LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS
Dutch Kills
A neon 'BAR' sign, hand-cut ice, and one of the city's great cocktail rooms hiding on Jackson Avenue.
From the street it is just a doorway on Jackson Avenue under a small neon sign reading BAR. Inside, Dutch Kills runs long and dim — wooden booths, a sawdust-era feel — and has been one of New York's most respected cocktail rooms since 2009, born of the Milk & Honey school of bartending and famous for ice cut by hand to fit each drink.
Order a classic or give the bartender two adjectives and let the room work. Despite the pedigree, it has stayed a Queens neighborhood bar at heart: no dress code, booths for six, live music upstairs at Debbie's on weekends. It is the standing argument for crossing the river to drink.
Editor’s tip
Skip the menu once: tell the bartender a spirit and a mood, and watch the hand-cut ice do the rest.
Make an evening of it — beautiful stops nearby
Also in the neighborhood
Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 12, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.