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Bar Contra, New York, NY
Award-winning

Bar Contra

4.5
4.5
276 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 21 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Innovative
A New York cocktail bar founded by Dave Arnold, Fabian von Hauske & Jeremiah Stone. We specialize in delicious drinks and tasty food.

Your reservation will grant you 90 minutes in one of our tables.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
  • Phone number
    (212) 466-4633
  • Website
    http://www.barcontra.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
  • Catering
    Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com
  • Location
    138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
  • Neighborhood
    Lower East Side
  • Cross street
    Between Delancy and Rivington
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Bar Contra Party

    $85.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Looking to throw a little party at Bar Contra? We would love to have you with us, with our small space we can only take one large group of up to 12 guests each night - all we ask is a $85 per person minimum spend agreement as well as a $25 a person deposit that will count toward your minimum the night of your your event. You are welcome to hit your minimum spend however you wish as long as you are having a good time!

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 276 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bar Contra offers a "truly upper echelon" dining experience, with creative desserts that are "frustratingly good." Known for "amazing service," it features inventive cocktails and dishes like scallops and wagyu tartare. The ambiance is cozy, although portions are small and prices are high. A must-visit for adventurous palates.

276 Reviews

  1. Kristin VIP

    Seattle13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time to Bar Contra and it was incredible. We love a bar program where everything is dialed in and offers some surprises-this did it and then some. Food was excellent and the service from Theo and crew was genuine and friendly. We will be back.

    Is this helpful?

  2. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco1 review

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Service was forced and a bit aggressive. Asked for recommendations, got none. Food was over complicated and missed the mark. Prices are steep.

    Is this helpful?

  3. OpenTable Diner

    Orange County1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nothing short of excellent. From the food to the table touches and knowledge of menus. Will always go back.

    Is this helpful?

  4. OpenTable Diner

    Minneapolis1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible cocktails, food and service. Will be going back again and again.

    Is this helpful?

  5. joamna

    Miami2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing experience. Food, drinks, service, everything was excellent

    Is this helpful?

  6. Joshua

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible drinks, good bites. Perfect for pre-dinner/night out drinks.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Ciara

    Los Angeles1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It was such a great night. Drinks, food, ambience were perfection!!! That carpaccio!!! I die. In love with this spot. This team does immaculate work.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Rhea

    Toronto1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    loved all the drinks!!! madeline was so sweet : ) def coming back to try the food

    Is this helpful?

  9. Hugo

    New York City8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a reservation for dinner on Valentine’s Day. We were greeted and sat immediately by staff and Theo. The drinks here are always great! The scallop and tartlet were outstanding. Got the Valentine’s Day drink special with a freeze dried rose incorporated in which was awesome

    Is this helpful?

  10. Nick

    New York City1 review

    3.0

    Dined on February 12, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Made a reservation to celebrate an engagement to my partner and was really excited to try this place. Ive heard nothing but great things. Server messed up our order then made sarcastic comments belittling our experience and saying “you got it mamma” as a response 💀

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bar Contra is rated 4.5 stars by 276 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 21 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Bar Contra

138 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
  • Cross street
    Between Delancy and Rivington
  • Neighborhood
    Lower East Side
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–12:00 am
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    JMZ or F to Delancey St - Essex St. Alternatively B/D to Grand St.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jeremiah, Fabian & Dave
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.barcontra.com/
  • Phone number
    (212) 466-4633
  • Catering
    Bar Contra accepts parties of up to 4 guests in the dining room. Alternatively, you may book the entire dining room for a private event for parties of 10 to 35. For private event inquiries, you may email Bar Contra directly - info@barcontra.com
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