Wondering where to find speakeasies in NYC? Strictly, the Prohibition-era ones are gone, but hidden bars behind barbershops, burger counters and phone booths carry on the tradition. Start with the picks below.
This guide is part of the wider look at new york nightlife on this site.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Year Prohibition ended | 1933 |
| Year the Backroom opened | 2004 |
| Year Ratner’s restaurant, the Backroom’s predecessor, opened | 1908 |
| Backroom hours as listed in 2014 | 7:30 p.m.-4:00 a.m., closed Mondays |
| The Little Shop surcharge to plate front-of-store snacks | 20% |
These figures come from The Infatuation’s November 22, 2024 guide and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s October 16, 2014 story. Hours, prices and entry rules can change, so check the source and the bar before you rely on them.
What counts as a speakeasy in NYC today?
Strictly speaking, no true speakeasies remain. The Infatuation’s guide, dated November 22, 2024, says that technically there are no speakeasies in NYC, because they went out the door when Prohibition ended in 1933.
What you will find are hidden bars, meaning places with a concealed or disguised entrance. NYC Tourism describes drinking dens tucked under restaurants, inside ice cream shops and behind laundromats.
The disguise is not new. CityDays notes that the original venues were camouflaged behind inconspicuous doors, hidden in basements or set inside everyday businesses like soda shops or barber shops. It adds that many required a password for entry.
Hidden bars behind everyday storefronts
Many of today’s hidden bars rely on a cover business that you walk through to reach the bar. These are examples the guides describe:
- The Garret in the West Village is hidden up a staircase in the back of a Five Guys, according to The Infatuation.
- Blind Barber in the East Village sits behind a sliding door at the back of a barbershop, per NYC Tourism.
- UES, on the Upper East Side, is reached by asking to see the storage room of a bubblegum-pink ice cream shop, per NYC Tourism.
- Sunshine Laundromat in Greenpoint hides its pinball bar behind the back door of a working laundromat, per NYC Tourism.
- Patent Pending in Nomad is a coffee shop before 5pm, and after hours its back door leads to a cocktail bar, per NYC Tourism.
- Bathtub Gin in Chelsea is hidden behind Stone Street Coffee, per The Infatuation.
The Little Shop at South Street Seaport shows how far the gimmick goes. The Infatuation says its bar is behind a sliding door at the back of a modest convenience store, and that the snacks you see up front can be plated for a 20% surcharge.
The Backroom and its Prohibition roots
The Backroom on the Lower East Side is the bar most often tied to real history. The National Trust’s story, dated October 16, 2014, traces it to Ratner’s Back Room, linked to a restaurant that opened in 1908 and moved to Delancey Street just before the Volstead Act took effect.
The owner told the National Trust that, according to his former landlords, the gangsters of the area held meetings there, with Meyer Lansky named in particular and Bugsy Siegel too. Treat that as the owner’s account, not a documented record.
The modern bar opened in 2004. Its fake front, the Lower East Side Toy Company on Norfolk Street, nods to old speakeasies that used supposed apothecaries or blacksmith shops as cover, and the National Trust says patrons descend a flight of stairs from the street and walk through a tunnel before entering through a back door.
Expect liquor in teacups and beer in brown bags. That same story listed hours of 7:30 p.m.-4:00 a.m., closed Mondays, but it was published in 2014, so confirm before you go.
Phone booths, subway stations and galleries
The best-known disguise may be the phone booth at PDT. NYC Tourism says to head to the East Village Crif Dogs, walk into the vintage phone booth on the left wall, and ring once on the red rotary phone to be granted entry.
In its November 22, 2024 guide, The Infatuation says PDT mostly feels like a laid-back cocktail bar that just happens to be hidden. That is a fair summary of the whole category: the door is the hook, and the drinks have to carry the night.
Some entrances are stranger still:
- La Noxe in Chelsea is a cocktail lounge the size of a studio apartment inside a subway station, and The Infatuation says you may find people dancing after 11pm.
- Nothing Really Matters near Times Square leans into a grimy, underground setting with neon lighting and exposed pipes on the ceiling, per The Infatuation.
- Fig. 19 is reached through a door at the very back of a white-walled art gallery, per NYC Tourism.
- Le Boudoir in Brooklyn Heights sits under the bistro Chez Moi, behind a fake bookcase doorway, per NYC Tourism.
How to plan your visit
A little preparation saves a wasted trip. Run through this list before you head out:
- Confirm the bar is open. The Infatuation’s November 22, 2024 guide marks Sincerely, Ophelia as permanently closed, yet a CityDays guide lists it among its picks.
- Check the entry rules. Attaboy operates without a menu, and CityDays says it runs first-come, first-served for groups of six or fewer. The Infatuation says you can’t make a reservation there, but a host will text you when seats open up.
- Check the hours. CityDays lists Attaboy as open daily, 5:00 pm-3:00 am, but hours change.
- Arrive early for popular rooms. The Infatuation advises getting to Little Branch early if you don’t want to wait in line outside.
- Match the mood. The Infatuation calls Bathtub Gin’s full commitment to the theme a little corny, but says it works.
If the hidden door matters less to you than the glass, the guide to cocktail bars in new york is a better next stop. For a night built around live music instead, browse jazz clubs nyc.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any real speakeasies left in NYC?
Show answer
Not in the strict sense: The Infatuation’s November 22, 2024 guide says they ended with Prohibition in 1933. The Backroom’s owner argues his bar is different because its predecessor really was one, as reported in the National Trust’s October 16, 2014 story.
Do you need a password to get in?
Show answer
Historically, yes: CityDays says many original venues required one. Today the guides describe other rituals, such as ringing once on a rotary phone at PDT or asking to see the storage room at the UES ice cream shop, per NYC Tourism.
Which hidden bar suits a quiet date?
Show answer
The Infatuation calls The Little Shop a good, mellow place to drink something intricate with a date. It also describes La Noxe as a pleasant, low-key place to sit with a date and listen to good music.
Do hidden bars serve food?
Show answer
Some do. NYC Tourism says Blind Barber’s back lounge has drink and pizza options, and that Please Don’t Tell serves upscale versions of burgers, hot dogs and tater tots alongside its cocktails.
