Black & White

One of the best dive bars in the immediate area. Cheap drinks and relaxed atmosphere.

ATMOSPHERE: Suuuuuuuuper divey, but in kind of an intimate, dirty, romantic way? Like, let me go get a beer, smoke a cig, and come back to see a beautiful vase and rose on my tiny, cute table and then chat it up with some cool biker dude. I don’t know, this place definitely has charisma, but a little edge as well.
DRINKS: I had a martini, and they served it in the right glass, made it not too dirty, and served it with a cute lil olive. My friend drank beers, and we finished off with some champagne. Solid drinks, not too expensive during happy hour (I think it lasts until 8?)
FOOD: Nah, bro, but I am sure you can order in from one of your favorite EV restaurants.
OVERALL: Come for Thursday night conversation with a coworker or friend, have a few cheap drinks, and enjoy the unique snowflake that is B&W.

Pretty solid dive bar, good music and drinks. And a decent beer selection, which is all a guy can ask for. I came for a birthday party and we were exhausted, thus our stay was short, but it’s definitely seems like a decent hangout.

Small dive bar, did the job of a place to grab a quick drink before meeting friends on a Sat night. Would have stayed longer if not for the table of loud twenty somethings

Black & White is a much needed low key neighborhood bar, unlike any other bar in the area. It’s warm and dimly lit, with plenty of tables and a few booths; I’ve been with small and large groups and have never had trouble getting everyone a seat. It’s never too crowded or rowdy, and the friendly bartenders make you feel right at home. The music (a mix of rock, Motown, and oldies) is kept at a good volume; loud enough to enjoy, but low enough that you can comfortably talk to your group. On select nights a live DJ keeps it lively by blending one track into the next.
If you’re in the area looking for a chill place to have a drink with friends and talk, come to Black & White.

Came here to pregame before a show at Webster Hall. Can’t beat $ 5 for shock top pumpkin beer! I love pumpkin season.

As a lover of dive bars, I’m sad to say I only recently discovered Black & White. Perhaps it’s because I tend to avoid any place where 90% of the clientele are NYU students, but hey — I suppose the kids can’t have all the fun.
It’s dark, the drinks are affordable, the music is good, and it’s no fuss. It’s the perfect recipe for a low key hang where the goal is getting a solid buzz for less than your monthly ConEd bill (not an easy thing to do in Manhattan).
Officially in the rotation. Perfect for pre or post Webster Hall shows.

Love this bar. Always great music, nice ambiance and happy hour goes until 8. They have a solid bar with half a dozen beers on tap. My go to in the east village.

Chill spot for a drink with friends or the start of a date (no food so plan to eat elsehwere). Solid NYC patina

Solid dive bar, great location, cheap drinks. My draft pint was $ 5 and my friend’s whisky was around $ 8. It gets a little crowded after 6:30, but what more can you ask for?

I only stopped here for one drink and to use their lavatory but I liked the vibe here quite a bit. Loved the dim lighting. It’s a small, cozy spot. Bartender was nice. Would definitely stop in again.

Bartender was super nice but… this place is seriously lacking in atmosphere and maybe also Windex. I guess I can’t hate on it for being your typical East Village bar but… yeaaahhhh…

One of the many things I appreciate about the bars in NYC is not the sheer number of them, but rather the variety of everything from dive to chic. Black and White is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, a non-​pretentious, intimate, yet subtle spot in the East Village away from the hooplah of St Marks and the bustle of 1^st and 2^nd Avenue.
The crowd is typically younger, as is most of the bars around this NYU land and the prices also fit the bill. When the weekend crowds arrive, there is a tight squeeze for the bar, and the ambiance gets (temperature) stuffy very quickly. However on a low key night where the vibe is understandably more relaxed, it is a great place to get your drink on with friends old and new.
Bartenders are friendly, the music all depends on who’s rockin the playlist, and the bathrooms are unisex, small, and only mildly filthy. For our friends who hate the mugginess of summer in New York, take solace in the fact this place offers a decent amount of AC.
Complete the easy going aura by scoring a table if at all possible. Sitting at the bar is always a viable option, but not exactly the most group friendly if there is other action happening. A table with a little self serve action (no waitress to be found) is not so bad, which can easily sum up this bar. 4 stars.

Stopped in once when trashed — seems to be fun! The drinks were good and the bartender didn’t lose her shit despite us being patrons at 3:30 am and highly inebriated…

Erin D. summed it up perfectly.
One of my favorite bars in NYC — great music, no gimmicks, strong drinks.
I also saw Ron Jeremy in here once, or a character who looked just like him.
Great happy hour deals but if you’re here for happy hour it might be time for a wake-​up call

Nice low key vibe, good beers, pulls in a decent crowd.
Bartender was clearly wasted and/​or strung out. She was furious and rude every time one of my polite, well-​behaved friends tried to order a drink. She was too messed up to understand the concept of ordering drinks on a tab, and at one point she thought my Guinness cost $ 24. Eventually, after I patiently waited for her to figure out where she was and what was happening, she allowed me to purchase it for $ 6.
Beware the skinny bartender chick with the words «New York» tattooed on her bicep (cool!!) and what appeared to either be a mole or a teardrop tat next to one of her lifeless eyes. She will do her best to make sure everyone around you has a bad time.

I’ve never paid for a drink here. Ladies, adhere to the amazing Louis R’s mathematic calculations concerning the ratio of Black & White as it correlates to time: «approx 1.5:1 girls to guys before midnight, then approx 0.5:3 after.»
Have a boil in the center of your forehead or forgot to get your ‘stache threaded? No one will know. It’s like the power is out at this place, and they’re relying on small candles for light.
Love the crowd. (Wonder if I’d feel the same way if I saw them in daylight, but hey.) Perfectly sized small bar, good music, great location just outside of the fratty beer pong dives, and really good times.

Had a couple of Manhattans here the other night before dancing. I actually ordered some Old Fashion but they didn’t have any of the ingredients… Lame
The drinks were standard, the space was pretty cool and for that area definitely worth checking out.

Pretty standard beer selections. The speakers aren’t the greatest, and should not be driven so loud. It’s dark, but there are a few tables and booths. Drinks are reasonably priced.
Look for the black and white striped awning. Also, the black bouncer and the awkward white girls inside.

I liked this joint. A little small, a little loud and a little crowded, BUT cheap as hell! My bar tab was $ 22 — that included 4 vodka sodas and 2 gin and tonics. Pretty sick deal if you ask me.
Overall the vibe is pretty young. I even got carded at the door upon my arrival at 6:30pm on a Thursday. The bathrooms are kind of small, so if you’re a fatty you may want to wear a diaper and just pee in your pants because your big ass is not fitting in that narrow little room.