NYC’s Speakeasy Tradition
New York City was one of the great speakeasy capitals of the Prohibition era (1920–1933). Establishments ranging from elegant salons to basement operations served illegal alcohol across the five boroughs, with law enforcement frequently complicit or bribed to look the other way. The modern “speakeasy bar” concept — hidden entrances, password entry, period-correct cocktails — draws on this history to create theatrical bar experiences that have become a genuine NYC specialty.
Some of what follows are genuine secrets; others are “secret” only in the theatrical sense. All offer exceptional cocktails and a distinctive experience.
PDT (Please Don’t Tell) — East Village
PDT is the bar that effectively launched the modern speakeasy trend. Access is through a phone booth inside Crif Dogs, the hot dog shop on St. Marks Place — pick up the handset, tell them you want a table, and a hidden door opens. The bar inside is tiny, dark, and serves what are regularly cited as among the city’s best craft cocktails. Reservations (made online) are strongly recommended; walk-ins depend on available capacity.
Death & Co — East Village
Death & Co on 6th Street doesn’t technically have a hidden entrance, but the dark, unmarked door and the lack of signage give it the speakeasy atmosphere. The bar is one of the most influential cocktail bars in the world — many of the bartenders who defined the modern craft cocktail movement worked here. The menu is serious and rotating; the service is knowledgeable without being precious. Reservations recommended.
The Back Room — Lower East Side
The Back Room is the most historically authentic speakeasy experience in NYC — it was an actual speakeasy during Prohibition, with a separate alley entrance. Today you enter through an unmarked door in a Lower East Side alley, walk down, and enter a bar that serves cocktails in teacups (a historical reference to the practice of disguising alcohol as tea for police raids). The atmosphere is a genuine Prohibition-era fantasy.
Angel’s Share — East Village
Angel’s Share is accessed through a Japanese restaurant (Village Yokocho) on the second floor of a building on Stuyvesant Street — you walk through the restaurant to a door that opens into the bar. The name refers to the portion of whisky that evaporates during barrel aging. The bar specializes in Japanese whisky and sophisticated cocktails; the atmosphere is intimate and quietly exceptional.
Raines Law Room — Chelsea and Upper West Side
Raines Law Room has two locations — both accessed through unmarked doors that open into elegant, velvet-and-candlelight parlors serving serious cocktails. The service model is unusual: you write your order on a notepad at your table, which a waiter collects and returns with your drinks. The experience is deliberately slow and sophisticated, modeled on a private club rather than a bar.
The Django at The Roxy Hotel — Tribeca
The Django in The Roxy Hotel in Tribeca is a subterranean jazz bar with live jazz most evenings, excellent cocktails, and an intimate atmosphere that captures what the best Prohibition-era establishments must have felt like. Access is through the hotel lobby and down — less hidden than others on this list but more consistently excellent as a full evening experience.
Practical Tips for NYC Speakeasy Bars
Many speakeasies have small capacities and fill up quickly on weekends — book ahead wherever reservations are available. Dress smart-casual; most of these bars have dress codes (no athleisure, no torn clothing). Prices are higher than standard bars — cocktails run $18–28, reflecting the craft ingredients and skilled bartending. Tip generously; the bartenders at these spots are genuine professionals.
