Employees Only Lounge / Restaurant

West Village, New York –

There’s little more than a neon PSYCHIC sign out front, but just past the clairvoyant reading cards and behind the curtained door awaits a hardly secret speakeasy called Employees Only.

Dubbed one of the “50 Best Bars in America” by Food & Wine in 2011, the venue’s 20s vibe is obvious, from the pressed-tin ceiling and rich mahogany walls to the collection of vintage art and the crackling steel-plated fireplace.

Handlebar-mustached mixologists behind the small curved bar continue the retro theme, their white coats stained by the arsenal of fresh fruits and tinctures incorporated into drinks like the gin shaken with homemade hibiscus and the chai-infused vermouth mixed with pomegranate.

Antique bottles line the shelves around the high-ceilinged dining room, where creative guys looking to impress their dates bite the bullet on the elk loin and trendy ladies pretend they aren’t going to lick the plates clean of those bacon-wrapped lamb chops.

The bar’s popularity promises a mixed bag when it comes to clientele, whether it’s cocktail connoisseurs and speakeasy purists or budding celebrity hounds hoping to spot co-owner Piper Perabo.

Often wall to wall by 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays, the venue can be equally vibrant on Sundays thanks to a late-night burlesque show known to get a little rowdy.

Vibrating with energy, Employees Only is the kind of bar patrons wish they had all to themselves, which explains why they all seem to show up at once.