Okay, so you know that thing when you’re just trying to buy a succulent because your apartment looks a little… well, like a male roommate decorated it when you weren’t looking? And then suddenly you find yourself in a secret bar, sipping an elderflower cocktail next to a velvet curtain while soft jazz plays in the background?
Yeah. That happened.
The Day I Went Looking for a Plant and Found My New Obsession
It was a Thursday. I was wearing a cream cable-knit sweater I “borrowed” from Monica six months ago (she’s not getting it back, it’s mine now), and I had a mission: get something green for the corner of the window that gets maybe eight minutes of sunlight a day, and feels emotionally neglected.
So, I popped into this adorable flower shop in the East Village called Fleur & Fable. You know the kind — the kind that smells like lavender and minor heartbreaks, where every bouquet feels like it has a backstory. I was eyeing a fiddle leaf fig that looked like it had survived fifteen breakups and a blackout when I noticed something weird.
There was this old, slightly chipped antique armoire in the back, surrounded by climbing ivy. It did not have a price tag. And there was a guy — hipstery mustache, obviously — who walked right up to it, knocked twice, then kind of just… disappeared behind it.
Um, excuse me?
So Naturally, I Followed Him
Listen, my mother raised me to avoid people with facial hair and vanishing doors, but my curiosity was already halfway through that armoire, so I followed. And what I found?
A speakeasy.
Like, a real one. Candlelight, bartenders in suspenders mixing cocktails like they're auditioning for a 1920s Gatsby reboot, and tiny round tables straight out of a French noir film.
I stood there. Alone. Staring. And whispering under my breath, “Is this Narnia for girls who like gin?”
Spoiler: it is.
Meet “The Lavender Room”
Tucked behind the flower shop, this speakeasy is called The Lavender Room. There’s no sign. No menu up front. Just quiet allure and the scent of rosemary-infused magic. The hostess greeted me like we were old friends and asked if I was “ready for an experience.”
Oh, honey. Always.
Here are some things you need to know:
🌸 What Makes It So Special?
- The Vibe: Imagine if every romantic comedy had a secret afterparty. That’s this place.
- The Drinks: I ordered something called “Bloom Theory” — gin, elderflower, violet liqueur, lemon zest, and a single pressed pansy floating on top. Legitimately tasted like poetry and a little bit like spring break in Paris.
- Small Bites: Tiny grilled cheese with truffle honey. Do I even need to go on?
- People Watching: So many first dates. So many awkward silences. So much material for my group chat.
"It’s the kind of place that makes you believe in late-night kisses and well-dressed strangers."
— Me, after two and a half cocktails
New York, You Beautiful Secret-Hiding Siren
This city never stops surprising me. You think you’re going out for potting soil and end up in a room where someone’s playing Billie Holiday covers on a live upright bass and feeding you drinks with herbs you didn’t even know were legal.
Sometimes I think I’ve seen all of New York. Then I walk through a dusty armoire and remember:
I’ve barely scratched the surface.
If you’re looking for me this Friday night, I’ll be in The Lavender Room. Possibly in silk. Definitely sipping something floral and texting Monica that yes, I absolutely bought the fiddle leaf fig. And yes, I made it a whole personality.
See you behind the flowers 💐
—Rachel G.
