A speakeasy night in Fort Greene
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.7 mi
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← New YorkDate night guide · New York
Best speakeasies for a date in New York
Dinner first, then the unmarked door.
56 spots · Jump to the list
Half the fun is finding the door. These are the bars behind a phone booth, a freezer, an unmarked stairwell — small rooms where the drinks are made slowly and it stays quiet enough to talk. Most are small, so go early or book where they take reservations, and eat first: few of them serve much food.
This guide ranks 56 speakeasies in New York, from East Village / LES to Midtown Manhattan and West Village / Greenwich Village. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A speakeasy night in Astoria / Long Island City
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
< 0.1 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Bar Francis
5.0(13)Fort Greene · $$
56709
5.0(9)Astoria / Long Island City
Cocteleria Perla Negra
5.0(9)Harlem · $$
Do Not Disturb
4.9(12)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$
Prohibition
4.8(19)Upper West Side · $
The Raines Law Room Chelsea
4.8(16)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$$
Bar Centrale
4.8(9)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
George Bang Bang
4.8(5)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
The Raines Law Room
4.8(5)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
222 Speakeasy
4.8(4)Upper West Side · $$
2nd Floor Bar & Essen
4.7(20)Upper East Side · $$$
The Lab at Patent Pending
4.7(16)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Fig. 19
4.7(14)East Village / LES · $$
Lantern’s Keep
4.7(6)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Bathtub Gin
4.6(20)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$
Apotheke Chinatown
4.6(15)Chinatown / Two Bridges · $$
Saint Tuesday
4.5(25)Tribeca · $$$
The Cactus Shop
4.5(22)Williamsburg · $$
Attaboy
4.5(20)East Village / LES · $$$
Employees Only
4.5(13)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
The Back Room
4.5(12)East Village / LES · $$
Bill's Place
4.5(12)Harlem · $$
Banzarbar
4.5(8)East Village / LES · $$$$
Bar Nena
4.4(25)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$
Showing 1–24 of 56 spots
Good to know
- What's the best speakeasy in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Bar Francis in Fort Greene, rated 5.0 out of 5. 56709 and Cocteleria Perla Negra round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best speakeasies?
- East Village / LES (4), Midtown Manhattan (3) and West Village / Greenwich Village (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable speakeasies in New York?
- Yes — Bar Francis, Cocteleria Perla Negra and Do Not Disturb are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Bill's Place, while Fig. 19 takes walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a speakeasy night: dinner, then hidden cocktails, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.