Fig 19

What a fun date night! I honestly had no clue what the plan was and having that mysterious yet unpretentious feeling was a thrill. It was midweek around 9pm and the bouncer carded us at the door. I had no idea that we were going to an art gallery with walls as white as snow. I was told they usually have more art and décor showcased but must be doing a little change up that night.
To my surprise, that little door towards the left side which was completely camouflaged (white on white) was the door to the chandelier filled, semi rustic style, prohibition era-​like, lounge sofa and chair spaced, candle lit speakeasy atmosphere. We were lucky to have gotten a comfy seat (the only one left at 9pm!) that was not at the bar area, which I prefer. The mixologists were friendly and efficient, it was fun to watch them get creative with the drinks and also people watch a bit from our seats. Each drink was around $ 13 and we had 5 – 6 drinks, so yes it can get pricey but well worth it. The Vanishing Point (vanilla bean and cinnamon infused gin, fresh lemon juice, agave, egg white, sea salt), prosecco on tap (you can even add a flavored syrup to it), and Rhapsody in Rye (rosemary infused rye, ginger syrup, campari, fresh grapefruit juice, sea salt) were all very good.
The music was moderately loud during the night but we were still able hold conversation no problem, bathrooms are not gender-​specific but sanitary. It was never too crowded and can easily become one of my favorites when in the LES. Overall a really nice and unpretentious speakeasy well suited for date night or small group gatherings!

Fig 19 waS alright… until That Blonde Guy stared working there. he is the shit! Such a great conversations! he makes fig 19 such a cozy and comfortable environment I want to go there just to be his friend I think his name is van???
he was aLSO KILLI N it as the DJ

Love love love this bar! Super cozy! The chandeliers are gorgeous. My husbands and I both enjoyed all of the drinks we had and the service was on point

A hidden gem on a dimly lit street between the piles of trash in Chinatown. Well made drinks and excellent service by Jason, our barkeep for the evening. Let him be creative with the drinks, they’ll keep you warm in the winter and you can’t go wrong.
The more you drink, the more immunity you build to protect you from the Chinatown smell, when you leave the bar.

An absolute gem of a place. If I remember correctly it was Jason who took care of my friend and I. Fernando as well. Super chill environment and they both were friendly. Really down to earth. The music playing was stellar really enjoyed my first visit there. Our drinks were fantastic. You can tell they really are into proper mixology. I went a couple weekends ago again and got the same service by Virgil I think his name was. Really cool guys that work here. It’s not far from my job so I visit when I’m fixing for a good drink and service. Will definitely be back again.

Went around 8pm on a Saturday and had some great cocktails (the Vanishing Point is amazing). The space was quiet and has a rustic glamour, and was seemingly a great place to relax and have some nice drinks and conversation. By 9, they were totally slammed, and the scant tables/​seats were surrounded by people standing shoulder to shoulder. Because this ‘speakeasy’ is essentially a retrofitted, dimly lit back room, you couldn’t hear yourself speak or think about getting up. If there were a greater number of tables or some reasonable limit on capacity, this place would be awesome. But there are far better cocktail bars/‘speakeasies’ in Manhattan for this place to stand out much.

Classic speakeasy, nice place, good drinks.
The entrance trough the art gallery is just awesome.

Hey I like this place. You walk in to a gallery, it’s like a hidden speakeasy. The mixologists are very good, serving original cocktails. Anything with M Rye or Gin is good. intimate, fun crowd. Come!

Came here late-​night on my birthday as a final stop, with the remaining crowd of our group of friends. This place is a hidden gem, and I hope it stays that way.
Charming and cozy, hidden in an art gallery, with a décor of white candles everywhere, dim lighting, leather benches, and rustic feel at the bar. Small-​ish, classy, with just the right amount of people. I hope it never gets crazy packed and pretentious like other once-​great New York spots. Is there such magic left in Manhattan?

Cool little bar tucked behind an art gallery. They have unique cocktails, and the place has a really awesome décor. Definitely a cool spot to check out if you are looking for a speakeasy type of experience and a good drink to end the night

The previous time I was here was on my birthday 3 years ago. Back then it was relaxing and I think they played jazz? I think there was a slight wait as they were doing more crowd control. We had a great time and chatted with the friendly and knowledgeable bartenders/​mixologists (whatever you want to call them).
Fast forward to last night when we went for my buddy’s birthday. There was no wait to my surprise. We leisurely checked out the iconophilia exhibit displayed in the gallery before entering the speakeasy. The place was so stuffy and crowded. The music was super loud and some weird alternative edm stuff that we couldn’t sound hound. We managed to get seats at the bar. Thankfully the drinks are still amazing!
Overall, I still love Fig19 and would definitely return.

Been there twice. Really liked it the first time but the second time the DJ was playing very bad and very loud music!
It’s a very small place and the music really doesn’t need to be that loud. Everyone had to shout to be able to be heard… Just too bad.

