The New York we live in now—at the intersection of Yelp and yuppie—can often induce nostalgia for the times when some “undiscovered spot” a friend mentions doesn’t show up on at least five “best of” listicles. Of course, the more we hunt those truly covert haunts, the more deliberately elusive they become, so two professionals set out to find the truly exclusive gems that exist underground (or sometimes very high aboveground) in New York today.
Michelle Young, the founder of Untapped Cities, and Laura Itzkowitz, a travel writer and cocktail connoisseur, have now brought us the definitive handbook to the nightlife you could only find with ex-ray vision—New York: Hidden Bars and Restaurants. Some of the venues featured are more familiar than others, some are more secretive, some are among the city’s original speakeasies—but Young and Itzkowitz have waded deep into the history and particulars of each location, packing each entry with the intriguing details that set them apart. After all, intrigue is what it’s all about.
Here are a few DuJour favorites, and some excerpts to give a little taste of the color New York: Hidden Bars and Restaurants has to offer.
