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If you’re searching for a bar with arcade games in the East Village, there are some options, depending on exactly what you’re looking for. Plenty of East Village bars give you something to play while you drink, but far fewer have actual arcade machines, and the ones that do range widely in what they offer. At one end, there are bars built around the games, with dozens of classic cabinets lining the walls. At the other end, you’ll find dive bars that happen to keep a couple of video games in the corner alongside a pool table and darts. In between are places with a few arcade or pinball machines mixed into a more traditional bar setup. That variety is why the answer about which is “best” really depends on what you want. 

Barcade: Best for Classic Arcade Games and Craft Beer

Barcade at 6 St. Mark’s Place is the East Village option where the arcade is really the focus of the evening and not just an added plus. The bar is lined with a broad range of classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines, and the current lineup includes all sorts of games, like Donkey Kong, Frogger, Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Bust-A-Move, Splatterhouse, and Out Run, plus a rotating mix of shooters, fighters, racing games, and pinball. Because the games change, you should always check their website before going if you’re looking for a specific game. 

You have to be at least 21 to enter, and you will be asked for ID at the door. There’s no cover charge, and the games are pretty affordable. Games cost just one or two tokens (with a token costing 25 cents), and pinball machines cost two or three. Tokens don’t expire, and they work at other Barcade locations, so any that you have leftover don’t have to be wasted. 

In addition to a legitimately good selection of arcade games, they have a really solid food and drink lineup. There’s craft beer, with about 20 on tap. They also have cocktails as well as mocktails for anyone who doesn’t want an alcoholic drink. For food, there’s things like burgers, fries, wings, and pretzel bites.

Last time I was there, which was just a few weeks ago, there was one tiny TV at the bar, so this isn’t the kind of place that’s ever going to turn into a sports bar where people are hanging out to watch a game. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that weekend nights get crowded, and popular games can have people waiting their turn. If you actually want to play and don’t want to have to wait for games to become available, going on a weeknight or earlier in the day will give you a better chance.  

Ace Bar: Best for a Classic East Village Bar with Games

Ace Bar is the pick when you want the bar to come first and the games to come second. Ace Bar, located at 531 East 5th St., has been around since the early 1990s, with a two-room layout, worn-in character, and old-school neighborhood feel. On the games side, current offerings include Big Buck Hunter, Skee-Ball, pinball, two pool tables, and two dartboards. 

The distinction from Barcade is pretty clear. Ace has fewer traditional arcade machines, but it has more variety as far as other types of games. If your group wants to drift between an arcade game, a round of pool, darts, and Skee-Ball over the course of a night, Ace Bar offers a range that Barcade doesn’t. Reviews mention that pool and Skee-Ball cost $2 per play, and it is highly recommended to bring cash to avoid credit card minimums. Pinball machines take quarters.

There’s a full bar with more than 12 beers on tap, and you must be 21 to enter. It’s open until 4 a.m. every night, which means you’re likely to end up there when other places start to close a bit earlier in the evening. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations and back-room bookings are available for groups. 

One major thing to keep in mind is that Ace Bar has no kitchen, so no food is offered. You are permitted to bring in outside food, though, so you could always bring something with you or order a pizza to the bar. 

Sugar Mouse: Best for a Few Arcade Games Plus Several Other Activities 

Sugar Mouse, located at 47 3rd Ave., takes the approach of offering a bunch of types of games rather than a significant offering of any particular category. The current lineup includes arcade games, eight pool tables, two ping-pong tables, foosball, darts, shuffleboard, and board games. 

Arcade games are currently free to play, and so are foosball, darts, and shuffleboard. Only the table reservations cost money, with pool and ping pong starting at $25 per hour per table. For a group, that means most of the entertainment costs nothing beyond what you’re drinking. 

There is a full bar with beer and wine, but their main focus is on craft cocktails, like the Sugar Mouse Cocktail, the Secret Sour Cocktail, and the fruity Sugar Mouse Fairytale. They also have non-alcoholic options, including Athletic Brewing’s non-alcoholic beer. 

The venue also has live indie music and other programming, giving it a more contemporary game-hall and nightlife feel. It’s a natural fit for larger groups, considering people can split up among the different activities and drift between them all night.

Area 140 First: Best for Pinball and a Neighborhood Dive Bar

Area 140 First, at 140 First Ave. between St. Mark’s Place and East 9th Street, is more of a bar with a couple of pinball machines, but it’s still worth mentioning if you’re interested in playing some games while you have a drink. It’s a true East Village dive bar rather than an arcade bar, so it’s important to go in with the right expectations. 

The current lineup specifically includes two pinball machines, Theatre of Magic and World Cup Soccer ’94, so this isn’t the place to choose if you’re expecting rows of cabinets. But for someone who really likes pinball yet doesn’t need dozens of cabinets to be happy, two is plenty. Everything else about the place is a classic neighborhood bar. There’s a full bar with cocktails plus simple beer options, with sports playing on the TVs. 

Walk-ins are welcome, and they take private-event inquiries if you want to book the space for a group. 

Which East Village Arcade Bar Fits Your Night?

If you’re still deciding, it can help to think about the occasion rather than the venues.

For a date: Barcade, especially on a weeknight. The games give you something to do together, which takes the pressure off conversation, and you won’t be fighting crowds for the popular cabinets.

For a birthday or big group: Barcade, Ace Bar, or Sugar Mouse, depending on the style of party. Barcade offers partial rentals and full buyouts, and you can build drink tickets, game tokens, and food into the package. 

Ace Bar works because of the back-room bookings and the fact that you can order pizza to the bar, which saves everyone money when compared to ordering food at a bar or restaurant, and Sugar Mouse works because a big group never has to agree on one activity.

For an actual arcade night: Barcade, and it’s honestly not really a competition. If the point of the evening is to play arcade games, you need to go where the games are. 

For a late night: Ace Bar, no contest. When everywhere else is closing, Ace Bar is open until 4 a.m. every night of the week. 

For a solo stop: Barcade earlier in the day or Area 140 First anytime. A beer and a few games on your own is a great way to spend an hour or two at either spot.

Whatever the occasion, matching the bar to the night matters more than picking the “best” one overall.

The good news is that all four are within walking distance of one another, so you’re not necessarily locked into one choice for the entire night. Start wherever best fits what you want to do, and then move on when you feel like changing things up.