Syracuse, NYCocktails

A downtown speakeasy in the basement under Oh My Darling, and the lead pick in This is CNY's roundup of Syracuse speakeasy bars. Lesley Porcelli describes Art Deco signage and wood paneling, a fish scale-tile bar she calls gorgeous, and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The room runs moody and low-lit with plenty of tufted seating, and the drinks stay close to the classics rather than chasing novelty. Order the rye Manhattan, which Porcelli found textbook in a good way.

A small Armory Square bar on West Fayette Street, singled out in This is CNY for excellent and thoughtful drinks without pretense. Lesley Porcelli notes that the bartenders make every juice and syrup from scratch, in a space that is diminutive but comfortable, with loungey pillows. It is also the least hidden of the city's speakeasies, which the roundup treats as a point in its favor. Order the Diamondback, built on Rittenhouse Rye, Green Chartreuse and Laird's Apple Brandy.

Emerald sits on Tipperary Hill and turns up in both This is CNY's speakeasy roundup and its Tipp Hill neighborhood guide. The first-floor speakeasy runs plush and glowing, with tufted leather and velvet under Art Deco light fixtures, and there is a rooftop bar upstairs for warmer nights. Lesley Porcelli's pick off the menu is The Phoenix, which she describes as a hot mug of deliciousness made with dark rum and pumpkin butter. Order The Phoenix, and take the roof if the weather allows.

A speakeasy tucked into the back of Harvey's Garden, the beer hall on East Water Street, with an entrance that This is CNY's Lesley Porcelli places beyond the bathrooms. She counts it among six Syracuse rooms worth sneaking away to with friends. It keeps short hours, Thursday through Saturday evenings, so the room stays small and quiet even on a weekend. Order the Sweet Beet Root-tini, which Porcelli calls pomegranate-forward with lemon on the edges.

Galley sits on Milton Avenue between Syracuse and Solvay and looks much like a shed from the street, which is the whole idea. This is CNY's Lesley Porcelli calls the interior very grown-up and the cocktails excellent, and notes how deliberately obscure the place is: it caps parties at a few guests and keeps infrequent hours. Check before you make the drive. Order the bartender's choice and let the round stay as intimate as the room intends.