Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten

To snag a seat at one of the picnic tables crowding this Lower East Side mainstay's festive backyard patio, come early, even on weeknights. A favourite for summer-month get-togethers, Loreley has also been catching overflow from across-the-street neighbour Freemans since that perennially packed hotspot opened in 2004. Inside, though, patrons still get the full beer-hall effect. Named for the Rhine River siren who lured sailors to their deaths, Loreley evokes the traditional hofbräuhaus with its slatted wooden seats, backlit wood banquettes and a menu brimming with Rhineland specialties, like pork schnitzel stuffed with Prague ham and Gouda cheese, or spätzle with bacon. A dozen draft beers are available in tall, slender glasses—half- or one-litre steins, or, in the case of Kranz Kölsch, 11 narrow 0.2-litre glasses that arrive on a circular tray—meaning that no matter where you sit, you'll be surrounded by a boisterous crowd leaning in for another ‘Prost!’