Keys & Heels

Super cool Speakeasy on the UES. A Cocktail bar located directly behind a locksmith. There’s a covered entrance with a hostess. Reservations are highly recommended if you’re going later in the evening. They open at 6 Wednesday through Saturday and close at 1 weeknights and 2 on weekends. Cocktails are fun and creative. Such a unique concept, and so much fun.

For the area it was what we were looking for. We couldn't sit down, standing room only. My drink wasn't out of this world but the bar tender was very friendly and hard working. At first I thought the music was too loud, but by the time the disco ball came on we were loving the music selection. Lots of 60s-80s. Live DJ.

Made a reservation around an hour before going in on a Friday evening, we got great service and the drinks were good! Fun ambience

My girlfriend and I was there around 2 weeks ago. We had fun the drinks were great however it looks like the staffs were drinking as well especially our Busser seemed off with slurring speech nice skinny tall guy told us his name was Jay or JJ. I’m not one to judge but creates lack of service and becomes a safety issue for their establishment. I would recommend this place to friends and family for great cocktails.

Worked with Jayne on a private engagement party for 30+ people. Everything was awesome and there were no hiccups at all. Food. Drinks. Bartenders. Servers. Music. The best. Would do it the exact same way again if the opportunity presents itself.

One of the coolest “secret” spaces in New York. The drinks were incredible, the vibe was immaculate - literally the perfect place to bring a date you want to impress, or celebrate a function with all your friends. Also, heads up- they have a monthly magic show called “magic unlocked” that will blow your socks off. It’s hard to get tickets because it sells out so fast - but its 1000% worth it if you can score one!!!

Very cool spot. Good drinks and intimate vibe. Staff is super friendly. We had the Daddy Issues and the one with psycho in the name I think. They had chile de arbol as the garnish which is pretty cool, I haven’t seen that before. It sounds like a weird compliment but it’s a very good thing with strong drinks: the guy who refills the water was on top of it all night. Great place.

The cocktails here were well presented and made. Got to taste 5 different cocktails and while none were bad, none blew my socks off either. The music was also a bit too loud. Had to constantly yell to hear each other. All in all I’d say it’s still worth the experience of a cool speak easy.

LOVED it here! The service was amazing- right when we walked in we were warmly greeted. You couldn't ask for a better ambiance & the drinks were phenomenal! Can't wait to go back!

I was initially really excited to check out Keys and Heels but it didn't quite meet my expectations. My party of 3 only had a wait a short while before being let in. When asked about the tables, the inside staff said we had to speak to the host outside. We tried to talk to him but he said there was no waitlist to be added on. We ended up just hanging out in the back which was kinda disorganized itself while watching two empty tables the entire time we were there. People didn't really move out of the way after ordering so it was a little frustrating logistically. After managed to make our way to the bar, I got the Moroccan Hourglass. It was very herbaceous with the mint-infused liqueur and minty tea. The rose syrup made it on the sweeter side, but I liked it that way. The concentrated flavors were amplified by the fact that it didn't include any ice, so it was a little too strong for my friends. It came with two pretty yummy frozen grapes. The High Society was very cucumber forward and not too sweet. Decor wise it definitely gave off speakeasy vibes. The bar is disguised as a locksmith/shoe repair shop with a simple neon sign/light. You enter the door that says its "closed." Music was alright but not consistently my vibe. I think logistically it was frustrating and confusing so I didn't have the best time here.

LOVE incredible food, amazing music and such a fun vibe. Way more lively than most speakeasy's in NYC

Neat date spot. It mimics a speakeasy---the storefront looks like a shoe repair shop but it conceals a dark interior with cool ambience. My advice is to get drinks and skip the appetizers---the food was uniformly meh and waaay over- priced for what they give you. Stick to drinks and you'll be OK. No complaints about the service.

Fun speakeasy ! I have walked by this place dozens of times and not realized it was there. 5/5 for ambiance and service Drinks were well done. I agree with some other reviews that you should probably eat somewhere else. We got pretzel bites and mini tacos, which were fine but nothing special.

