ultra low key, tucked away, divey, mid 30s crowd with a no nonsense bartender and plenty of seating room on a Friday evening. have some interesting sipping mezcals and tequilas. read more

Had broken glass bartender gave another drink without paying extra. Felt like she had an attitude though. Ambiance chill. No corona light, French 76, bloody marry, sex on the beach. So no cranberry range juice or peach schnapps I'm guessing read more

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Cool little chill spot for drinks . Cocktails and Guinness . They have live music sometimes. Wooden benches and pretty lights. They also play UK music mostly older stuff but it's cool. I don't think they have food but saw a group bring in a pizza so I guess you can bring your own. Probably good for Girls Night get-together or just weekend drinks. 5th Street between 2nd and 3rd . East Village. They have Hot Toddy in cooler weather. read more

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The bar itself was great and such a great space but the bartenders were unbelievably rude and unfriendly. They called out patrons for "poor tips" that were over 20%. Amazing bar but needs new bartenders read more

Lovely little neighborhood bar with a pleasant ambiance and a decent selection of beers on tap. Bartender made a great old fashioned and was very pleasant. read more

After dinner, my party girl friends still wanted to go out so we went to a bar near by where we were. This small bar looks mysterious to is so my friends decide to step in. It was Sunday night and we were surprised they had a live music. We enjoy the music and people were getting in a place more. I havd a great time with my friends. read more

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I've been here for school happy hours, most recently today with a professor and all his students. It hasn't been great. The bartenders are rude and overwhelmed. The space is tiny and crowded. The temperature is absurdly hot. There's bad reception by the bar. And it's loud as hell, even during the fall. It's good for small groups, especially if you're looking to sit in the small, cute alcove in the back, which is the saving grace of this bar. Otherwise, there are other bars that are just more comfortable and welcoming to be in! read more

Scratcher - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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The PERFECT place for date night OR to have a big birthday party, like we did! Low-key, comfortable, beautiful-but-filled-with-character. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The kind and attentive bartender kept the drinks flowing and didn't mind that we had pizza delivered from John's on Bleecker (still the best pizza in town), as well as cupcakes from pastry chef @lady.ashton (the best we'd ever tasted--contact her on IG for the cupcakes of your dreams). Thanks, Scratcher, for a wonderful night. We'll be back soon! read more

Love this place. A true hidden gem. No frills, relaxed, awesome spot. Highly recommend Scratcher

The Scratcher Sessions musical performances are wonderful. The no talking during the performances policy really makes it special for a bar. I wish the ventilation was better and that they had 2023 air filtration since the ceiling is very low and the bar is crowded. read more

- this is my new go-to bar now that Shoolbred's has shuttered it's doors (RIP) - comparable pricing ($10 for my titos on the rocks and $7 for my friend's lagunitas draft) - uncrowded (even at midnight on a saturday), unpretentious, not loud, cozy and near my house - not the friendliest of bartenders, but attentive nonetheless read more

Weird place for a bar, but it's a hidden gem. Cozy atmosphere and good music makes for a good time. Great spot!

Honestly, like -- this is one of my favourite bars but mostly due to memories and aesthetic. Most of the time, the bartenders are rude af or just don't give a damn. Often times they're talking to their friends and regulars. If you can get ignore that it's a pretty chill bar. Happy Hour is good, but the mixed drinks are weak. If you sit there for a while and rub the bartender's asses (BE EXTRA EXTRA NICE, WAIT 10 MINUTES FOR A DRINK, RETURN YOU GLASSES TO THE BAR) You can get an actual decent pour. That being said -- it actually it one of my favourite bars. It's just an awesome place to mellow out in and they take card. The seating is great for small groups. And I adore the medium sized alcove in the back for a group. They're open pretty late, but are known for just shutting down whenever it gets a bit dead. On Sunday evenings there is live music! read more

