Butterfield 8

Verdict: Worth a Stop If You're in Murray Hill and Know What You're Walking Into

Butterfield 8 sits at 5 East 38th Street in Murray Hill, a neighborhood not typically on the shortlist for serious bar-goers in Manhattan. That address alone tells you something about the crowd and the expectations. This is a neighborhood bar with a name borrowed from the Elizabeth Taylor film, and it operates squarely in the mid-tier, approachable-night-out category rather than the destination cocktail space. If you're staying nearby or killing time before a dinner reservation uptown, it earns its keep. If you're crossing a borough for it, recalibrate.

Pricing details aren't publicly itemized in a way that allows direct benchmarking, but Murray Hill bars in this vein typically run $14–$18 for cocktails, with beer and well drinks available at more accessible price points. For a wine-focused visit, temper your expectations: the by-the-glass program at a bar in this tier rarely matches the depth or curation you'd find at a dedicated wine bar. If wine is your priority, the comparison matters — Midtown and Lower Manhattan have options with significantly stronger glass pours and more intentional list construction. Butterfield 8 is better approached as a cocktail-and-crowd spot than a wine destination.

The bar has seen the kind of slow evolution common to Murray Hill's nightlife corridor — programming and crowd skew younger and louder as the evening progresses, which affects whether it suits your evening. Early in the week and before 8 PM, the energy is more workday-decompression than weekend ramp-up. For those who want depth in their glass program and a quieter room for conversation, arriving early and ordering from the spirits side of the menu will yield a better experience than leaning on the wine list.

Booking is easy , walk-ins are the norm here, and a reservation is unlikely to be necessary on most nights. The 38th Street location is a short walk from Grand Central, making it a reasonable post-commute stop. For a fuller picture of what New York's bar scene offers across neighborhoods and price points, see our full New York City bars guide. If you're also planning dinner or an overnight stay in the city, our New York City restaurants guide and our New York City hotels guide give comparable verdict-first breakdowns.

Practical Details

Butterfield 8 is located at 5 East 38th Street, Murray Hill. Walk-ins are standard. The venue is a short walk from Grand Central Terminal (4/5/6/7/S trains). No reservation required on most nights. For broader bar exploration in New York, browse our New York City experiences guide and our New York City wineries guide.

How It Compares

Pearl Picks Nearby

• Amor y Amargo , the right call if bitters-driven cocktails and a focused, knowledgeable program are what you're after
• Angel's Share , quieter, more considered, and consistently one of the better cocktail rooms in the East Village
• Attaboy NYC , no menu, all riff-based bartending; go if you want something dialed to your taste
• Superbueno , strong Latin-influenced cocktail program with more energy and culinary ambition
• Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu , worth knowing if you travel beyond NYC and want the same standard of intentional cocktail craft
• Jewel of the South in New Orleans , a reference point for what a serious classics-focused bar looks like
• Julep in Houston , for Southern spirits depth and a program built around whiskey and hospitality