I’m surprised this place doesn’t have three times as many reviews. Visiting this place, I felt like I was on an episode of The City (throwback to B grade MTV reality TV circa 2007, major points if you’ve seen it).
Maybe the reason this place isn’t super popular yet is because the entrance is kind of strange. You come up to the building, which is right next to a bunch of really popular/​posh lounges that are totally packed. You walk in, and you’re in an art gallery. Huh? What is going on? My friends didn’t tell me we were going to an art show? Walk about 30 feet down the (gorgeous) gallery theres a unmarked white door at the end. Ta-​da! You’re in.
I was super impressed with the décor. Forget the exquisitely talented mixologists — this place was accessorized to a T. The couches, art work, gorgeous chandeliers and dim lighting. I was very impressed. So impressed I forgot to take photos (I’m kicking myself).
We got there right when we opened, so we were able to snag the ONLY booth area in the lounge! It just keeps getting better, huh?!
We all ordered a bunch of different drinks, but I stuck to my guns and ordered a cocktail that was «infused with rose oils». How chic is that? I couldn’t resist. It’s served with a single rose petal in the drink. First taste, I’m in heaven. I literally made my friends put down their drinks and try mine — they were so upset they didn’t order mine. For $ 14 a cocktail, it’s pricey to make a wrong decision. But, I’ve had great luck with rose flavoring in ANYTHING so I knew this was the drink for me. After that, all my group ordered were the rose cocktails.
I don’t live in NYC, but when I come back for Thanksgiving, I will definitely be visiting this place again. Thank you for making New York seem like what I had imagined all these years.

Of all the speakeasies that I’ve been to in Manhattan, Fig19 has the coolest entrance. I loved walking through the white walled art gallery and into what can only be described as someone’s swanky living room complete with fireplace & chandeliers.
We arrived on a Friday night and it was pretty packed, but there were definite waves. We ended up securing seats at a table about 45 minutes in, after we’d been at the bar.
Unlike other speakeasies, I think they only had like 10 cocktails on the menu. The Fig spicy margarita was pretty good: tequila, blackberry purée, lime, and bitters. As a friend who frequents the spot often said, it was an off night. I agreed — the drink had a lot of potential. The next cocktail I had, The Prince, was much better: vodka, lavender syrup, st. germain, and lemon. The other drinks just didn’t appeal to me because there seemed to be an ingredient in each that I was totally opposed to. C’est la vie.
Overall, it was a really fun environment and was able to host the like 15 people in our group.

The bouncer sitting on the metal steps outside of The Lodge Gallery gives the location away but only if you know what you’re looking for. After our IDs were checked on a weeknight, we stepped into an empty and pristine art gallery. We were the only people inside the gallery and spent a few minutes lingering in front of Elizabeth Livingston’s art pieces. Initially we thought they were photographs but upon closer inspections, we realized that we have been admiring paintings! Her paintings capture moments of suburban life and have a photograph’s glow to them. For a minute, we lost ourselves into her art and completely forgot we were trying to find a cocktail bar.
As we stepped closer to a white door at the corner of the art gallery, we heard music pumping from behind the wall. This must be the secret door to Fig. 19 speakeasy! Chandeliers, plush lounge seats, and a roaring (fake) fireplace greeted us. The décor is beautiful and classy. Bartenders greeted us and invited us to sit anywhere in the bar. There were many empty seats and tables on a Wednesday night. It truly felt like we were privileged guests, perhaps VIPs of the art gallery. Perfect ambience with a sophisticated speakeasy entrance.
Cocktails were $ 13 each, which is relatively cheap for a NYC bar. We had The Prince (vodka, lavender syrup, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice) and The Red Leaf (whiskey, red wine reduction, sherry, dry vermouth, absinthe). Unfortunately, their mixology was a bit disappointing. The Prince tasted like sour lemon candy and The Red Leaf like cherry cough medicine. Perhaps their other drinks taste better? I would love to come back here for its perfect speakeasy vibe.

walk into an art gallery,
with a reception desk.
walk through a painting,
and voila!
a hidden room
with retro, vintage, hipster charm.
great innovative drinks.
visit early to avoid the crowds,
it can be extremely crowded later.

