My girlfriend and I went for drinks one evening! They have a great everyday happy hr from 6 to 8! I ordered Old fashioned Mascal Mule Red wine Lemon drop These drinks were perfect! And Adele the bartender was amazing! read more

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Great happy hour spot for $6 drafts, well drinks, and wine. It is offered everyday from 5-8PM. Can't beat a deal like this! There's not really much they have to offer as there's no TV or bar games like darts or billiards. They do have a lot of space where you can even throw a party in a back room if you're looking for something like that. The bartender that served us was kind and professional. read more

I recently came here with a friend for drinks. A classic dive. There are a ton of tables and a few booths in the corners.

Discovered this place via the happiest hour app. Excellent bar. You will get more than your money's worth. And the bartender Richard has some excellent tunes playing overhead. read more

Great spot for happy hour ($6 drafts, well drinks, and wine). The bartenders were friendly and it's exactly what you'd expect from a dive bar in the area. Plenty of bar seating with additional space in the back. read more

i never do reviews but, after 20 years I must say it's one of my favorite bars., The staff is stellar, great music. cheers to Richard , Georgi, Adele and Heather. great crew. read more

I really wish I could give more than 5 stars, the magician is probably the coolest bar in the entire world. It was me and my friends + partners first time in NY and Heather made this the best experience in the entire world. I really hope she sees this because I hope she knows that she made my trip I hope to meet her again someday. A+++++++ for customer service you will not be disappointed read more

Bartender was attentive and friendly. The drinks were strong and delicious. They definitely don't skimp on the alcohol here. I loved the low lighting. Gives it a relaxing feeling. If all you want is a drink and friendly conversation or just to chillax, this is the place. We need more places like this in NYC!! read more

The Magician - Outside - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

DO NOT COME HERE. I would give it zero stars if I could. the absolute worst establishment i've ever been to. it was also empty when we went it which was very telling. the bartender with the pixie cut was so rude and disgusting to us when we wanted to get drinks. we eventually walked out because we were so appalled by the treatment. Do not come here, you will have an awful time. read more

Wow, where can you get a $4 gin and tonic in the East Village anymore? I came here with my wife yesterday to kill some time before a dinner reservation. The place was packed because it turns out they were hosting an event for a Indy Music Group there. But they still let us come in and even had free pizza which we helped ourselves to. Anyway, we got 2 drinks and the total was only $8. My wife commented that the drinks were strong. The venue is big and holds a lot of people and there are a ton of tables. It's not a fancy place but it has a casual, laid back vibe and the lighting is mellow. It's a "dive bar" but it's also not completely trashy and I'd come back here in a heartbeat. Also the service was great. It looks like a very humble little joint from the outside but it's a great bar to relax and feel at home at. I'll definitely be back again next time I'm in the East Village! read more

The Magician - Ball looks small from the outside but inside it's expansive. Lot of seating too. - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I understand the name of this bar now. Their jukebox is truly magical! They have true American cocktails here. The whiskey collection here is out of this world. The bathrooms really give a western vibe from the saloon door and yellow lighting. Lots of neon clocks read more

The Magician - Beer - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

If you are looking for a quick easy drink , definitely give this place a go. If you are looking for a place with apps, entrees , then skip it , as they don't serve food . I had a couple of white claws and left . read more

It was not a magical experience for me here at the Magician. Recently I've been notoriously well known for being late in keeping with appointments; social gatherings, events, and including on the job. However, the one time when I arrive early the honored birthday individual was a disappointingly "no show" as I appeared evasive circulating the whole venue inquiring "are you Shannon?" Thus, I moved onwards to met with a good friend who was available for comfort from a "no show" planned event. A full-service bar only serving patrons who are of age as the female gate keeper shrew fully inspects valid photo identification in compliance with New York State legal drinking age limit. N.B. Cash only as Tompkins Square Bagels do NOT accept plastic in any genre. In this night In this hour The Magician does not have any real powers here forth To unleash their fury which does not entice patrons' heart read more

The Magician - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Came in on New Year's Eve - place was empty and dark, loud music. The Manhattan cocktail I ordered was expensive and super strong. The restroom was super tight, door opens right into the urinal. Fortunately nobody right there or I would've wacked them with the door basically. It was an alright bar. It was a very chill environment, very atmospheric. My only New York bar experience so I don't know how to compare it. read more

No fuss bar w cash only, plenty of beers to choose from.

