Historic Speakeasies & Secret Bars of Manhattan: Prohibition History & Nightlife Guide
Step behind hidden bookcase doors and vintage telephone booths. Explore Manhattan’s legendary Prohibition speakeasies, secret cocktail lounges, and VIP chauffeur nightlife.
Introduction: The Secret Subterranean Soul of the Roaring Twenties
On January 17, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution took effect, ushering in the nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors known as Prohibition. While federal temperance crusaders envisioned a morally sober America, nowhere was the law more cheerfully, defiantly, and creatively violated than on the island of Manhattan. Over the course of the thirteen-year dry era (1920–1933), an estimated 32,000 illicit drinking establishments—universally christened ‘speakeasies’ because patrons were instructed to ‘speak softly and easily’ when requesting entry—flourished behind discreet basement doors, barber shops, dry cleaners, and residential townhouses across the city.
Today, New York City is experiencing a golden renaissance of craft cocktail speakeasies. Rather than simply serving illegal bootleg gin, modern hidden bars have revived the romantic mystique of the Prohibition era, pairing clandestine hidden entrances—behind vintage phone booths, psychic reading parlors, and hidden alleyways—with world-class mixology, bespoke ice carving, and opulent vintage decor. Yet navigating Manhattan’s speakeasy circuit can present serious challenges for unsuspecting night owls. Many venues enforce strict no-standing policies, unlisted phone numbers, and hidden reservation rules, and moving between tucked-away basements in the East Village, Greenwich Village, and Chinatown late at night can be confusing. Partnering with a private chauffeured luxury vehicle from Tour to NYC Tours provides an impenetrable mobile sanctuary: keeping you warm and safe between stops, navigating narrow downtown lanes, and ensuring a designated driver is always waiting curbside.
In this curated nightlife guide, we explore the history of Prohibition New York, uncover the city’s premier hidden cocktail temples, share secret access protocols, provide dress code and etiquette guidance, and explain how a private chauffeured evening unlocks the clandestine spirit of Manhattan.
The Legends of Hidden Manhattan: Iconic Secret Cocktail Temples
1. Please Don’t Tell (PDT) – East Village (St. Mark’s Place)
Universally acknowledged as the pioneer of the 21st-century speakeasy revival, PDT is hidden inside Crif Dogs, a bustling hot dog joint on St. Mark’s Place. Step inside the vintage wood-paneled telephone booth near the entrance, pick up the rotary receiver, and dial ‘1’. The back wall of the telephone booth slides open, revealing a moody, intimate brick-lined cocktail salon adorned with plush leather banquettes and taxidermy. Created by legendary mixologist Jim Meehan, PDT’s cocktail menu features groundbreaking concoctions like the ‘Benton’s Old Fashioned’ (bourbon infused with smoky Benton’s bacon, maple syrup, and bitters), paired with gourmet hot dogs topped with bacon, avocado, and spicy kimchee.
2. Employees Only (West Village / Hudson Street)
Behind the glowing neon sign of a practicing psychic tarot card reader on Hudson Street lies Employees Only, one of the most decorated cocktail bars in modern world history. Push through the heavy velvet curtain into a roaring Art Deco tavern alive with gypsy jazz, shaker tins clattering in rhythm, and bartenders dressed in pristine white chef coats. Famous for its precision-executed classic libations like the ‘Manhattan Cocktail’ and ‘Yankee Notions’, EO maintains an enduring tradition: at 3:30 AM every morning, the kitchen serves complimentary steaming bowls of house-made chicken noodle soup to every guest remaining at the bar.
3. The Back Room (Lower East Side / Norfolk Street)
The Back Room is one of only two authentic speakeasies in New York City that operated continuously during the real 1920s Prohibition and remains open today. Enter through an unassuming iron gate on Norfolk Street, descend a dark stone stairway into an underground alleyway (‘Lower East Side Back Alley’), and cross into a hidden courtyard before finding the unmarked door. Inside, 1920s Gilded Age opulence reigns: red velvet wallpaper, crystal chandeliers, a grand portrait of George Washington, and a crackling fireplace. In true Prohibition style, all cocktails are cheekily served in ceramic vintage teacups with saucers, and bottled beers are served in brown paper bags. Behind an ornate revolving bookcase lies a secret VIP backroom where legendary mobsters Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, and Meyer Lansky held business summits.
