Top 8 Best Clubs in New York, NY [2026 GUIDE]

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Top 8 Best Clubs in New York, NY [2026 GUIDE]

Best of New York

With over 89 venues in New York, there are many places to choose from whether you're looking for a crazy night out or a lounge atmosphere. Don't worry! We're going to list out the best clubs in New York, NY that you should definitely check out.

Tao Downtown

Tucked away within the grandeur of Tao Downtown’s restaurant is a hidden gem and “in the know” oasis called Tao Downtown Nightclub. Separate from the restaurant, the 2500 sq foot drinks-only lounge has kept a low-key profile attracting VIPS and celebrities for late night/wee-hour cocktails, music and dancing. A lot of people don’t even know there’s a nightclub, as it is tucked away in the corner of the huge Tao complex, away from the dining area. The club is located one stair down and it’s so intimate and dark, it almost feels like a speak-easy. Tao Downtown Nightclub is one of the Meatpacking hotspots these days for those in the know, and it can be tricky to get in on weekends. It is important to note that dining at the restaurant does not guarantee entry into the club.

369 W 16th St New York, NY 10011
Meatpacking District
11 PM – 4 AM Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat
Dress Code: Strict
$$$

RSVP at Tao Downtown

PHD Downtown

OR those who have spent years absorbing life lessons from “Entourage,” PH-D is Xanadu: a glittering room of celebrities, beautiful women and cresting credit-card bills. The nightclub, which opened in June on the roof of the Dream Downtown hotel, is the latest endeavor from the impresarios behind Marquee, Tao and other successful playgrounds for the well heeled. One recent evening, patrons looking for a soupy breather packed the terrace, a walkway flanked by black couches and groomed shrubbery. Bottles of Champagne and vodka cooled in tabletop ice basins. A man wearing a blue-check dress shirt and white trousers captivated pals with a joke from the trading floor. The kicker: “I’m on margin right now and can’t call you back!” Nearby tenement apartments seemed several universes removed. At the southern edge of Chelsea, PH-D sits atop Vikram Chatwal’s 316-room hotel, which also houses a poolside beach club and a steakhouse. While other lounges cultivate the timeworn comfort of a great-aunt’s living room, PH-D is a fine-cut diamond of glass and polished surfaces. Triple-tiered chandeliers with hundreds of glass rods hang above marble tables and leather seats. Midtown twinkles in the expansive view. THE CROWD A testament to the timeless compatibility of wealth and attractiveness, PH-D is a crush of men in business-casual attire and women who rarely spend weekdays in an office. Like tipsy flamingos, models teeter around the room and dance on couches. At a recent installment of the popular Tuesday night party, a few craned over Wilmer Valderrama, an actor from “That ’70s Show,” who shared bottles of vodka with cronies and rapped along with Jay-Z records. Later that week, Edward Norton and Woody Harrelson stopped in, perhaps reminiscing about “The People vs. Larry Flynt.” GETTING IN PH-D is no shoebox (capacity: 400) but table reservations, IMDb profiles and tear sheets from Céline help to lubricate an elevator ride upstairs. Everyone else is left to the mercy of the doorman after 9:30 p.m. DRINKS The emphasis is on table service, but more-frugal customers can lurk at the bar. Thriftiness is relative: specialty cocktails are $18, and with tax and tip automatically added to the bill, a Jameson on the rocks surpasses $21.

355 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011
Chelsea
Dress Code: Strict
$$