DO NOT COME HERE I am always very calm and collected and I have never been so angry in my entire life. Today I lost my phone and was tracking it directly to the magicians bar. Just like I did with all of the surrounding stores, I walked into the bar, said I lost my phone and asked if I could leave a phone number incase somebody turns it in. She said to me rudely that she doubts anyone would turn in an i phone, but I asked again politely if I could leave a number just incase. She very dramatically got out a pen and paper so I could write a number down and when i was done i said thanks and gave her the paper then she crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. I was shocked because everywhere else i went they were very nice about the whole thing. I asked her why she was being rude and she explained that "ITS NOT MY FUCKING PROBLEM" so i said how funny it was that everywhere else i went, the people helped me politely. she went on demanding that i left. So i did. Reading the other reviews... its definitely the same piece of shit girl that was working at the bar for them. She sounds racist and shes definitely got a huge stick up her ass. read more

On Friday, 03/22, before attempting to enter "The Magician," 118 Rivington, my girlfriend & I took a couple photos outside, because we thought they had cool lighting. Before getting the chance to enter, we were met with hostility by a security guard because apparently they thought she "had her hands down my pants" which was impossible for them to see from their vantage point. When we attempted to show her *this* photo we took, she wouldn't look because "it was our private information" she then proceeded to lock the door on us in the freezing cold. The whole experience felt surreal & humiliating. read more

The Magician - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

No-frills bar for happy hour. Definitely enjoyed the $6 well drinks and wine. There's plenty of tables with chairs if you want to sit, so the space is great for meeting a few friends. read more

We love it. Grabbed a few superb pastries from Super Moon next door and had them with a happy hour pint. Super vibey.

I haven't been here in years and I'm not entirely sure why. Happy hour is cheap. Happy hour exists on the weekends. Things I didn't know when meeting up with an old friend for a pint on St. Patrick's day. I feel like we hit the jackpot as far as crowd control goes for these kinds of things. There were no assholes in this bar. It wasn't packed. Plenty of seating in case it did get packed. Several decent beers on tap for under $4-5. Guinness, Magners, IPAS, Genesee ale, Narragansett, etc. Find the little round tables in the back funny because it looks like a set up for a divey diner but there's no food sold in here. You can bring some in, which I did with my loaf of Irish soda bread. read more

Damn cheap: $7 for two beers on a Saturday night? Hot damn. Bummerific that once the jukebox is done, there's no "auto" play... so the silence is truly deafening. Then again, I do appreciate that I can hear my friends in the space. The sound is not too loud. read more

The Magician bar likes to pull the "door magic trick." The short woman with a hat working the front door asks you for your ID upon entry. WARNING: They won't let you in if you you show a NYC ID card. I am 40 years old and I was turned away, had to go home and get my passport, and come back with that as proof of identity. While the NYC ID card website says the following "The IDNYC card does not authorize cardholders to purchase alcohol or tobacco products," EVERY OTHER BAR in the neighborhod accepts and allows the NYC ID card as a form of ID entry. Total pain in the ass. Go elsewhere! https://www1.nyc.gov/site/idnyc/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions.page read more

Very welcoming and inclusive bar. If you go often enough, the bartenders are friendly and they'll remember your drink. I always feel at home and I'll keep coming back! read more

I sort of feel bad about my rating. Let me explain. When my friends and I left Rockwood to go to a place called "The Magician" in the LES, my first thought was "ooooh this place is going to be dark and mysterious". That's what you think of when you hear the name, right? I was fooled! We walked into a diner with Barry M and Neil Diamond playing on the jukebox. The old-school barstools resembled an old ice cream shop. I felt very uncomfortable walking in at 1am! The bathrooms were repulsive, with toilets that refused to flush and doors that didn't lock. There was only one bartender working in this packed joint too! I was expecting red velvet curtains, dark walls, gold ropes with tassels holding them back and top hats. I pictured a security guard with a wand, rabbits and cards! I guess my imagination runs wild when I hear a name such as "The Magician" but I felt totally duped! When you open a bar on the LES and call it a familiarly descriptive name, you need to be careful. I might have liked it a bit more, had it been called "Duke's Parlor" or something along those lines (a bit). The only plus: we were able to get 15 people in easily, sit at a booth in the back and hear each other talk. Sorry, but no magic will bring me back to this place. read more

The moment when you thought you found an awesome new place, but you take a sip of your drink and it tastes and smells like urine. To be specific, it was a Magners Hard Cider on draft--which is normally reliable--and it tasted like the glass was dunked in a toilet prior to serving. Needless to say I did not finish my $3.50 glass of cider and proceeded to loiter for 2 hours at a table instead. It would have been a nice place to sit and chat with cheap (cash only) drinks, but sorry I will not be returning as to avoid drinking another glass of urine. read more

