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: Tap A Keg
📍 Location: 2731 Broadway, Upper West Side
🚇 Nearest Subway: 103rd Street (1)
Vibe: One of the last true dives in the neighborhood. Dim lights, cheap drinks, no pretense. Just vibes.
🪑 Why We Love It
In a part of Manhattan where bars often veer toward trendy cocktail lounges or overpriced gastropubs, Tap A Keg stays proudly stuck in its ways. It’s dark. It’s worn-in. It smells faintly of beer and nostalgia. And it’s all the better for it.
There’s a pool table in the back, a jukebox powered by TouchTunes (though expect dad rock to be the default soundtrack), and bartenders who pour stiff drinks without much fuss. It’s a regulars’ bar through and through, but friendly enough for a casual pop-in. If you’re looking for somewhere to sip a beer in peace and not be judged for your drink order—or your outfit—this is your place.
🎯 What to Order
Keep it simple: a bottle or a pint. This is not the bar for a mezcal negroni or lavender syrup anything. You’re here for a cold beer, maybe a shot, and the unbothered simplicity of it all.
🌆 Why It Stands Out
Tap A Keg might not be flashy, but it’s rare. The Upper West Side doesn’t have many spots like this left — true dives that aren’t trying to pretend they’re anything else. It’s honest. It’s gritty. It’s the kind of place where the walls have stories, and no one’s in a rush to leave.
🗽 Why It’s a TV and City Pick
Sometimes you want a bar that feels lived-in. A spot that’s stayed the same while everything around it’s been knocked down and rebuilt. Tap A Keg is that rare breed of a local, low-key hangout in a city that doesn’t always make space for places like this anymore. We’ll take that over bottle service any day.
TV and City 