RSVP at PHD Downtown

PHD Midtown

“Offices, offices, offices,” said Matt Strauss, the managing partner of PHD Terrace in Midtown. “Tourists, tourists, tourists.” He was waving toward the kaleidoscopic lights and humanity glob of nearby Times Square, visible from the two-floor lounge that opened in early October atop the Dream Midtown hotel. “But we’re infusing it with our brand of downtown cool,” he said. “Brand” is the right word. The Tao Group’s mastery of the models-and-bottles equation has built powerhouse night-life franchises like Tao, Lavo and Marquee; this is the second PHD (the original is above the Dream Downtown in Chelsea). In a neighborhood with dreary drinking options, even a cut-and-paste hot spot for happy hour is a useful addition. THE PLACE PHD is on the 15th and 16th floors of the Dream Hotel, on an unremarkable Midtown block with an Amalgamated Bank and Starbucks. The rooftop is enclosed during the winter, but plants are abundant, vines snake along the wall behind the bar and benches have plaid picnic-style pillows. Downstairs is a clubby rectangle, all dark hues and reflective metal and glass; it’s like being inside a humming kitchen appliance. THE CROWD Catering to an older after-work contingency means an earlier party. On a recent weeknight, the herd thinned by midnight, though fedoras, leather jackets, man buns and black bodycon dresses remained at tables stocked by promoters. “There’s a lot of young professional guys and girls,” a 35-year old man in a gray suit said. “You can’t tell me there’s not a market in Midtown.” He came with co-workers from the financial technology sector, but he was the last one remaining. “I’m a degenerate, so I’m still here,” he said. PLAYLIST Tunes wafting across the rooftop are deep house and chill. Downstairs, the D.J. played Drake songs, Future songs and songs featuring both Drake and Future. GETTING IN A doorman in the lobby guards the elevator and functions more as a traffic cop than a velvet rope. Table reservations are available. DRINKS Amstel Light is $8. Cocktails like the Hot to Trot (tequila, cucumber, agave, jalapeño) are $16. Food is served until late; buttermilk fried chicken waffle tacos ($12) sound like food blog schizophasia.

210 W 55th St New York, NY 10019
Times Square
Dress Code: Strict
$$

RSVP at PHD Midtown

Loosie's

Subterranean in both location and spirit, Loosie’s is an edgy club beneath Moxy Lower East Side with a killer sound system and no-attitude dance floor. Bold materials — cement-like walls embedded with metallic specks, a scaffolding-inspired cage above the bar — reflect the grittiness of the Lower East Side.

145 Bowery, New York, NY , USA New York, NY 10002
Lower East Side
$

RSVP at Loosie's

Elsewhere

Elsewhere lives by an ethos of creative risk-taking, progressive music programming, respect for all people and art, and a desire to support and grow the communities that make it all possible. Elsewhere has multiple performance spaces, a large rooftop, a gallery, a loft café, and an outdoor courtyard, and operates a seasonal art program called Landscape.

599 Johnson Ave New York, NY 11237
East Williamsburg
Varies depending on events
Dress Code: Casual
$$

RSVP at Elsewhere

Gabriela

A blissful escape that brings us together. All are welcome here, unless they are unwelcoming. Have as much fun as possible, but never at anyone else’s expense. Come wearing Docs or Dolce - none of that will make a difference as long as the music is what brought you. If you’re here for the music then you’re here for the same reason we are. That’s what we dreamt up.

RSVP at Gabriela

Elsewhere (Zone One)

599 Johnson Ave New York, NY 11237
East Williamsburg
Varies depending on events
Dress Code: Casual
$$

RSVP at Elsewhere (Zone One)

Mood Ring

The Place Under the silent shadows of the Myrtle Avenue elevated train, the bar stands out with its bright cobalt-painted exterior. Inside, a triangular bar is surrounded by a series of circular banquettes. Down a dark corridor, there are two gender-neutral bathrooms and what looks like a vintage arcade game but is actually an artwork guests can play. The back room serves as a modest dance floor on weekends. Mood Ring is a fun lounge for those in the Brooklyn to check out.

1260 Myrtle Ave New York, NY 11221
Bushwick
Sun - Wed 5pm - 2am, Thu - Sat 5pm - 4am
Dress Code: Casual
$$

RSVP at Mood Ring

There are many other clubs available in New York like these.

Check out the venues section for the full list of pool parties.

New York Clubs FAQ

What time does the headlining DJ usually start performing in New York clubs?

The headlining DJ will usually start performing around 12:00 AM.

How long do DJs play in New York?

The headlining DJ or artist usually plays a 1 to 2 hour set.

What is the dress code like at New York Clubs?

Guys can wear nice jeans and a form fitting plain t-shirt or a nice button down shirt. Girls can wear jeans or a comfortable but stylish dress if they prefer. Of course guys and girls can never go wrong with dressing up even more – there is no such thing as overdressing when it comes to clubs.

How can I get into New York Clubs for free?

Some New York Clubs have a free ladies guest list, and have a free even ratio guest list – free if you have the same number of girls (or more) in your party.

Keep in mind that many New York Clubs are more exclusive and require bottle service to get in. You can sign up for the guest list on our events page.