Lantern’s Keep

This is a cool hidden bar inside a hotel. I wouldn’t have know anything about it until my girlfriend, through a little Unilocal searching on her own, found this cocktail bar.
The Lantern’s Keep only has about 10 tables and maybe can hold 25 total people in the bar. This isn’t your lively upbeat place rather an intimate place made for conversation with a properly made cocktail. We had a gin fizz and the Iroquis @2 which was amazing! Even when you drank, the design on the top of the drink remained intact which is a show of a well made drink.
After we finished our first round and the bar cleared up we moved to see the bartender in action. I told the bartender my girlfriend enjoyed champagne drinks and he custom made her a cocktail which she couldn’t get enough of. I had a whiskey based drink which was great and strong but didn’t burn at all.
This place is great and I need to be in the hunt for other hidden cocktail bars through out the city.

What a cute little bar! This place is a cozy and romantic spot to bring a date to. Very small — probably only about 10 small tables there so it’s not good for big groups of 5 people or more. We came Saturday night around 9 and it wasn’t that crowded. We sat at the bar (which only has 4 barstools) and ordered some cocktails. They’re expensive but really good and professionally made. I started off with the Iroquois #2 since I heard that was a good drink. My boyfriend got some drink that was very strong and full of whisky or something an old man would drink so it wasn’t my thing lol. The Iroquois was delicious and it looked so pretty I didn’t want to drink it! For my second drink I asked the bartender what he would recommend so he whipped me up a delicious concoction and called it the strawberry French 75. I would like to stop in here another night I’m in the city and try some other cocktails

Found this place on the Unilocal mobile app search for cocktail bars (haha cheap plug in I know) after a great birthday dinner party at Totto Ramen so we needed some blocks to walk of the food coma stank.
The 1920’s swanky style bar is comfortably tucked away in the back of the luxurious Iroquios Hotel. We arrived around 9ish with a party of 5 and had to wait 30 minutes for a table but the waiter offered to order our drinks in the lobby while we waited. The cocktail and drink menu read like a mixologist’s bed time story with drinks for every preference. If you’re a tequila girl like me I’d go for the High Horse shaken over ice which is delightfully refreshing. A real NYC historical experience second to The Blue Bar at the Algonquin.

A perfect spot for cocktails. They are all $ 16 which in NYC is not a bad deal for what you get. It’s a quite bar with friendly bartenders.
The setting is kind of like a speakeasy for the 20’s. You wouldn’t know it’s there if you are not looking for it. The Lantern’s Keep is a hidden spot so you have to be sure that the light outside is on and the curtains are open to make sure they are open for business.
The bartenders make fantastic drinks, all with fresh ingredients. Each one that my date and I tasted were amazing. There is no vodka on the menu so if you are a vodka drinker ask for something similar to a martini. I did and got the Regal Business (gin drink) I enjoyed both the Trenchtown (rum drink) and Regal Business drinks.
I’ll def. be back the next trip to NYC!

What a hidden gem. Amazing craft cocktails. I had two of the Bartender’s Choice. I requested Hendricks gin and cucumber and he reappeared with an amazing libation over a large square ice cube. Very fun and I love the color of the blue chairs!

If the light outside the hotel is on then the keeper is in. A small room at the back of this SLH hotel is dedicated to the crafting of some great cocktails. We paired ours with the delightful cheese board.

Great place to grab a drink if you are in midtown and want a downtown feel. The bar is a little small but it reminded me of the bar at Hotel Costes in Paris. Drinks are super well made and take a bit to make. They also take a hit on your wallet.

Fantastic lounge with great, creative cocktails by knowledgeable bartender Brad and server John. Great, intimate atmosphere with old school rock playing in background. Sweet… Will be back…

Brad was great ! Amazing drinks as usual and he kept it special for my boyfriend and I on our anniversary (where we had our first date). What a memory! Will def. be back. Thanks for the great service Brad!!! and fab drinks too.

Randomly ended up after strolling through the theater district. It’s a very chill atmosphere, with a small number of tables. The drinks were perfect and the bartenders were attentive. Couldn’t ask for anything more.

Would love go tell you that the cocktails were great. Can’t.
Would love to tell you that the service was impeccable. Can’t
Would love to tell you that it is totally worth your time to seek this bar out.
Can’t
What I can tell you is that the staff is obnoxiously pretentious, decidedly overbearing & that we were asked to leave before we ever got our jackets off. I guess they are opposed to groups of people spending money in their establishment. Refreshing from the other comment to see this is part of their business model.
Whatever — probably 5,000 or more bars in NYC that willingly will allow us to spend money with them — and in a far more comfortable environment I am sure.

