When you locate Dutch Kills in Long Island City, it will not look like you’d expect. There is a little neon “bar” sign outside of a grubby dive bar looking wall. If the sign is on you can go on in and find a completely different atmosphere inside.
Very dark, with a vintage sophistication, Dutch Kills is separated into two main sections for sitting. The first area you walk upon has private booths, romantic hideaways, and a darker atmosphere. Walking through to the back section you find the bar with plenty of stools, a little more vintage light, and a refreshing skylight. We arrived right when they’d opened at 5 pm and enjoyed the last of the evening light shining onto the bar.
This hideaway is not new to the scene and has been open for over a decade offering exceptional cocktails, spacious room to drink, and bartenders with clout. We ordered a few drinks and hung around longer than our normal speakeasy sit in really enjoying the unpretentious yet still vintage atmosphere.
Our favorite drink of the evening was the Tiger Chilled Coffee; a cold brew and rum concoction that included a dash of absinthe. It was fantastic, we actually ordered more than one! Another creatively unique cocktail was the Fantasy Island; a tropical libation with rum, passion fruit syrup, tamarind liquor, and more, topped with grated nutmeg.
It’s too bad this amazing hidden bar is so far from Manhattan, but for locals I’m sure that’s the charm. For visitors it’s a trek to get there, but worth it for the stay. Dutch Kills was a bar we underestimated and were thoroughly pleased with in the end.
Missing our trips in the city,
Your wanderlusting PLI’s
(Visited September 2019)