I was on a work trip and stumbled into this dive bar a few times the bartender Rob or Rossi people called him both was awesome the drinks were cheap and the ambiance was just what you want for a dive bar. On my last day in NYC i went and Matty was the bartender he was great. I even met a few regulars this guy Kelly and he's boyfriend Nicky those two are all time can't wait to go back it's a must if you're in East Village! read more

At first I thought it was a cute place but then i interacted with the bartender. I noticed she was nice to all the men and gave them free shots but then acted rudely towards the women. She made my whole group of girlfriends uncomfortable. read more

Such a cool bar. The vibe is laid-back and welcoming, and the drinks are surprisingly well-priced for the area. They make their margaritas with fresh lime juice, so they're NOT too sweet. If you're looking for a place to get away from tourists and drink where locals do, check this place out--it has been around for years. read more

Firstly, I'm not one to leave online reviews but this time around I figured it would be worth it for others looking to enjoy a venue to STAY AWAY from this place as well as bar renamed area 51 within walking distance but i'll be sure to add that experience on their review slot. You would think being closed the owner would reevaluate the business by firing overly drunk bartenders and giving the place a fresh feel but, even with almost a year closed you can see this place will close again soon. The man given a hand me down running the house fired the most valued bartender they've got (claire) and kept the wrong bartenders afloat. As a woman I was disgusted watching the vulgar repulsive behavior of 2 bartenders in specific being Jennifer and Sawyer 1 alone will turn more new customers away on any shift they happen to work especially at this bar. Just sell off the business if you plan not to care for the place anymore. The original owner wouldn't have any of it neither should you. Clean up you're act and clean up the bars while your at it. read more

DO NOT GO HERE. My friends and I were there on December 25th, 2023. We patiently conveyed our order to a blonde bartender (it was a combination of mixed drinks and beer). She was upset we didn't group our order together(meaning we didn't say 3 beers and 2 gin and tonics for example). After we got the drinks and paid for it, we were at our table and she came over (clearly very intoxicated), and proceeded to empty all our drinks on the floor in front of us and kicked us out. By the way, she got half of them wrong and overcharged us for them. We didn't try to correct them because she was being combative. We are bewildered and genuinely confused about the interaction, our only takeaway from the situation being that she was drunk and took out her frustration on us. The manager came over and proceeded to do absolutely nothing. I've been in New York for 14 years and have never had an experience like this. read more

And they're back! Good to see this place open again. It's down the block, drinks are cheap and next to plenty of eats if you get the munchies. read more

A mellow, unpretentious neighborhood bar. Great drinks and people watching. Love the martinis and that my bartender knew how to make a light one that was still delicious. read more

This is my fave dive bar in the neighborhood. Good pours, good crowd, great vibes. Nice and dark how it should be!

Some friends and I made a pit stop between visiting Sake Bar Decibel and Please Don't Tell. Well more specifically, we were waiting for a table at PDT, and International Bar was a short walk away. This typical dive bar was practically empty and just the quick drink we needed to buy time. I had a Gin & Tonic while my friends had beer that was on tap. We sat at a high top table. There were many parts of the bar I didn't get a chance to explore, like the jukebox, outdoor patio, and sandwiches. Amidst all the fancy, expensive bars in NYC, this one seems like a neighborhood go-to. read more

This is a true dive bar in every sense of the word and I loved it! My friend who used to frequent the area said it was her favorite local hangout. Their drinks are very strong and very cheap, which is a rare treasure in New York. The White Russian cocktails come highly recommended. The main bar has a cool semi-circular shape. The bartender was friendly and the other patrons were casual and chill. The bar has a jukebox which gives it an old school vibe. I came with a group of 5 people. The bar has a decent sized outdoor patio and we initially sat there but moved inside when a few other guests started smoking. Inside, there was a large metal table with chairs in a semi-enclosed section at the back of the bar that was perfect for our group. The walls were covered in graffiti, signatures, and poetic musings, creating an intimately grungy, classic New York feel. My group was pretty loud and chatty, but everyone was respectful and left us to enjoy the space. We brought in food from another restaurant and no one seemed to mind. Great place to take visitors or friends for a quintessential East Village experience. read more

