Well after about 10 years of this spot sitting in my Yelp bookmark, I've finally had the opportunity to go with a group of friends. Reading through the reviews over the past years, I knew there was a phone booth, which my friend struggled with figuring out the charade to gain access, but the hostess ended up opening the door anyways. FYI: they don't like it when you film this part because it's a speakeasy after all. We didn't have any reservations, but were able to seat us, however, with a time limit of 45 minutes as that's when a party reserved the table. Perfect, all the time we needed. Drinks were overall fantastic. We tried each other drinks and you can't go wrong with any of them. I personally ordered the Reserve La Perla Old Fashioned $36, which they use Komos Reposado Rosa, St George Spiced Pear Liqueur, Amontillado Sherry, Honey, Orange Bitters. Don't know what half of these ingredients are, but when you combine them it tastes great! Not sure if I'll find myself back here, but if I do, I'm not complaining. Maybe I'll grab a hot dog too on the way out. read more

Back again. Once again didn't disappoint. Secret phone booth entrance to vibes to service to cocktails were all spectacular. Im unsure why anyone would have anything negative to say. If you and friends looking for a good time, this is the spot. I highly suggest making a reservation ahead. read more

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I feel soo mixed about this place! It's not because it's bad I just think it's not my vibe. 1) The hotdogs are creative and honestly delicious. They have some weird flavor combos that work. I feel like hotdogs are a NY staple so I love that they are doing their take on it. 2) The hotdogs restaurant is giving dingy hole in the wall and I think that's the ambiance they are going for. Personally not my preference. When we went they were playing loudly explicit heavy metal again that's not something I enjoy. However it was very popular especially among what looked like college kids. 3) If you want to go to the speak easy part 9/10 you need a reservation. We stopped in when there was a random torrential down so we were early for our reservation. We saw lots of people get turned away because they did not have a reservation. 4) The speak easy was super cool. You have to make a phone call in the telephone booth and then the door opens up. 5) I liked the vibe inside the cocktail lounge. The drinks were good. They aren't cheap around $25 per cocktail depending. All and all I could see this as a fun place to go when we have visitors but I don't think this will be one we will frequent often. read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Second time here and had really good drinks as the first time. It's dark and very small inside so seating can be a bit tight, especially if you're at the bar. Would definitely recommend reservations since it's always busy in there! read more

The mystique behind this hidden speakeasy has intrigued me ever since a friend and I patronized Crif Dogs over a decade ago and wondered what the phone booth was all about. I forgot about it until Jamie W and I recently visited NYC and thought this might be fun after a stroll in the East Village. It was pretty easy making a 5PM reservation on Resy, and we showed up five minutes early. I walked into the phone booth to announce our arrival but was curtly told to wait until 5PM. Click (Photo 3). When we were finally allowed to enter, we were seated rather tightly at the bar with the stools bereft of any human clearance between them. The space was unsurprisingly compact space overall and quite dark. It was nearly impossible to read the menu, and I was sniped at for using my smartphone flashlight. We used a combination of our jackets and the counter as a shield to order our first cocktails. I decided on the $18 Black Diamond because it was their customized version of an espresso martini. It incorporated exclusive ingredients like Diplomatica Reserva sipping rum and Tempus Fugit creme de cacao. Definitely not out of a pop-top can. Jamie went for a more tropical route with the $19 Shark which combined at least three different rums, blue curaçao, and various fruit juices (Photo 8). It looked like a frosty Blue Hawaii, but it was a little too low-key for what Jamie had in mind. We then decided to order food from their abbreviated menu of bar bites apparently developed by local celebrity chefs. Because of my past fondness for Momofuku, I went for the $13 Chang Dog which was rather simply a bacon-wrapped frank covered liberally by Momofuku-branded kimchi (Photo 5). It struck me as rather bland for a supposed David Chang creation. Jamie was even more disappointed by his choice, the $17 PDT Burger which was very generic despite the short rib-derived patty and housemade Crif sauce. The bonus was that it came with nicely crisped Tater Tots, indisputably the best part of the meal (Photo 10). Not realizing we were already getting taters, we also ordered the $11 Benton's Tots which added melted cheese, sauteed onions and scallions, bacon bits, and chipotle mayo (Photo 9). Honestly the plain ones were more satisfying. We ordered a last round, pricier elixirs with more of a puckery kick. Jamie had the $23 Suntory Time Machine with whiskey, sake, lemon juice, fig preserves, and pecan bitters. I had the $21 Taro Reader with vodka, amaro, plum, and taro (Photo 6). Neither overshadowed the first round. COCKTAILS - 3.5 stars...fancy components but results vary considerably FOOD - 2.5 stars...disappointing fast food with exclusive branding AMBIANCE - 4 stars...chill speakeasy vibe but also dark and quickly packed SERVICE - 2.5 stars...a bit chilly to these first-time patrons TOTAL - 3 stars...felt like an experience that'll take a while for us to repeat RELATED - Thirsty and hungry in NYC? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/Ig0fULabVp read more

