The Garret

"The Garret is a speakeasy in the sense that it’s hard to locate. To get here, you walk into the Five Guys at 7th and Bleecker, then walk up a hidden staircase in the back. Upstairs, you'll find a small room with a few skylights and some windows looking out on the street. It isn’t as stuffy or expensive as some other cocktail bars, but it does get extremely busy, and they play loud music. Your friends have probably heard of this bar, and they probably want to go, so if you want to impress someone, bring them here—and come early to get a seat." - bryan kim, katherine lewin, neha talreja, carina finn koeppicus

"The cocktail list here is deliciously extensive and the Bartender's Choice is always on point. We suggest the Strawberry Cucumber Fizz or the Castaway if you're looking for a new spring-time favorite. Also test drive the Texas Porch Sipper, yummy and refreshing. The best part of The Randolph is that there's a separate location next door exclusively for beer lovers!" - Barrel

"Until the end of December, The Garret Nolita is hosting a Latin-inspired holiday pop-up called Feliz Coctelería. The whole indoor space and a few private, heated outdoor cabins are decorated with hanging wreaths and colorful string lights, which you can sit under while drinking a hot toddy with guajillo-infused bourbon out of a santa-shaped mug." - matt tervooren

"From the people behind Bandits and Rocco’s Sports & Recreation, The Garret is a casual, lively cocktail bar hidden up a staircase in the back of Five Guys in the West Village. It’s always pretty crowded, but if you need an easy way to impress someone who just arrived from JFK and insists on hanging out in the West Village, it’ll get the job done. Getting a seat will be tough, but just linger next to a small table or the couch in the back until some Abercrombie-wearing folks decide to go put their name in at Via Carota." - bryan kim, sonal shah

"The New York-based Garret Bar is joining in the fray." - Erika Adams