Last year, I announced my top 10 new cocktail bars in no particular order--this year, with a clear tie for first place, I decided to list my favorites in numerical order. Thank you to the teams behind all of these new bars for making NYC a better place to drink in 2010.
Tie for First Place: Dram, 177 S. 4th St., Brooklyn; and Painkiller, 49 Essex St. 3. 44 at The Royalton, 44 W. 44th St. 4. Lani Kai, 525 Broome St. 5. 1534, 20 Prince St. 6. Vandaag, 103 Second Ave. 7. Weatherup Tribeca, 159 Duane St. 8. La Biblioteca, 622 Third Ave. 9. The Counting Room, 44 Berry St., Brooklyn 10. Cienfuegos, 443 E. 6th St.
Honorable mentions: Peels, 325 Bowery; The Empire Room, 350 Fifth Ave.; The Lamb's Club, 132 W. 44th St.; Casa Mezcal, 86 Orchard St.; and Mary Queen of Scots, 115 Allen St.
I'd also like to congratulate three non-cocktail bars for adding relief to the drinking scene in 2010: The Whiskey Brooklyn, 44 Berry St.; Idle Hands, 25 Avenue B; and Lady Jay's, 633 Grand St., Brooklyn.
