Temple Bar is a restored NoHo cocktail institution from the Attaboy team — oak-paneled, dimly lit, and built around an extensive martini list. It’s a destination cocktail bar, not a happy-hour spot, and we’ll be straight about that.
The honest version: Temple Bar doesn’t run a happy hour — it’s a premium cocktail destination where the draw is the room and the drinks, not a deal. Cocktails are priced accordingly. It’s open from 5pm daily (later Thursday–Saturday, when a DJ adds to the vibe), takes walk-ins, and pours a deep list of martinis and modern classics like the Penicillin. If you want a great drink in a gorgeous room, it’s worth it; if you want a cheap one, look elsewhere on this site.
Temple Bar: A Restored NoHo Cocktail Institution on Lafayette
Temple Bar is one of NoHo’s great cocktail rooms — oak-paneled, windowless, candlelit, with free popcorn and an extensive martini list — reopened in 2021 by the team behind Attaboy. It’s a destination, not a deal: there’s no happy hour here, and we’ll say so plainly. But for a perfect martini in a genuinely beautiful room, it’s one of the best in the city.
About Temple Bar
The original Temple Bar served glitzy martinis and free popcorn to NoHo for 28 years before closing in 2017. It was revived in late 2021 by an all-star group — Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy of Attaboy, plus David Rabin and Maneesh Goyal — and restored to its full vintage glory: cherrywood bar, velvet seating, heavy curtains, an Andy Warhol disco ball, and the ghostly chameleon logo by artist Kiki Kogelnik. The list runs deep on martinis and modern classics, with a short menu of cocktail-perfect bites.
What to Expect
This is a high-end cocktail bar, not a happy-hour spot. A few honest notes:
- No happy hour — the draw is the room and the drinks; cocktails are priced as a destination bar
- Open from 5pm daily (later Thursday–Saturday, with a DJ); walk-ins welcome, reservations highly recommended
- Intimate and small — groups of two get a 90-minute table; three or more, two hours
What to Order
A martini — that’s the house specialty, and the list is extensive (the bar keeps some 70 vodkas by country of origin). Sam Ross’s own Penicillin is the modern-classic move; the Sgroppino (prosecco, vodka, lemon sorbet) is the Venetian one. The light bites — popcorn included — are built to drink alongside, not to make a meal.
The Space & Vibe
Dark, romantic, and timeless — it feels like a five-star hotel bar, minus the stuffiness, full of savvy 30-somethings rather than the old guard. Strong speakeasy energy: no name outside, just the chameleon mark by the door. It fills up fast and the seats at the bar go first, so arrive early or reserve. Quiet conversation early, livelier (and DJ-backed) late.
The NoHo Angle
332 Lafayette Street, between Houston and Bleecker in NoHo, next to Gato. Broadway–Lafayette (B/D/F/M) is the closest hub, with the 6 at Bleecker Street and the N/R at Prince Street a short walk. It’s a prime pre- or post-dinner stop in the NoHo–SoHo corridor.
Who Temple Bar Is For
| Occasion | Why it works |
|---|---|
| A perfect martini | One of the city’s deepest martini lists, expertly poured |
| Date night | Dark, oak-paneled, candlelit — a genuinely romantic room |
| A nightcap | Open till 1–2am with a short menu of cocktail-perfect bites |
| Impressing out-of-towners | A restored NoHo institution with serious cocktail pedigree |
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Temple Bar FAQ
Does Temple Bar have a happy hour?
No — Temple Bar is a destination cocktail bar, not a happy-hour spot, and its drinks are priced accordingly. It opens at 5pm daily and takes walk-ins, with reservations recommended for its small, intimate room.
Where is Temple Bar?
332 Lafayette Street, between Houston and Bleecker in NoHo, next to Gato. Broadway–Lafayette (B/D/F/M) is the closest train, with the 6 at Bleecker Street nearby.
What should I order?
A martini — it’s the house specialty — or Sam Ross’s Penicillin. The light bites, free popcorn included, are made to drink alongside rather than to make a meal.
Do I need a reservation?
Reservations are highly recommended given the small, intimate space, though walk-ins are welcome. Groups of two have a 90-minute table; three or more get two hours.
Temple Bar is a destination cocktail bar with no happy hour; framed honestly as “what to expect.” No reliable current phone listing was found, so it’s omitted. Last checked June 2026.