A cup of coffee costs a few dollars. The gin and tonic that shares an address with it costs considerably more, and comes with a dress code, a one-item minimum, and sometimes a cover charge for the band. Bathtub Gin sits behind Stone Street Coffee on 9th Avenue, and the gap between the two businesses sharing one door is the whole point: a plain storefront by day, a Prohibition-styled room built around a copper bathtub by night.
Karpo can confirm tonight's hours, whether there's live jazz or burlesque on the schedule, and how far a walk-in wait typically runs before you head over.
A coffee counter that isn't quite what it seems
Ninth Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets reads as a fairly unremarkable stretch of Chelsea by daylight: a coffee shop, some shopfronts, nothing that suggests nightlife. Stone Street Coffee occupies the address at street level, selling espresso and pastries to whoever wanders in, and gives no visual clue that anything else operates in the building.
The contradiction resolves at the back of that same coffee shop, where an unmarked door leads through to Bathtub Gin. It has worked this way since 2011, when Brooklyn-born entrepreneur Dave Oz opened it as a Prohibition-era-inspired speakeasy, naming the place after the homemade bathtub gin that drinkers brewed during the ban on legal liquor. The coffee counter isn't a gimmick tacked onto a bar; it's a working shop that happens to share a floor plan with one.
The room behind the door
Once through, the street noise drops away and the room commits fully to its period styling. Damask wallpaper covers the walls, a pressed-tin ceiling runs overhead, and the lighting stays dim throughout, low enough that the space feels smaller and more enclosed than its footprint. Dark wood furnishings sit alongside silk couches and plush seating, with fabric chandeliers hanging over the main floor and stretches of exposed brick breaking up the wallpaper.
The centerpiece is a restored clawfoot copper bathtub set in the middle of the room, which doubles as a photo spot on ordinary nights and, on burlesque nights, becomes a performance platform. It's the one fixture that ties the name to the physical space, and it's usually the first thing people photograph before they've even ordered.
Gin by the glass, and a kitchen that takes itself seriously
The drinks list leans hard into its namesake spirit, with several gin and tonic variations and a Silver Screen Martini among the standing options, plus shareable punch bowls built for groups rather than solo drinkers. Alongside the cocktails there's a full dinner menu and small plates, which pushes Bathtub Gin closer to a destination restaurant-bar than a quick-drink stop.
A one-item minimum applies to every bill, which is worth knowing before a group settles in expecting to nurse a single round. The dress code is smart casual, and the list of what's excluded is specific: no tank tops, flip-flops, baseball hats, jerseys, or athletic wear. It's not an aggressively enforced velvet-rope operation, but it does read as a bar built for dates, anniversaries, and organised nights out rather than a casual after-work stop.
When to arrive if you want the quiet version
The bar runs Sunday through Thursday from 5pm to 2am, and Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 3am, with a Sunday brunch service starting at 11:30am for anyone who wants the room without the evening crowd. Hours can shift for private events or seasonally, so it's worth confirming before setting out on a specific night.
Arriving earlier in the evening reportedly gets a noticeably quieter, more intimate version of the room, before the later crowd fills the couches and the noise builds. Given the low lighting and close seating, that difference between a 6pm arrival and an 11pm one is more pronounced here than it would be in a bigger, brighter bar.
Jazz on Mondays, burlesque on the tub
Live jazz runs Monday nights, roughly 9 to 11pm, and burlesque shows are scheduled for Tuesdays and Sundays, both of which carry added entertainment fees on top of the usual bill. For band nights that's $10 per person seated and $5 standing; for burlesque nights it's $20 seated and $5 standing, though those figures are worth double-checking against the current schedule before a visit.
On performance nights, the bathtub at the center of the room becomes the stage, and sightlines from the couches around it vary a lot depending on where you're seated. Booking a table ahead is the practical way to guarantee a decent view rather than craning around a pillar or another group's shoulders.
Reservations, walk-ins, and getting there
Reservations are recommended to secure seating, particularly for groups, though walk-ins are welcomed when there's space. That said, walking in without a booking can mean a wait, especially on nights with scheduled entertainment when tables fill faster than usual.
The location sits on 9th Avenue in Chelsea, within walking distance of several subway options: the A/C/E and L trains at 14th St–8th Ave, the 1 train at 18th Street, and additional A/C/E stops at West 23rd Street and West 14th Street. None of the approaches announce the bar in any way, which keeps the whole operation feeling like the neighbourhood's quieter, better-kept secret rather than a marked destination.
Practical notes
Bathtub Gin is at 132 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011, between 18th and 19th Streets in Chelsea, entered through the back of the Stone Street Coffee shop. It's open Sunday through Thursday from 5pm to 2am and Friday/Saturday from 5pm to 3am, with Sunday brunch from 11:30am; confirm hours ahead as they can shift for events. Reservations are recommended, especially for groups and on performance nights (jazz Mondays, burlesque Tuesdays and Sundays), though walk-ins are accepted when space allows. A one-item minimum applies, dress code is smart casual, and entertainment fees apply on scheduled show nights. Nearest transit: A/C/E and L at 14th St–8th Ave, the 1 train at 18th St, plus A/C/E at 23rd St and 14th St.
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Please drink responsibly. Must be of legal drinking age.
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Ask Karpo first
Wondering whether tonight is a jazz night, a burlesque night, or just a regular evening at the tub — and what that means for the bill? Ask Karpo for tonight's schedule at Bathtub Gin, the current entertainment fee if one applies, and how long a walk-in wait is running before you head to 9th Avenue.
