KGB Bar

KGB Bar

This leftist literary watering hole used to house the local headquarters of the Ukrainian Labor Party. Today, Denis Woychuk, the founder and president of KGB Bar, makes sure that the gin joint stays true to its cold war propaganda past. Since 1993, when Woychuk reopened the space as a bar, it has cemented its position among New York literati as one of the most prominent intellectual spots in town. For its famed Reading Series, KGB Bar has booked some of the most interesting contemporary writers including A.M. Homes, and Frank Browning, who premiered at the first session of the Reading Series in 1994. The décor of the bar represents an ode to the toppled USSR, with red everywhere. The walls feature propaganda posters, photographs, and paintings from the fallen Soviet Empire. The place is not all about the crowd and the decorations; staying true to its Ukrainian heritage, KGB Bar offers many different types of vodka.