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First date spots in Washington Heights

For a first date in Washington Heights, start with drinks at Pop & Pour or coffee at Forever Coffee, both a short walk from the subway. The area has 19 coffee spots, 23 bars and 197 restaurants in our map data, so there’s always somewhere to go next. The busiest stretch is around 168 St (1 A C).

23 bars19 coffee spots197 restaurantsBusiest stretch: 168 St (1 A C)

For drinks

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

  1. Pop & Pour

    Wine bar

    15 other spots within a 3-min walk · 200 Dyckman St

    ~1 min from Dyckman St (A)MapWebsite

  2. Dyckman Bar & Kitchen

    Cocktail bar

    15 other spots within a 3-min walk · 221 Dyckman St

    ~1 min from Dyckman St (A)MapWebsite

  3. Monkey Room

    Cocktail bar

    12 other spots within a 3-min walk · 589 Fort Washington Ave

    ~6 min from 181 St (A)MapWebsite

  4. Fito

    Cocktail bar

    12 other spots within a 3-min walk · 4736 Broadway

    ~2 min from Dyckman St (A)MapWebsite

  5. Kazza Wine Bar

    Wine bar

    14 other spots within a 3-min walk · 708 W 177th St

    ~1 min from 175 St (A)MapWebsite

For coffee

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

  1. Forever Coffee

    Coffee shop

    15 other spots within a 3-min walk · 714 W 181st St

    ~3 min from 181 St (A)MapWebsite

  2. Espresso Heights

    Coffee shop

    10 other spots within a 3-min walk · 624 W 182nd St

    ~2 min from 181 St (1)MapWebsite

  3. Jou Jou CHONY

    Coffee shop

    14 other spots within a 3-min walk · 3959 Broadway

    ~3 min from 168 St (1 A C)MapWebsite

  4. Semicolon Cafe

    Café

    12 other spots within a 3-min walk · 9 Edward M Morgan Pl

    ~1 min from 157 St (1)MapWebsite

  5. The Plug

    Coffee shop

    7 other spots within a 3-min walk · 502 W 167th St

    ~3 min from 168 St (1 A C)MapWebsite

For dinner

When you already know there’s a spark.

  1. Rincón Mexicano

    Restaurant

    20 other spots within a 3-min walk · 4160 Broadway

    ~3 min from 175 St (A)MapWebsite

  2. La Barca Restaurant

    Restaurant

    19 other spots within a 3-min walk · 3892 Broadway

    ~4 min from 163 St-Amsterdam Av (C)MapWebsite

  3. New First Choice

    Restaurant

    17 other spots within a 3-min walk · 3893 Broadway

    ~5 min from 163 St-Amsterdam Av (C)MapWebsite

  4. La Casa Del Pollo and Pizzeria

    Restaurant

    17 other spots within a 3-min walk · 4231 Broadway

    ~4 min from 181 St (1)MapWebsite

  5. Gran Maya restaurant

    Restaurant

    17 other spots within a 3-min walk · 3920 Broadway

    ~4 min from 168 St (1 A C)MapWebsite

For a walk, then a stop

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

  1. Inwood Hill Park

    196.4 acres. Then Dyckman Bar & Kitchen (cocktail bar), about 3 min away. Map

  2. Fort Washington Park

    184.1 acres. Then Monkey Room (cocktail bar), about 4 min away. Map

  3. Highbridge Park

    130.1 acres. Then Columbia Wine Co (wine bar), about 5 min away. Map

Meeting someone from another neighborhood?

Fair spots where you both travel about the same distance.

Harlem ↔ Washington Heights2.5 mi apart · fair spots in betweenBelmont ↔ Washington Heights2.7 mi apart · fair spots in betweenMorningside Heights ↔ Washington Heights3.0 mi apart · fair spots in betweenEast Harlem ↔ Washington Heights3.6 mi apart · fair spots in between

Questions

People also ask

What are good first date spots in Washington Heights?

For drinks, Pop & Pour (wine bar) or Dyckman Bar & Kitchen (cocktail bar). For coffee, Forever Coffee or Espresso Heights. For dinner, Rincón Mexicano. 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 Washington Heights?

Pop & Pour is 1 min from Dyckman St (A), with 15 other spots within a three-minute walk. Dyckman Bar & Kitchen is 1 min from Dyckman St (A). Pick somewhere easy to talk in and easy to leave — that matters more on a first date than the drinks list.

Is Washington Heights a good neighborhood for a first date?

Yes for most dates: it has 19 coffee spots, 23 bars and 197 restaurants in our data, with 39 of them within a six-minute walk of 168 St (1 A C). For a walk first, Inwood Hill Park is right there, and Dyckman Bar & Kitchen is 3 min from it.

Where can we meet halfway if one of us lives in Washington Heights?

There are fair-spot guides for Washington Heights and Harlem, Belmont, Morningside Heights and East Harlem: 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 Washington Heights

HarlemManhattan · 28 bars · 24 coffee spotsBelmontBronx · 10 bars · 11 coffee spotsMorningside HeightsManhattan · 8 bars · 15 coffee spotsEast HarlemManhattan · 22 bars · 22 coffee spotsUpper West Side & Manhattan ValleyManhattan · 13 bars · 10 coffee spotsUpper West SideManhattan · 39 bars · 27 coffee spots

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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).