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Such a fun speakeasy! Located inside of a hot dog shop (and behind a telephone booth), it can be a bit difficult to find. The interior is intimate and has very interesting taxidermied animals everywhere. We got their hot dogs, tater tots, and of course, their drinks. I tried their polka dot (NA) and it was really good! Hot dogs were a hit or miss depending on the toppings that you like (and trust me, they LOAD the toppings). Tater tots were so good. Service was so friendly and easy to talk to. read more

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Very cool vibe and interesting drinks. I like the entrance a lot too. However considering how difficult it is to get in here (unless you have a group) it was not worth the taste or cost of the drinks unfortunately. Would definitely recommend going across the street to Romeos while you wait. Which will be a long time if you are group of 2. read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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Love the vibe, love the drinks. It's such a popular speakeasy that isn't much of a secret anymore. Your best bet as a walk-in is on weekdays, but we waited about an hour on a Saturday night. Luckily, there's many bars in the area you can wait at or grabbing a bite at Crif Dogs beforehand. Once called, you go to the phone booth and dial for someone to meet you at the door. Then you're lead into a dark and intimate bar. We were seated at the bar, which was very tight. The drink menu has a variety to choose from, which all sounded unique. I had the Cha Nom Thai ($22) and Pedro Goes to Sicily ($23) while the husband had the Benton's Old Fashioned ($18) and Toki Torii ($21). All of his cocktails were pretty classic and mine had a nice twist, which I really liked. My favorite was definitely the Cha Nom Thai giving that Thai tea flavor with a fun frozen top. Honestly, none of the drinks disappointed and worth the wait and value. read more

Please Don't Tell - Toki Torii and Pedro Goes to Sicily. - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here for my birthday and loved the intimate vibes. We made a reservation on Resy a week in advance. They have fun drinks and great mocktails as well. I got the Cha Nom Thai which was a sweeter cocktail with egg white. It was delicious! They also gave me a free drink for my birthday, with a candle. Our waitress was nice, and overall this is a great place to go with friends and chat. The dark-lit ambience of the place feels very cozy - it wasn't too loud and we got our own booth section. read more

Please Don't Tell - Cha Nom Thai (bottom left) and mocktail - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

It is popular these days for cocktail bars to cast themselves as speakeasies even if they are little more than typical hotel bars. PDT on the other hand is a real speakeasy hidden away behind a telephone booth in Crif Dogs on St. Marks Place. The cocktails, the ambiance and the service are all excellent. read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Nope. Would not come back - very pretentious staff and patrons. Took the fun out of the speakeasy experience. Aesthetically, it is beautiful inside. Too bad. read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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Came across this place while in an Uber to the area and looking up places that Anthony Bourdain had visited. It's a little sneak easy inside an unassuming hot dog spot - and you have to enter through a phone booth which is even more fun. Although it's a speakeasy, apparently you typically need reservations. BUT we were lucky enough to snag a spot at the bar as walk ins! I guess my phone booth call worked ;) It is a small place and had a nice vibe, dark lights and interesting decor. Bartenders were great and we enjoyed everything. Since the hot dogs on the menu back here are special recipe from Dave Chang, we had to try one! I don't even remember which cocktails we got or what the hot dog was called, except it was all delicious, lol. I guess don't be like me and try to make a reservation if you really want to come here, otherwise - try your luck - I'm spreading mine to you! read more

