Scratcher

New York, United States

3.9

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 212-477-0030
Address:
209 E 5th St, New York, NY, 10003
b/t Cooper Sq & 2nd Ave
East Village
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
860 ftAstor Place (6)
960 ftE 8 St/Lafayette St
0.2 mi8th Street-NYU (N,R)
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
No
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Music
Juke Box
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Tue, Wed, Fri
Coat Check
No
Smoking
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Has TV
No
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 4:00 am
Open now
Local time (New York) 10:37 PM Thursday, November 28, 2024

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 4:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 4:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 4:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 4:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 4:00 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 4:00 am
Sunday 11:00 am – 4:00 am

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20 reviews of Scratcher

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Place rating: 5
New York, NY
not a lot has changed at the Scratcher since i first reviewed it. and that is GOOD NEWS! the booze and beer hasn’t gotten all outrageously priced. the primetime nights are still intact. and the bar’s low-​key charm is unchanged. the bartenders still sling drinks like pro’s.
the crowd (at times not always) has gotten very hipsterish though… which much like climate change is inevitable at any NYC bar. when i see the hipsters swarmy-​ness/​smarminess permeating the bar… i IRISH exit – no questions asked. you should, too, bc when the hipsters rush the bar… this fine establishment turns into a fart box where you’ll suffocate on the stale raw exhaust of said retro-​ites blowing a$$. you were warned. RUN!
however the bar still rocks all these years later and provides a quality landing spot for first dates, date nights, group hangs, post work recovery, etc.
still very much a neighborhood bar with class.
Place rating: 3
Manhattan, NY
This underground bar was a sea of LES hipsters and those who love good beer and wine.
Nice décor, wood accents, dim lighting and friendly bartender.
No complaints here!
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
By far some of the best service I have ever received. The bar staff are more than happy to drop what they are doing and have a chat with you and make you feel like a regular even if it is your first time. Great beer selection to suit anyone’s taste. Cannot recommend more!
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
Cool, non-​pretentious bar with reasonably priced drinks. Divey, but not too divey. Seems like a good neighborhood bar, though it started to get lame after a group of improv people decided to pile into the place and take it over.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
This place is awesome.
Atmosphere: Dive, but not really, kinda classy feeling to it. Nice lightening, cool vibe.
Drinks: Great drink specials, some type of happy hour.
Great spot to grab a drink with friends. No real natural light other than the 2 tables by the window, so a bit dark inside. With that said … Happy Hour!
Place rating: 3
Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY
I had a great experience at this bar the first time I stumbled across it, but have had bad luck with it since. The most recent time I went back, the two female bartenders were slow and unfriendly. It was very disappointing because I had brought a group of 10+ people hoping for a fun time, but we ended up leaving to find a new bar. We used to make this bar a destination, but now I’m not sure that we’ll go back.
And they don’t have fireball shots!
Still three stars because the bathrooms are usually clean and their limited drink selection is affordable.
Place rating: 4
Ventura, CA
Great little place. Good fast service, good choices on the taps, interesting people.
Spent a nice few hours there, would be happy to go back again.
Place rating: 4
Bellerose, NY
We were looking for a low key bar where we could sit and have a drink, talk, and relax. That’s exactly what we got at the Scratcher. The people weren’t rowdy like they are at other bars. The bartenders were great. I would definitely come back here
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
I actually Unilocaled Scratcher from a nearby restaurant because we were looking for something with cheap drinks with a divey atmosphere. That’s exactly what we got with this hole-​in-​the wall dive bar that seems like it’s actually in the basement of a building. I’m honestly surprised we found it…
