Guess Where Lower Manhattan’s Newest Little Speakeasy Is Hiding

Back during Prohibition, it was just a matter of necessity that people hide away to knock back their booze — hence the invention of the hidden away, password-protected gin joint, the shady and shadowy speakeasy. But boozing has been back out in the open for some time now. Perhaps that’s why there’s something a little extra special about finding a hidden speakeasy-style cocktail bar where you’d least expect one. 

Take, for instance, The Little Shop (252 Front St.), the unassuming newly-opened bodega in the Seaport District, just across the street from Cowgirl Seahorse. It’s got all the bottles of soy sauce and olive oil, the packs of chips and dried pasta, your little heart desires. And so much more. 

Behind a sliding door in the back isn’t a storage room. At 5p the space opens up into a candle-lit bar, serving up all types of delicious concoctions in cut-glass tumblers to friends and neighbors safely hidden away from public view. 

It was almost tempting to keep this little gem to ourselves.