Raines Law Room at the William

This place is really really cool. Feels like a historical mansion, very intimate, very cozy. We only had drinks, no food. I was on a first date, and while I didn’t enjoy the date, I really enjoyed this spot. I would go back in a heartbeat!

My husband and I stayed at the William (which I also recommend) and decided to try out the speakeasy after dinner down the street. Even though they had a private event in a little over an hour, the three of us were seated quickly. Once we ordered, the drinks appeared quite fast and I highly recommend the «Hat in Hand» — delicious! We will definitely come again when we’re in town.

I just had a pre dinner drink with my sister here it was a gorgeous little bar, super cozy! I will be back to try some of the delicious looking food.

Decided to play pretend with my girlfriend that we were New York social elite. Booked a reservation, stopped by.
Food was great (salmon was amazing), drinks were amazing. Service was on point. We were seated on some elaborate sofas. The room reminded me of a early twentieth century gentleman’s club: dark, intimate, mysterious, and faintly erotic.
If you like watching people make out, this may be your spot. It’s how rich folks get each other laid. I swear to God, I glanced three couples going at each other’s lips (not just pecks, mind you) in the two hours that we were here.
Obviously, I didn’t want to be found out that I was just a peasant, so I made my girlfriend give me a peck too to avoid standing out.

Stopped in here on a Monday night around 7p or so, turns out lots of other people did as well so there was a wait. The host was great though and took down our number to text us when he had some room. There is a great pub downstairs you can have a drink at while you wait.
Once we were able to get a spot inside though, we were happy with the speakeasy type feel to the place. The drinks are all $ 15 and they were happy to make anything you wanted, on the menu or not. The cocktails they did have on the menu were unique and quite good (and strong).
I will defnatly be back.

Was afraid this location wouldn’t be as good as the original Flatiron one but Raines Law Room never disappoints! While not as other worldly (doesn’t take you back in time as much) as the other location, this Raines Law Room has its own charm. The space is very small but not a lot of people party in midtown, so despite limited seats the wait was just a little over an hour at a popular time on a Saturday night.
Stepping in, it feels like you just entered someone’s study. It’s classy but very comfortable at the same time. There are plush leather chairs littered around and bookshelves serve as a backdrop. I tried the Garden Paloma (spicy!) and a blackberry gin-​based drink that the bartender made. Both were excellent. I found it really easy to melt away into the atmosphere and talk for hours on end, so it’s a great place for a date.
I’m a fan! Though physically different from its original location, this location still retains the casually mysterious and 1920s feel that makes this bar so charming.

Great spot for a classy drink.
I met up with my girlfriend after work this past Friday, and we were in the mood for a cocktail to start the weekend. We both work in the area so I made an early reservation via SeatMe. This was our first time at this location, and it was a great experience!
We walked into The Shakespeare, which is a bar below the William Hotel, and told the host we had a reservation «upstairs.» We were walked through the hotel and were seated at a table for two (note — Raines Law Room also has a separate standing area across the hall where its bar is located). The room we sat in had a speakeasy feel — a quiet (no more than 20 – 30 people) and intimate setting with a fireplace, beautiful décor, and comfortable seating arrangements.
The service was extremely attentive. Our waiter was friendly and demonstrated sound knowledge of their cocktail menu. A nice feature was our table had its own call service button, which illuminated whenever we needed anything from the servers.
The cocktails were very good. My girlfriend ordered the Martinez, which was gin, vermouth, and bitters stirred. This made for a really palatable drink. I ordered Midleton Very Rare on a rock. The server gave a nice pour and the whiskey did the rest — one of my favorites. I was pleased that it was available here because I have not been so fortunate at other establishments.
I highly recommend coming here AND making a reservation in advance.

This isn’t exactly what I immediately thought of when my coworker and I needed some after work happy hour drinks, but it was well worth it!
Since we came so early in the evening, it was relatively easy to get a table. You enter through the restaurant downstairs, and the host will call up to the speakeasy for availability. We were given a table immediately. The room was just so cozy – a fireplace, comfortable chairs, dim lighting. Again, not a typical after work happy hour spot, but it was really great for winding down. Our cocktails were made quickly My bourbon cocktail, whose name now escapes me, was delicious – warmed me up immediately on the rainy night and left me pleasantly buzzed.
Keep your groups small for this place – bring a date, bring a buddy, but god please do not bring your entire crew. The atmosphere was so intimate until a group of 7 arrived and brought the noise up to a bar-​like level. If you haven’t been able to get to the Chelsea location, I’d recommend giving this place a try.

I think I like this location better than the original, very small library setting, have to make a rez which I like, no people milling around or carrying on, just a nice setting and great cocktails.

