Why Does Every Bar in NYC Want to Be a Speakeasy Right Now?

Today’s speakeasies — bars with clandestine entrances that hope to evoke those born out of the Prohibition era — are nothing new to the city. But Time Out New York reports that after a pandemic hiatus, speakeasies seem to be opening en masse again. In recent months, bars like One19, Saint Tuesday, UnPublished at Serafina in the Sky, D.O.M., and the Cactus Shop have branded themselves as speakeasies.

Adrien Gallo, owner of Nothing Really Matters, a bar hidden in a Times Square subway station, told Time Out New York that he attributes the resurgence to a “collective urge for fledgling rebellion to the demand for secluded spaces,” adding that the atypical space requirements for bars of this nature could be attractive to prospective business owners in a competitive real estate market.

Indonesian pop-up Kaki Lima is hosting a dinner series this April

Retno Pratiwi, a chef who made a name for herself in the Boston pop-up scene before moving to New York City in 2020, is hosting her latest Indonesian dinner series in the West Village. According to a Kaki Lima Instagram post, Pratiwi will be offering tasting menu dinners with dishes like a fish curry at Abigail’s Kitchen, at 85 MacDougal Street, near Bleecker Street, throughout April. Tickets are $100 per person and reservations are available here.

Checking in on Brooklyn’s last remaining lesbian bar

After remaining closed for 19 months during the pandemic, New York institution Ginger’s Bar reopened in November of last year. Brooklyn Magazine checks in on the storied queer space — said to be the last remaining lesbian bar in the borough, and one of three left citywide.

Filipino food is coming to the Fly next week

Chef Gabby Namm, who runs Filipino pop-up Sweet Angel Baby’s, is setting up shop for a one-day event at chicken and natural wine favorite the Fly. According to the restaurant’s Instagram post, on Monday, March 21, Namm will serve a Filipino take on rotisserie cooking. No reservations needed.