B Bar & Grill

On the site of an old gas station, B Bar was a Bowery pioneer. The eatery's 1994 opening set the stage for the area's transformation from skid row to nightlife destination. The names involved—Eric Goode, Serge Becker, Sean MacPherson—have their fingers on the pulse, variously behind hotspots like The Bowery Hotel, the Jane, the Maritime, the Waverly Inn, Joe's Pub and Miss Lily's, making B Bar's staying power not too shocking. This fashionable, gay-friendly canteen has diner-style booths and private party rooms, so it's good for both intimate get-togethers and bashes. After 11pm, it pretty much turns into a club. The enormous outdoor patio is perennially popular, shielded from the street by white cinderblock walls. The New American menu hasn't changed much over the years, because why fix what ain't broken? Look for tuna Niçoise salad, grilled salmon, the veggie burger with guacamole and multiple cocktails on every table.