A true speakeasy is often hidden away and is one of those spots where the guest can get in because they know somebody that knows somebody. None of that air of exclusivity exists for La Noxe, which is located in a subway station at 28th Street in Chelsea, and went viral on TikTok during the pandemic. Even Jimmy Kimmel mentioned it on his show. The waiting list has been impossibly long ever since, but for guests who can nab a reservation, there’s a tightly curated drink menu including skin contact wines and house cocktails ($17).

Patent Pending feels like a true speakeasy (guests have to go through a coffee shop), but to find the Lab at Patent Pending, it’s even more of an adventure to find the craft cocktail menu. The private area within this Flatiron boite has five bar seats, a banquette for 10, and another lounge for about another dozen guests — a perfect way for those still sticking to their pod.

One of the few lesbian-owned bars in NYC recently reopened and also introduced a more formal outdoor seating arrangement. This tiny watering hole isn’t known for craft cocktails or esoteric craft brews, but fans of Cubbyhole go here for the fun and inclusive vibe that goes beyond the LGBTQ+ community.

Nico de Soto’s Mace was a mainstay in the East Village before the pandemic and while it did stay open as a roving pop-up during parts of the past year, the award-winning bar now has a new permanent home in Greenwich Village. Fans of Mace area already flocking to the bar, which has indoor and outdoor seating, for travel-themed menu: a frozen slushie incorporating wasabi and cilantro (a nod to Miami Vice), a black sesame cocktail with roots in Peru, and even an eye-catching ube drink (a popular ingredient in the Philippines).

Sother Teague, one of NYC’s most respected drink experts, has gone back to his roots in the kitchen as he also takes on the mantle of executive chef at Reserve by Amor y Amargo. In addition to the stirred cocktails, Teauge is cooking up vegan dishes — think crispy cauliflower bites and smoked, jerk-seasoned king trump mushrooms — for the prix-fixe menu.

Ravi DeRossi continues his East Village tear this tequila and mezcal bar specializing in vegan Mexican cooking. The bar is the latest in a string of East Village openings from the prolific restaurateur, who also unveiled vegan soul food restaurant Cadence during the pandemic.

Next door to chef George Mendes new restaurant, located inside the ModernHaus hotel, is the Bar at Veranda. This sleek space features a stunning marble-top bar, a terrace, and plenty of plush seats. Johnny Swet created the cocktails, which range from twists on classics like the Charred Shishito Margarita (complete with wasabi syrup and togarashi salt) and a Cross Fit Paloma (which includes a stevia-turmeric syrup). Mendes’s bar snack menu includes vadouvan-spiced popcorn and his signature Portuguese items such as salt cod potato croquettes.

GN Chan and Faye Chen traveled around the country in a Volkswagen minivan before finally opening their long-awaited Lower East Side bar. It was well worth the wait. Their balanced cocktails are full of unexpected ingredients like coffee butter, tomatoes, winter melon, and a variety of different teas, including oolong and lapsang souchong. The hot honey fried chicken sandwich is also not to be missed.

From the hit Bushwick jerk chicken and tropical drink destination Sally’s Roots comes the new-ish Bed-Stuy bar Sally’s. The cozy, corner bar is similarly tropical, and a large number of cocktails here have some combination of rum, pineapple juice, and lime. All the cocktails here are priced at $13 or less, and the food is playful mix of Caribbean and Asian flavors, evident in dishes like the pulled pork steamed buns, the curry crab rangoon, and the curried vegetable bowl.

This low-key spot calls itself a “modern corner bar for all of us.” During the day, it’s not unusual to find guests sipping cocktails with their dogs hanging out, and at night, for those choosing to sit indoors, there’s a gently lit room anchored by a horseshoe-shaped bar and vintage jukebox. A solid bar menu, which includes tobiko-topped egg salad served with Ritz crackers and anchovies on milk bread, complements a wine menu full of natty options, craft brews, and cocktails, made to order and served in cans.

The team behind one of New York City’s oldest and most beloved modern speakeasies, Angel’s Share, has opened a casual Japanese cocktail bar in Sunset Park’s Industry City. Oldies focuses on drinks with freshly squeezed fruit — strawberry, pineapple, yuzu, and persimmon — mixed with whisky and some honey, as well as Japanese highballs made with whisky and carbonated water. Food includes Japanese-style fried chicken and a Japanese egg omelet in the light-filled, 12-seat space with plenty of standing room.