Employees Only
Speakeasy and Cocktail Bar$$$$
West Village, New York
The experts at Time Out New York and Food Network recommend this place
"Try the West Side or the Ginger Smash with the Bone Marrow Poppers."(37 Tips)"Don't miss the bone marrow poppers or the bacon-wrapped lamb chops."(16 Tips)
"Love the steak tartar and presentation is impressive."(37 Tips)
"Great cocktails, try the Amelia"(11 Tips)
501 Tips and reviewsFilter:
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- ginger smash
- bone marrow poppers
- trendy
- good for dates
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Tobias OtteNovember 12, 2014I love this place. The food and the drinks are amazing which is quite rare when you look at famous cocktail places. Try the Billionaire.
Nicholas BeckJuly 17, 2013Go right when it opens at 6 p.m., sit at the bar, and let the very talented and personable bartenders lead you in the right direction. Try to get there before "douchebag parade" arrives.
MaiveMarch 24, 2016Amazing cocktails, great place to try new cocktails and the mixologists know how to craft a drink you will really enjoy!
Elena RApril 20, 2016While i was there almost all the visitors started singing a song from Jersey Boys, that was something! One of the best bars ever!
Lori-Jo SAugust 21, 2014Went on a mini NYC-speakeasy tour on my last trip, and having visited Bathtub Gin, Dead Rabbit and Manderley Bar, the Amelía cocktail here was my clear winner!
OkCupid Daters' ChoiceJuly 13, 2017Employees Only was voted the Best Boozy Date Spot by OkCupid users in the first-ever Daters' Choice Awards! Tap Read more for additional date spot categories in New York City. #daterschoice Read more
Santi AmayaJune 21, 2015Great cocktails. Try the ginger smash. Make a reservation so you can get a table, otherwise you'll be standing in a very crowded space.
Sanja DelcevOctober 25, 2014Place with great music but sometimes it can get too loud. Cocktails are great! Grab a few while you wait for a table because it might be a long wait.
Elina MayrDecember 18, 2020Quality varies, but drinks are always top. Fantastic drinks, good service, cool atmosphere.
Emilio VitoloJanuary 3, 2015Great place to listen to music and grab a nice bite to eat .. Love the Marinated Skirt Steak .. Best I've had late ....late night 👍👍- AllisamyNovember 6, 2012GREAT spot, GREAT atmosphere & music, somewhat a secret spot. This is the real New York! They made a tourist like me feel at home... Though nowhere home is this amazing.
Carlos RussoDecember 12, 2014Great place for after work/dinner cocktails. Love the Billionaire Cocktail or the Quiet Storm. You really can't go wrong here.
Neil CaronMarch 11, 2016Best cocktail decor and vibe in the city. Food is pricey but really good. Grab the lamb chops and steak tartar.
Jen ShinJuly 10, 2016waited in line for a while, but worth it once you get inside. all of the cocktails are shaken to perfection. does get extremely crowded tho.
Carole LoomisMay 26, 2015Amazing staff, service, music, food and cocktails. Ribeye is perfect. Arugula and Fennel salad. Well-crafted Manhattan.
Kelly AMarch 10, 2018Doorman very kind, great vibe. Came for the drinks, decent cocktails and friendly bar staff. I’ll be back!!
Serious EatsApril 19, 2013Billionaire Cocktail: bourbon shaken with lemon, absinthe bitters, and the Employees Only grenadine, with notes of clove and cardamom.
@HungryEditor Ben SetiawanSeptember 15, 2015Perennially crowded, so it's best for small groups. Drinks are top notch as is the food.
Christina ThomasApril 8, 2015The drinks are fantastic and the food delicious! The place has a cool vibe to it
ConnecTheWorldJuly 28, 2014Finding a secret spot like this will raise 100 points the coolnes of your trip, expecially if it is in NYC. To read the other best Hidden Bars in NYC, click on the link Read more
Jessica KimSeptember 12, 2013The mixologists are legit - the Lazy Lover (cachaça and jalapeño chartreuse!) is the best cocktail my boyfriend and I both have ever had. Yum!
The New York PalaceMarch 26, 2012Our staff’s favorite after work hot spot, located in the Meatpacking District. Have a drink and for late night nibble, we like the mixed green salad & the steak tartar with crostini.
omogenisOctober 1, 2012To me,one of the best bars in the city of New York.Igor,Henry and all the guys are great.No tips are needed here.Just order the base on your cocktail.
Sam CAugust 17, 2013Cool space, good cocktails and music, a little crowded even on a Fri in August, but if you want to schmooze, this seems like a good place. Bouncers are a little uppity
William OrellanaApril 4, 2012Love this place and the drinks r amazing!!! Food awesome!!( the only negative and Disappoint is the bartender with long hair and tattoos is a douche bag!! And always drunk with a nose problem!!)
