While many Lower East Side bars go to great pains to appear ironic, in the case of The Back Room, it’s description is literal. Hidden behind the front of a fake toy store, The Back Room provides a throwback to the roaring twenties – from the old-school décor to vintage accents – they even serve bottled beers in brown paper bags. Said to be one of the only two speakeasies in New York that operated during Prohibition that’s operating today, the original bar, called ‘The Back of Ratner’s’, played host to a roving pack of actors and famous gangsters. Guests enter via a nondescript gated entrance marked ‘New York City Toy & Co.’ on Norfolk Street, before making their way down a dark alleyway and into the dimly-lit space, where crowds of well-dressed hipsters sip cocktails from white teacups. Make sure to bring Google Maps lest you blink and miss the entry.
Featuring vintage 1920’s décor and period pieces throughout, the bar’s opulent vibe is enhanced through copper ceilings, vintage wallpaper, a mirrored bar and oversized fireplace. Chandeliers and candlesticks up the Art-Nouveau factor, providing the perfect meeting place for that first Tinder date or a creative working meeting alike. Try your luck at gaining access to the hidden back room, cleverly disguised behind a antique bookcase. Failing that, bring a game of Cluedo and some friends and get about proving your case that Professor Plum killed Mr. Boddy in the hall with the candlestick.