The bartender was quite literally the most rude person I've ever met. I asked to order a vodka soda and she told me I've "never been told no in my life so you can't have one" and then proceeded to ask us to leave the bar even though I hadn't had a single drink at the bar. I will never be going back to this bar. The female bartender here should be fired. read more

Needed a place to relax for a bit while it was still nice outside. This spot was open on a Saturday afternoon with both seating inside and out. Standard selection of draft beers to choose from as well as a mandatory food item if staying with a drink. Decided on a pilsner ($7) and a ham sandwich ($3) while taking one of the seats outside. All things considered, not a bad sandwich - simple ham, cheese, and a spicy mustard to spread inside. Bartender here is pretty friendly and all COVID protocols are followed properly. Good dive bar to whittle away some time. read more

International Bar - Beer and ham sandwich - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Come here if you want rude service when ordering drinks from Jen, the bartender. She was hella rude and probably bigoted. Fine, you don't have Grey Goose, but you don't have to be rude about it. Come here if love having a receipt thrown at you. Then have a big angry bouncer ask you to sign a check that flung she flung at you in the first place. The bouncer even tried to emasculate me by demanding that I pick up a pen that he dropped. Fu@£ this $#!+hole place. I will order my drinks at a different bar where they don't serve judgement and attitude with their drinks. read more

The staff are a great time, and the cocktails and drink selection are expansive and killer. Love getting the Long Drink cans, which I've not seen at any other bar in the city. The Patio is nice when you want to get some air without leaving. Overall, a great vibe read more

Perfect dive bar - we came in for one drink but fun crowd and great drinks kept us posted up for the night!

Do NOT go here This place was out of control horrible. Bartender refused to give anyone in the party water, which escalated to a friend being kicked out (fine) and physically attacked by the bouncer (very much not fine) read more

Went to this place once on a whim. Bought six shots, tipped 20% and the bartender made a face... later in the night she refused my group water because we 'tipped like sh*t'. Told us to leave the bar and sit at our table. When we refused she called the bouncer over. He attacked us, and started to choke us. Needless to say he didn't ask us nicely to leave. Once outside his friends joined in on the kicking and choking. More minor complaints, if you still choose to frequent this bar... be prepared for your songs that you pay for in the jukebox to be skipped by the bartender because she doesn't like them. Overall this was easily the trashiest bar I've ever been too. This place doesn't fit in with the other dives, let alone cocktail bars in the area, which are much nicer. Save yourself the trouble and go elsewhere. 0 stars read more

You a fan of dives? No? Stop reading now, as this is pretty much the dive to end all dives: *Bathroom is gross? Check *Beer is cheap? Check (drinking a 3$ Miller as we speak) *Jukebox full of old albums? You betcha Optional requirements *Unkempt back yard? Check *Old dudes talking about NYC's hayday? CHECK *Friendly as hell bartender? Yep This place is the epitome of dive bars that are increasingly hard to find , even in this part of town (RIP arrow bar). Come here for cheap drinks to start a Saturday, or end...well any day. Again though, only if you like a dive (if you don't, we can't be friends). read more

I was there Friday the 18, February. The girl bartender started saying crazy and awful things to my friend because he left less than 20%. Immediately we had a security person egging on a fight after she flagged him down verbally. Him and his friends instantly hit my friend from behind directly in the back of the neck and punched me directly on the face. They made this racial, physical, disgusting, and direct. We were challenged. My friend was punched first right at the entrance of the space as we were walking out. Please review the tapes if you're reading this. He was pushed, touched, and punched. So was I. My friend went back about 30 minutes later to grab a photo of the venue snd they sent a gentleman out to knock him out, which they succeeded in. Violence is never an answer, the bar or friends of the bar directed by the bartender hit first. You can see the guy on the ground holding his head from fear. This place needs a trial and jury. You can't hit people because the bartender said to. Again, Friday 2:30 am, February 18. read more

Amazing! I thing this plce is super cool. Yes. I enjoyed it and they weren't rude to my trans friend unlike niagara which is close to this.

