Bars in NYC's Midtown West

by LBA

Beefsteak Charlies
2 Penn Plaza
(at Madison Square Garden)
630-0301

Druids
736 10th Ave
(50th / 51th Street)
307-6410
Overall:
Irish upscale restaurant/pub. For only three people in the joint, the bartender should have poured a better pint of Guinness.

Coliseum Bar
312 West 58th St
(8th Ave / 9th Ave)
974-9174

El Torito's / Houlihans
350 Fifth Ave
(at the Empire State Building)
630-0339
Overall:
Just another chain restaurant/bar trying to get the money from the tourists. On the other hand, the night that I was there, they had good bartenders.
Games:
No darts and no pool.

Electric Banana
on 50th Street
(8th Ave and 9th Ave)
One tap with Bud.

Garden Tavern
407 8th Ave
(30th St / 31st St)
643-1502

Otis, formerly Hell's Kitchen Bar & Grill
754 9th Ave
(at 51st St)
246-4417
Overall:
Clean wide open space with large art work hanging on the walls. Nice touch are the comfy couches in the back. The street wall can be removed during summer. The cappuccino machine is set up in the front of the bar. Good fro the first date, when you trying to figure out what other person really likes.

McAnn's
625 8th Ave
(Port Authority Bldg - 2nd Fl Mezz)
594-1374

McCoy's Bar
768 9th Ave
(51st St / 52nd St)
957-8055
Overall:
The dive bar without with only TV for entertainment. On a busy Saturday, one can find a quite bar stool here. As a side note, real lame sport/Irish posters on the wall. I has a feeling of a place that changed owners and the old one took the personality, when he left.

McGee's Pub
1699 Broadway
(53rd St / 54th St)
315-3164
Overall:
Just another drinking hole before and maybe after theater bar. Located just around the corner from CBS studios, it really want to be a tourist place.

O'Flaherty's Ale House
334 West 46th Street
(8th Ave / 9th Ave)
581-9366
Darts:
Well, when I visited this location, the single board was so dead, it was not useable.
Overall:
This place is trying to hard to be the best Irish pub the tourist can find in NYC.

P. G. Kings
18 West 33rd St
(5th Ave / 6th Ave)
290-0080
Overall:
100 year old restaurant in the heart of the Garment District - directly across from the Empire State Building - two blocks from Madison Square Garden. Three 32" televisions - sports3. Live Entertainment - Jazz, Blues
PRICES:
$3.75-4 bottled beer; $4.50-5 draft; $4.50 well drinks.

Players Sports Bar
1335 6th Ave
(@53rd St - in NY Hilton)
261-5896

Scruffy Duffy's
L
743 8th Ave
(46th St / 47th St)
245-9126
Darts:
Two board set up in the back. Even when the place got crowded, there were people playing darts. There were mix of shooters, some were learning and some were serious. 
Overall:
On the weekend this place draws a lot of twenty something from the neighborhood and the theater. On the first night I was there, the cart of the River Dance were trying to unwind after the show and a local pastry chef was having a last hora, before moving to Sacramento, Ca (she even brought a sample of her trade). Good place to come and meet people.
Excellent and reasonable food. Specially the hot wings (12 for $4.50).

Bull McCabe Pub
714 11th Ave
(50th St / 51st St)
247-8474

Walter's Bar
389 8th Ave
(29th St / 30th St)
502-4023

Chelsea Tavern, formerly Wilson's
360 West 23rd St
(8th Ave / 9th Ave)
741-9010
Overall:
The change of name from the personal Wilson's to the generic Chelsea Tavern has not boded well at this end of 23rd St. The booths are gone, along with the local characters, neither of which is what we want. But don't hesitate to have a look, as it never seems to be too crowded.

Ye Olde Tripple Inn
263 West 54th St
(B-way / 8th Ave)
245-9849
Darts:
This is a place where one can buy supplies and catch a good game. One dart board, located in the front of the bar sometimes can get crowded.
Overall:
An unusual bar for the theater district. It defiantly can be given a label of a "dive bar". It is hard to find a combination of reasonably priced and good atmosphere. On Saturdays, they have a comedy night with a dissent staring comedians. The walls are covered with publicity shots of people in the show biz. One of the few places that still serves beer mugs.
HOURS::
Mon-Sun 12am-2am.
PRICES:
Pints $3 and $3.75; Mugs $2 and $2.75
$5-$8, Sandwiches and Salads