Subway Grit vs Sky-Lobby Glitz — Speakeasies Square Off Above and Below Columbus Circle
Dive bar Siberia returns underground at Columbus Circle, while Mandarin Oriental unveils a luxe high-rise speakeasy, representing two different New Yorks in one night.
For New Yorkers who measure time by last call and train headways, Siberia's return will be appreciated. The infamous Hell's Kitchen dive, once located in the 50th Street subway station, has reopened at Turnstyle Underground Market in the Columbus Circle concourse.
In contrast, 35 floors above, Mandarin Oriental has relaunched The Bar, a 45-seat "speakeasy" with a Silk Road theme, serving unique cocktails like jasmine-baijiu and pomegranate-spice concoctions, accompanied by a skyline view.
The sign for Siberia may be easy to miss, but the attitude isn't.
Author's summary: Two speakeasies, Siberia and The Bar, offer different experiences in New York.
- Siberia: a dive bar located underground at Columbus Circle
- The Bar: a luxe high-rise speakeasy at Mandarin Oriental