The Garret (West Village)

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

The entrance to The Garret runs straight through the Five Guys at Bleecker and Seventh, past the registers to a staircase in back that most customers never notice. Upstairs is loft-like and low-key: tufted couches, cozy nooks, and a wall of windows over the street, closer to a friend's living room than a hidden-bar theme. Owner Gavin Moseley built the drinks list around mixed cocktails, hard liquor, beer and wine rather than a gimmick menu, and the bartenders keep the music going without over-explaining the pours. It gets loud on weekends, closer to a college bar than a quiet date spot, and reservations run through Resy.