This speakeasy hidden behind a coffee shop serves really good cocktails

New Yorkers love their speakeasies, and there's a relatively new one deserving of your attention right now in Greenpoint. Ninety Nine Franklin is hidden behind an espresso shop at—you guessed it: 99 Franklin St. It serves top-notch cocktails throughout the night.

First, a word on how to find it. First, head to the daytime cafe, which opened in mid-2021, and notice a slightly open door at the back of the premise. Walk in and be greeted by a dark but welcoming room with a sleek-looking bar and modern finishes throughout. There's also a heated patio in the back, complete with a round fireplace!

Ninety Nine Franklin, the speakeasy, opened towards the end of 2021, turning the address into a full-day operation. The espresso shop is open from 8:30am to 4pm daily, serving very well-made coffee drinks plus breakfast and lunch. The bar is closed on Sundays and Mondays but opens at 6:30pm every other day of the week (closing time is midnight on Tuesdays through Thursdays and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays). 

The cocktails will cost you a relatively affordable $12-$14 and, as is the case with basically any speakeasy in this great city of ours, they are all absolutely delicious. 

We do suggest indulging in some classic offerings (they are classic for a reason, after all), including the Old Fashioned and the Martini. But if you're craving a twist on the traditional, the bar is sure to deliver as well. Take the Queens margarita, for example, made with tequila, Cointreau, ginger, agave and lime, or, perhaps, a mezcal Negroni made with the smoky liquor, plus Campari, sweet vermouth and orange zest. The bartenders will also make you a pretty good Free Smoke—prepared with smoked scotch, lemon, amaro and ginger—that will sure clear out your sinuses.

And because the act of consuming endless amounts of cocktails requires you to take down some food, you should know that there are s'mores on the snack menu—and you're going to want to order some.

Always beloved destinations around here, speakeasies seem to be even more popular than usual across town these days. Case in point: Sei Less, a new Asian fusion speakeasy that patrons can access through a mural.