Employees Only

All right, you have to go to this speakeasy. It was so cool. The vibes in there and the people were just great. And let me tell you do they know how to make an amazing old fashion. We came here after going to a comedy show and showed up here like at 1:00 AM. We had no reservation but The person at the door said it was fine and allowed us to go in.There is no seating at first, but we did want something to eat so they sat us in the little dining area in the back and we had ordered a couple of appetizers to share. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo but I will say the french fries were delicious and the little croquettes were bomb. Definitely go if you are in New York and enjoy your night there we ended up going home like at 3:00 AM and just had an amazing time there.

(Overall: D) - Employees Only is a top rated bar in the world in which I was eager to try; unfortunately, I felt that the vibes fell quite below expectation. Specifically, while a standing only bar is fine, there was so many people in that area that it was difficult to manuever, even for the staff. Paired with an actual fireplace that requires frequent refills in timber, this lowkey may be a fire hazard. For such a prestigious bar, I was frankly surprised by the reception of the staff as I felt it ranged from coldly dismissive to indifferent at best, which is a shame because vibes are even moreso important at a bar. As for the drinks, I tried the Flying Solo, which was quite pleasantly banana forward, giving strong notes of the tart banana aftertaste of a slightly underripe banana. If the ambience, vibe, and staff matched the quality of their drinks, this bar would be a home runFood: +1Presentation: EPrice: EAtmosphere: -2Service: -1Menu: +1Overall: 2 starsInsta/Yelp/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats

Hands down the best lowkey but still lively cocktail bar. This has been my go to for years because of the incredible drinks, great music and delicious food! Pro tip! Get there on the earlier side to get a seat at the bar!

Employees Only is a speakeasy, cocktail bar, and restaurant located in the West Village. Ranked #15 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2024 and #47 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2022, I was excited to finally experience it. We ordered a selection of their drinks and some bites to share. In terms of price and taste, I found them to be quite decent, with their classic cocktails being particularly well-crafted. If you can secure a reservation, it's definitely worth visiting for happy hour with friends.

Absolutely gorgeous bar with some tiny seating inside. They also allow standing so it makes a pretty lively atmosphere. The drinks were pretty good and the bartenders are really efficient.

It seems hard to get a reservation here but I kept stalking their Resy until a time opened up that worked for my friend and I.Super packed on a Thursday evening. The space is pretty small, but love the vibe. Dimly lit and pretty. There's bar seating and minimal tables open for dinner. If you want to reserve a table, you must purchase food. The website said you can't have a table and just order appetizers and drinks.Not sure how strictly that is enforced. The table next to us ordered one hamburger for 3 people. Tables are really packed close together. Initially they wanted to seat us in a table crammed less than an inch from the next one on both ends. We asked if we could have a table off in the corner that was less claustrophobic.They obliged with the corner table but then we had to move after about a half hour or so. During the middle of our meal, they asked us to move, as there's a hidden door behind the back of the room apparently and they needed to get things out of that back area. They moved us to a table at the end of the row which wasn't so bad as there wasn't anyone crammed next to us on one side. They comped us two small cocktails for the hassle. Service was nice and checked on us frequently. They were happy to suggest drinks and food. I had the Ginger Smash and my friend had a Paper Plane. The drink they comped us was After Midnight which was interesting as it tasted slightly of coffee. We split a cheese board, beet salad and a small tortelloni. They shave the black truffle on the tortelloni on the table in front of you. All of the food was good. Portions are small though so if you're ravenous, I recommend eating a full meal before coming here. They do have a coat check available if needed. The noise level in the space was pretty loud, but I didn't have trouble hearing my friend talk in front of me. We sat in the back room which is where a bulk of the tables are. They have a sun roof in that space which is nice. There's a few tiny tables across from the bar but the bar area gets so packed that you'll wind up sitting there staring at peoples legs the whole time. I would not accept a table there. The place was very crowded even early in the night. Walking out meant weaving through people and occasionally bumping into them, but it comes with the territory. They had a tarot card reader at the front entrance but we did not visit her.There's a bouncer in the front and I noticed when we left around 10pm, a line had started to build up quite a bit outside. Highly recommend a reservation here if you want to sit. I'd come back. The drinks were very good and inventive. I wouldn't say this place is in my top 5 speakeasies but maybe top 10.

Super cozy speakeasy bar in west village! We went around 6pm on a Thursday and it was still pretty crowded. Cocktails were pretty good-- I got an espresso martini, which was good but definitely on the stronger side.

Vibe 10/10 this speakeasy bar was the place to be at night. The food was delicious, our steak was perfectly cooked. Our drinks were fun to try new interesting drinks instead of traditional cocktails. We had such a great time.Make sure to have a reservation because it's a super tiny location

Came here on a Friday evening to grab a drink with a friend. Did not expect this place to have crowd control as we ended up waiting about 15 minutes before the bouncer let us in. For a speakeasy bar, it didn't really feel that way, but the interior design is really nice and their stock of liquor is quite impressive.As this place is crowded and busy, everyone crowds around the bar. It's a bit of a pain as you'll have to order over people's shoulder that were lucky enough to grab a bar seat.We both ordered the After Midnight ($19). If you like Espresso Martinis, you should try this as it's essentially the same thing, but with a different flavor profile.

Amazing cocktail bar! The drinks are always delicious and expertly crafted. Had the EO martini which was delicious. West side was also a nice refreshing cocktail. Happened to get seats at the bar, didn't stay for food. Always gets crowded and there's a reason, everything is phenomenal. The staff is fantastic and it's a very cool cocktail bar.