A local bar with a guy checking ID, you can almost miss the place. There's small round tables up front, bigger ones in the back. The drinks aren't expensive, but they are small and weak. The music is modern pop (late 90s and early '00s). The lights are dim, and it reminds you of a noir film... dark and scary and almost black and white with the way it's set up. They don't seem to mind if you bring small snacks in like cookies, though. read more

I absolutely Love this bar my favorite oar was the bartender Katie! She was thorough and simply amazing ! I love how thorough and friendly she is. I plan to go back very soon. I came alone and she made me feel comfie N welcomed. Thank you Katie! read more

Really like this place Great beer selection (on tap/bottled) and always has a pretty good atmosphere. Drinks are pretty cheap too! CASH ONLY! read more

Whoever was working behind the bar at 7:00pm on Monday July 5th, that woman needs to be fired. Im with my friend, I'm the only black dude in the bar and I'm the only one she's harassing to pay for their drink before we even got to take a sip. Then multiple times, she brings back the reciept that I already signed, and asks me to sign it again, claiming that she lost the merchant copy or whatever. When I showed her I already signed it, she rudely says "Lemme put it another way, you didnt tip." Every other I bar go to, the customer pays and tips, when they're ready to leave, but I guess if you're black and this woman is behind the counter, she expects you to pay and tip her right away in order to spare you from her attitude. Oh and lets not forget how she thought she was slick, mumbling asshole under her breath. Racist nasty woman. Plenty of better bars in the area. read more

If you are a person of color, don't bother. Not only is it terrible service (they only service white people). They react and kick you out of the bar if you check the lack of service. Don't bother unless you're a white person with PRIVILEGE. Should have known better walking into a joint of only white people. REGRETS. CHOICES. Money has more value coming from white people. CLEARLY this bar shows this. So disgusted. Fuck you. First and LAST TIME. read more

Sister to my favorite bar in the whole wide world, 12th Street Ale House, I had to try this place. They have the same happy hour - $3.50 Jamesons/ Ketel...stuff like that until 8pm. It's cash only but what a steal! Bartenders are awesome. Ok, other Yelp reviews obviously complain about the draft beers so just don't order draft and you'll be a very happy camper like me. read more

When is 2-for-1 happy hour NOT a welcome deal? I've been late-night after happy hour and that was nice too but for the selection of beers you just really can't beat the happy hour deal. It's spacious with 2 rooms and AMPLE seating which is a huge bonus - I don't think that I've ever seen it where it's standing room only. The people behind the bar are always friendly and there's a jukebox. The selection isn't quite as current as I'd like but when I put on Sweet Caroline you could hear the merry singing along from various patrons in the bar and that's ultimately what you want with a jukebox right? Oh - super bonus - the several coat racks throughout the bar. With the room they have, it's so much nicer than hooks on the wall in 1 place. It's a great go-to bar for me when I'm in that area :) read more

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You swiped right. So did they. You propose meeting face-to-face at the magician. They agree. You exchange several messages before deciding on a day. The night-of arrives and neither of you have ghosted each other. You arrive during happy hour and order a $3 well drink . It's cash only, but there's an ATM just outside. Your date arrives 15 minutes late. You exchange an awkward hello. They ask what you do for a living. You feel dead inside. The small talk continues. You think about leaving, but it's only 7:45 and happy hour goes until 8pm. You order another round. Suddenly, you're both feeling tipsy. Your date tells you their father just died. The funeral's tomorrow. You don't know what to say. You walk away and never text them again. read more

The Magician - How many tinder dates are happening right now? - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

After a work function on Saturday, we weren't ready to go home just yet so we decided to wander the LES looking for a quiet place to have a drink and wind down. We had gone to several places in the surrounding area and for the most part on a weekend night, they were so loud that you couldn't hear yourself think. Enter the Magician, like heaven to our auditory systems. We came inside and although there were quite a few patrons, the music was at a tolerable level and we were able to hear each other talk well enough. Spartan in its decor, Magician doesn't try to be something it's not. The bar along the right wall is big enough to seat perhaps 20-25 people and in front and along the left side there are smallish diner tables. Think 1950's Formica and chrome for the effect. The chairs are distressed painted and fairly comfortable for a ladder-back style chair. The walls have very few nondescript pictures on them and if there is a theme, it has escaped me. Surprisingly, the place is very deep and I wouldn't be shocked if you told me they could house 175 or so people. Drink prices were fair for the city and the bartenders were quick to fill an order. On a strange note, I for sure noticed someone at the bar having food delivered from somewhere else. Whether they worked there or not, I'm not sure. Nor am I sure if this establishment serves food. I can only tell you that we for sure would go back to have a drink if we were in the area. read more

2nd times here Mixologist George never cease to exERT his vast knowledge of mixology and craft coctails. He brings a unique experience from Bulgaria that brings a new life to LES read more

Decent drinks, inoffensive atmosphere, broken clock, spacious back room, great happy hour. Good for groups.

