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The best bars in Jersey City are spread from the Exchange Place waterfront and the Newark Avenue pedestrian plaza near Grove Street to Palisade Avenue in the Heights, with rooftop bars facing Manhattan, hidden speakeasies, tiki cocktails and laid-back neighborhood hangs. Our team confirmed every bar below on its own website or official listing in late October 2026, and grouped them by type so you can plan the right night out. For a full food crawl of the city, see our guide to the best restaurants in Jersey City.
Jersey City’s bar scene has grown into one of the liveliest in North Jersey, and most of these spots are a short walk from a PATH station. As always, please drink responsibly and plan your ride home.
Rooftop Bars in Jersey City
RoofTop at Exchange Place, Downtown
Perched above the Hyatt House at Exchange Place, this rooftop has a retractable glass roof and walls, so it stays open in cooler weather, plus an outdoor patio with a fireplace. The views take in the Manhattan skyline, the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty. Weekday happy hour runs 4 to 6 p.m.
- Address: 1 Exchange Place, Jersey City, NJ 07302 (entrance on York Street)
- Hours: Sunday to Thursday 4 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Website: rooftopxp.com
Porta, Downtown
Porta is known for its pizza, but the real draw for a night out is its block-long rooftop, one of the few in the city, plus two full bars. The main bar hosts DJ sessions, and Showtune Sundays and other live entertainment keep the room lively.
- Address: 135 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
- Hours: Monday to Thursday from 4 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday noon to 1 a.m., Sunday from noon
- Website: pizzaporta.com
Cocktail Bars and Speakeasies
Dullboy, Downtown
Near the Grove Street PATH, Dullboy is a craft cocktail bar and restaurant that now doubles as a cafe by day. Browse the drinks list and the “Spirits Bible,” then pair a cocktail with small plates and sandwiches. Reservations are available online.
- Address: 364 Grove Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
- Hours: Bar opens 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 11:30 a.m. Thursday to Sunday, open late
- Website: dullboybar.com
The Archer, Downtown
The Archer is a dimly lit, wood-filled cocktail bar on Newark Avenue with a cozy, Manhattan-style feel. The kitchen sends out small plates featuring wild game, foraged mushrooms and fresh vegetables, along with house-made charcuterie and a well-loved duck burger. It is 21 and over, first come, first served.
- Address: 176 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
- Hours: Bar from 5 p.m. daily; kitchen until 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday
- Website: archerbar.com
143 Social, Downtown
Hidden at 143 Newark Avenue, 143 Social is a speakeasy-style lounge with hand-crafted cocktails and an adventurous approach to mixology. Small bites include truffle fries, marinated olives and Szechuan popcorn. Book through the website, and note the dress code: no baseball caps, athletic jerseys or gym wear.
- Address: 143 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
- Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 6 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Website: 143social.com
Cellar 335, Downtown
Cellar 335 is a tiki-style basement bar pouring tropical cocktails like the Oaxacan Tiki Hut, made with mezcal, aged rum, strawberry and passion fruit. The shared plates lean Asian-American, from Korean-style wings to salmon tartare on crispy rice. Happy hour runs Tuesday to Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. at the bar.
- Address: 335 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
- Hours: Bar Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to late; closed Sunday and Monday
- Website: cellar335.com
Neighborhood Bars and Live Music
The Pet Shop and PS Wine Bar, Downtown
On the Newark Avenue pedestrian plaza, The Pet Shop is a neighborhood rock and roll bar with live music, comedy and art shows, and a vegetarian pub menu with vegan options like cauliflower wings and jackfruit jerk tacos. Downstairs, PS is an elegant, cozy wine and cocktail bar.
- Address: 193 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
- Hours: Monday to Friday 4 p.m. to last call, Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. to last call
- Website: petshopjc.com
Bars in the Jersey City Heights
Low Fidelity, The Heights
Low Fidelity serves specialty cocktails, wine and craft beer alongside a menu built around Detroit-style pizza, about a dozen pies from a classic Margherita to an al pastor-inspired pizza. It is a laid-back Heights favorite with a new fall and winter 2026 menu.
- Address: 328 Palisade Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07307
- Website: lowfidelitybar.com
The Alps, The Heights
The Alps calls itself a bar with a kitchen, pouring carefully sourced spirits, beer and farmer-made wine just down Palisade Avenue from Low Fidelity. It is walk-in only, which makes it an easy stop for a glass of wine on a weeknight.
- Address: 351 Palisade Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07307
- Hours: Monday to Saturday 4 p.m. to late, Sunday 1 p.m. to late
- Website: thealpsjc.com
Make a Night of It
Pair your bar crawl with a meal from our roundup of the best brunch in Hoboken and Jersey City, or cross the line into Hoboken with our guide to the best bars in Hoboken. Coming up, the Jersey City tree and menorah lighting on Newark Avenue on December 1 puts you steps from several of these bars.
Getting There
Take PATH to Grove Street for the Newark Avenue bars and Dullboy, or to Exchange Place, which is also on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, for the RoofTop. If you drive to the RoofTop, the garage at 10 Exchange Place offers discounted parking with a validation sticker from the host. For the Heights, a NJ Transit bus or a short rideshare is the easy way up the hill.
Planning more outings? See what is happening in our guide to things to do in Jersey City this weekend.
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Featured photo: A cocktail at Dullboy in Downtown Jersey City. Photo: Dantone Creative / Dullboy website.
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