During the days of Prohibition it was illegal to buy and sell alcoholic beverages; but do you think that stopped anyone from actually drinking? Of course not; it just went underground. Those clandestine bars were known as “speakeasies,” and there are a few of them still around today. Yes, it is legal to get plastered nowadays, as long as you don’t drive afterwards or take off your clothes before you climb aboard a southbound bus, but the special charm of speakeasies has been preserved in a few not-so-well-known “joints.”
• Window curtains create a “no-one-is-home” effect at 67 Orange Street, but don’t be fooled. Walk in and discover an intimate lounge with a full range of cocktails and fantastic food standing behind the drinks. Try the fried chicken or lobster, you won’t be disappointed. 2082 Frederick Douglas Blvd., Harlem
• To get to this speakeasy you will have to enter a Japanese restaurant first. Then walk through a secret door which looks like the entrance to a storage closet, and discover Angel’s Share
 |
• Another establishment boasting a secret door is Bathtub Gin. Enter a coffee shop, find the right door, and you will encounter a small cocktail bar furnished with leather booths and tables. Come on either Sunday or Tuesday night and you will be treated to a burlesque show guaranteed to make you feel lawless. 132 9th Ave., Chelsea