Is it a locksmith, is it a shoe repair, is it a speakeasy? Yes, yes, and yes. I read about this and had to see for myself. What a great idea... a Cocktail bar located directly behind a locksmith. There's a covered entrance with a hostess. Reservations are highly recommended if youre going later in the evening. They open at 6 Wednesday through Saturday and close around 2. I went with a friend. We did not have reservations, but it was early ( just after 6) and we were able to sit at the bar. I will say, by the time we left at seven it was starting to get crowded. The inside is pretty cool with an intimate, upscale vibe. I loved the atmosphere and the inside decor, the art work was great. Live DJ spinning some good music made for a fun time. Cocktails are creative and fun, they go along with the speakeasy theme. I do think they are a bit pricey, but its NY and i definitely think this a unique concept, so im sure ill stop in next time I'm on the east side .

Bartender recommended Adulting and I was extremely pleased with how the cocktail tasted. Ambiance is classy and elegant inside. Workers were very polite and respectful. Just great vibes overall! Speakeasy

The place is considered a hip, cool bar. The interior is nice. However, the place is completely overrated and a rip-off. I have never seen a Martini glass this small, literally half the size of a normal glass anywhere else. Really? For 19 dollars? I am willing to pay money for a good drink but this was ridiculous. Shame on you!

The cutest hidden gem of a speakeasy. Fun menu of craft cocktails. Tables were all reserved but still able to walk in to the bar before dinner on a Saturday night.

Omg loved it. I was visiting NYC wandering into places with friends and this was a hit! They have a great list of crafted cocktails. I loved the one I got so much I had to get it twice. Will definitely be back if I'm in the area.

Back in the hood and had to come in for my fave cocktail of theirs called 'Pretty Little Psycho'. Be warned - it's not a spicy margarita but a SPICY margarita! :)

The drinks are pretty solid, but I'm not sure that they were with the price tag. The vibes are pretty good. I like the disco ball that turns on after a certain point in the night. The outside cabana is actually just a shed that is on the street and is a more intimate setting that has less loud music so that you might be able to enjoy your conversational bit more but you won't get that experience of being in the speakeasy itself. The drinks themselves were solid and try to get their versions of margaritas as these were the most popular ones. Also, the service was top-notch, and the woman outside was extremely helpful and our waitress was very accommodating - answered all of our questions, and very generous.

We were super excited to check this place out after seeing all these cool videos on tik tok but unfortunately the experience felt a bit underwhelming. We had reservations for this place on a Thursday night at 8 pm. Upon arriving we were greeted by a very friendly host and were seated right away. We ordered their version of an Aperol spritz which is a very simple drink yet they messed it up. It came in a very cool format where you basically do a DIY spritz concoction but it tasted average and wasn't anything special for the price. Ambience was great and loved the music and vibes but wasn't anything special in my opinion.

We were excited to try Keys & Heels as there aren't many speakeasy type places in UES. The concept is cool and it's pretty easy to find the location - you won't get lost trying to find a "secret" entrance. The inside vibe is cool but the tables are slightly close to one another. There's probably only 1-1.5 feet between our table and the one next to us. After 10pm, the place does get crowded and loses its "speakeasy" vibe. People are allowed to stand near the bar area and it feels very crowded, especially as you try to walk to the bathroom. Drinks were pretty good though you should ask the waitress for recommendations. a lot of the drinks are Key and Heels own spin on standard cocktails, so you may/may not like their version. Our waitress was really great and attentive

This was my first speak easy experience and I was very excited. The place was easy to find and we had reservations. The ambience inside is pretty cool but like any other bar, just slightly upscale. Also, the place is pretty small and congested. The seats are quite uncomfortable. The drinks were fun though. Right from their names to some innovativeness in the way it is served. Slightly overpriced. Not a lot of food options. Probably wouldn't go back.

I came here without a reservation on a Saturday night. My friend and I only had to wait 5 minutes. The place is smaller than I thought but I love the vibes! There's a disco ball. It was standing room only, but we saw a couple leave so we immediately took their table.! I got the Keys Spritz Bomb and it was okay. I like spritzes but this was not my favorite.