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Lowkey a little claustrophobic because of the space and everything but the drinks are bomb and the vibes are immaculate. Very much a people pleaser for folks visiting from out of town, the easiest way to impress a tourist TBH. So New York, you dig? Service is always very friendly and knowledgeable RE: the menu and everything they do. Thanks for making this bar so great! read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Reservation. Enter the phone booth inside Cref Dog, pick up the phone and dial 1.A host will be with you shortly.Dimly lit, perfect if you are out with someone you should not be. Please Don't Tell! Observation, no one was eating Libations covered the dimly lit tables. We were seated at a lamp and we still needed to photograph the menu. We ordered the truffle tots, the Shark and the Hallow (pumpkin spice). The drinks were good and the tots were outstanding. We remarked that we could not locate the drink options prior to the visit. We were thoroughly impressed with the truffle tots; if only there was smell a vision. read more

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PDT was such a cute date spot with a smaller, more intimate atmosphere. The speakeasy entrance hidden behind the hot dog shop made the whole experience feel fun and unique. The space is pretty small, which adds to the cozy vibe, but I would definitely recommend making a reservation because it can fill up quickly. Overall, it was a really memorable spot for drinks and a date night. read more

We walked in on a Tuesday night and lucked out by getting bar seats with no wait. It's dark and cozy inside. The staff was super kind and attentive. It was a slower evening - definitely recommend trying on a weekday as it's a small space that would crowded easily. The cocktails are unique and feature a lot of different spirits. They're also pretty strong! My favorite was the mezcal mule. The tio tonica was also good and different, The highlight was surprisingly the truffle tots! Super fresh and a big portion - perfect to munch on when drinking. I would definitely come back and try more classic drinks. read more

Please Don't Tell - truffle tots - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a solid cocktail bar, and they get points for putting in the effort to make it like a speakeasy with the entrance. The cocktails were delicious, and the fancy hot dogs are great too. read more

This place was alright. We had a reservation for a Tuesday night for 4 people. My boyfriend likes speakeasies so we wanted to check a couple out when we were in town. We came here after drinks so we didn't dine in. The way to get in was amusing and felt really thought out, we liked that part! It's a super small space and we felt claustrophobic, but nothing crazy. I ordered a white wine and it was fine. The 2 cocktails we ordered were also nothing special. Service was ok, they never checked up on us but they kept refilling our water. 3 stars because 3 drinks came out to $85 with tip which is crazy expensive! read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

This place used to feel like you were in on a secret. A real-deal speakeasy vibe. You'd enter through a phone booth inside a hot dog joint which honestly sounds like the beginning of either a great night or a questionable night It felt exclusive, mysterious, cool. Now? It feels about as exclusive as riding It's a Small World at Disney. There's a line, a crowd, and you're just kind of... there. The drinks were fine. Not bad. Not memorable. Nothing that made me want to text my friends "YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS." More like, "Yeah, it was... a drink." Staff was hit or miss. The bartender was friendly and cool. The person guarding the door, however, seemed like she was protecting the Crown Jewels instead of a bar behind a phone booth. Overall, it's not terrible -- it's just lost that "we found something special" magic and traded it for "we found something popular." Bring back the mystery. And maybe a smile at the door read more

Super fun speakeasy in Manhattan. Hidden behind a phone booth inside a hot dog shop (Crif Dogs). Crif's was a little hard to find (we're from out of state) the front entrance was down some stairs and wasn't marked to well, but once in this place it was a great time. Dial the phone and you'll be let in for your reservation. We went during the week and it was pretty busy, so I'd recommend reservations- it's a small spot. Please don't tell has a dark cozy vibe with taxidermy (wasn't expecting that lol) with great music. We were there for after dinner drinks, and the cocktails were great. Good variety and well made. I'd come back next time I'm in NYC. read more

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Really cool place! The atmosphere was nice, really felt like a speakeasy and the alcohol was great! Definitely coming back! read more

My husband has been talking about PDT for 14 years, so in our second trip to NYC, we of course had to try it. A hidden speakeasy inside Crif Dogs, it reminds you of what a Prohibition-era bar might have been like. The drinks are good (and strong), and the bartenders were fun to watch. read more