4. Attaboy (Lower East Side / 134 Eldridge Street)
Occupying the hallowed ground of the late Sasha Petraske’s legendary Milk & Honey on Eldridge Street, Attaboy is a temple of bespoke cocktail craftsmanship operated by master bartenders Michael McIlroy and Sam Ross. Marked only by a discreet brushed steel door with the initials ‘M&H’ and a vintage doorbell, Attaboy features no printed cocktail menu whatsoever. Guests slide into intimate wooden booths, describe their spirit preferences, flavor profiles, and mood to the bartender, who custom-crafts a bespoke libation on the spot. It is here that modern cocktail classics like the ‘Penicillin’ (Scotch, fresh lemon, ginger-honey syrup, and an Islay peat float) and the ‘Paper Plane’ were originally invented.
5. Bathtub Gin (Chelsea / Ninth Avenue)
Tucked behind the counter of Stone Street Coffee Company on Ninth Avenue in Chelsea, pulling a secret wooden door reveals Bathtub Gin. Dominated by a full-sized clawfoot copper bathtub centerpiece, this roaring 1920s lounge features fringed lampshades, pressed tin ceilings, live jazz quartets, and burlesque performances. The cocktail program specializes in rare artisanal gins from around the world, mixed with bespoke tonic infusions, fresh botanicals, and seasonal berries.
| Speakeasy Name | Secret Entrance Secret | Neighborhood | Signature Drink / Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Please Don’t Tell (PDT) | Vintage phone booth inside hot dog shop | East Village | Benton’s Bacon-Infused Old Fashioned |
| Employees Only | Velvet curtain behind psychic fortune teller | West Village | Classic EO Manhattan & 3 AM Chicken Soup |
| The Back Room | Dark outdoor alleyway & revolving bookcase | Lower East Side | Cocktails served in teacups, beer in paper bags |
| Attaboy | Unmarked door with ‘M&H’ buzzer | Lower East Side | The Penicillin & bespoke bartender creations |
| Bathtub Gin | Secret door inside neighborhood coffee shop | Chelsea | Artisanal Gin Tonics & Live Burlesque |
The Unwritten Rules of Speakeasy Etiquette
To preserve their clandestine, intimate charm, authentic speakeasies strictly enforce behavioral codes originally established by legendary bartender Sasha Petraske. Adhering to these rules guarantees a welcoming reception from door hosts and bartenders:
- Keep Voices Low Outside: Remember the historic meaning of the word: speak easily. When standing outside residential brownstones in Greenwich Village or the East Village, respect the neighbors by keeping conversation quiet. Loud, boisterous groups outside will be denied entry immediately.
- Respect the Seating Capacity: Most speakeasies operate on a strict seated-only policy. Standing at the bar three-deep or crowding behind seated guests is strictly forbidden. If all seats are occupied, you will be asked to wait patiently until a table vacates.
- Gentlemanly Conduct & Chivalry: Historic rules dictate that gentlemen must not initiate conversation with unescorted ladies unless invited to do so. In the words of Petraske: ‘Gentlemen will not introduce themselves to ladies unless they have been formally introduced.’
- Dress for the Occasion: Leave athletic wear, baseball caps, and gym sneakers at your hotel. Sophisticated, dark evening attire (blazers, stylish dresses, leather footwear) reflects the spirit of 1920s elegance and ensures swift entry past selective door hosts.
The Mobsters, Mayors & Bootleggers of Jazz Age Manhattan
Prohibition in New York was governed by a complex, fascinating nexus between Tammany Hall municipal politicians, organized crime syndicates, and society elites. While the federal government assigned just 150 prohibition agents to police the entire state of New York, local mayor Jimmy Walker openly patronized speakeasies like the Central Park Casino and the Cotton Club, declaring that ‘you can’t make a crime out of something that 99 percent of the population does not consider a crime.’
- The Big Seven Syndicate: Master bootleggers Meyer Lansky, Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano, Frank Costello, and Owney Madden organized the ‘Big Seven’ liquor cartel, chartering fleets of ocean steamers (the famous ‘Rum Row’ anchored three miles off the Long Island and New Jersey coastline) to smuggle millions of cases of real Scotch whisky and French champagne into Manhattan docks under the cover of night.
- The 21 Club (21 West 52nd Street): Originally founded as ‘Jack and Charlie’s Puncheon Club’ by Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns, ’21’ was the most technologically sophisticated speakeasy in the world. When police raids occurred, bartenders flipped a secret switch that tipped the bar shelves backward, dropping hundreds of liquor bottles down a chute into the municipal sewer system. A secret subterranean wine cellar behind a two-and-a-half-ton rotating brick door concealed the private wine collections of Sammy Davis Jr., Richard Nixon, and Elizabeth Taylor.
