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Speakeasies

Speakeasies in New York

The Back Room

20s / Alternative Music / DJ / EDM

Party Earth Review From its secret location to its art deco décor to the camouflaged drinks, the Back Room takes the speakeasy theme seriously – and literally too. Once past a tattered sign for the fictitious LES Toy Company, guests navigate a spooky alleyway before entering a Victorian space seemingly pulled from an episode of Boardwalk ... more

102 Norfolk Street
New York, NY 10002

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2nd Floor on Clinton

20s / 30s / Affluent / Ambient / VIP

Party Earth Review Harkening back to the classier side of Prohibition, the 2nd Floor on Clinton is a cozy piece of boozer nostalgia worlds apart from the Barramundi bar beneath it. Relaxed upper-crust groups and in-the-know students looking to splurge make their way through Barramundi, ring a buzzer next to a door marked PRIVATE, and are ... more

67 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002

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Experimental Cocktail Club

70s Music / Ambient Jazz / Artsy

Party Earth Review Savvy travelers – and savvy readers of Party Earth – are already familiar with Experimental Cocktail Club, a cutting-edge haunt for intricate cocktails that opened to such success in Paris back in 2007 that it birthed a London location just a few years later. 2012 saw this popular haunt branch out again ... more

191 Chrystie Street
New York, NY 10002

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Fig. 19

Ambient / Artists / Bar / Chic / Chill

Party Earth Review Secreted behind an art gallery and directly above sister establishment Home Sweet Home, Fig. 19 is a small speakeasy with big-time exclusivity. Patrons won’t find velvet ropes, however, or the flashing bulbs of paparazzi, or any indication of this bar’s existence at all save for a Godzilla-sized doorman parked outside ... more

131½ Chrystie Street
New York, NY 10002

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Mulberry Project

Art / Coat Check / DJ / Expensive

Reviewed by Mark S.

"I tried to go once on a Friday night post laboring, and was turned away. Apparently on busier nights you need a reservation, so keep that in mind. I w ..." more

149 Mulberry Street
New York, NY 10013

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The Darby Downstairs

20s / 30s / 40s / 60s Soul / A-list / DJ

Party Earth Review Hidden below the swanky Darby restaurant, The Darby Downstairs is a stylish speakeasy where models and mixology collide – a tenuous union seeing as models usually break when they crash into stuff. It’s not unusual to see collections of spindly twenty-somethings gathered outside the venue’s separate entrance, stomping out ... more

244 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011

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The Tippler

20s / 30s / 60s Music / 70s Music / DJ

Party Earth Review Located in the basement of the famed Chelsea Market, The Tippler is Chelsea’s answer to a swanky speakeasy minus the velvet ropes or secret phone numbers that’s so common in the nearby Meatpacking District. Unmarked save for a lonely “Open” sign, the venue’s a favorite for discerning young professionals who fill its prim ... more

425 West 15th Street
New York, NY 10011

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The Raines Law Room

Coat Check / Cocktail Bar

Reviewed by Angela L.

"Yes, it's a little bit expensive, but it's worth visiting at least once for the atmosphere. It's pretty exclusive-looking from the outside, tucked awa ..." more

48 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011

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Little Branch

Cash Only / Cocktail Lovers

Reviewed by Nicoless R.

"eously, with elegant grace and speed, and the drinks themselves were excellent. Get the bartender's choice since it comes out amazing.me there. Hidden ..." more

22 7th Avenue South
New York, NY 10014

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PDT (Please Don't Tell)

30s / After Work / Bar Food / Wine

Party Earth Review Laid-back cocktail lovers interested in a true speakeasy experience need look no further than Please Don’t Tell, an intimate cocktail lounge oddly accessed through a hot dog joint. Just inside Crif Dogs, patrons still in their work attire step into a vintage phone booth, press the buzzer, and announce their reservation ... more

113 St. Marks Place
New York, NY 10009

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William Barnacle Tavern

Absinthe / Cash Only / Casual / Bar

Reviewed by Jaclyn W.

"My Take: I’m sure the whole experience would have been a lot better had the American Gangster Museum been open, but unfortunately it was not. Willia ..." more

80 St. Mark's Place
New York, NY 10009

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Chloe 81

20s / 30s / Affluent / Artsy / Bar / DJ

Party Earth Review Although its days as a hush-hush in-spot famous for its Ivy parties are gone, Chloe 81 maintains its reputation as an exclusive upscale haunt for a fashionable and moneyed clientele ready to drink and dance the night away. A strict and rather arbitrary door policy – overseen by bouncers with phantom guest lists – still ... more

81 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002

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All speakeasies in New York →

NYC Speakeasies Overview

For the old soul who dreams of the deliciously clandestine days of Prohibition, New York provides plenty of the world’s best speakeasies. No longer seedy caves for seamy characters, NYC speakeasies are cushy secretive spots meant for those edgy enough to know the password or the doorman, but classy enough to afford the elaborate cocktails within.

Those looking for speakeasies in New York do best on the Lower East Side, whose many restaurants and bars provide ample fronts for the illicit lounges located deep within. PDT (”Please Don’t Tell”) is accessed through a phone booth in a hot dog joint, while The 2nd Floor on Clinton’s plush interior and soft music are reached by pressing a buzzer near the bathrooms of a Mexican restaurant. Others, like the Blind Barber and 124 Old Rabbit Club, hide in plain sight, their inconspicuous exteriors not hinting at the decadent décor, boutique drinks, and chic patronage within. And while the weekends see these spots hopping, the guests always keep their location close to their chest, lest a raid by the fuzz ruin a perfectly good night.

With everything from a fine Belgian lambic among lowlifes and lawbreakers to a carefully-crafted Old Fashioned with the glamour crowd, New York speakeasies provide all of the shadow and atmosphere that the flashy bar scene often forgets.