I came here on a Saturday night at around 9pm, and it was surprisingly empty and quiet. There were only two other couples sitting by the bar, so we got a nice, big table for ourselves despite the fact that the venue is fairly small. I got the Troublemaker, a mix of gin, vermouth, lemon, cucumber, strawberry and seltzer. It was some of the most delicious cocktails I’ve had — sweet and fizzy, but not overly so. My bf got the Iroquois #2, which is a mix of cognac, lemon and pineapple. The alcohol taste was stronger in this one than in mine, but it still had a great balance with light, citrusy flavor.
This is a great date spot — not too crowded (at least at the time I was there), no loud music, dimly-​lit and nicely decorated. The bartender was very friendly and helpful with recommendations as well. This is now my favorite cocktail bar in NY, along with Angel’s Share!

If I could give it 0 stars, I would. We went there after a Broadway show and while trying to sit down at a table with my wife, my parents and sister and brother-​in-​law, they told us they can’t serve more than five at a table and walked away.
While I politely asked them why, the bartender ignored me and walked away. My mother than tried to explain it was our anniversary and he again ignored us and walked away.
They won’t be getting our business at the hotel or bar anytime soon and will be known as my first Unilocal review, negative or positive.

This place should change its name to Cocktail Heaven. Really tho…
As someone who is a bit of a cocktail snob, I long for places that can concoct enjoyable drinks with hint of creativity. There’s Nomad, Raines Law Room and a few others in Manhattan that do just that. However, enter the conversation this little gem called Lantern’s Keep.
Hidden in The Iroquois hotel, Lantern’s Keep is a very small bar that churns out cocktail gem after gem. The bartenders here take this cocktail thing VERY seriously. The bar is lined with fresh ingredients of all kinds, and the spirit selection has the who’s who of all liquors. You can tell immediately upon entering that you’re in for a special experience.
I told the bartender that I like rum and wanted to something with a hard taste to it. She took that info and put together something that was beyond amazing. I watched as she used fresh ingredient after ingredient and took her time with it, it was unreal.
She then made a drink on the sweeter side with Gin, champagne, strawberry and some other herbs I’m not familiar with. Absolutely speechless.
Simply put, if you’re a real cocktail lover, this place needs to be on your go to list. It will likely be the best cocktail you’ll ever have. I, for one, will be back here quite often.

Tucked away in the Iriquois hotel, dark and dimly lit, it reminds you of a Big and Carrie moment, sneaking affairs. Very inventive cocktail list, cozy seating, attentive staff, classic yet modern décor. Perfect place to steal away and have a conversation where you can actual hear the other person. ‘Gem’ is the perfect descriptor for this place.

I met up with a friend and he wanted to come here since he explain this bar to me as interesting. My curious self was very excited since I love new places.
I have to say I wasn’t disappointed, you walk through the hotel to the back and the bar it’s pretty small. This is a great bar if you love good cocktails (not cheap but hey this is midtown) and it’s super cozy perfect for a date.
When we got there wasn’t any seats available but we got one within minutes.
Our server came with some water and gave us the menu which was more like a book. After giving up trying to figure out what to drink I just ask our server what he recommended. He was super knowledgeable and gave me a few options and even offered for them to make me my own personalized drink. I decided to go with McKittrick Old Fashion and I’m so happy I did since it was delicious, probably one of the best drinks I ever had.
I could have stayed there all night just trying different drinks but we had dinner plans so I couldn’t stay as long as I wanted.

Takeaway — terrific cocktails in the wasteland of midtown /​Bryant Park, though a somewhat depressing room.
I have no qualms with the cocktails here, they are excellent, and the barkeeps know what they’re doing. Would be five stars for the cocktails, but for the space. It’s small, with not much ambience save for darkness and candlelight. Felt a little claustrophobic in there. I guess you could say the same for PDT, but at least with PDT, since you’re entering through a phone booth, you’re expecting it to be tight. Lantern’s Keep is, in the end, a hotel bar with excellent cocktails. Everything but the cocktails and the service, was enough to dock a star. Sorry, guys.

Tucked away within the Iroquois Hotel is this beautiful little establishment serving top notch cocktails. It was a perfect spot for a post theater drink where we were able to discuss the show in an intimate, classy environment.
If you are on a date, or you are looking to impress someone that loves cocktails and mixology then look no further because you will find none better, but be forewarned, the plan could backfire because the space is limited and you may not be able to get service.
The experience may not be cheap, but it’s not too far off the mark for a well made libation. It is a small price to pay for what I feel is a quintessential NYC expereience.

