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First date spots in Upper West Side & Lincoln Square

For a first date in Upper West Side & Lincoln Square, start with drinks at Lilly's Cocktail and Wine or coffee at Sensuous Bean of Columbus Ave, both a short walk from the subway. The area has 23 coffee spots, 20 bars and 133 restaurants in our map data, so there’s always somewhere to go next. The busiest stretch is around 72 St (1 2 3).

20 bars23 coffee spots133 restaurantsBusiest stretch: 72 St (1 2 3)

For drinks

Cocktail bars, wine bars and pubs on busy blocks — easy to find, easy to move on from.

  1. Lilly's Cocktail and Wine

    Wine bar

    52 other spots within a 3-min walk · 50 W 72nd St

    ~4 min from 72 St (C B)MapWebsite

  2. Bouchon Bakery & Cafe

    Winery

    35 other spots within a 3-min walk · 10 Columbus Cir Fl 3

    ~2 min from 59 St-Columbus Circle (1 A C B D)MapWebsite

  3. Le Pif

    Wine bar

    34 other spots within a 3-min walk · 2058 Broadway

    ~1 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

  4. Westland Roe

    Bar

    38 other spots within a 3-min walk · 174 W 72nd St

    ~1 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

  5. Malachys Irish Pub

    Irish pub

    62 other spots within a 3-min walk · 103 W 72nd St

    ~4 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

For coffee

A low-key first date: short, daytime, no pressure.

  1. Sensuous Bean of Columbus Ave

    Coffee shop

    32 other spots within a 3-min walk · 66 W 70th St

    ~4 min from 72 St (C B)MapWebsite

  2. Solid State Coffee

    Coffee shop

    52 other spots within a 3-min walk · 104 W 71st St

    ~4 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

  3. Aroma Espresso Bar

    Coffee shop

    36 other spots within a 3-min walk · 161 W 72nd St

    ~2 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

  4. Box Kite

    Coffee shop

    67 other spots within a 3-min walk · 128 W 72nd St

    ~3 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

  5. World Cafe

    Coffee shop

    34 other spots within a 3-min walk · 201 Columbus Ave

    ~5 min from 72 St (C B)MapWebsite

For dinner

When you already know there’s a spark.

  1. TAP NYC

    Restaurant

    52 other spots within a 3-min walk · 267 Columbus Ave

    ~5 min from 72 St (C B)MapWebsite

  2. Amber

    Restaurant

    52 other spots within a 3-min walk · 103 W 70th St

    ~5 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

  3. Thai 72

    Restaurant

    67 other spots within a 3-min walk · 128 W 72nd St

    ~3 min from 72 St (1 2 3)MapWebsite

  4. Shalel

    Restaurant

    33 other spots within a 3-min walk · 65 W 70th St

    ~4 min from 72 St (C B)MapWebsite

  5. Friend of a Farmer

    Restaurant

    42 other spots within a 3-min walk · 68 W 71st St

    ~4 min from 72 St (C B)MapWebsite

For a walk, then a stop

Walk and talk first, then sit down somewhere close by.

  1. Central Park

    840 acres. Then Bouchon Bakery & Cafe (winery), about 1 min away. Map

  2. Riverside Park

    253.2 acres. Then Pier i Cafe (café), about 2 min away. Map

  3. Riverside Park South

    71.9 acres. Then Bellini At Harry's Table (cocktail bar), about 2 min away. Map

Meeting someone from another neighborhood?

Fair spots where you both travel about the same distance.

Midtown & Times Square ↔ Upper West Side & Lincoln Square1.2 mi apart · fair spots in betweenUpper West Side ↔ Upper West Side & Lincoln Square1.0 mi apart · fair spots in betweenUpper East Side, Lenox Hill & Roosevelt Island ↔ Upper West Side & Lincoln Square1.7 mi apart · fair spots in betweenEast Midtown & Turtle Bay ↔ Upper West Side & Lincoln Square1.6 mi apart · fair spots in between

Questions

People also ask

What are good first date spots in Upper West Side & Lincoln Square?

For drinks, Lilly's Cocktail and Wine (wine bar) or Bouchon Bakery & Cafe (winery). For coffee, Sensuous Bean of Columbus Ave or Solid State Coffee. For dinner, TAP NYC. All of them are on blocks with other spots nearby, so the date can move on easily if it’s going well.

Where should we go for a first date drink in Upper West Side & Lincoln Square?

Lilly's Cocktail and Wine is 4 min from 72 St (C B), with 52 other spots within a three-minute walk. Bouchon Bakery & Cafe is 2 min from 59 St-Columbus Circle (1 A C B D). Pick somewhere easy to talk in and easy to leave — that matters more on a first date than the drinks list.

Is Upper West Side & Lincoln Square a good neighborhood for a first date?

Yes for most dates: it has 23 coffee spots, 20 bars and 133 restaurants in our data, with 72 of them within a six-minute walk of 72 St (1 2 3). For a walk first, Central Park is right there, and Bouchon Bakery & Cafe is 1 min from it.

Where can we meet halfway if one of us lives in Upper West Side & Lincoln Square?

There are fair-spot guides for Upper West Side & Lincoln Square and Midtown & Times Square, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Lenox Hill & Roosevelt Island and East Midtown & Turtle Bay: each lists bars and coffee spots where both of you travel about the same distance. For anywhere else, use the free Meet Halfway tool.

Near Upper West Side & Lincoln Square

Hell's KitchenManhattan · 143 bars · 42 coffee spotsUpper West SideManhattan · 39 bars · 27 coffee spotsMidtown & Times SquareManhattan · 234 bars · 103 coffee spotsUpper East Side & Carnegie HillManhattan · 30 bars · 29 coffee spotsEast Midtown & Turtle BayManhattan · 78 bars · 43 coffee spotsUpper East Side, Lenox Hill & Roosevelt IslandManhattan · 47 bars · 19 coffee spots

Every NYC neighborhood

How this list is made: spots are open, independent cafés, bars and restaurants, chosen for being close to the subway and on blocks with plenty of other places nearby. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line and walking times are estimates, so check opening hours before you go. Updated 2026-10-13. Data: Places: Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0); 2020 Neighborhood Tabulation Areas, NYC Department of City Planning (NYC Open Data); MTA Subway Stations (data.ny.gov); Parks Properties, NYC Parks (NYC Open Data).