Nitecap
(Now Closed)Cocktail Bar, Bar, and Speakeasy$$$$
Lower East Side, New York
The folks at The New Yorker and Time Out New York like this place. Would you agree?
122 Tips and reviews
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letajanelleJanuary 7, 2016Has a speakeasy vibe but without the list of rules. Good customer service and amazing variety of beverages across the board. I especially love that you can order a whole bottle and pay as you drink.
the bartenders here know what's up. tell them what you like and how weird you want to get and you'll be set for the night. also has the most inventive menu of the bars in the LES.
The kitschy menu and decor combined with creative cocktail choices makes this a perfect cozy date spot.
Ranu RajkarnikarMay 23, 2015Amazing, underground cocktail spot. They have a big varied menu and the staff are friendly. Cushy booths and tables make it great for a date, but sitting at the bar is lovely as well. Add to rotation!
Escape CardonaJune 18, 2016Awesome little intimate spot. Sweet for dates or hanging out. Good music. The bartenders are attentive. +1 for the disco ball. The drinks are great and the menu changes often.
Tasting TableOctober 28, 2014This subterranean speakeasy is tiny but there's a slew of classic and inventive cocktails, and a brandy list that would have made Winston Churchill proud. Slowly sip one of their Firewater cocktails. Read more
- Nate FolkertJuly 18, 2017moon landing hoax cocktail: appleton vx and el dorado 12 yr rums, punt e mes, pineapple shrub, and lime bitters. served at room temperature
Josephine SonMarch 31, 2014Gorgeous little cocktail joint. No annoying LES hipsters in sight! Get the Green Thumb, but all the cocktails are stellar!
Village VoiceApril 3, 2015While you're here look for "Shorty Service," which buys you a short pour of beer or wine and a slug of something stronger, and the menu is littered with jokes and fun drinking games. Read more
Time Out New YorkOctober 5, 2018The inventive, freewheeling menu runs the gamut from crisp session cocktails to hefty late-night slugs to help you unwind in one of the low-slung oxblood booths inside a sultry, cavernous lair. Read more
Excellent cocktails, great place to go and grab a drink while you wait to get into Attaboy. So many interesting and inventive drinks on this menu. There's a steam pipe in the toilet, its hot as.- DoubleDeuceJanuary 2, 2016Excellent cocktails, a couple of very large booths and smaller place settings for two. Saw a large crew of ladies start a night here, was a pretty solid idea, plenty of space & great drinks.
Omer ZachSeptember 28, 2014The menus, cocktails, and setting are all outstanding. It's somehow also the kind of place that has The Cure's Disintegration literally on repeat.
Vivian VoMarch 14, 2015You don't really know what it is until you head downstairs. Award winning bartender is super friendly and attentive. Chill spot - can fit a group of friends but get there early to grab a table.
Diana BrodyNovember 7, 2016As someone who's hard to please cocktail-wise, this place is amazing. The bartender was incredibly sweet and helped me figure out what words to tell future bartenders to get a drink I love.
Hannah ParvazJanuary 11, 2017One of the most attractive bars I've ever been into. Menu is well designed. Head straight for the whiskey cocktails there.
Of all the NYC cocktail bars I like I feel like I have the most ideological sympathy with Nitecap. Lots of fascinating tall drinks with clear spirits. Chill as fuck.
The menu is so fun - it changes all the time and has different games on it. Drinks are also very unique. Great atmosphere - good music and a good time!
Simon WilsonAugust 5, 2017Great place for drinks – and there's some amazing cocktails here. Heading in from the stairs, Nitecap first feels like a lair – but it's one with a lot of warmth and fun going on. Highly recommended.
Nancy WuMay 11, 2015Drinks and ambience were great! Cute little speakeasy downstairs of the popular LES bars, I got the secret drink called Armed Robbery:)
A great new offering in the LES from the Death & Co. family. Solid cocktail offerings in a dark space that feels warmer and more personal than other nearby spots.
Cynthia LinJanuary 6, 2019Amazingly creative cocktails, but no standing room. They were nice enough to let a large party in to wait for a table, but just a warning it’s more like a restaurant, not a bar you can just walk into
Mikahla VicinoSeptember 26, 2017Not sure when it happened, but this bar has a new space! And it's beautiful. Perfectly cozy & romantic, and the staff and drinks are all wonderful.
Meg FarmerJuly 28, 2015Super intimate date spot - till midnight on Sunday when they turn on a discoball and turn up the music. We were super confused how the atmosphere changed so quickly. Try the Disappearing Act to drink.
