Outdoor Bar in Riverside Park, Upper West Side
Ellington in the Park is an outdoor bar built inside Riverside Park, on the Hudson River at West 105th Street. No line and no cover, and nothing to fight through just to get a drink. Just a table on the water, first come, first served, from 11am to 10pm through the season. It's the kind of spot that works for a solo drink after work just as well as a full evening with a group, since nothing here depends on planning ahead.
A Different Kind of Outdoor Bar
Most of the well known outdoor drinking spots on the Upper West Side draw a loud, packed crowd once the weather turns warm, the kind of place where getting a drink means waiting for one. This is the other option. It's inside the park rather than beside it, quieter, with room to actually sit down, and it stays that way most evenings rather than only early in the night. Some people come specifically because it isn't the busiest spot on the river. That's the whole appeal.
The Setting
Upstairs puts you right at the container bar itself, drink in hand as the evening light comes off the water. Downstairs trades that view for more open ground next to the ball fields, the better spot for a bigger group ordering a round together rather than two people at a rail. The full drinks list reaches either level.
What's Being Poured
A full cocktail menu sits alongside the draft beer list, and the crowd here clearly pays attention to the taps. "Leaving a 5 star review because I love this place," wrote Matt, a Google Local Guide, in a review responded to on the listing. He gave the visit full marks, five out of five, with one request: more IPA, and less of the Golden in the Athletic lineup. A small note, but the kind of feedback that only comes from someone who orders a beer here often enough to have an opinion on the tap list.
There's also a full non alcoholic cocktail list, built with the same care as the rest of the menu: hibiscus and ginger beer, passion fruit and club soda, an alcohol free take on a Negroni. A bar that draws groups needs that option, since not everyone at the table wants a drink with liquor in it to have a reason to stay for a second round. Kimbo Italian espresso covers the earlier part of the day, before the afternoon hands things over to the drinks list.
Who Ends Up Here
The weeknight crowd is mostly people stopping for one on the way home along the river, rather than saving it for a bigger night out. Others walk over after a run or a bike ride down the Greenway, which passes right by the entrance, stopping for a drink before heading on rather than treating it as the destination. Weekends bring a wider mix, groups celebrating something, people passing through the park on a long walk, but weeknights are really what set the tone, a place to sit down for a drink without the wait that comes with the more famous spots nearby.
Dogs are welcome at every table, on a leash, and the 105th Street Dog Run sits directly across the path, so it's a common stop before or after a walk. There's a full guide to visiting with a dog here, covering the dog run, the walk over, and what to expect once you're at the table.
Getting There
The address for navigation is Riverside Drive at West 105th Street, New York, NY 10025. Enter the park at 103rd Street and Riverside Drive, where a staircase and a ramp both lead down to the path. The full drinks and food list is on the menu page, and the location page has directions and the subway route in, along with current hours. For a group that wants a section held in advance, the party reservations page covers catering for 20 to 500 guests.