Cozy little bar near Greenwich and east village. A good place to stop in for a beer with friends. They have a good selection and a happy hour of $2 off draft beers. The bartender was friendly as well. read more

Chill is such a crappy word. Millennials use it too much. But here I am, a millennial and you know what? Scratcher is a chill bar. With chill prices and chill beer (chilled beer too!). So go there to chill out. read more

Wanted to find a quieter alternative to McSorley's closeby, and stumbled into this little bar. It was pretty loud on a Saturday night but that's kind of to be expected. We sat at a table close to the bar which gave us easy access to drinks and gave us enough privacy to have a conversation. There's a good range of beer and pretty reasonably priced. They did close up shop at 3AM when it was supposed to be 4, which is kind of annoying but not a dealbreaker. Dimly lit and feels pretty intimate. A good place to talk over drinks. read more

Went in there for a few drinks with a friend around 8 pm on a Tuesday. Very nice and friendly vibes from the place. Is a low key watering hole in a busy neighborhood but has a calming feel to itself. Drinks were reasonable and the collection of liquor seemed adequate. A very no frills place and I had a great time catching up with my friend. The bar lived up to its "bar" quality. read more

I had a great experience at this bar the first time I stumbled across it, but have had bad luck with it since. The most recent time I went back, the two female bartenders were slow and unfriendly. It was very disappointing because I had brought a group of 10+ people hoping for a fun time, but we ended up leaving to find a new bar. We used to make this bar a destination, but now I'm not sure that we'll go back. And they don't have fireball shots! Still three stars because the bathrooms are usually clean and their limited drink selection is affordable. read more

Can't beat it! Please don't go. I want it all to myself. And yes, the people are pretty cool. If I could wish for one thing, it would be to have some single malt scotch on hand. Great bar to lay back with a scotch. And maybe turn down the music just a little bit. Other than that--great f-in place! read more

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Yo, am I blind?! Where the fuk are the lights up in hea?! Who grabbed my ass?! Yea, its dark. I've been up in the cut a bunch back in 2011...and I never reviewed it. I guess I didn't wanna let y'all know it was ill. Its kinda gotten vanilla and lost some of its grit/flava' since then, so its safe to let the cat outta the bag. Good for HH: affable bartenders and cheap-ish cocktails. Chill/relaxing/casual vibe...reminds me of my stoner friends' basement. ...except I gotta pay for my draanks. Scratch this. read more

A nice cozy bar where you can sit down and actually hear your friends talk! It's quite dim so there's definitely a more intimate feel to it but it's a low-key Irish bar which I really appreciate and the drink prices aren't bad either with a good happy hour. Pretty good seating available, although I do wish they had some bites. Another thing I noticed is that the wooden seats at the tables are a connected bench LOL so hopefully you're sitting next to someone you're comfortable with! read more

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a regular of this bar. I come exactly once a week, on the same night, to enjoy the same happy hour with the same bartender. I meet a group of friends that I enjoy speaking at reasonable levels with, and this is a perfect bar to do it at. The musical tastes are good, and not too loud before it gets crowded. During happy hour (M-F 4pm-8pm), draughts are $4. They have Smithwicks and Boddingtons, and that is enough for me to be happy. They have a book of menus and bringing takeout into enjoy while drinking is not a problem. That being said, I would not be caught dead here on a Friday or Saturday night. read more

