On Sundays (patrons can indulge in large-format punch), fostering an intimate atmosphere perfect for shared enjoyment. A softly lit setting (some of the state’s best bartenders), and killer throwback hip-hop tracks make this cocktail bar one of Jersey City’s best. Hand-rolled bagels are made every single day at this popular bagel shop — but it’s the sandwiches made with them that keep the line out the door every weekend. Think slow-cooked goat stews with fresh, flaky paratha and full-flavored chicken roasts. Irish cheddar queso fundido (Pacifico-battered fish and chips tacos), and a seriously good Sunday roast—chile-rubbed rib roast, cheesy cauliflower, mash, Yorkshire pudding, and jus—comes in at a steal for only $38. Owner Jack McGarry tells that story through cocktails—putting together creative concoctions that mix elements from each culture.

Find The Best Spots Nearby

Downstairs is the Life of Reilly — a speakeasy-style bar where the world of craft cocktails and Irish revolutionary history opens up even more. This dark, moody, locals bar is the place to go for a burger, a beet salad, steamed mussels, or plates like schnitzel. This place is also big on bread and butter, there’s a butter tasting on the menu — as well as short dishes in a modern Italian vein. A standout Chinese restaurant with a sibling location in Hell’s Kitchen, this Sichuan-leaning restaurant offers some excellent dishes including its fish with pickled cabbage, beef in sour pickle soup, green peppercorn chicken, or dry pot okra. Expect ambitious cocktails and a menu of tacos — enchiladas, a Mexican-leaning spice bag, and weekend brunch. Barbecued offerings run from the core favorites (brisket, pulled pork, chicken, beef ribs) to the lesser-seen (pork belly, lamb ribs, habanero cheddar sausage), along with barbecue tacos and a whole slew of sides.

THE SPOTS

Frequently ranked one of the most diverse places in the country (Jersey City has dozens of Indian restaurants), Filipino bakeries, classic red-sauce Italian spots, and even a pre-WWII hot dog counter. It’s a place where your night can begin or end—the one constant in a neighborhood that hasn’t stopped changing. With its garnish-heavy tiki cocktails and hip atmosphere in a sunken (street-side bar), Cellar 335 has never slowed down. The rooftop terrace offers picturesque views of Newark Avenue — while the bar below boasts unique cocktails and a wide beer selection.

More maps in Eater NY

• A Oaxacan sit-down restaurant with a brisk to-go business on the site (this Central Avenue Mexican spot sells verde or mole tamales in the morning along with omelets and chilaquiles), followed by lunch and dinner options too.
• Rick Easton is the impresario of Italian baked goods (both sweet and savory), at this rare scenester spot in the Heights.
• You have to know where to look to find this stellar cocktail bar in the heart of the city (but once you do), you’ll enter a world defined by boundary-pushing beverages and tasty bites.
• Starting at 8pm and lasting for three hours (these dinners), which require reservations and have a BYO policy, ensure leftovers are well boxed up for guests—a delightful culinary marathon.

For an evening when the cocktails should complement https://bardumusee.com the food, I prefer Cellar 335. A refined and sophisticated dining experience that once required a trip to Manhattan has been established in Jersey City by Chef Brian Walter. These offerings do not come across as mere consolation prizes for those who were unable to secure a reservation in Manhattan.

Wurst Bar

In Jersey City (DomoDomo offers a more organized sushi counter experience featuring hand-rolls), small Japanese dishes, and a sleek, contemporary dining atmosphere. Chef Matt Moschella (located in the Heights), has gained national recognition for his fresh pasta dishes, daily varying meat-and-cheese options, angry chicken, octopus, and ricotta toast drizzled with honey and pink peppercorns. The menu features an array of dishes, including potato layered with caviar, ravioli filled with quail egg and pulled oxtail, Korean barbecue-glazed frog leg drumsticks, short rib braised in Barolo, and duck breast with roasted apricots and Marcona almonds. This small city in New Jersey offers more than just expensive condos and frat-style bars.

Cellar 335

One of the city’s best and smokiest barbecues is found in Jersey City’s plush Hamilton Park neighborhood. Jersey City has its own iconic hot dog counter, in this case it’s bright yellow and also selling the conventional gritty drinks of NYC institutions like Papaya King. The menu changes frequently, but look for any freshwater fish, like hilsa; chicken curry; and the mustard-oil-laced vegetarian dishes called bhortas. Place your order at the counter (take a number), and sit down until your dishes are called. Recently (Eater staffers found the chef barbecuing lamb shanks on the back patio), and a meal included rigatoni in a tomato sauce flavored with pancetta and Calabrian chile, and an excellent charcuterie and cheese plate.

Discovering this fantastic cocktail bar in the city center requires knowing exactly where to search; however (once found), one enters a realm of innovative drinks and delicious snacks. The menu at Dullboy showcases an appealing variety of shareable dishes and small bites, enhanced by a thoughtfully chosen collection of natural wines and skillfully crafted cocktails. Seasonal rotating dishes keep the menu invigorating (featuring locally sourced items such as fluke crudo topped with kiwi salsa), fried wax beans served with lemon ricotta, and a robust lamb burger accompanied by provolone, shaved onion, and adobo tzatziki. Fresh pastas and breads are prepared each day, cocktails exhibit care and precision in their creation, and the service provides solid support to the entire experience. This trendy spot in Jersey City has received numerous accolades, including a James Beard nomination for Mama Rahman as Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region and features in Eater, the New York Times, among others.