The Backroom bar is the perfect embodiment of a 1920’s speakeasy. Every prohibition-era thing you would imagine from jazz music to illegal business can be felt inside its historic walls. True to it’s DNA, even finding The Backroom Bar can be tricky. No illuminated windows or bright signs will guide you here, instead, a small gate tucked between two buildings of the Bowery is your only indication. Labeled, “Lower East Side Toy Company,” the gate leads down some stairs, and through a dimly lit alley, where you’ll finally find the entrance.
After a greeting from Tim, a former Brooklyn Nets basketball player, and general manager of The Backroom Bar, you’ll gain entry, as long as you follow a few simple rules. While no password is required, real fur is absolutely forbidden, and no baseball caps can be worn. Once inside, the opulent atmosphere will make you realize why your more casual items are better left at home. From the enormous fireplace, to the mirrored bar, to the music that could make you want to dance even after the worstMonday, this place is an utter delight.
While more than a few New York bars have adopted the speakeasy style, The Backroom Bar is the real deal, having once been a hideaway for drinkers during the prohibition era of the 20s when alcohol was illegal. True to form, the bar still serves cocktails in teacups, and beer in brown paper bags, intended to mask the contents of the cups, should the police come in.
As one of two original speakeasies still preserved in New York City, down to its authentic 1920’s chandeliers, décor, and wallpaper, The Backroom Bar may remind you of Boardwalk Empire, and it’s no coincidence. This place once belonged to gangsters, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky, of which the popular show is largely based.
What was once a secret, and only known through word-of-mouth, is now a favorite of true New Yorkers, celebrities, and movie industry bigwigs. From Paul McCartney and Robert Plant, to Pearl Jam and Robert DeNiro, their list of regulars is nothing if not impressive.
This hidden bar has one more secret to reveal. A back room where many wish to enter, but few are admitted. Fashion IQ made the cut, and from behind a bookcase discovered what could be a great spot for special events and business meetings – legal ones of course.
Photos by Troy Hahn
Story by Jeanne Prisyazhnaya
© Fashion IQ, 2014