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 Midtown Manhattan to East Village / LES and Flatiron / Gramercy. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Bar Centrale
4.4(9)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Office of Mr. Moto
4.4(5)East Village / LES · $$$$
George Bang Bang
4.4(5)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Nothing Really Matters
4.4(5)Midtown Manhattan · $$
The Molly Pitcher Club
4.3(24)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Bathtub Gin
4.3(20)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$
Apotheke Chinatown
4.3(15)Chinatown / Two Bridges · $$
The Garret (West Village)
4.3(8)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$
Lantern’s Keep
4.3(6)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Saint Tuesday
4.2(25)Tribeca · $$$
Attaboy
4.2(20)East Village / LES · $$$
Employees Only
4.2(13)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
The Back Room
4.2(12)East Village / LES · $$
Bar Nena
4.1(25)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$
Patent Pending
4.0(5)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Chapel Bar
4.0(4)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Mulberry Bar
3.4(17)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Champagne Problems
3.4(7)East Village / LES · $$
The UES
Upper East Side · $$
The Overlook Bar
Flatiron / Gramercy
Secret Pour
Bushwick / Ridgewood · $
Madame George
Midtown Manhattan
Flûte Champagne Bar
Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Library
East Village / LES · $
Showing 25–48 of 56 spots
Good to know
- What's the best speakeasy in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Bar Centrale in Midtown Manhattan, rated 4.4 out of 5. The Office of Mr. Moto and George Bang Bang round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best speakeasies?
- Midtown Manhattan (7), East Village / LES (5) and Flatiron / Gramercy (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable speakeasies in New York?
- Yes — Nothing Really Matters, Bathtub Gin and Apotheke Chinatown are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for The Office of Mr. Moto, The Mulberry Bar and The UES.
- 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.