I have now been to both locations, and this one takes the cake! Really beautiful décor, delicious drinks and friendly staff. My date and I went on a Saturday night and had no wait (granted, it was a holiday weekend.)
The location on 17^th was cool too, but it struck me as tired. Will definitely be returning to this location!

3.5 Stars
Very small space here, there’s a bar area with several stools, and three enclosed booths for a little more privacy. The small oval island in the center offers «standing» room. Really, this space is small, cozy, but also stuffy. It’s recommended to make a reservation. (There’s also a separate room with more seating.)
The entrance is downstairs through the Shakespeare… where you’re then led up a flight of stairs to the first floor of the hotel. Not that secretive really.
The pumpkin trifle was interesting, it didn’t really taste like pumpkin, maybe it was the notes of earl grey and curry I tasted, blended smoothly with cheesecake. Most odd.
There was some lively oldies rock ‘n roll playing in the background.
This is the second location of the speakeasy. According to the menu, Raines Law was passed in 1896 to curb alcohol consumption. The law made it illegal to serve for establishments to serve alcohol on Sundays, except for hotels serving to guests during meals or in their bedrooms.

Loved it! My friend and I were having a drink in The Shakespeare downstairs and put our name down for the ‘speakeasy’ upstairs, the Raines Law Room. It felt like a library, I loved the small exclusive feel and the various décor touches.
We were sat on a 2 seat table by the fire so we didn’t have a bell to press when we wanted another round, but it was still fun and novelty.
Cocktail prices are typical for this type of venue at $ 15 each. I had the Pear of Aces cocktail which was one of the best cocktails I’ve tasted in my life! So much so that I stuck with it for round 2, when normally I would try something else.
We were the first party in at 5pm, but it soon filled up, and as it isn’t very big, to avoid disappointment I would advise to book a table in advance.

I’ve wanted to go to Raines Law Room for ages, but there was always either a monstrous wait or I was never in the area until we needed a nightcap close to our hotel and I remembered this second location inside a hotel.
So we’re greeted by Cecile, who matter-​of-​factly clocks us in with an hour wait. Damn. So we grab a drink at a shitty Irish pub across the street where there’s one bartender manning the whole stage before my boyfriend gets a text saying we’ve procured two seats by the bar. YASS.
This location was the most secretive one yet. Heavy decked out curtains and winding staircases. Our plan was to get at most 2 drinks, but we ended up staying for 3 each. They’re pretty serious about their alcohol. And Cecile even came back to offer us lounge seating if we weren’t happy with the bar! How nice.
And uh, we totally lucked out with our bartender Alicia. I told her she was one of the best I’ve seen in awhile. Gave us complimentary shots on the house as a parting gift and even took one with us as well as other hookups. Umm yeah my kind of scene!

Great spot… especially for those romantically inclined. Hence, good place for dates. Dark and quiet. Resembles what Sigmund freud’s, or some late 19^th century thinker’s library might look like.
Great cocktails, commensurate prices as one would anticipate for such a venue. I did not get a cocktail — my companion did — I stuck with straight up mezcal. Very nice service. It probably won’t get too crowded as they regulate the flow of people (some may like this, others may not).
Would definitely come back.

Swank, Intimate, Tasty — Check out the wallpaper too. Bartender really «works» at making these delicious cocktails. They take reservations, but we were lucky to be walk-​ins. Small place and just «cool». Expensive, but it’s NY.

Fun speakeasy experience with well made cocktails. The entry through their downstairs sister pub at the William Hotel, Shakespeare, is a little puzzling.
The server acts like a hostess, brainstorming and suggesting drinks based on your preferences, which can be a novel experience.
We were able to get a table for three at 11pm on a Saturday as walk-​ins, though I would make a reservation if I knew I was going.

Intimate and cozy… I love how this Raines Law Room location tried to maintain the dark speakeasy vibe. What I didn’t like was how long the hostess on the basement level by the Shakespeare Pub took to send me upstairs… she fussed around with the computer and talked on the phone for a bit, before sending me upstairs… I could have gone up there directly and saved myself some time.
The cocktail menu is skewed to classic cocktails with the proper glasses and large ice cubes. They have a build-​your-​own old fashioned (choose your bitters, sweetener, & spirit) which was well received by my friend who fancies the old fashioned as her signature drink. My go-​to, the Moscow Mule, is made with ginger syrup and was deliciously ginger-y…though the slick server whisked away my second drink before I completely finished. Minus 1 star for this (along with the hapless hostess). There was a section for small bites and snacks on the menu, one of us ordered tea sandwiches, which weren’t that substantial if you are starving, but very cute.
The seating area, which I had due to a reservation I made in advance, was cushy and surrounded by gauzy curtains, with a view of the cool library-​like bar. We had 3 people so the cozy bar was a perfect choice. There was a button on the wall that we pushed whenever we needed service, which was a wonderful feature. Apparently, they do take walk-in’s but the bar is tiny so if you can, make the reservation in advance. Not for groups… if you have more than 4 people, you should try a different bar.

