Bar in New York City, United States
Elvis
100Pearl PointsGo late or don't bother.
About Elvis
Elvis on Great Jones Street is a NoHo neighbourhood bar that rewards return visitors, especially late at night. Walk-ins are easy, the booking pressure is low compared to downtown peers, and the room finds its best version after 10 PM. Go if you want a reliable, no-fuss downtown drink without the reservation stress.
Should You Book Elvis?
If you've been to Elvis on Great Jones Street before, the question on a return visit isn't whether it holds up — it's whether you've gone late enough. This is a NoHo bar that gets better as the night deepens, when the room settles into its groove and the crowd thins to people who actually want to be there. For a second visit, arrive after 10 PM and stay for the long haul.
Elvis sits at 54 Great Jones St in NoHo, a block that has housed serious drinking establishments for decades. The address alone carries a certain weight in downtown New York. The venue operates in a category of neighbourhood bars that earn loyalty not through spectacle but through consistency — the kind of place that rewards regulars over newcomers, which is exactly why a second visit tends to outperform the first.
On the practical side, booking here is easy. Walk-ins are generally viable, and you won't need to plan weeks in advance the way you would at Attaboy NYC or Angel's Share. That accessibility is part of the value proposition. For groups, the relaxed booking approach works in your favour, though for larger parties, arriving earlier gives you better odds of landing a configuration that works.
As a late-night destination, Elvis earns its place in a competitive downtown field. Amor y Amargo on East 6th Street is the better call if you want a focused, low-proof or amaro-driven program. Superbueno is stronger on cocktail ambition. But for a low-commitment, high-quality neighbourhood bar experience in NoHo that you can drop into without a reservation, Elvis is a reliable anchor for the evening.
For date nights, the intimate scale works well earlier in the evening; late-night energy can tip toward louder and less conversational, so calibrate your timing to the mood you want. Compared to the more polished bar programs at Bar Leather Apron or Jewel of the South in terms of craft cocktail depth, Elvis trades technical showmanship for atmosphere and ease, which, depending on what you're after, is either a trade worth making or a reason to look elsewhere.
For more options across the city, see our full New York City bars guide, our full New York City restaurants guide, and our full New York City hotels guide. You can also browse New York City wineries and New York City experiences for broader planning. If you're comparing late-night bar programs nationally, Julep in Houston sets a high bar for the format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the food good at Elvis?
Elvis is primarily a drinking destination on Great Jones Street in NoHo, so food takes a back seat to the bar program. If a full dinner is the goal, Dirty French a short distance away is a stronger choice. Come here for the atmosphere and drinks first; treat anything on the food menu as supporting material.
What's the signature drink at Elvis?
No single drink is officially documented as the house signature, but Elvis has a reputation built around its bar rather than any one cocktail. If you want a venue where the cocktail list itself is the headline act, Amor y Amargo on nearby East 6th Street is the more focused choice for spirit-forward drinks.
What's the crowd like at Elvis?
Elvis at 54 Great Jones Street draws a downtown New York crowd that skews creative and neighbourhood-local rather than tourist-heavy. It gets notably more interesting as the night progresses, which is the consistent note from repeat visitors. Earlier in the evening it can feel sparse.
Does Elvis have outdoor seating?
No outdoor seating is documented for this address. Great Jones Street is a narrow NoHo block, so alfresco options were always limited. If a terrace or sidewalk table matters to you, plan accordingly.
Is Elvis good for a date?
Yes, for the right kind of date. The setting on Great Jones Street has enough character to carry a conversation without the pressure of a full dinner booking. Go later in the evening when the room has more energy. For a more structured date with food at the centre, Dirty French or Superbueno give you more to work with.
Is Elvis good for groups?
It works for small groups of three or four, but Elvis is not set up as a large-party venue. For a bigger group that needs space and coordination, The Long Island Bar in Brooklyn or a reservation-friendly spot will serve you better. Keep it to a handful of people and you'll have no issues.
Do I need a reservation at Elvis?
Walk-ins are the standard approach at Elvis — it functions as a bar first, so the reservation pressure you'd feel at a tasting-menu restaurant doesn't apply here. That said, if you're arriving with a group on a busy night, showing up early or checking ahead is sensible. Angel's Share in the East Village, by contrast, has stricter capacity rules where planning ahead genuinely matters.
Location
54 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012
New York City, United States
Compare Elvis
| Venue | Awards |
|---|---|
| Elvis | |
| The Long Island Bar | World's 50 Best |
| Dirty French | |
| Superbueno | World's 50 Best |
| Amor y Amargo | World's 50 Best |
| Angel's Share | World's 50 Best |
A quick look at how Elvis measures up.
Also Consider
- The Long Island Bar, Notable alternative
- Dirty French, Notable alternative
- Superbueno, Notable alternative
- Amor y Amargo, Notable alternative
- Angel's Share, Notable alternative
How It Compares
Against its most direct downtown peers, Elvis occupies a specific niche: low booking friction, consistent atmosphere, and a neighbourhood identity that feels earned rather than designed. Amor y Amargo is the stronger choice if you want a genuinely focused drinks program built around bitters and amari, it has more technical depth and a clearer point of view. Angel's Share in the East Village offers a quieter, more composed experience for conversations that matter, but requires more planning to get a seat.
Superbueno wins on cocktail ambition and energy if you want something with more forward personality. Dirty French and The Long Island Bar operate at a different register, more destination-oriented, better for a full evening with food anchoring the visit. Elvis is not competing on that axis.
The clearest use case for Elvis over its peers: you want a dependable downtown bar on Great Jones Street with no reservation stress, a room that improves after 10 PM, and the kind of place that feels like a local's second living room rather than a curated experience. If that's your brief, it's the right call. If you want technical cocktail craft or a quieter room for a date, look at Amor y Amargo or Angel's Share first.
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