Welcome to Bar of the Week, a running series from TV and City that highlights New York’s best spots for drinks, vibes, and just the right amount of chaos.
Each week, we spotlight one bar. Sometimes it’s a cozy cocktail lounge. Sometimes it’s a sprawling beer hall. Sometimes it’s a barely-marked door behind a fake hardware store. We don’t try to cover every bar in the city. Just the ones we actually go to. The ones we’d take a friend, a first date, or someone visiting who asks, “So where do you usually hang out?”
These aren’t curated for algorithms or chasing clout. They’re the bars that make up New York. One week at a time.
🍻 Bar of the Week: The Hoptimist
📍 Location: 422 Amsterdam Avenue (between W 80th & 81st), Upper West Side
🚇 Nearest Subway: 79th St (1), 81st St–Museum of Natural History (B, C)
Vibe: A low-key beer temple for serious drinkers and curious sippers, with the soul of a small-town shop and the beer list of a national showcase.
🍺 Why We Love It
The Hoptimist is one of those bars that sneaks up on you. What looks like a modest storefront on Amsterdam Avenue opens up into a chill, inviting space where beer is treated with reverence but never with snobbery. Or, well, maybe a little bit of snobbery, in the best possible way.
This is not the place to order a Bud Light. If that’s your speed, you might feel a bit out of place here. But if you’re the type always searching for the next great IPA, or you know the difference between hazy and West Coast, then The Hoptimist will feel like home. The taps rotate frequently, with a strong emphasis on New York State breweries, and there’s always something new to explore. That’s part of the appeal. You come once, you get hooked, and then you keep coming back because the menu never stays the same.
Behind the counter, you’ll find an incredibly knowledgeable guy who is genuinely excited to help guide you to something you’ll enjoy. Whether you like sours, pilsners, stouts, or anything light and crisp, he’ll walk you through what’s fresh and how to build a pour list that fits your mood.
This is also the kind of spot that makes you want to turn beer drinking into a ritual. It’s a perfect weekly tradition bar. The type of place you and your boys stop at after work or before a night out. The vibe is good, the staff is helpful, and it all feels like it’s run with care.
🍻 What to Order
Start with a flight. For a great price, you can sample four beers from the rotating tap list, which is ideal if you’re feeling indecisive or just want to try a range of styles. If something stands out, you can order it in a size that fits your mood: 5-ounce tasters, 10-ounce half pours, or a full 16-ounce pint. The 5oz option is especially rare and appreciated. You can explore a full spectrum of flavors without overcommitting to any single one.
If you fall in love with something, you can also take it home. The fridge in the back is stocked with cans, four-packs, and even growlers to go. And if you’re not quite ready to leave, you can drink the to-go beers in-house for a small upcharge.
They’ve also got food, and not just filler food. The menu changes but usually includes reliable comfort options that pair well with everything from a crisp pilsner to a funky farmhouse ale. And there are often food deals that make it even more worth the stop.
🗽 Why It’s a TV and City Pick
The Hoptimist gives off real mom-and-pop energy, even if there isn’t technically a mom and pop behind the bar. You can just feel the care that’s gone into building the place. It’s warm, neighborhood-y, and run by people who actually love beer.
In a city where too many beer bars feel corporate or cold, The Hoptimist gets it right. It’s for regulars. It’s for recommendation conversations. It’s for finding that one brew you’ll be talking about for weeks. This is a bar built on passion, poured one glass at a time and always worth returning to, because you never know what’ll be on tap next.
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