Blue Owl   

Know what New York needs right now? Another faux speakeasy (pleased to meet you, Milk and Honey, Little Branch, Back Room and East Side Company Bar) with an open-secret entrance and painstakingly constructed retro cocktails. At least that's what the owners of Blue Owl -- a subterranean bar slyly identifying itself only with a big, blue neon owl sign -- are wagering. The interior is small, dimly lit and decorated in standard-issue lounge fashion: Copper bar, exposed brick and gaudy banquettes. Blue Owl's cocktails, however, are exceptional. The Bobby Burns, for example, mixes Scotch, vermouth, Benedictine and a dash of bitters, for a combination that has none of scotch's usually overbearing taste. At $12 a pop, the drinks are more prohibitive than Prohibition, but are worthwhile for those with deep pockets and/or expense accounts. The bar also has a private room that can be booked for parties; when you rent it, a doorman posted outside requires your attendees to proffer a secret password for entrance.