Awesome! Got into the back for a quick drink on my Birthday! Reminds me of Tony B always! It was 130 AM when we were walking to our car and I remembered ST Marks Pl is where the Stones filmed waiting on a Friend. So I wanted to show everyone and I completely forgot about PDT! Anyway, I had some tater tots with cheese and jalapeños. Delicious of course! Perfect amount actually. Also had a Prosecco which was nice, not overly sweet. read more

Very cool little speakeasy place. I also like the cool entrance thru the telephone booth. The drinks were actually quite good and the dawg I ordered was pretty good. read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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Really enjoyed the three cocktails we tried. The Vietnamese hot dog we ordered was good, very lemongrass forward. Loved the truffle tater tots. So crispy on the outside and soft on the side with a strong truffle flavor. 3 cocktails, a hot dog and tater tots came out to be $72. Good music and good vibes. read more

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The drinks were fantastic and so were the vibes. If only my date was as great! Now that would have been perfect.

Please Don't Tell is an award winning New York City cocktail bar hidden behind the phone booth in the East Village hot dog joint, Crif Dogs. This was an obligatory visit. PDT offers a sophisticated yet accessible cocktail experience. Their drink menu features a range of classic cocktails with perfect execution alongside creative inventions that showcase a deep understanding of spirits and flavor balance. Their cocktails are elegant, beautifully presented, and packed with nuanced flavors--ideal for cocktail enthusiasts looking for complexity and finesse. In terms of food, PDF complements their drinks with thoughtfully prepared small plates that are both satisfying and exquisite. The food presentation is not great nor elegant... but had good flavors. The culinary offerings focus on quality ingredients and clever combinations, making each bite a delightful companion to their cocktails. The intimate setting adds to the charm, making it a fantastic spot for a refined night out. The bar is very small. Reservations is mandatory if you want to get it. Music is loud. read more

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3rd visit-1st review P.D.T. is quite possible my favorite & best speakeasy in Manhattan. Although it at times can be super difficult to get a resy, this is well worth the trouble. I've been here a total of 3 times & every visit I was met with excellent service & even better drinks. Super small, super cozy speakeasy that's tucked inside crif dogs "phone booth". Once you walk into crif dogs you'll see a "phone booth" to your left. Follow directions & a secret door opens. The hostess will take your name for your resy (or if you decided to pop in, they can take your name down which is usually a 3-4 hour wait) & let you in. There is very limited seating, only maybe 5-6 tables and a few booths & a bar that seats about 12. They do everything extremely well, the service, the drinks, the music. If you end up getting hungry they have a limit food menu that's served up & comes from right next door & will surprise you with how delicious it is. Their variations of tots is a MUST try. Need a bar tucked away that serves great drinks, good music & good food & isn't rowdy or super crowded? Then you must make your way to please don't tell A.S.A.P. read more

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Drinks are good. Tater tots were surprisingly the highlight. I got the strawberry cocktail and it was very refreshing. This place is so cool, I'm glad to have been able to been in these type of bars. Dark, and surprisingly not too hot. Make a reservation! We came early to ours and they were very accommodating luckily. Overall a positive experience for a first timer! read more

Please Don't Tell - Getting drinks w friends - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

We really enjoyed our Saturday evening here! We were luckily able to get in with no wait and no reservation. Ambiance is very nice, and entry through the phone booth is super cute! 5/5 Cha Cha Colala 4.5/5 Cha Nom Thai 4/5 Black Diamond 4/5 Ichigo read more

Came here on a Tuesday evening, in the middle of the summer for some pre dinner drinks. We had a reservation and would recommend having one to make things easier and so you would not have to potentially wait. To get into the speakeasy, you walk into the hot dog place next door and follow the directions on the phone to the left of the entrance and just folllow the directions written in the booth. The inside gives that old school speakeasy vibe. Unfortunately, it gives the no air conditioning in the middle of the summer speakeasy vibe too, so beware of that during any of the really hot and smoldering days in the NYC summer. Once seated inside, was an absolutely great experience. we sat up at the bar, and our bartender was amazing. All of our drinks were well made and enjoyable, refreshing on a blazing hot day. Our bartender was friendly, and can give great recommendations based on your palette. Overall, would recommend, maybe not on a hot summer day, but definitely would recommend trying their drinks. Would come back for more! read more

