Get low, New Yorkers, as a crop of subterranean dining-and-drinking dens have just opened in our fair city. Find out about the new underground hidden bars NYC denizens are talking about below (as well as what you should sip and snack on). And if you're itching for other ways to wet your whistle on the DL, check out the these speakeasies in NYC and secret things to do in NYC. Searching for essential activities aboveground as well? Our list of the 101 best things to do in NYC has you covered.
“Arriba, abajo, al centro, al dentro!” goes a popular tequila toast, and this agave lounge below Tribeca’s Añejo offers endless opportunities to clink glasses to your heart’s desire. Between shots, opt for something off the special weekly menu,like a mezcal-forward martini or palomas crafted with grapefruit-flavored Jarritos.
Order this: The Oaxacan Negroni made with single-barrel tequila
Snag the password from the doorman to slip past Uncle Jack’s Meat House’s aging steaks and descend into this speakeasy. Once inside, lounge on a plush red-velour couch with a 1920s-inspired cocktail in hand or, if you’re really going all out, bottle service. When you need a snack to soak up the booze, fresh-baked biscuits and popovers, as well˛as the spliff-inspired tuna poke, are there for you. Before you leave, stop by the Instagram-famous bathroom mirror, which doubles as a touchscreen photo booth.
Order this: Strips of bacon with spicy peanut sauce
Mere steps from Apothéke, another hidden drinkery, Peachy’s is the boozy sibling of its upstairs neighbor, the foodie destination Chinese Tuxedo. Featuring a signature hot-pink neon sign that warns no photos, no fighting, the discreet bar lures in a stylish set via cocktails studded with buzzy wellness ingredients (nootropics, adaptogens) as well as floral wallpaper and the inviting flicker of candles.
Order this: Enter the Dragon, a refreshing strawberry-and–dragon-fruit standout
Pass three spiral staircases inside the just-opened Italian restaurant Gran Tivoli to get to this semisecret cocktail lounge. Practically lifted from the set of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Peppi’s is all retro cool, with deep, intimate booths, antique lights and a tiny stage for lively jazz combos.
Order this: Apple Whiskey, an off-menu highball with frothy, fresh-pressed apple juice and bourbon
Talk about low: This swanky speakeasy is nestled under the restaurant Pomona, which itself opened earlier this year below the Paris Theatre. Guests must walk through Pomona’s kitchen à la Goodfellas (or, in the case of those in the private dining room, through a bookcase) to reach this boutique club, which is outfitted with leather banquettes and soundtracked into the wee hours by pop-spinning DJs.
Order this: Baked oysters with chili bacon
Securing a table at the trendy, bustling Korean steakhouse Cote can feel close to impossible. But below that hyped-up eatery, Undercote awaits (still, email reservations are highly recommended). The speakeasy is a dim, plant-filled oasis with a heavy-handed Mother Earth vibe. The prices, however? Anything but down to earth, with a few craft cocktails nearing the $30 mark.
Order this: Raspberry Beret, a fruity concoction akin to a delicious melted Popsicle
Just like Chelsea Market has the basement cocktail joint the Tippler, Dekalb Market has Understudy. Aside from the drinks (think signature quaffs that put a fruity twist on the classics, such as a cranberry mule), the two-month-old bar also boasts Dekalb Stage, a 7,500-square-foot venue that hosts bingo nights, meditation, speed dating and quirkier fare.
Order this: The guava Cosmopolitan
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