A speakeasy night in Williamsburg →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.8 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 Astoria / Long Island City. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples 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 Harlem
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.9 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMHidden cocktails
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 56.
BarThe Cactus Shop
4.8(22)Williamsburg · $$
Jazz ClubBill's Place
4.8(12)Harlem · $$
Cocktail BarBanzarbar
4.8(8)East Village / LES · $$$$
Cocktail BarThe Woo Woo
4.7(14)Midtown Manhattan · $$
Cocktail BarBar Francis
4.7(13)Fort Greene · $$
Cocktail BarThe Hidden Pearl
4.7(10)Williamsburg · $$
Cocktail Bar56709
4.7(9)Astoria / Long Island City
BarCocteleria Perla Negra
4.7(9)Harlem · $$
Cocktail BarRaines Law Room at The William
4.6(21)Midtown Manhattan
SpeakeasyDo Not Disturb
4.6(12)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$
Cocktail BarThe Raines Law Room
4.6(5)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Cocktail BarOsamil Upstairs
4.5(20)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$
Restaurant1803 NYC
4.5(19)Tribeca · $$$
Cocktail BarDeath & Company
4.5(19)East Village / LES · $$$
Cocktail BarProhibition
4.5(19)Upper West Side · $
BarDutch Kills
4.5(16)Astoria / Long Island City · $$
Cocktail BarThe Raines Law Room Chelsea
4.5(16)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$$
Cocktail BarLe Boudoir
4.5(4)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
Wine BarVon
4.5(4)East Village / LES · $$
Cocktail Bar222 Speakeasy
4.5(4)Upper West Side · $$
Cocktail BarAngel's Share
4.4(24)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Bar Food2nd Floor Bar & Essen
4.4(20)Upper East Side · $$$
Cocktail BarThe Lab at Patent Pending
4.4(16)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Cocktail BarFig. 19
4.4(14)East Village / LES · $$
Good to know
- What's the best speakeasy in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is The Cactus Shop in Williamsburg, rated 4.8 out of 5. Bill's Place and Banzarbar round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best speakeasies?
- East Village / LES (4), Midtown Manhattan (3) and Astoria / Long Island City (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable speakeasies in New York?
- Yes — The Cactus Shop, Bill's Place and The Woo Woo are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Bill's Place, while Angel's Share and Fig. 19 take 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.