In New York City, some bars are so exclusive that only a branded passkey will get you past the bouncer. But with other bars, the only difficult part of getting in is finding the hidden or underground bar in the first place. Luckily, we've been there and offer you a list of great places that not everyone's heard about.
Angel's Share(212) 777-5415
6 Stuyvesant St, 2nd floor,
New York, NY, 10009
One of the simpler "hidden" bars to get into, Angel's Share only requires its patrons to know that on the second floor sushi restaurant at their address, there is a discreet, marked door through which you'll find the bar.
Back Room(212) 228-5098
102 Norfolk St.,
New York, NY, 10002
Tim Robbin's secluded speakeasy is a short walk down a dark alley from the sidewalk and is marked by only a sign saying "Lower Manhattan Toy Company." Inside, the drinks are classy, the collars are popped, and the wallpaper could be a bookmark in a Fitzgerald novel.
Freemans(212) 420-0012
Freeman Alley ,
New York, NY, 10002
It's very Lower East Side of Freemans to have an alley-way address, and the worn-down, rustic nature of the place itself compounds the feeling. While the restaurant isn't easy to access, the menu is quite accessible, with reasonable plates of pate sparring with a wine-centric potage.
La Esquina a/k/a The Corner(646) 613-7100
114 Kenmare Street,
New York, NY, 10012
Hidden under a corner taqueria, the haven for locals is a prime example of the principle of the secret bar: finding the door doesn't necessarily mean you're getting in.
675 Bar212-699-2400
675 Hudson St,
New York, NY, 10014
Underneath Vento lurks this decadent Meatpacking District gem, where the glamorous and the cash-flushed try to look cool as they bump around in the darkness.
Milk & Honey718-308-6881
134 Eldridge Street,
New York, NY, 10002
A constantly-changing phone number keeps the tourists at bay along with, honestly, most New Yorkers. Without the number, finding the place is pointless, no matter how many stories of the land of milk and honey you hear.
PDT(212) 614-0386
113 St Marks Place,
New York, NY, 10009
Stepping into a phone booth and peering into a closed-circuit camera—which are none-too-flattering when looks are involved—might seem right out of a spy novel, but it's a part of PDT's non-existent, yet somehow stringent door policy.
Sakagura(212) 953-7253
211 E 43rd St Ph,
New York, NY, 10017
If you want sake and sushi at this Japanese restaurant, you'll have to know not to turn back when you enter the strangely corporate lobby through which you can access Sakagura. Down an eerie stairwell and through the door, the atmosphere will relax any nervousness at having just walked through a mildly Gotham-ish set.
The Box212-982-9301
189 Chrystie St.,
New York, NY, 10002
The Box is equal parts restaurant, bar, and theater, with Prohibition-era decor that taps you on the shoulder and says--very politely--"stately grandeur."