Maneesh NJuly 26, 2015Excellent, diverse, cozy cocktail bar that can be great for dates. Get there before 9 though on the weekends...seats are hard to come by after that
Ernesto GutierrezAugust 1, 2015A hidden underground cocktail bar. You will miss it on the street if you are not paying attention. Don't let the looks scare you, they have a Great selection of drinks.
Pramod PaiMay 8, 2015Nitecap serves an array of cocktails, are made by skilled cocktail artisans (not bartenders, cocktail artists)
SaleemMarch 1, 2015Great cocktails in an intimate setting. Nice (boozy) way to wind down the evening
A FAugust 15, 2014This subterranean cocktail cellar is truly one of the city's best cocktail sellers. Look forward to friendly and capable bartenders, a diverse array of drinks and hilarious menus.
René HeunenMay 9, 2016Great atmosphere, very helpful staff! Your eyes will need a while to adjust to the low light level, so reading the menu paradoxically becomes easier after the first drink.
Liam OliverJune 27, 2016Great drink list. Chill dark downstairs with a good vibe. A must stop if your in the area.
This place is so cute inside and plays awesome music. Cocktails are tasty and inventive.
Stan BashmashnikovSeptember 22, 2014Some of the best cocktails in NYC. Great ambience. Intimate date spot. A truly unique hideaway below the busy LES streets.
Margherita B.April 28, 2016This speak easy offers great cocktails and a very intimate atmosphere. Too bad I was here for the worst date of my life =P
Kim PhamJanuary 5, 2017They've moved to a new, much nicer location. Personally find that the cocktails tend to skew sweet, for my palate.
Jasmine 💫June 11, 2017Beautifully illustrated menus and well-balanced cocktails. They also serve real coca-cola in the glass bottle.
Liza FrybergerJanuary 14, 2018To make a seat at the bar a sure-thing, make this a pre-dinner cocktail spot. Everything is delicious, if a little pricey
Ivana LiAugust 24, 2016Intimate spot for dates or small groups. Cocktails are unique but expect to pay about $20/drink.
DavDecember 10, 2015I got the mermaid and another drink that I can't remember. Both were delicious! Would be good for a date but the music is loud and it was hard to have a conversation
Lauren FordNovember 7, 2017Awesome little spot. Don't remember what I drank so that's a good sign right?
Mariya FedMay 30, 2015The drinks are amazing, the pickled veggies are amazing, everything is great here!
- letajanelleJune 1, 2016If you like ginger, the California Connection is delish & if you're feeling big try the Mafia Boss. 😻
Surface MagazineJune 14, 2016Natasha David, bartender at Nitecap, reimagined Foursquare (the iconic technology company) as the Just the Tip-pler. Click Read more for ingredients and details. Read more
If you're into sipping fancy cocktails in an dark, intimate setting, this is your scene
Alexandria DangJuly 7, 2014Well balanced drinks that manage to remain interesting and palatable. Enjoyed the Little Victory, Criminal Appeal, La Mome. Be ready to get into yelling matches with the douchebags here for a seat.
Mike NickersonJuly 6, 2016Classy and fun speakeasy with delectably delicious cocktails - some of the best in New York- Mikahla VicinoJanuary 19, 2015The Royal Charter is a good blend of sweet and cinnamon. Bartender is entertainingly good at his job.
DinaJuly 28, 2014An intimate subterranean space, a menu of yiddish bites (matzo ball soup, chicken liver pate) and splendid cocktails.
The New YorkerJanuary 13, 2015“It’s a casual joint that aims no higher than to lighten the wallets of those raucous young men in blue oxfords whose tastes increasingly determine the downtown bar scene.” Read more
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Permanently closed (Show more)
- Mon–Wed, Sun
- 6:00 PM–2:00 AM
- Thu–Sat
- 6:00 PM–4:00 AM
(212) 466-3361
Features
Reservations
Yes
Credit Cards
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Music
Yes
Parking
Street
Restroom
Yes
Food & Drink
Menus
Happy Hour
Drinks
Beer, Wine, Full Bar, Cocktails
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"the Far East Side cocktail was very refreshing - loved it! also recommend the bar snacks - the chicken wings and fries were addicting"
Hailey Heewoo Kim - 9.2
"What a view!! 🥰 Stunning decoration and awesome service. Reservations are highly recommended. I will come back for sure."
Paula Buzzo - 8.9
"Love this spot. Great introduction to Amaros by very knowledgeable bartenders. Get here early, as Soave is limited."
Candice DSouza
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