Apothéke Cocktail Bar / Lounge

Chinatown / Nolita, New York –

Patrons in search of an offbeat experience need look no further than Apothéke, a bar and lounge that transports guests into a 19th-century opium and absinthe den – which is exactly what this space was back in the day.

Known for its décor as much as for its mind-blowing cocktails, the bar features the original pressed-tin ceiling salvaged from the former opium den, as well as a 30-foot marble bar, silk sofas, one-of-a-kind wood and tile flooring, and ingenious chandeliers and wall sconces fashioned out of antique chemistry glassware and filled with liquid absinthe to create an odd greenish glow.

The design by Christopher Tierney is perfectly complemented by the mad scientists posing as bartenders, complete with white lab coats, who concoct some incredibly strong cocktails with ingredients like fennel, lavender, pepper, and egg white – which perhaps explains that padded wall by the door.

Popular with a slightly pretentious crowd of chic socialites, stylish young professionals, and people from the worlds of film, music, and fashion, Apothéke’s bar area is still a surprisingly good place to strike up conversations with new people under the backlit collection of antique medicine bottles and house elixirs.

Although not known as a rowdy bar, the venue does get packed to the rafters on the weekends, and the usually civilized crowd has been known to let loose on the makeshift dance floor.

The drinks may be expensive and the bouncers choosy, but Apothéke and its swanky clientele offer a certain enigmatic charm that keeps patrons coming back time and time again.