We walked in and were met with extremely dim lighting, an extensive whiskey menu and beer list, and a lively, inviting crowd. Our group of 5 luckily snagged one of the many tables along the back wall, but they have a nook in the back as well for larger groups and of course a long bar area. For a Friday evening it definitely wasn’t too crowded, so we were able to catch up and just hang out.
I’d recommend going with a group of close friends — it seems to divey for a date — and for some pregame drinks. It doesn’t seem like the *main event* kind of place, but it does the trick and I’m very glad Unilocal found it for us!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
The bar tenders here are top notch!!! Plus the door guy is pretty cute so that doesn’t hurt! Love this place!
–Tip well, be well!
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
If you are meeting people, make sure you tell them there isn’t a sign! This is def a dive bar, I can’t remember if my Guinness’s were $ 7 or $ 8, so not really Dive bar prices, but then again I am in Manhattan.
Big + you can bring your own food :) I ordered a pizza!
Place rating: 4
Manhattan, NY
If such a thing as a classy dive bar exists, this place fits the bill.
Nice, relaxed atmosphere in a cozy décor (think dark wood furniture and candles throughout). If you come at peak hours on a weekend night, it might be kind of crowded and noisy, but still nice just the same.
The drinks are cheap and the booths are cozy, and if you’re there when it’s not too crowded it’s the perfect place to bring friends or dates because of the chill vibes.
One of those rare bars where you can just relax and enjoy your company/​drinks.
Place rating: 4
Sydney, Australia
Decent happy hour on draft beers, lovely Irish bar staff and a cosy dive atmosphere.
8⁄10
Place rating: 3
East Elmhurst, NY
Ended up coming here last weekend. Seemed like such a pretty chill place. I am in my early twenties and the crowd seemed mid twenties-​late twenties. I was not particularly fond of the bartenders, two women in their thirties who seemed to just want us to down our drinks nonstop. Kinda uncomfortable. We had shots of henessey ($ 10). Shots of jack daniels ($ 8) and a bahama mama and a long island (abt $ 11.) The portion sizes were small and the bahama mama was just pineapple juice-​completely. I like the environment here. But Idk. Somethings off.
Place rating: 4
Brookfield, WI
As a bunch of college kids, we were heading to Phebes and B bar on a weekend night but typical weekend fashion, the lines for both were massively long. We rounded the corner and found Scratcher. You might miss it the first time because it’s below ground level but once you enter it’s definitely a comfortable bar where you and your friends can just grab a nice drink and talk. There are wooden benches (not single chairs so be aware when you want to readjust) and tables. Some of the tables were a little loop sided but it wasn’t that big of a deal since we just had our drinks on the table.
The drinks additionally were very cheap, even on a weekend night so I can’t imagine how much of a steal they would be during the day/​happy hours. A beer was about $ 7 and mixed drink around the same. The light was dim but not so much that you had to squint and the bartenders were very nice and attentive.
Place rating: 3
Manhattan, NY
Relaxed dive bar with cheap beer. On a Tuesday night, its pretty slow.
I can see it being a ton of fun on the weekends.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
I had a 9-​hr date here once.
Needlesstosay I will be coming back.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
I was here on a weekday evening during happy hour ($ 4 beer!) and there were enough people around so that it didn’t feel dead, but, just barely. It’s a chill bar. Not a dive, but, nothing fancy. The words «watering hole» came to mind, and I don’t mean that in a bad way – I know people who’d walk in here and think it’s the perfect bar.
Be warned: for reasons I didn’t clue on to and didn’t endeavour to learn, the place is overwhelmed by a strong smell of incense. You get acclimated to it quickly but, then, the human mind is designed to get acclimated to anything. If you were raised in an ashram, you’ll feel right at home here.
Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA
Chill is such a crappy word. Millennials use it too much. But here I am, a millennial and you know what? Scratcher is a chill bar. With chill prices and chill beer (chilled beer too!).
So go there to chill out.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
Came here on a date and loved it immediately. Unassuming, cozy and warm and close to my apartment. What’s not to like?
The bartenders were friendly, the beer selection was pretty good (I’m always sold on a pumpkin beer), and I ended my night with a pickleback. Which perhaps clouded my judgment slightly, But I stand by my review.
Visit for a low key drink, a chill night out with friends or just to get drunk, and try to keep it a secret. We don’t need this turning into Whiskey Town, now do we? (Psst, we don’t).