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Best Bars 2025 No. 36

Bar le Mal Nécessaire

Last year, Le Mal Nécessaire (meaning “necessary evil”) made a big move. Namely, a move from its decade-long home in a Chinatown basement into a sprawling 4,000-square-foot downtown space. That translates into more room to lounge in plush velvet booths, more dance-floor space and a larger capacity — which should mean no more queues. Vibes are intimate and sultry, especially when DJs spin (6 p.m. until late, nightly). But don’t let the cool-kid, clubby feeling deceive you: Drinks are thoughtful and some of the city’s best. Cocktails reference the tiki canon, like the signature Coco Supremo: a rich, silky mix of rums and house-made coconut cream served in a cracked coconut.

Drink
Piña Fuego, served in a flaming pineapple, gets some extra depth from avocado-pit falernum.
Reservations
Now accepted in the new, larger location.

Photography by Jackson Long


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