It’s an old barkeep’s trick: Place salty snacks on the bar so patrons will be thirsty and order more drinks. While pretzels, mixed nuts, chips, and popcorn may do the trick with basic beer or a no-name chardonnay, New York chefs are raising the level of bar snacks — keeping pace with the growing sophistication of beverages and increasingly discerning palates.

The beverage director at China Grill (60 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues., 212-333-7788), Alexander Metzroth, isn’t coy about why he puts out huge bowls of crispy, fried wonton wrappers, flavored with togarashi Japanese five-pepper spice. “It makes the patrons salivate so they’ll want something delicious to drink,” he said.

The à la carte tempura and po’boy sandwich offerings at the recently opened BarFry (50 Carmine St., between Bleecker and Bedford streets, 212-929-5050) make for good eating at the bar, but the deliciously savory and satisfyingly crunchy nori popcorn set out free for all takers is yet another lure. Chef Josh DeChellis sprinkles the fluffy kernels with flakes of dried seaweed and spices that imbue the snack food with a taste of the ocean. Mr. DeChellis said he also likes to flavor roasted almonds with the seaweed. “The umami of the nori cries out to be refreshed with a beer,” he said, referring to the fifth taste beyond salty, sweet, sour, and bitter. The Japanese condiment goes well with a Hitachino white beer (720 ml, $19), or with a rosemary julep, a cocktail that is a blend of gin, ginger beer, and pear and lime beer ($12).

With mixologist Eben Freeman designing the cocktails — bourbon, smoked Coke and preserved lemon, anyone? — at a genre-busing venue such as Tailor (525 Broome St. between Thompson Street and Sixth Avenue, 212-334-5182) traditional bar snacks just don’t seem fitting. In a few weeks, chef Sam Mason will launch his bar menu, which is expected to include complimentary snacks such

as lemon-scented potato chips and huitalacoche (a fungus that grows on corn, popular in Mexican cuisine) popcorn. In addition to the items placed on the bar, you can also order other snacks such as the chef’s version of rice crispy treats made with wild rice.

Chef Alex Ureña also gets inventive with popcorn: The complimentary snack at Pamplona (37 E. 27th St., between Madison and Park avenues, 212-213-2328) is popped in the oil of the spicy, flavorful Spanish sausage chorizo, and then sprinkled with chorizo powder, concocted from the dehydrated meat.

Meanwhile at Bocca (39 E.19th St., between Broadway and Park Avenue, 212-387-1200), owner Alessandro Peluso and executive chef Salvatore Corea offer their take on the typical Italian spread of pre-dinner snacks that are meant to be nibbled while sipping on an aperitivo such as Campari and soda. Between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., on weeknights and Sundays, a cocktail (or a glass of wine) comes with a generous selection of made-to-order bar bites, such as lightly breaded and fried pitted green olives, bruschetta topped with fresh tomatoes and anchovies, fresh mozzarella slices, and square slices of pizza, topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, and oregano.

The cocktails, including some intriguing updates of Italian classics, would be worth a special trip, regardless of the free snacks. The “Lampone Frizzante” combines raspberry purée and imported maraschino cherries — not the neon kind served in Shirley Temple drinks — with prosecco ($10). The “Corpo Reviver” is mixed from Beefeater gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, and a dash of Fernet Branca ($10).

Bar bites have been a feature of the menu at Klee (200 Ninth Ave., between 22nd and 23rd streets, 212-633-8033) since Austrian-born chef Daniel Angerer and his fiancée and business partner, Lori Mason, opened the European brasserie, where the glass mosaic bar doubles as a communal table. But recently, Mr. Angerer and Ms. Mason introduced blackboard bar bite specials to offer suggestions for pairings at a discount. The specials change daily, but might include warm garlic-infused potato chips with Sam Smith beer ($10), or a half-bottle of Taittinger with an order of mini-lobster rolls ($42).

Through the end of the month, the bar snacks will reflect Klee’s celebration of Oktoberfest. Offerings include blue cheese canapés on pumpernickel toast ($6.50) and whole house-made, German-style cucumber pickles ($7), and can be paired with German beers, such as Hacker Pschorr ($8 a bottle), Ayinger ($10 a bottle), or Paulaner Hefeweizen, ($9 a bottle).