- Chumley’s (86 Bedford Street, Greenwich Village): Founded in 1928 by socialist activist Lee Chumley, this legendary literary speakeasy featured an unmarked wooden door on Bedford Street and an escape door exiting through Barrow Street. It became the favored watering hole for Nobel Prize-winning writers like William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The term ’86’—meaning to eject an unruly patron or declare an item out of stock—is widely believed to have originated here: when police raided 86 Bedford Street, the bartender would yell ’86 everybody!’, instructing patrons to escape out the back door.
Behind the Bar: The Chemistry and Ice Architecture of Modern Speakeasies
Modern New York speakeasies have elevated cocktail preparation into a fine art form, rejecting sugary pre-mixed sodas in favor of pre-Prohibition historical recipes and culinary-grade science:
- Directional Freezing & Crystal-Clear Ice: Standard freezer ice is cloudy and melts rapidly due to trapped oxygen bubbles. Elite speakeasies utilize Clinebell commercial machines to create 300-pound crystal-clear directional ice blocks, hand-carved with Japanese ice saws and diamonds into three-inch spheres and spears. Because dense crystal ice has zero air pockets, it chills spirits down to sub-freezing temperatures with virtually zero water dilution.
- Fat-Washing & Clarification Techniques: Pioneered by Don Lee at PDT with his bacon-infused bourbon, ‘fat-washing’ infuses rich savory lipids into high-proof spirits before freezing and straining the solids out, imparting silky texture and deep flavor. Meanwhile, centrifuge clarification and agar-agar filtration produce crystal-clear citrus juices that sparkle like gems in antique glassware.
- Bespoke Glassware & Temperature Control: Libations are served in authenticated vintage crystal coupe glasses and Nick & Nora glasses chilled to minus 20 degrees Celsius, ensuring the first sip is as crisp and vibrant as the last.
The VIP Advantage: Navigating Late-Night Manhattan with a Chauffeur
Attempting a multi-venue speakeasy crawl across the East Village, Lower East Side, and West Village on foot or via ride-hailing apps can quickly derail an otherwise glamorous evening. A private luxury chauffeured vehicle with Tour to NYC elevates your nocturnal adventure:
- Discreet Curbside Staging on Dark Alleys: Many speakeasies are located on dimly lit, narrow residential side streets. Having a chauffeured black SUV waiting fifty feet away ensures complete personal safety, warm leather seats, and instantaneous departures.
- Effortless Neighborhood Hopping: Traveling between an East Village basement and a West Village speakeasy involves cross-town transit that is notoriously slow on public transit. Your chauffeur glides across town in minutes, allowing you to experience three or four elite cocktail venues in a single seamless evening.
- Guaranteed Designated Driver: Indulge in rare spirits, artisanal cocktails, and vintage champagne with complete peace of mind, knowing your licensed professional chauffeur handles all traffic, bridge crossings, and late-night driving.
Secret Passwords, Door Codes & Phone Line Booking Tactics
Because secret speakeasies cultivate exclusivity, gaining entry often requires knowledge of specific rituals. At Please Don’t Tell (PDT), phone lines open daily at exactly 3:00 PM; dialing repeatedly on speed-dial until connected is required to secure a same-day table reservation. At The Garret (hidden above a Five Guys burger counter in the West Village), walk past the cash registers, ascend the hidden back staircase, and look for the wooden door. At Raines Law Room in Flatiron, ring the antique brass buzzer at the bottom of the basement stairs, wait for the speakeasy host to slide open the peephole hatch, and be escorted into private velvet-draped curtain booths equipped with individual brass call buttons to summon your server.
Frequently Asked Questions on Manhattan Speakeasies
How do you make reservations at secret speakeasies like PDT?
For PDT, reservations open daily at precisely 3:00 PM for same-day seating via phone or online booking platforms. Top speakeasies like Attaboy do not accept reservations and operate exclusively on a first-come, first-served basis; arriving right when doors open at 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM ensures immediate seating.
Are speakeasies expensive compared to regular bars?
Yes. Handcrafted cocktails at premier Manhattan speakeasies typically cost between $20 and $28, reflecting the high-proof artisanal spirits, hand-pressed juices, hand-carved ice, and intimate seated atmosphere.
Can you order food at NYC speakeasies?
Many speakeasies offer elevated small bites and gourmet tavern fare. For example, PDT serves gourmet Crif Dogs hot dogs, Employees Only serves bone marrow poppers and steak tartare, and The Back Room allows guests to enjoy shareable cheese boards.
Conclusion: Step into New York’s Secret History
Manhattan’s historic speakeasies capture the rebellious spirit, glamour, and craftsmanship of a bygone era. Elevate your evening with the ultimate in luxury, privacy, and safety by reserving a private chauffeur with Tour to NYC.
Design your custom private nightlife tour at Tour to NYC Tours or speak with our evening concierge at Tour to NYC Contact today.