3.75 stars — I’ve had my eye on Lantern’s Keep for some time, and mostly because there aren’t very many great cocktail bars on this side of town. Though I was finally able to go for some belated birthday drinks with a good friend, and while the anticipation was there, the expectations fell just a bit short. There was nothing horribly bad to note, and the cocktails were great, but I feel for the price ($ 16 for each cocktail), I know there are better places to enjoy a great, quality cocktail. The collective experience overall wasn’t that impressive, especially when speaking in regards to speakeasies.
Lantern’s Keep is a tiny, inconspicuous spot, hidden and tucked inside the Iroquois Hotel. I made a reservation for 9PM on a Saturday evening only a day before, and I was able to without any issue at all. I advise reservations though as this spot is very tiny with a limited number of tables/​seats. The setting and mood of Lantern’s is generally intimate/​romantic but quite low-​key at the same time. There was a mix of couples and a mix of mid-​sized groups. The only throw-​off was the increased volume of music later into the night, which thwarted that level of intimacy in the space. Décor wise, it is all dark walls with marbled tables, set by candlelights. It’s a simple yet classic style that’s not too trendy or flashy in any way. The service was really great, and the server was very polite and attentive throughout the night.
I was able to try three cocktails, two of which were Bartender’s Choice. My guest wanted a chocolate-​based cocktail while I wanted Gin-​based with tart. They created a Jack Dempsey for me, and I was only a bit disappointed because I’m not a big fan of apple, and apple brandy is one of the base ingredients. My guest’s drink was fantastic though, namely the Twentieth Century. It was a mix of chocolate with slight citrus/​lemon base. My second drink was a shaken tall drink off their menu, the Diamond Fizz, a mix of Gin, lemon, Champagne, and some egg white. A very well-​made cocktail, different from what I’d normally order, but I very much enjoyed it. Cocktails were overall great, though my Bartender’s Choice was not what I was really expecting. Perhaps I should have been more specific.
Overall, the experience was good, and the service was great. Their menu is very impressive. If you want to be surprised, try the Bartender’s Choice. At $ 16 a drink though, it is good to know what you want to a certain degree, or else it may seem a bit of a disappointment. Nonetheless, for those who just take their cocktails a bit more seriously, this is a midtown spot to check out.

Just between you and I. It is possible to get turned off. After all, it is just a tiny bar inside of a hotel located in Midtown. Not to mention you won’t find the coolest-​outfit ever– bouncer asking for the password of the minute in order to let you in*. What kinda speakeasy is that.
But just between you and I, Lantern’s keep serves among the best cocktails in town.
In the past few years I have had a handful of unforgettable sips. The Jungle Bird served at Lanterns Keep constitute one of them on pair with The Clover Club from Pegu Club, The Guv’nor at Summit Bar or Cumin my Cocktail at The Wayland.
Attracted by the name at first, by the ingredients right after and the visual presentation several minutes later, I haven’t forget the first taste to the exceptionally crafted Jungle Bird (
)
Simply constructed. After all it is «just» a mix of rum, campari, pineapple and lime, I still recall the pleasure of a sweet drink, very smooth to the palate, where the ingredientes fuse together, none predominant over the other, yet strong as the time pass by. By the way, the story behind this drink is incredibly catchy and worth to read about**. The Jungle Bird is my drink to go always, but don’t skip any of the menu if you don’t get such obsession. I haven’t dislike not even one among the ones me or friends have order.
Just between you and I, Lantern’s Keep is not just a hotel bar. Exquisitely decorated yet simple, with dark wooden floor, marble round tables, blue seats and a fireplace. It emanates elegance, intimacy. Seriously, it is a pleasure to be there. Somehow everyone seems to know about it and in occasions, without a reservation, you won’t be able to stay. It happened to me more than once. Other times, mainly when I have been late at night, near the closing time, there is seats available, but seating at the bar seems more attractive. The bartenders are more relaxed then. Get there and chat with them. It is been always a pleasure as well. They actually, are well known within their profesional world and some are also behind other infamous speakeasies. Lantern’s keep may be immune to time. Impressions have not change since I first stepped in over three years ago. Which impressions?
Well, just between you and I. Even when he won’t pick me up when we meet at (this) bar, I just love to «drink, even better than James Bond»
Tell me that you wouldn’t like it too …
* figurative … for now
**

Great atmosphere, cocktails are excellent and food is very good! The place is a bit small so have a reservation.