Secret Bars: West Village Restaurant McCoy Readying Speakeasy

Seating at the nameless secret bar 

By James Mulcahy

There's a new 1920s-style speakeasy coming to Bleecker Street and MacDougal, an intersection that is desperate need in the realm of serious drinks. New eatery McCoy recently debuted on the corner, and on a recent walk by it was full of diners enjoying the alfresco seating and spruced up room. As we were strolling by a door that had signage for a comedy club, we noticed some activity and got to chatting with the host. He spirited us downstairs and showed us the new secret bar, which will remain nameless and be open only for those in the know.

The basement lounge is near completion, the host estimated that an opening is about 10 days away. It has all the trappings of other Jazz-age dens - there are Art-Deco fixtures, an old-timey cash register and bottles of Chartreuse behind the wooden bar. The bartenders will be clad in suspenders (natch) while waitresses making the rounds to the cozy high-backed chairs will be decked out in vintage flapper garb. There's also a space for a singer - the host said they are still working out a live-entertainment situation but plan to experiment with different types of acts. True, the secret bar trend is a little tired, but the room is charming and we surely will be back in about two weeks to take a dip into those cocktails.