I was in love the moment I stepped through the… Painting. Two of my friends brought me here. I had no clue where they were taking me, but I’m glad I went along for the ride. We stepped into what seemed like an ordinary art gallery. I was nervous because it seemed that the placed was shut down for the night and I’m not into nefarious activity that might put priceless art in jeopardy. As I respectfully started to admire the art (thinking that’s what we were doing for the evening), someone opens a door into this Beautiful Speakeasy.
The décor is clean, classic and classy simultaneously. Where one might question function, there still presents aesthetic (e.g. the candles in place of a full flame in the fireplace). I found myself staring at the elongated chandeliers between sips. The detail continues into the restrooms (How many venues could you say that about?).
Maybe you don’t care for the décor. That’s ok because the cocktails are expertly mixed. That is not a cliché. Watch your bartender as they precisely, mix, blend and pour with precision before taking that first sip. You’ll appreciate it that much more. Then relax and stare at the chandelier while contemplating life’s many intricacies.
Bottomline: Go! … I recommend a Thursday night though, maybe with a date. I heard it gets a little crowded on the weekends, but don’t take my word for it.

Another speakeasy crossed off my list! I really wish I could give this 5 stars because I had a wonderful experience here, but when rating speakeasies, I weigh the creativity of the cocktails pretty heavily given what else is out there. Death & Co and Angel’s Share are the gold standard. Don’t get me wrong, the cocktails here were great, but not mind-​blowingly so. Anyway, I’ll say 4.5 because I love everything about this space!
Came here on a Friday night after receiving some very unfortunate news about the wait at Attaboy (when a bouncer needs to flip through several pages to count how many people are ahead of you, not a good sign). Thankfully, we got right in here. I actually knew very little about Fig 19 coming into this, so I didn’t realize that it was hidden in an art gallery. Major points for the disguise. After awkwardly searching for some sort of giveaway, a bouncer asked us what we were looking for – thankfully, we were in the right place. The art gallery on its own is actually quite nice. Bright, colorful, clean… adjectives not typically used to describe a bar. So after walking through and finding the right unmarked door (just listen for music and talking… this part is not very hard – take it from someone who is strangely challenged in just general common sense.), we entered the gorgeous, intimate little space that is Fig 19.
I was pretty surprised to see how empty it was here (this was around 11 or so). The irony with New York speakeasies is that they’re actually the MOST known bars (see: sad news from Attaboy). Not that I’m complaining – getting a seat at a cozy booth near the fireplace (?!?) no problem is something to be relished. This space is just beautiful (if I hadn’t made that clear yet). It’s like a decadent parlor/​lounge room or something. Fireplace, chandeliers, candles – just awesome. Speaking on candles, the one burning in the bathroom smelled heavenly and I momentarily thought about taking it. Sober me would have had the same thought, I assure you.
And now onto the drinks. Sadly I can’t say much because the menu isn’t online, but I can tell you that I ordered one of the two rye cocktails on the menu, and it came with a generous sprig of rosemary as a garnish (see picture). Definitely the best drink I had all night. One annoyance though: the menu is probably the smallest of any of the speakeasies I’ve been to. Not that quantity = quality, but I prefer more options. There wasn’t much in terms of gin, which is what I was in the mood for. Regardless – what they do, they do well.

I had the unfortunate luck of coming to Fig. 19 for the first time while hopping between dive bars and speakeasies in the LES. Fig 19 fits unattractively between the two. They accomplish this by providing the idea of being classy and unique like a speakeasy but being as crowded, noisy and irritating as a dive bar (without the low prices).
If you’re looking for a good time on the town, avoid the 20 – 30 somethings who *think* they’re doing something cool and hang with the ones who *are* at a place like Nitecap on Rivington or Fig 19’s downstairs neighbor: Home Sweet Home.
**If you must come here, note that in the winter there is no coat check (or wasn’t when I went). Coats pile up on the chairs and any surface they can find, while selfish people crowd the bar. Oy. I was beyond irritated here.

This place may just be my favorite spot after coming here two nights in a row… Friday and Saturday!
Friday night upon entering this place I did not realize this was the place I had bookmarked and been wanting to go here for awhile now but I guess I kept putting it off. Finally came here w/​a friend whom suggested it but forgot the name of the place. At first the bouncer was busting his balls in which I found funny… An inconspicuous art gallery. Behind those big gray metal doors… A beautiful intimate bar w/​these beautiful chandeliers coming down from the ceiling… Such a great concept.
Friday night was pretty packed I have to say compared to last night (Saturday). Of course coming back here Saturday w/​a girlfriend of mine and ordered drinks. It was pretty good. Ran into the same bouncer whom introduce himself & was super sweet (Joe)!
Only a minor downside… I have to say is that we had the same bartender whom made our drinks Friday & Saturday. The same friend who joined my girlfriend & I a little bit later. He ordered a bourbon on the rocks through a different bartender in which price was 14 $ Saturday rather than 11 $ on Friday. Found that kind of weird that the price fluctuates. Also an itemized receipt of what was order would be great only because people leave a tab and would like to know what we are getting charged for. I will admit I am ALWAYS SKEPTICAL of leaving a tab open only because I have heard about people getting overcharge w/​drinks they didn’t order etc. Better safe than sorry. But judging from my bill it seemed correct.
Overall two great nights @ fig 19. Highly recommended!