Laissez-Faire, a “Best New Place To Drink,” Now Open Beneath the Beekman

Down an alleyway and under the Beekman Hotel sits Laissez-Faire (10 Theatre Alley), a new cocktail bar already labeled a best new place to drink this fall, according to the New York Times. 

The cocktail lounge, which opened on September 7, increases the club quotient to Lower Manhattan’s nightlife. Expect oysters, light bites from Temple Court and a bar that’s fond of shaking up gin martinis. (The Times praised its classic cocktails and “club-within-the-club,” a converted boiler room now called the Oval.) 

The new spot is located beneath the Beekman, although they are separate entities. Nonetheless, the two venues share a “synergistic relationship,” according to Laissez-Faire operator Victor Houston. He and his partners, who earlier this year launched the nightclub Outer Heaven on the Lower East Side, are betting that Lower Manhattan’s residents want more of their own nightspots. A certain somewhere to get DJ nights and club vibes on the weekends without having to break out of the zip code.

“We’re excited about the location,” Houston said. “It seems to be trending with a lot of younger people moving down here, especially after the pandemic. To trade their fifth-floor walkup in Soho for a doorman with amenities — especially with what’s happening at the Seaport and the general overall aura in the air — this area is becoming way more vibrant.” 

photo: Laissez-Faire