🍸 Cocktails → 🌶️ Sichuan → 🍸 Drinks & Karaoke
The last stand against gentrification. Every other neighborhood on the island of Manhattan has been curated to appeal to Emily and her gaggle of Michigan sorority sisters, but not Chinatown. Great food, authentic atmosphere — start with cocktails on Bayard, get your face melted by Sichuan on Mott St, and close it out with drinks and karaoke on Mulberry. The whole route stays within two blocks.
102 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013 · website · ~$50-70 (2 drinks each)
Unassuming cocktail spot off Baxter on Bayard St with happy hour 5-7pm Mon-Fri. Great cocktails, dim atmosphere — the kind of place that feels like a secret. Keep this one in the back pocket. It's the perfect opener for a Chinatown night because it sets the tone without giving away what's coming next.
45 Mott St, New York, NY 10013 · website · resy · ~$80-120 (dinner + drinks)
Bold Sichuan on Mott St. The kung pao pastrami and mapo tofu are what dreams are made of. Reservations recommended. The tatted waitress with shaved eyebrows will look down upon you with disdain as you struggle to finish your chongqing wings with that crazy spice burning your lips. Order for the table and don't be afraid of the heat.
40 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013 · website · ~$60-90 (2-3 drinks each)
Will five trade workers be pounding Bud Heavies? Will models be having a birthday party? Will Ed Sheeran be doing karaoke from the bar? It's all possible. Happy hour 5-7pm Mon-Fri. The shift from cocktails to Sichuan to karaoke bar takes any remaining pretension off the table. If you're doing karaoke after Mission Chinese, you've won.
Start at The River around 6pm to catch happy hour on Bayard St. Two cocktails in a dim room while Chinatown buzzes outside. After a round, walk down to Mission Chinese on Mott for dinner — get the kung pao pastrami and the mapo tofu, and don't wimp out on the spice level. Reservations recommended. If the night's going well, suggest one more at Asia Roma on Mulberry. The karaoke is the play here — going from cocktails to Sichuan to karaoke shows you planned a proper Chinatown night, not just dinner. Total damage: $190-280 for a three-stop night.