Raines Law Room Chelsea

"Raines Law Room is speakeasy-like bar in the basement of a townhouse near Union Square, and we’ve actually been shushed here before. In retrospect, we were probably being a little noisy, and we appreciate the fact that they like to keep things civilized. So if you want to drink a very good cocktail and have a conversation in a dark room with couches and armchairs, try this place. As an added bonus, there’s a patio in the back that most people don’t seem to know about. Just be sure to make a reservation here, or be prepared to wait." - bryan kim, matt tervooren

"Raines Law Room, under any circumstance, is an impressive cocktail place. The drinks are fantastic, there are about 100 of them, and you sit on leather-tufted couches that are equally intimidating and comfortable. But Raines Law Room is especially impressive when you bring a date onto the little back patio. No one seems to know they have one, but since you have this knowledge, you are now a person of extreme intrigue. Don’t mess this up." - bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg

"Raines Law Room is down a set of stairs below a small building on 17th Street, and you have a ring a bell to get inside. It’s a dimly-lit cocktail lounge filled with couches and armchairs, it has around 40 drinks on the menu, and if you go all the way to the back, you’ll find an outdoor space with hanging vines and patio furniture. So if you need to sit somewhere quiet and drink a few excellent cocktails outside with someone, try this place. Request a seat on the low-key patio, and you can temporarily pretend that you don’t live in a city where outdoor bars tend to get as crowded as the L train at 9am on a Monday." - bryan kim

"Casting directors looking for a real “speakeasy” for the date scene in your romantic comedy, check out Raines Law Room. They do the whole shebang: an unmarked door, dark and low ceilings, plush old-timey couches, and of course, fancy cocktails. Naturally, a good spot for a one-on-one." - katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg

"Yves Jadot, the owner of cocktail bars Dear Irving and Raines Law Room, confirmed that he hasn’t been able to withdraw any of the more than $12,000 that his team raised on GoFundMe." - Erika Adams