Piril SekerApril 11, 2013Great place for chillin and maybe if you're on your lucky day you might able to bump into some awesome people! Delicious coctails, good management!
Audrey LoMay 27, 2013Was there for a friend's 30th. It was a rare treat, considering the price. However, the food and drinks were amazing. Need a special occasion place to go? Try this place!
Mike O'SullivanSeptember 2, 2014One of the few places you can get Spaten, a great refreshing lager, in New York.
Julie SosciaJanuary 27, 2019Very popular speakeasy. For less crowds, avoid the weekends. Try the steak tartar and make friends with the bartenders for secret menu cocktails.
Dave CutlipNovember 19, 2016Amazing Steak Tar Tar was made at the table the food was nothing less than spectacular we even got our cards read on the way out if you don't go your missing out !!!
CompassApril 25, 2014The swanky bar pays homage to the allure and mystery of prohibition speakeasies. Expert mixologists create whimsical cocktails for even the most novice of drinkers.
Winnie W.November 24, 2014Their bone marrow poppers are great! Cocktails are yummy too. Had the amelia and mata hari. Ginger smash was popular too.
Megan MastersAugust 9, 2017I used to visit this bar in 2008. Almost 10 years later, it's kept it's cool.
Tim CrookMarch 31, 2014Old-school speakeasy type bar/restaurant. On the weekends it can get packed, but its definitely an awesome spot.
Andrea ZilioJuly 24, 20156pm on a Friday: already enforcing a no-shorts dress code... I've been to plenty, plenty of other cocktail bars in the city and no other enforces it this early!
David 🎉 LasterMay 18, 2012A large selection of cocktails with high-quality ingredients although often dissonant flavors. Great scene on weekdays and the food is worth trying too (3 of 4 petals via Fondu) Read more
Faidon KitantzisJanuary 5, 2018Nice cocktails and tasty food. Both meat and fish! And all these can be enjoyed by nice music!
Josh SaletnikAugust 16, 2014Fancy drinks that are actually worth the prices and taste spot on. And they make an effort to keep the space from being too crowded.
1920s,30s prohibition spirit. Best 2011 cocktail bar. New Hip place, you can't see the name out. Another usual hangout for us. Try Psychic on Thu. Tells some past events that will give you goosebumps.
Food NetworkAugust 8, 2011Rocco DiSpirito, on Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, raves about the Bacon Wrapped Lamb Chops at Employees Only in New York, NY. Find more tips at FN Local. Read more
best bar for birthdays to claim to prime barside real estate, and order a round of original cocktails mixed by rascally, white-jacketed gents.
Nazli OguzFebruary 12, 2017Amazing cocktails, for food definitely try tuna tartar as a starter, rib eye for main!
Ramma loves the Tartar, Smeken loves the drinks, The Bulgarian Promoter delivers on music, Allan pays the drinks
N AvedisOctober 2, 2018Absolutely loved the place! Duck confit was great! Drinks were amazing! Will go back again.
Lou AllenMay 10, 2016This place is simply awesome. Great atmosphere and open late for a cocktail after dinner at the Spotted Pig.
A NYC cocktail institution. Worth the stop. Come early.
GourmetLiveOctober 11, 2011Food blogger Laura Sullivan recommends Employees Only, in the West Village. It recently won the coveted 2011 Best Cocktail Bar in the World honor at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
LaurenNovember 10, 2015Lively atmosphere. Difficult to get a seat at the bar. Drinks are worth standing.
Smashing DrinksApril 25, 2012Employees Only is a fantastic cocktail bar. You came to the right place. Try a Ginger Smash or a Billionaire Cocktail. You won't regret it... Enjoy!
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Closed until 6:00 PM (Show more)
- Mon–Sun
- 6:00 PM–4:00 AM
(212) 242-3021
Features
Reservations
Yes
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. Discover & Visa)
Wi-Fi
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Food & Drink
Menus
Dinner
Drinks
Beer, Wine, Full Bar, Cocktails
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- 8.8
"Incredible place with real speakeasy vibe (it looks like a bagel place from the street) and amazing cocktails. Pricy but it's NYC. Burlesque show twice a week."
Zsuzsanna Miklósi - 8.8
"This place is amazing! So many good drinks. Come early or expect a long wait."
Matthew Pires - 9.2
"Love the vibes here. There can be a long wait, but if you arrive before 9pm, it’s quite easy to get a spot. Crimson fix and Magic hour if you like gin-based. Sherry colada is an amazing tiki drink."
Elisa
Places people like to go after Employees Only
- 8.9
"Super hip little speakeasy with legit cocktails (bartenders know what they're doing). though has been discovered in the last year and can have a line to get in."
Meg Farmer - 8.5
"Cocktails excellent! Come here early to grab a table! Otherwise it gets super crowded after 8ish."
Kosha Shah - 8.5
"Great dumplings and dim sum. Love the crispy beef. Husband likes the pastrami spring roll - a bit dense and dry for me!"
julia t
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