HiLot

HiLot is from the team behind Joyface, an Alphabet City bar (right next door) where you can dance under a disco ball and hang out on a waterbed until 3am. But this is a different sort of place. There’s no standing room, and you have to make a reservation if you want a guaranteed seat. The space looks like a fancy living room from the 1970s, with plaid carpets, a mirrored ceiling, and fringed lamps perched on top of a winding leather couch. It’s essentially a speakeasy (complete with a doorbell you ring to get in) that isn’t hidden, and it’s a great option for when you want to go out in the East Village but don’t necessarily need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with folks who might spill their espresso martinis on you.