If you want to be yelled at by a drunk bartender then, by all means, go to Scratcher. The worst thing about Scratcher is that, at first glance, it seems like a fine place. The music is alright (if you can stand them playing the same Radiohead album over and over again every Thursday night) and the ambiance is tolerable. It looks like any darkened date bar. Then you meet the bartenders. The woman bartender, who is perpetually strung out, and her angry Irish counterpart. When they are actually behind the bar- which isn't often mind you- they provide mostly the worst service you could possibly expect from a bar. If you ask for a PBR (which they run out of at about nine PM every night) they glare at you like you just punched their mom in the face before lazily opening the can and handing it to you. If you don't tip them for every single drink they call you out on it. Not a polite "Is there something wrong with my service?" No. That would be too nice for an employee of Scratcher. They just say: "Where's my tip, you bitch?" So, basically, what you have to remember at Scratcher is that drinks are actually a dollar more expensive than they are on the menu. Well, more expensive if you don't want to be yelled at by their staff. Example: Last night a group of friends and I were waiting at the bar for drinks. We'd been waiting for some time so I rose my hand to flag her down. She stopped in the middle of what she was doing to tell me that I was a bitch and that she wouldn't serve me. So, I'm a bitch for flagging down a bartender for drinks. Wonderful. This is just what I wanted from my night out. This was after I tipped her all night too. Scratcher is the worst possible bar in the East Village. If you want to go somewhere to get insulted for expecting good service- then it is the place for you. If not, try one of the other 800 bars in the East Village. Other bars which are cheaper than the overpriced Scratcher. Every time I come back with friends (who inexplicably like this place) I think it will be different- that, perhaps this time, I won't be showered with profanity for expecting decent service from a sober bartender. I guess that's just too much to expect from Scratcher. read more

Couldn't be more relaxed. Perfect to bring someone you love or a couple of friends and have a kickback with a couple of brews. Not Rowdy or anything like that. If you're in the neighborhood go. You won't regret it. And besides I'm the hours of 3 to 8 p.m. including weekends you can get $5 Blue Moon. read more

Scratcher - Interior seating. - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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It's a Wednesday night. It's about 2am and you know you have to be at work in about 5 1/2 hours. What do you do? Why you goto Scratcher, that's what you do! We came here because one of us happened to live across the street and recommended this place. Actually, we came here because every other place that we went to was closed or was closing. We came in here, and the first thing that caught my attention was Depeche Mode playing in the background. Any place that has awesome 80's music playing automatically gets an Ebert-like thumbs up from me. Even though every place was closed, the barkeep at Scratcher made no attempt to throw us out or to inform us that they wanted to close up. As far as they were concerned, we were customers and they were there to serve us. And quite happily, I might add. Just a cool place to goto, especially when your idea of combating insomnia is to hit a bar on a Wednesday night. Warning: watch your step because its in the basement of the building. read more

I was here on a weekday evening during happy hour ($4 beer!) and there were enough people around so that it didn't feel dead, but, just barely. It's a chill bar. Not a dive, but, nothing fancy. The words "watering hole" came to mind, and I don't mean that in a bad way--I know people who'd walk in here and think it's the perfect bar. Be warned: for reasons I didn't clue on to and didn't endeavour to learn, the place is overwhelmed by a strong smell of incense. You get acclimated to it quickly but, then, the human mind is designed to get acclimated to anything. If you were raised in an ashram, you'll feel right at home here. read more

I know I'm shooting myself in the foot for sharing this Irish pub -- but sharing is caring right? Anyway, the Scratcher is a one of those hidden pubs with a non-descript sign out front -- on waiter/waitress service, no doorman and no loungy atmosphere. If you are looking for bottle service, fraternity party atmosphere, Britney/Paris-types or a cheesy pickup scene, this isn't the place to visit. If on the other hand, you want a dark, cozy place to grab a few drinks with friends without the bridge & tunnel crowds that infiltrate the East Village on the weekends, then this Irish Pub might be the perfect place. Scratcher is the perfect place to focus on drinking and conversing...no scenes, no attitude and no rowdy crowds on the occasions we've quaffed pints of ale and Irish whiskeys at dirt cheap prices... Bravo Scratcher for keeping it real! read more

Love this place. It was wild and woolly last night, but in a good way. People are so friendly here, it's insane*. The DP and I were kindly asked if we wouldn't mind switching tables with another group, since we were only two and they were seven, and they bought us a round! Also, great music selection - like something I would have running on my mp3 player. Score! *not sure what this means, but I am going with it! read more

