Speakeasy Trail: Prohibition Doors Still Open
New York bars that poured illegal drinks in the 1920s — and never stopped
New York City · 15 stops · 12.1 km · ~3.2 h · Generated
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1. The Back Room — The Real Deal
102 Norfolk Street, New York, NY
Look at this building right here... one hundred and two Norfolk Street. Looks pretty ordinary, right? Maybe you spotted that little metal gate with the words "Lower East Side Toy Company" spelled out in stickers. But what kind of toy store is hidden down a flight of stairs, through a subterranean tunnel, and behind a door stacked with toy fire trucks?
No kind. Because this isn't a toy store. It never was. This is The Back Room... one of only Two surviving authentic Prohibition-era speakeasies in all of New York City. And the story of this place is soaked in whiskey, blood, and genius-level criminal scheming.
It all starts with a kosher dairy restaurant called Ratner's, founded in nineteen oh five by Jacob Harmatz and Alex Ratner... who supposedly flipped a Coin to decide whose name went on the sign. By nineteen eighteen, they moved to one hundred and thirty eight Delancey Street... right next door to where you're standing. And hidden behind that innocent restaurant... was this speakeasy.
In the nineteen twenties, three childhood friends from the Lower East Side chose this back room as their base of operations. Meyer Lansky. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. And Salvatore "Lucky" LuciAno. Together, they formed a hybrid Jewish-Italian crime syndicate that would reshape organized crime in America forever. Lansky could often be found here talking shop with Lucky and Bugsy, bodyguards on either side. Waiters knew to come Only when beckoned... because no one wanted to be caught eavesdropping.
Now here's why the gangsters Really loved this spot. The building sat at the junction of Three separate structures, creating a warren of tunnels and alleys. The main bar had exits onto Suffolk, Norfolk, and Delancey Streets. And the Vip room... hidden behind a revolving bookcase... had Four more exits of its own! If someone got double-crossed or a hit went down, you could escape through the tunnels and hop the rooftops all the way to Rivington Street.
And those teacups they still serve cocktails in today? That's no gimmick. During Prohibition, if police raided a bar and found shot glasses or pint glasses, that was evidence. But a teacup? "Oh officer, we're just having tea!" Beers came wrapped in brown paper bags for the same reason.
One last detail I love. A woman named Lillian Sarno once celebrated passing the New York State Bar exam right here in this very room... back in nineteen thirty three. Decades later, she returned to celebrate her one hundred and second birthday at the same spot. Some places just stay with you.
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2. The Hidden Alleyway Entrance
Norfolk Street between Delancey and Rivington Street, New York, NY
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3. Ratner's Ghost — Kosher Dairy Front
138 Delancey Street, New York, NY
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4. Fanelli Café — SoHo's Underground Cocktail Den
Fanelli Cafe, 94 Prince Street, New York, NY
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5. Ear Inn — The Sailor's Speakeasy
326 Spring Street, New York, NY
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6. 86 Bedford Street — Where 'Eighty-Sixed' Was Born
86 Bedford Street, New York, NY
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7. Stonewall Inn — A Block from Julius'
Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street, New York, NY
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8. Julius' Bar — The Speakeasy That Sparked a Revolution
159 West 10th Street, New York, NY
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9. Cooper Union — Lincoln's Launch Pad
Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street, New York, NY
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10. McSorley's Old Ale House
15 East 7th Street, New York, NY
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11. Pete's Tavern — The Flower Shop That Never Stopped Pouring
Pete's Tavern, 129 East 18th Street, New York, NY
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12. Gramercy Park — The Politician's Watering Hole Block
Gramercy Park, New York, NY
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13. 21 Club — The Aristocrats' Speakeasy
21 Club, 21 West 52nd Street, New York, NY
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14. Landmark Tavern — The Third-Floor Secret
Landmark Tavern, 626 11th Avenue, New York, NY
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15. Hudson River Waterfront — Where the Rum Runners Docked
Pier 84, Hudson River Park, New York, NY