This place is an oasis in the Douchebag Desert that is the Lower East Side on the weekends. Low key, rock fueled joint with inexpensive beers and nice bartenders. Perfect. Plus, lots of cute, bearded hipster dudes for me to make the creep eyes at. Hello. read more

No-frills hangout! We stumbled in after being unamused by some dive around the corner (Motor City?) that was gross and way too loud. Disregard the neon signage in its window; the Magician is nothing like that. The space is dim and a little divey, but bare, with high ceilings and hex-tiled floors - a little more Brooklyn, a little less Detroit. It's perfect for a small group, or people who want to do their own thing and are neither out to be seen, nor interested in seeing anything. That sounds negative but it's not. Want to brood in solitude at the bar? Sure. Want to get up and dance like it's nobody's business? No problem. Want to PDA it up in a corner with your sweetie? Go ahead. Want to bring your Magic (ha! ha!) cards and calculate manna into the wee hours? Actually, that's perfect. The woman checking IDs inside was super friendly and came by our table to give props to our friend who had zoned out of our conversation on consciousness and collective vaginas and was swaying in his chair, groggy-eyed, to the music. ...The music the whole time was the opposite of what I wanted to hear (Warm smell of colitas-! rising up through the air-! ...and then... Lola! El oh el ay Lola!) but it was jukebox-regulated, so my fault for not commandeering the thing. On a Friday past midnight it wasn't too hectic - people hover at the tables near the front/bar, but there's a whole roomful of more tables toward the back. Drinks are surprisingly cheap (well + whiskey were $13 together) and not weak. Bartender was attentive and speedy with no need for flagging, which is awesome considering how crowded the bar area was and the fact that I seem to be perpetually obscured by beer taps. Come with: cash, good company. There is an elementary-school-cafeteria feel to this place, so have your posse on hand. read more

Yes, the drinks are cheap - if you get served. customer: Kettle dirty up, please. bitter bartender: I'm not making any more martinis until happy hour is over. (There's an hour left.) customer: *dumbstruck* bitter bartender: In the time I make that, I can serve three people. (The bar behind which she stood was itself was 1/3 empty and the place overall - not busy.) customer: In the time it's taken us to have this conversation, you could have made it! It's vodka w/a splash of olive juice - not complicated. bitter bartender: Why don't you have something else? customer: I don't want something else. bitter bartender: Why don't you have it on the rocks? customer: Cuz I want it up. bitter bartender: *shrugs and and walks away* customer: *dumbstruck* bitter bartender (back to get beer from the tap): I'm not changing my mind. customer: It's a BAR. bitter bartender: And we reserve the right to make or not make ... Customer tunes out and walk away. This was after the bitter bartender said to associate of said customer (ME) that in 17 years of bartending she'd never heard anyone ask for a vodka and seltzer and that she must not be from around there. As if 80% of anyone on the island of Manhattan is from NYC these days ANYway! read more

The LES has always been a favorite area for me to go out in, but somehow I missed out on this inauspicious gem of a bar. In an age when every bar has some sort of gimmick going, The Magician refreshingly and perhaps ironically doesn't have any tricks up its sleeve. There's plenty of seating at the bar and there's a back room for larger groups as well, which is where our posse of fifteen or so positioned ourselves this past Saturday. What's cool is, since they don't serve their own food, you can bring in food from other places that are nearby; we had food from a Middle Eastern joint, a pizza place and a Japanese vegan eatery! You'd think I'd be able to do dry cleaning as well... Both of the bartenders on duty were totally cool but more importantly could pour a stiff drink. At one point in the night, one of my friends didn't have enough cash so the bartender said just come back when you do? WTF, in a good way (my friend Ranit went to an ATM and came back 30 minutes later to pay off the tab, and the bartender replied that she just set the tone for good times for the rest of the evening). The jukebox is a treat as well, and I managed to get on a good mix of Bowie, The Beatles, Bill Withers and The Cure for my two bucks. I could go on, but this is already a lot to write about a pretty regular, unpretentious bar, so I'll just end the review just like that. read more