Coming to Scratcher scratched a long time itch of mine and made it well now :) ....haha...I pass by this place all the time and always thought it was cool to check out....and finally I did. Although it took me a year to finally come in here, it's better late than never. I also was intrigued to find out the name of this place because all they had outside to distinguish itself was a logo of an eye and two x's.....and now that I have, I feel a little more fulfilled! I came on a weekday...they had drinks specials...like 6$ for a PBR and a shot...not bad...the bartenders are laid back and the place was cozy. One thing I didn't like was that the chairs were attached, so you had to sit next to your friend and feel a little restricted.....not like I didn't like the bonding..but it's hard to explain unless you see for yourself. It was a good experience and I'd go back again! read more

Got here at 2:30 am, the bar is supposed to be open until 4 according to yelp. We walked a couple of blocks to find out the bar was already totally shut down read more

I'm certain that this little underground watering hole would average out to four stars after visiting on a weekend night when the charm of the little space is obscured by the trite throngs of the Lower East Side. However, it was five sparkly stars on a Monday night - perfect for the anti-Valentine's Valentine date I was sort of on. Nice and private, but minimal PDA from the couple couples that were in attendance. The music, presumably controlled by a living, breathing DJ tucked out of site in some mini cavern somewhere, was non-incidental; The Cure, MGMT, stuff like that. Sorry I never found out if it was cash only or not because for the first time practically ever, I was prepared with the lettuce in hand. We had our first pints of ale at 9:30 p.m. or so. The next round, I made the leap from Blue Moon to a Guinness...the one woman manning the bar was definitely in her happy place; consequently, I went all the way to the bathroom and back and the drinks still weren't ready. It doesn't take THAT long to fill a pint glass with frothy stout! In a generally good mood, I waited patiently while she talked to a young, edgy looking married couple she seemed to know well and multitasked a bit with White Russians for a party known as "the film people" seated at a table. She told me one of my beers would arbitrarily be charged at the happy hour price. When she finally brought me the drinks, she said, "They're both happy hour, because I knew that took FOREVER." Sweet! Soon, we were convinced that neat whiskey and dirty martinis were definitely the way to go, tomorrow be damned. She poured generous tumblers of whiskey and made proper martinis (meaning she chilled the glass by setting it aside with ice in it, meaning she knew that the default base when someone says "martini" is gin, and not VODKA, as some greehorns actually believe). The unexpected bonus was a huge cup of olives that she plunked down at our table, saying, "Olives. I forgot these. Here they are." It was as big as the cup that most bars keep behind the counter so they can garnish a hundred separate martini orders. The next time I went and got yet another dirty martini, I thanked her for the most lavish helping of olives I had ever received in my life. "Oh! Yeaaah, seriously, what happens in bars is that we have to use all the juice out of the jar for dirties, then the olives get dry and we end up just throwing tons of them away. So obvious, but I had never figured that out. "That's HORRIBLE!" I shrieked, eyes even watering a bit. Yeah, I was buzzed. "Do you just want like a whole PINT glass of olives?" She asked nonchalantly. Hell yes...so we picked off about three pounds of salty, pitless olives. The result? The clock moved like it was on time lapse photography and we shut the place down at 4 a.m.... No hangover the next morning - just puckered lips and an intense feeling of unquenchable thirst, not to mention a level exhaustion tormenting even the hairs on my head. This was an original experience, probably thanks mainly to the bartender (who also brought us tall ice waters without us asking right when we needed it), along with the nude paintings on the bathroom doors (though a couple dudes still utilized the facilities behind the door with the naked, breasty female on it)... To preserve this enjoyable atmosphere as the brine filled jar preserves a turgid olive, I will never bother to come here on a weekend night. Weekdays, however, will be other stories. read more