Long live the I-Bar. It moved to larger digs in the past year but maintains the same dark, divey vibe. Drinks are still fiercely strong (and fiercely cheap), making it a prime spot to idle away a couple of hours. The jukebox still rocks with punk classics and the bathrooms are a proper disaster. Unlike the original spot, you can actually move from one end of the bar to the other without spilling a drink...but that was half the charm. read more

A classic reborn - have always loved thiS place so happy it's open again. Nice cheap spot. Got harassed by some drunk guy and the bartender did nothing despite being 2 feet away. Would still go back. 0 frills, a few beers on tap - I think I had a Blue Point. read more

International Bar has grown on me the older I've gotten. Now in my regular rotation, it's definitely a bar that you have to be ready for. It's a neighbourhood dive and if you're not looking for that head on over to crowded and overpriced, Waiting for a Friend or Goodnight Sonny's. If you're looking for a joint with chill people, great prices, and sweet bartenders-- come on in. It's a semi-small bar, with a back room and backyard. Great for small groups or max 5 or so. Loads of regulars and hardly any NYU kids. It's become my friend's meeting spot late and night or to end the night. Currently -- it's decorated in awesome Christmas lights and decorations which makes it even more welcoming. Anyone giving this a one star, probably only enjoys cocktail bars or was outwardly rude to the staff. I've had a great time with the bouncers and bartenders. read more

We came here for an end of the night drink walking through the neighborhood. It's cozy and divey. Only ordered beers about 7 dollars per Heinekens and asked for 3 waters along with the beer and the bartender flat out told me "no water here." I honestly thought it was a joke because she said it so seriously and kept going on with the drink pouring. It wasn't a great first impression and for the price point I think we can find a little bit better in this area. The interior is older and painted over as expected from a dive bar. I usually like it but I think I was just too put off by the staff to continue here so we left . After reading past reviews it looks like we were not the first to experience this. read more

I really can't even describe the insanity of this bar tonight. My friends and I went there while in the neighborhood by his house. Two of us have been there a hundred times if once and clearly the change of staff is impacting experience. After walking into the bar and then being accosted with a bizarre and immediate level of aggression to show our IDs by an intensely mean "security" guy -- who was in the back of the bar drinking -- we ordered drinks and sat at a table minding our own business. I went to get a glass of water and the bartender ignored me for ten minutes before I finally gave up. A few minutes later she declared to the bar that it was last call and then randomly started yelling at everyone in the bar that she "wasn't dealing with anyone's shit tonight" and to pay their tabs and "get the fuck out." My friend attempted to make a joke to her and she literally started screaming at him "No fucking jokes. I'm not kidding. Get the fuck out. I don't want no jokes." At which point we stood up and just walked out despite the fact that most of us still had full drinks. It was beyond nuts. After we left, the weird "security" guy came outside and yelled at us as we walked down the block. I turned around and was like, "That was really not ok. You need to talk to her." At which point he started swearing and yelling at me. I know the previous owner unfortunately passed away. I have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on in this place now, but I do know that my friend and I are not the types to get into altercations with people especially at neighborhood bars we have frequented for years. All of this was just so completely unnecessary. read more

This is the most local, divey place you will ever encounter. I was ID'd at the beginning even though I was meeting a friend. The bartender is a sweetheart and he keeps the culture alive. If you want to watch hockey or basketball, he'll put it on for you! read more

Relaxed and eclectic place with a jukebox and a little background space. Drinks are at decent price. Gin tonic I had was freaking strong, loved it! Dose of Campari was the biggest I've ever seen. Will come back! Liked the review? Check my other reviews for more tips! read more

International Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Before leaving this review, I had to read other reviews to make sure I just didn't have an "unlucky day", but nope, clearly I'm not the only one who has had a shitty service here. I came here January 21,2020. We came here because my friend said she was trying to stay away from another bar around the corner where she had gotten a shitty service before and suggested this place because she's had a good experience here before, so we went. So...we spent 3hrs (6pm - 9pm) here. Our first order was paid cash, and I opened a tab on the second order. When we were ready to leave, I asked to close my tab. Come to find out, I was charged for the previous drinks that we paid cash for in addition to the second round. No big deal, people make mistakes, right? Anyways, I brought it to the attention of the bartender who now was a different bartender from the one we ordered from. So she calls the other bartender who was now seated at the bar drinking with the other bar patrons. She comes over and not only tries to make it seem like I'm lying about it, she proceeds to tell me that I was here for 3hrs and only placed two orders Who does that?!? Basically tries to make me feel shitty about only ordering twice! That is NOT how you treat a customer. You are NEVER getting my business again nor will I ever recommend your establishment to anyone I know. read more