This joint is «at the William.» However, keep in mind that you have to go through «The Shakespeare.» Is that a bad joke??? It certainly sounds like it is, but it’s not. This place ain’t no joke either.
Now that I’ve had the chance to mull over and contemplate my visit here, four days short of a fortnight ago… I’ve come to this conclusion: this is one of the better speakeasies I have been to during my tenure here in New York. Point of fact, this may be one of the most speakeasiest places in the city that I’ve been to. What do I mean by that???
First off, the standard «secret entrance» is in place (for you hardcore purists); it comes in the form of going up a flight of stairs after entering The Shakespeare, with the stairs leading up to the entrance of The William to a heavily curtained nook that is the Law Room. Note: as a barrister in the state of New York, I am touched at the romanticism afforded to my profession (law), although they’re wayyy off, if I do say so.
Secondly, the place wasn’t very heavily attended. This was made even more noticeable due to the real estate (or lack thereof) dedicated to housing the Law Room’s patrons. Keep in mind, my drinking companion for that evening and myself decided to do our drinking on a Monday… arguably the least popular day to go out for a cocktail (which makes it the perfect day to go out for a genuine «speakeasy experience»). Though I could hope and dream that this place is as exclusive and (seemingly) esoteric as it was for us on this night, I’d be a fool to think that me +1 would be seated at the snap of a finger on a Friday or Saturday sans reservations. Nevertheless, the lack of people just added to the allure of this place (on this particular night).
Third, I’ll have to mention the environs + ambiance. Let me just say, that this place has the cache going on for it. Dim lighting… check; signature «erotic» wallpaper… check; impressionist/​contemporary/​miscellaneous art… check; leather bound armchairs… check; call button to summon service to your table… check. If that doesn’t create a certain feeling in you, as a patron, that you are a super important and possibly well-​monied romantic… then you probably eat gold flakes on top of foie gras daily and use diamonds as toothpicks (you snobby snob).
Lastly, the drinks are pretty spot on. Sure, the Martinez I ordered tasted a bit like «medicine» (as described by my company for the night), but it was a stiff drink to be sure. And the addition of a build your own Old Fashioned, an option not seen in the original Raines Law Room in Chelsea, is a big win. Prices and tastes are comparable to any other quality speakeasy you may have been to at some point.
Overall, don’t come here. Don’t take up the space so it will be easier for me to get a seat here. If you do come, don’t tell your friends… better yet, tell them that this place is awful, so I can get seated here easier. «Keep it secret… Keep it safe.»

We were super psyched to try out our first «geniune» speakeasy. But it was a little of a let-​down.
I recommend making a reservation. They do take walk-​ins, but the room is so small that you’re much better off making reservations especially for parties larger than 2. If you’re going to be a walk-​in, I recommend getting their early and putting your name on the list.
You enter through the Shakespeare Bar, in the basement of a hotel, where the hostess walks you up the stairs to the «speakeasy.» I put that in quotes because there is an entrance to the hotel ground floor with the «speakeasy,» a restaurant, and a concierge desk. It definitely doesn’t have that speakeasy vibe.
In terms of the food and service, it was pretty good. We came as a part of the LOADed Cocktail passport. Our drinks were unfortunately just Zacapa Rum neat. At this point, Raines Law Room is sitting at a solid 2 stars.
But then we had the Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait! It was incredible — thick and creamy! The parfait came in a mason jar with two slices of brioche and grape chutney. All of which were incredible. Probably the best I’ve had in NY! This bumped it up for me. I see good reviews for the Flatiron location, so we may try that one out in the future — definitely for the parfait!

I am a huge fan of this place. Every time I have come here, the staff have been very nice; introducing themselves, offering suggestions and taking part in fun small talk. No attitude like you tend to find with a number of other «smaller» cocktail bars. I refuse to call them speakeasies as everyone knows about them…
In any event, Fernando served today and he did not disappoint. I started with my usual last word. It was perfect! For my second and parting cocktail before dinner, Fernando put together a Broadmore. Key ingredient… green chartreuse. It was STRONG! I guess I should not have told him about my visit with BPC months ago!
All in all, another great stop in at the Raines Law Room (the new one!!)
Time to head to the hotel and check in, then off to try out Aldea.