Roderick A. parked right in front of this place on a cold, rainy/misty Wednesday night when we were attempting to whisk away Lynn F. from her E. Village apartment. we kind of disregarded it and went to a diner for for some laughs and grub- we went to all the bars that night... and mysteriously, they all close at 1am. what?!?! so we ended up back here- at Scratcher. dark, good I-Pod tunes, good vibe, and a friendly bartender awaits as you walk in. had no clue of what we were getting ourselves into- but boy... was it steamin' hot up in there. seriously... it was 80 degrees and i couldn't breathe. i had to step outside a few times. i think i had more fun chilling outside of the bar than actually in it. Audrey J. and i shrieked at rats/mice, sang old 1990's R&B hits, and caught a little bit of rain/mist on ourselves... but it was okay. the bathrooms are scary- i heard a rat/mouse as i was washing my hands... ick! the drink i had was TOO sour. overall- would i come back? only if someone was already there- i sure wouldn't pick it for myself. =) read more

Clean, cozy, and right across the street from where I live. What more could a bar offer? Oh, wait. Strong mixed drinks for cheap prices. There we go! read more

This place is awesome. Atmosphere: Dive, but not really, kinda classy feeling to it. Nice lightening, cool vibe. Drinks: Great drink specials, some type of happy hour. Great spot to grab a drink with friends. No real natural light other than the 2 tables by the window, so a bit dark inside. With that said ... Happy Hour!! read more

The Scratcher is kind of hidden down in a basement area of a brownstone on 5th Street. It's a real gem if you can find it. It's a low key and casual hang out, where you can go to read a book at the bar and indulge yourself in a nice mug of beer, or you can meet up with some friends after work and just relax in a home-like environment. read more

If I had to write a review about this bar within the first few seconds of entering on Friday night, I would probably have given it three stars. Pretty decent atmosphere, not uncomfortably crowded, but no real music. A laid back atmosphere to down a few before heading somewhere else. Or so I thought. Why the one star? Simply put, the service was god awful. But service usually stinks in a crowded bar on a Friday night, you say? Not like this. Seriously, though. I've been in crowded bars before, and most bartenders have enough tact to say something along the lines of "I'll be with you in a second", "Just a sec", or even a simple hand gesture to indicate that your presence has been acknowledged. Apparently that's too much to ask at this place. After being rudely told to "Hold up" numerous times, and after being called "bossy" for having the audacity to request eight shots of a ridiculously easy-to-make SoCo and Lime (which they managed to butcher anyway), I decided to leave a tip that I felt was pretty much commensurate with the service I received from the two bartenders. I, of course, was called out for leaving such a "low" tip (even though it was more than 10%). I'd call that VERY geneous, all things considered. I walked out of the bar with a friend, and one of the busty gargolyes actually FOLLOWED ME OUTSIDE to tell me that I'm no longer welcome at the bar. Heh. I don't think they were referring to me, everyone. According to the bartenders, NO ONE is ever welcome here. Stay. Away. read more

Came here on a date and loved it immediately. Unassuming, cozy and warm and close to my apartment. What's not to like? The bartenders were friendly, the beer selection was pretty good (I'm always sold on a pumpkin beer), and I ended my night with a pickleback. Which perhaps clouded my judgment slightly, But I stand by my review. Visit for a low key drink, a chill night out with friends or just to get drunk, and try to keep it a secret. We don't need this turning into Whiskey Town, now do we? (Psst, we don't). read more

My favorite bar in NYC. Always laid-back with great music on the jukebox (and live on Sundays) and the bartenders are super friendly. read more

Cheap, very low-key, and relaxing place for a group of friends to talk and get a beer. Jukebox was good too. This place easily got crowded at weekend nights so make sure to be early if you want to get good seats. read more

So I THINK this place will likely grow on me. Its kind of hard to find, laid back, pretty quiet, and has a cool crowd. Their liquor selection is limited, as is their beer selection, but they have the essentials. Its clean and well lit, so I could definitely see it as a nice place to saddle up with a book or a paper and just hang out, if you are feeling in the mood for imbibing something a bit "warmer" than coffee at some random cafe. read more