Welcome to Bar of the Week, a running series from TV and City that highlights New York’s best spots for drinks, vibes, and just the right amount of chaos.
Each week, we spotlight one bar. Sometimes it’s a cozy cocktail lounge. Sometimes it’s a sprawling beer hall. Sometimes it’s a barely-marked door behind a fake hardware store. We don’t try to cover every bar in the city. Just the ones we actually go to. The ones we’d take a friend, a first date, or someone visiting who asks, “So where do you usually hang out?”
These aren’t curated for algorithms or chasing clout. They’re the bars that make up New York. One week at a time.
🔐 Bar of the Week: Keys & Heels
📍 Location: 1488 Second Avenue (between E 77th & 78th Sts), Upper East Side
🚇 Nearest Subway: 77th St (6)
Vibe: An unmarked, velvet-lined speakeasy hiding in plain sight behind what looks like a key-and-shoe repair shop.
🕰️ Why We Love It
Keys & Heels is a bar you could walk by a hundred times and never notice. And many do. Thousands of Upper East Siders pass this place every day without realizing that just behind what appears to be a very unremarkable locksmith and heel repair storefront, there’s a fully operational speakeasy serving cocktails and vibes in equal measure.
It’s not like other speakeasies that drop a clue. There’s no candle in the window, no doorman in suspenders, no neon wink. Keys & Heels commits to the bit. From the sidewalk, it really does look like the type of place where you’d get a key duplicated or your boots resoled. But step inside and the space opens into a cozy, dimly lit lounge with plush furniture, vintage accents, and a retro disco ball hanging overhead. It feels like you’ve been let in on a secret.
The theme doesn’t necessarily carry through once you’re inside. There’s no locksmith lore or heel-related decor. But the bar is undeniably stylish. It’s the kind of spot where you sit on a velvet banquette and half-whisper your drink order, because the whole place just feels hush-hush in the best way.
Even more notable is their monthly Magic, Unlocked event, a ticketed close-up magic night that transforms the space into something even more special. These evenings feature legit magicians performing sleight-of-hand tricks at your table, which elevates the experience from novelty bar to unforgettable night out.
🍸 What to Order
The cocktail list leans modern and accessible, with drinks like the Late Night Lover, a whiskey-based espresso martini that trades vodka for something more robust, and the High Heeled Ambition, which pairs citrus and sweetness for an easy sipper. While the drinks may not break new ground, they’re solidly executed and served with flair. And if you’re the kind of person who orders based on aesthetics, the presentation here won’t disappoint.
🗽 Why It’s a TV and City Pick
Keys & Heels earns its spot for the reveal alone. There’s genuine joy in walking through a fake hardware store and into a space that feels completely out of step with the outside world. It may not be the most inventive cocktail program in the city, but the ambiance, commitment to secrecy, and live magic events make it more than just a gimmick. If you’re already uptown and want a bar with a story to tell, this is where to find it. Just don’t be surprised if it takes a second to find the door.
TV and City 