Please Don’t Tell is known as one of the best and most well-hidden speakeasies in New York City. For the last fourteen years patrons in-the-know would enter Crif Dogs on St. Marks and enter a hidden phone booth. You would request a reservation over the phone, and if you were lucky, you would get in under an hour. Being in business for years, the bar has gained in popularity and that meant longer wait time. Still, people were always willing to wait it out for PDT. While you waited, their neighbor, Crif Dog, provided signature hot dogs, burgers and tots. Once you were in, you felt like you belonged to a private club. Then the pandemic happened.
Please Don’t Tell creates their Tropicale set up from Friday to Sunday.
The industry has navigated their way around restrictions, lack of patrons, and even lack of staff. PDT sold cocktails on-the-go, and we gladly supported them. This summer we got a surprise with an unlikely outdoor setup. Please Don’t Tell is fully open and ready to welcome you back indoors, but if you prefer outdoors, you might like to grab a table under an orange umbrella right on St. Marks Place. If we did not know any better we would assume Tropicale is a separate business, and that is what makes it hidden in plain sight, and a great offshoot. The new owner, Jeff Bell, who has worked behind the bar for eleven years, took ownership of the bar last summer and then got creative with Tropicale. Sure, Tropicale is not the traditional speakeasy you know and love, but it is certainly an innovative way to cater to a clientele that has gotten used to outdoor dining adventures.
One of their cocktails: the La Perla Old Fashioned is made with Pueblo Viejo reposado tequila, amontillado sherry, St. George spiced pear liqueur, and honey. “This Tequila Old Fashioned is inspired by Jacques Bezuidenhout’s modern classic – the La Perla. This is a concentrated version with spiced pear, a small measure of amontillado sherry and a dash of honey.” —Jeff Bell, Bar Owner
The end of summer is all about having fun and enjoying our time out of the house. PDT has managed to create a small oasis in the middle of the East Village. Believe us, that is hard to do. Grab a friend and get ready to unwind.
Please Don’t Tell, 113 St Marks Pl (betw Ave A & 1st)
