Barracuda gay bar, 8th Avenue

Since it opened well over a decade ago, the groovy and gracious Barracuda (275 W. 22nd St., 212-645-8613) has always felt a bit like an East Village bar that slipped across town when nobody was looking. It's dark, narrow, and with a stylish, slightly arty vibe, and the crowd is more eclectic and generally with less attitude than at most of Chelsea's more uppity gay hangouts. Barracuda has earned a reputation over the years for its lively cabaret and drag shows held in the small stage-bar in the back. The cozy layout, dim lighting, and great music make it a relatively easy place to mingle and meet friends - it's cruisy without feeling overwhelming like a pick-up joint. The staff is fairly nice. The late Tammy Faye Bakker Messner appeared here to promote The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and numerous gay celebs have been spotted here over the years (including Lance Bass, whom the gossip rags claimed had a fight here with a friend a few years back). Ultimately, this cocktail bar next to the infamous Unicorn blue-movie shop works because its friendly enough to feel like a laid-back neighborhood bar but hip and stylish enough to draw a steady flow of attractive, intelligent guys.