Founded by five hospitality veterans in 2004, Employees Only hides behind a neon PSYCHIC sign in the West Village — and there really is a psychic in the window. Inside is a deco-tinged room where bartenders in chef's whites shake some of the city's most reliable cocktails and the kitchen runs later than nearly anyone's.
The EO Manhattan and the Amelia are house classics, and the late-night menu — including a famous chicken soup served to the closing crowd — makes it a legitimate dinner destination, not just a bar. It's a proper night out in one room: drinks, dinner, and the particular joy of a place that takes fun seriously.
Featured in
