Banzarbar

On our lists of the best speakeasies and cocktail bars in New York.

Reaching Banzarbar means walking to the end of Freemans Alley off Rivington Street, through the blue door into Freemans Restaurant, where the Maître D' leads guests up a back staircase to the second floor. The room seats about ten at the bar plus a handful of two-person tables lit by candles, dark enough that the space reads more like a ship's cabin than a cocktail bar. A five-course tasting menu pairs low-ABV cocktails with small seafood bites, including the Kraken, a whole tempura-fried octopus. Reservations open fourteen days out for parties up to five, and walk-ins fill in whatever's left.