Employees Only Menu & Prices 2026: Cocktails, Dinner & Late Night

Employees Only is at 510 Hudson Street, between Christopher and West 10th Street in the West Village, New York, NY 10014. The bar is open nightly, typically from 6:00 PM until around 4:00 AM. The entrance is famously hidden behind a psychic's storefront with a neon palm-reader sign. Confirm current hours on the official site before you go.

Most cocktails run $21 — that covers the EO Classics (Manhattan, Billionaire, Amelia) and the Modern Hits and Dessert Cocktails. The more elaborate Fancy Cocktails and the EO Espresso Martini are $24, and the non-alcoholic Spirit-Free drinks are $18. Prices are from the bar's published cocktail menu, reviewed June 2026.

Employees Only is one of the bars that defined the modern craft-cocktail movement. Opened in 2004 by five bartenders and chefs, it pairs a serious, classics-driven cocktail program with a full late-night New American kitchen, tarot readings at the door, and a hidden-speakeasy entrance. It has been a repeat honoree on The World's 50 Best Bars and North America's 50 Best Bars.

Yes — Employees Only runs a full kitchen, not just bar snacks. The dinner menu spans appetizers like the tableside EO Steak Tartar ($32) and Bone Marrow Poppers ($19), entrees including the EO Burger ($29) and a 30 oz. Bone-In Rib Eye ($125), plus desserts at $15. The kitchen is known for serving late into the night, which is a large part of its reputation among hospitality-industry regulars.

The Billionaire Cocktail ($21) is the signature: Maker's Mark Cask Strength shaken with lemon juice, EO Grenadine and Absinthe Bitters. The Ginger Smash and the bar's stirred Manhattan ($21) are also closely associated with the room and appear in the bar's own cocktail book, Speakeasy.

Yes. Employees Only is known for an off-menu, complimentary cup of chicken soup served to remaining guests near closing time — a hospitality tradition the bar has kept since its early days. It is not a printed menu item, so don't expect to order it like a dish; it is offered at the staff's discretion as the night winds down.

Reservations are taken for dining and are recommended, especially on weekends. Seats for cocktails and appetizers are generally held for walk-ins on a first-come basis at the bar. Because the room is small and popular, expect a wait at peak hours. Book dining reservations through the official site or Resy.

Yes. Vegetarian dishes include the King Trumpet Mushroom ($28), Truffle Grilled Cheese ($26), Burrata ($23), Ricotta Gnocchi ($20) and the salads. On the drink side, the Spirit-Free cocktails — Buzzkill and Spirited Away ($18 each) — are built with the same care as the alcoholic list, using non-alcoholic agave and whiskey alternatives.

It sits firmly in the upscale ($$$) range for a New York cocktail bar and bistro. Cocktails are $18-$24, appetizers run roughly $18-$32, and entrees range from $26 for the Truffle Grilled Cheese to $125 for the Bone-In Rib Eye, with a 30g caviar service at $145. It is a destination bar rather than a budget option — though the late-night kitchen and walk-in bar seating make a drinks-and-a-bite visit accessible.