An American Treasure! This is the newest iteration of the East Village classic. The night I visited was everything you would want from an East Village dive bar night--strange people, juke box picks from Bowie to Van Halen to who-knows-what. And then we have a bartender who was merry and sultry and served up drinks with aplomb. She's a keeper! The barkeep and servers rocked on, even in the face off--or despite--having to tell, European party of drinkers after another, that, yes, it's not only customary to tip American barkeeps, but it's also the way said barkeeps actually get paid. It's always been this way in tourist-heavy NYC, but in the East Village, the memos take a while--or decades--that tipping bartenders, and tipping them well, is the ticket to a nice evening of merry-marking America style. At the International Bar, it turns out, it's an essential part of their mission to spread the gospel of tipping. I put down a fiver just to cover a couple of Italian fellas who feigned ignorance! It's just a small gesture to support this legendary spot. read more

Had a great time with our bartender tonight, thanks buddy!! Gave us great service, great recommendations and a great time. Thanks!! Will have to be back soon. Try the habanero beet juice as a chaser. Also the place to start drinking for the night. Affordable drinks, and hey it's NYC!! read more

Flew into NYC from San Diego for a race and happened to stumble on this bar walking around East Village. Inexpensive drinks, cool vibe and music but the Irish Bartender Jen made for a great experience and some laughs . Great convo with some locals too that made for a good night . read more

I went to the bar. Called before I arrived And they said it was OK that I came through. But when I came to the front door the bartender arrived and said I was not allowed because of how I looked and because I with my girl friend . Homophobic bar. Don't go U read more

The international bar... A legend Hard to replace the previous iterations on st marks and then 1 block over, but the spirit lives on Still, nothing but admiration for this place Frankly the new iteration is friendly and the bar more Cozy A new classic What a wonderful place Makes you want to curl up and enjoy a pint or two! read more

Love coming here. Feel good dive, not pretentious. Great employees, strong drinks and pleasant outside area, though my favorite area is that spot between the outside and the main bar. read more

I've heard about the good 'ol days when this was Lilly Coogan's -- apparently had a sweet Buck Hunter game, all-night patio, a Flyin' V-playing bartender named Henry, and nights that went well into the morning. Sounds rad, but so is the newest iteration of the space. Despite name and space changes, this place remains one of the best spots to take an occasional dive. Friendly as hell doorman, cool patio (now until 10pm), and a rad Irish lady bartender. Yes, all this on top of stiff pours at a good price. Sounds like much hasn't changed.. read more

If I could I would give this bar 0 stars. The server and the manager were both rude af to my party and even called my friend a gay slur. We contacted the owner and he accused us of lying about the incident. Absolute trash across the board. Avoid this place. read more

The girl bartender is a complete bitch. I wouldn't dare ask for water because she will not give it to you. Once you close out your tab she will aggressively ask and wait til you give her a tip although she doesn't even deserve one. read more

This review is probably inaccurate because most people wouldn't go to bars at 4 PM on a Saturday...but my BF and I needed a place to chill at before heading to dinner so we found this place. Dim grungy interior with lights laced along the wall like in Stranger Things, bathroom with no mirrors and heavy graffiti, and a dirty darts table in the back--it was interesting seeing the ingredients to a hot messy Saturday night at a bar without the crowd or the noise. The bartender is respectful and nice, no nonsense. We got the shot + beer for $8 and it is what it is. Your typical NY bar, always reliable, which I've come to appreciate after seeing the lack of such in other cities. read more

Such a fantastic dive bar in NYC. Wonderful bartenders and always good people to spend a night with. Be kind and enjoy yourself!

This is the true definition of an American bar. All other bars should model this establishment. The fact that this bar is not open 24 hours a day is an outrage! As a severe alcoholic I can only wish it was so. As soon as I get out of rehab I'm marching straight back. All the bartenders are the best. If you complain about this bar in any way you are a complete moron and a Communist. The end. read more