
Between Delancy and Rivington
Neighborhood
Lower East Side
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Public transit
JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.barcontra.com/
Phone number
(212) 466-4633
Catering
Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com

Bar Contra

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

What 268 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Bar Contra restaurant rated?

Is Bar Contra currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information