Scenes of a Bohemian life: The speakeasy returns

New York – A new lounge, bar and restaurant is keeping itself under wraps, away from the casual passer-by, and bringing back the allure of the speakeasy by maintaining true exclusivity.

The Bohemian bar and restaurant in the NoLIta district – the sister of the Tokyo bar of the same name – is hidden behind a building once owned by the artist Andy Warhol, and can only be entered via a swipe card given to 200 lucky members. Exclusivity is heightened by owner Kiyotaka Shinoki’s insistence that the space be kept at just 60% capacity. Shinoki has also refrained from using a PR company to plug the concept, refreshingly keeping it from being featured in dozens of publications and websites. Just how to get in remains a mystery – and so it should, if it’s a genuinely private bar. One or two supposedly exclusive members’ clubs could take a leaf from Bohemian’s page.