Raines Law Room owes its name to an 1896 law authored by John Raines that said only hotels could serve liquor on Sundays. And only to the guests. Lawmakers designed this law to curtail alcoholic consumption by working men who spent Sundays drinking in saloons. Many places became hotels with “rooms” to sell liquor on Sundays.

Speakeasies are having a resurrection in New York. These somewhat hidden bars are popping up, some attempting to recreate the hide-from-the-cops-and-drink-bootleg-whiskey thing. They all have great cocktails to enjoy.

After a visit to the Rubin—a Himalayan art museum up the street—we stopped at this hot Chelsea speakeasy for one of their unusual cocktails.

We had made a res, so when the hostess let us in through the door at the bottom of the stairs, she walked us back through the bar to one of the cushioned private rooms enclosed by a see-through curtain to accommodate the five of us. Wherever you are seated, there’s a call button to summon service.

Cocktails at speakeasies are creative. We sampled their tequila-based highland sage ($19), the midnight flame ($19) with pineapple rum and a dash of hot sauce, a fleur de lychee ($19) with vodka and lychee liqueur and my old fashioned with aged Venezuelan rum and bourbon.

We ordered snacks from their four-item limited menu to graze on with our drinks. The nibble tray ($20) offers black and green olives, cubes of gruyére, sliced sopressata and crackers. With that, we had the spiced mixed nuts ($10).

I highly recommend making a special trip.

I’ve returned a few times already! Yes, that good!

Raines Law Room
Chelsea
48 W 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
raineslawroom.com/