What's a birthday bar? And how do you choose the best one in NYC?

It’s your birthday, and you want to plan something different. You want a laidback vibe with a fun atmosphere. You want to go to a bar that specializes in special events and birthdays. But how do you find the right one? We caught up with Lazy Point’s head of beverage programming, Jeremy Strawn, to weigh in. Here are some tips for finding the best birthday bar in New York City.

Go for the Custom Menus

It's your birthday, and you want your friends to drink cocktails that remind them of you, right? But the standard cosmopolitan or martini just won’t do. You need to find a birthday bar that will create a custom menu for your special day. And at bars like Lazy Point, we do just that. “We’re pretty malleable about everything when it comes to planning,” says Strawn. Simply send an email with what you like and get a custom drink and food menu created for the kind of birthday you want to celebrate. “You want the drink to represent them and what they’re doing,” Strawn says.

Can You Take Good Selfies There?

Imagine having a drink that is just as photogenic as you and your guests, and that tastes good, too. “You want to be able to take a photogenic drink as well,” says Strawn. “It can't just taste good, and you just throw it in a glass. You want that cocktail to look cool or look as nice as the birthday boy or girl who put all the time into dressing up to go out for their birthday. You don't want it to be an eyesore in a picture.”

Find a Place You can Reserve in Advance

Surprisingly, birthday parties are seasonal. While ideally, you make a reservation at a birthday bar two to three months in advance, other bars like Lazy Point can make accommodations with more flexibility. “Seven to 14 days is a solid estimate for reserving in advance,” says Strawn. He says it all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re bringing a party of 20 and don’t mind sitting at the bar, then a week is more than enough time. But if you want one of their super-sized banquettes that accommodate 50, you’ll need to plan a little farther in advance. But finding a birthday bar that gives you that flexibility in the City that Never Sleeps isn’t always easy.

Go for a Place You Can Dance

When it comes to birthday bars, people don’t just want a place to drink; they want to have fun with their friends and dance. And at places like Lazy Point, we can do just that. There’s plenty of space for dancing and banquettes for when you need to rest your feet. With a regularly rotating cast of DJs and a friendly vibe, it's no wonder Lazy Point’s very own employees like to celebrate there. “I think I’ve had two of my birthday parties at Lazy Point,” says Strawn. “So, I’m a little bit biased. But it’s just about the people that are there. I don’t go to a bar because I like the place. I go to a bar because I specifically like the people that are there—whether it be the people who work there or the regulars.”

Go Where the Locals Go

Whether you’re in the City just to celebrate or you live here, you want to go to a birthday bar where the locals like to hang out. And at Lazy Point, bartenders have a regular following. “One of our bartenders, Jonathan. He’s a great guy. I know that he brings in fun people who just hang out and have fun. To me, it’s more about just nice, calm, mellow, easygoing there until about 12 o’clock when everybody starts jumping up and down and dancing.”

Strawn admits that Lazy Point is known as one of the best birthday bars in New York City. “It’s a lot of fun,” he says. “And the cool part about the vibe of the place is most parties that are in there are for a celebration of some kind. So, everybody’s in there to have a good time, not a bad time. It’s always a really fun vibe.”