Stacked above Cipriani Downtown, this Cuban-inspired lounge is on the smaller side, so come early to avoid disappointment. Bestowing an intimate atmosphere, it’s the kind of place where you’re likely to brush shoulders with moguls and models over the course of an evening.

This perpetually packed West Village haunt is lauded for its
Manhattan cocktail. Fronted by a fortune-teller’s lair – spot the
red neon psychic sign on your way in – the watering hole is best
visited on Thursday nights.

The easiest way to find Please Don’t Tell is to Google map hotdog house, Crif Dogs. There you’ll find a vintage phone booth – the entrance to New York’s most-loved speakeasy. Loose lips mean that the secret’s out so best to call ahead (from 3pm) to secure your spot.

Enter this secret spot through a street-facing pawnshop, passing
vintage treasures and oddities en route. Inside, four dining rooms,
two bars and a lounge leave you spoiled for choice. Wherever you
choose, order an “earl the pearl” (vodka, earl grey tea, lemon and
mint syrup).

Apotheke’s opulent antique interior feels like a Parisian absinthe den. It’s a popular fixture on Chinatown’s drinking scene, where patrons can choose from a drinks menu charading as a prescription list. Once you’ve decided on your poison/ cure place your order with the bar’s mixologists (aka “apothekers”) who are clad in pharmacist-style apparel.

While you might dismiss this spot as just another trendy hair salon, the well-groomed gents who go here for a trim on the regular will tell you that there’s more to Blind Barber than buzz cuts and close shaves. Head to the back for a stiff drink.

An “AB” inscribed on the metal door is the only indicator that you’ve arrived at Attaboy, a bar fashioned as a turn-of-the-century tailor shop. Ring the doorbell at 134 Eldridge and enter low-lit surrounds. The ambiguity doesn’t end here; at Attaboy there’s no drinks menu, just let the bartender know what you’re in the mood for.

This taco spot (which is also a must-try, FYI) shakes up a mean margarita at its downstairs tavern. Come thirsty (and hungry) – you’ll be tucking into some of New York’s best Mexican street food and washing it down with multiple margs. One to book ahead of time.

Easy to miss, The Ten Bells is plotted on a quiet block of
Broome Street. Billed primarily as a wine bar, its tapas dishes
(try the burrata with piquillo peppers and basil) are a
well-matched pairing. For those who love a bargain (and can keep a
secret), The Ten Bells’ happy hour is from 5 to 7pm (it’s got $1
oysters too).

Inspired by Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, this cocktail parlour is themed but shy of tacky. Start your night in the JFK room – think 60s Mad Men-style surrounds – and end your night in the F. Scott Fitzgerald room – it’s a next-level, Great Gatsby-era homage.

VNYL (short for Vintage New York Lifestyle), is a four-floor, 70s-themed venue in the East Village. Fronted by a vintage record store and coffee shop, this is the place to visit for cocktails (vanilla-infused Jameson with blackberry and stout is a surprisingly popular choice), vinyls and rock ‘n’ roll.