thank goodness for bars with food - as someone who doesn't drink much anymore i am so appreciative when the food menu is extensive. had to try the chili dog - it was phenomenal. juicy, tender, delish! service was quick, it was a bit of a loud bar at some point i couldnt hear my friends, otherwise it was lovely and felt like an authentic speakeasy would return read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Cool speakeasy hidden inside a hot dog establishment that you get to via a telephone booth. Wide selection of interesting craft cocktails with a nice dark atmosphere. Drinks were ok and service was lacking. I got the spritz which was made with Dr browns cel-ray soda. It was interesting to say the least. Bartender just seemed like she didn't really want to be there and attentiveness lacked. read more

Always enjoy our visits to PDT - we like to book before dinner to have drinks with out of town guests...they are always impressed with the telephone booth situation, the dark coolness of the space, etc. Drinks are fun, interesting and always well made. One of our guests this time asked for info on a beer after 2 rounds of cocktails - if looks could kill! Our server actually said, "why don't you just google it, you've got a phone in your hand already?" Snap. As they were used to midwestern nice waitstaff, they actually found her remarkable rudeness part of the charm :) So despite that blistering diss, I still give it 5 stars. My friend will carry that story with them so perhaps part of their overall confirmation bias about the New York attitude made it that much more enjoyable (for them...). read more

Never got called, waited over an hour for 1 person. Had them take my number but never got a text saying my seat was ready.

This place still crushes Hot dogs and well-crafted drinks?* Mezcal mule so good!! *elote dog and Chang dog were good but everything bagel dog reigns supreme read more

Please don't tell us a cool speakeasy where you walk in to a hotdog shop & there's a phone booth that leads to the speakeasy itself. Overall, the concept is cool and it's a true speakeasy, as it's hidden unlike some of the other "speakeasies" that claim to be speakeasies but are just new bars/ lounges in plain sight. I distinctly remember when I was 19, so about ten years ago I came to get a criffdog (hotdog) with my friend and saw people go into the phone booth and think where the heck are they going? And now ten years later, I'm glad I got to also go through this magical phone booth that transports you to a very different environment. The bar itself is tiny, I believe there's probably seating for 35-50 max, as majority of it is booth seatings. It gave the vibe of the Maclarens pub in How I Met Your Mother mixed with some old timey southern bar. It was interesting to say the least, there was taxidermy on the wall and shelving. The drinks were very different, although they weren't necessarily to my liking they were very unique. Would definitely come again to show my friends but don't think I'd be back to just sit down and chill & have a drink. And the hotdog, was less than stellar but that's to be expected when you get a $4 hotdog I guess lol. read more

Please Don't Tell - Criffdog & a drink - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Place was pretty cool, hole in the wall speak easy. Had tons of cool vibes. Kinda pricey and kinda out of the way, kinda hard to get into. But if you make it in, worth checking out. Certainly need a reservation. Service was great, pretty secluded, drinks were great, prices were as expected.... Certainly worth checking out if you can get in. read more

I went from being impressed and walking in and getting less impressed to tasting my drink which was wow ! Paddington and old fashioned were amazing. definitely worth the hype. read more

Please Don't Tell - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

A cocktail bar you enter through a phone booth in a hot dog restaurant. It doesn't get more gimmicky ! A prohibition themed speakeasy with a desk intimate setting but also cool for a group. It's a chill laid back casual but still classy environment. You ring the phone and they open the door to let you in. We found this place on a whim so didn't have reservations but we got lucky to get in for a table that was available for 90 mins. Which was great as we just wanted a drink. Recommend a reservation though! I loved the bar area and the place was so busy for early evening in NYC. The drink menu was fantastic. Such fun drinks. Also lots of wine and beer. They serve some elevated bar food too. They favor tater tots a lot! We skipped food but drinks were great . I honestly don't remember the name of the drinks we ordered but I don't think you can go wrong here. They had so much variety for every liquor. They were delish I remember that! This is such a cool place to put on your bar rotation and the music was insanely good ! Lots of throwbacks. We had the best time here on a chilly Sunday. read more

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