VIBE

Your navigational skills will be tested when you try to find this intimate lounge below the Mercer Hotel. Victory, however, is sure to pay in kind. The rough-hewn, dimly lit basement space features low-set ceilings, red-brick archways, and hidden recesses where the hot and hip seek respite from the small, oftentimes congested dancefloor near the DJ. Three narrow, cavernous, and painfully stylish side rooms come complete with red vinyl banquettes, a mosaic-tiled bar, and pretty waitstaff making it snappy with the drinks.

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

A clubby ensemble works best here, like a sassy dress, funky accessories, and high boots.

GO HERE WITH

A few friends who are ready to play

CROWD

Connected social butterflies and a celeb here and there.

WHY WE LIKE IT

The tucked-away appeal is still fun, even if this isn’t so much of a speakeasy as it is a clubby underground lounge. The scene, of course, is still a draw as well.

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

The red stripper pole seems somewhat out of place, and though the attitude is still very Manhattan chic, the B&T set has been known to overrun the place.

GOOD TO KNOW

For those in no mood to “figure it out,” here’s how to get in: look for the unassuming entryway (147 ½) that’s just past The Mercer (147). Take the freight elevator down two levels, walk straight down the hallway, hang a left, and then, a little ways along, hang a right through a red door. From here you should be able to find the party.

CLOSEST COMPS

Tenjune (New York); Sway (New York); Room Service (New York)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to New York City.