Such a fun find on the UES! Keys & Heels is one of the new offerings in a part of the city that lacked interesting bars focusing on experience. This bar, hidden behind the guise of a repair shop, transports you into an intriguing world filled with funky dance music, a disco ball, and cocktails served out of chemistry vessels. I ordered the bar's version of an aperol spritz which involved me learning how to pour my drink in stages (so fun!) All the people in the bar looked like they were having a fun time and I definitely was to. Will be back soon!

Drinks were ok but served on a tiny kids' size glass, so in my opinion overpriced for size and the overall experience. Since the place is extremely small is not a very pleasant experience unless you have a table, but in order to have a table you need to make a reservation, not sure why they have so many tables if they don't offer a proper food menu, so the dynamics are just weird. On a positive note the DJ was playing great music (uncle Mike) I was just frustrated because we didn't have enough space to dance. The decor is beautiful, they did a great interior design job. We were really uncomfortable only had one drink each (2 people) paid about $50 with tip and left.

Fun cocktail bar with a fake "speakeasy" front as if it is a key shop. Had tried to drop in a couple of times previously but could never be bothered to wait. Room is medium sized, maybe 50 people seating area and then you can stand at the bar. Cocktails are good, and a bit of theatrics as they make them. Some are served in a little glass bowl with 2 spouts, one ingredient in one part and the other in the main globe- fun to watch and then to give you an interactive experience.

Just opened, brand new speakeasy with great drinks and music right in the middle of the upper east side! Highly recommend if you are looking for something easy going, but fun at the same time. We went on busy Friday night at 8pm, was told it would be a 15 min wait without reservation and they were right. They were very easy going and nice. No issues whatsoever at the door. Only if you want food, then recommend making a reservation. Otherwise, if you are looking for an after dinner drink, then this is your spot! Even got to meet a Fox five idol! Once you get in, it's a small venue so I can understand that they need to do crowd control. The drinks were speakeasy and very good! Got the Barefoot & Topless, light citrus flavored drink. Perfect for an after dinner digestivo! Go before word get around and lines get around the corner!!

The best speakeasy on the UES! Perfect for pre or post dinner cocktails or a night out with friends. I've also been to their magic show and that was an amazing experience!

My boyfriend and I went to try out this spot. It was so fun to walk in through the door. We got sat at a nice spot in the corner. They quickly brought us water w/ ice and a small cute chip bowl. They were the perfect chip. It was nice that they weren't served with salsa. Sometimes I think I don't need it. I quickly realized I messed up and didn't look at the menu before coming. We should have ate before. The two snacks we ordered were not good... On the other hand... drinks. The cocktails were delicious. I loved my spicy drink. We had 3 drinks each and I was feelin it! After the bar we grabbed pizza because we didn't eat! Some of the review photos have pretty nice sandwhichs but the one we got wasn't great.

WoW what a place this is! Low key as a speakeasy should be! Great down to earth ambience! Great music you can converse to. Everything just perfect. Everybody was just so friendly! Our unique server Vanessa was incredible we loved her! The security guy and general manager were awesome! Definitely a place to come to with great cocktails and mixed drinks! A bit up town but worth the ride and the experience of feeling the east side uptown vibe! Loved it!!!!

In a previous review I mentioned that a friend of mine was drugged here. This establishment responded by calling me "shameful" and "disgusting" and threatened legal action if I did not remove the review. They also claimed that I accused their staff of drugging my friend, which is untrue. Without violating my friend's right to privacy, I can say that I know my friend and wholeheartedly believe that I am telling the truth about what happened that night. I do not enjoy being threatened for what I saw. This used to be my favorite bar and I am sad about the way this was handled. I hope that management takes further action to prevent this happening in the future

DJ Saturday night was great but the bouncer Claudius was awful. I traveled all the way from California. We tipped well and needed to wait for our Uber and he kicked us out in below freezing weather. He was rude and acted entitled. He made the entire experience terrible.

Cute, unassuming speakeasy. From the outside, it really just looks like a locksmith+shoe repair store. You could get into the bar without a reservation on a Friday night though all the tables were taken. That being said, the inside decor left a bit to be desired. It was nice but felt a bit bare--For the price of each drink, I think it's a bit hard to justify in a place that only lives up to the hype on the outside

Overall rating 4.3, average is valid. This is not a speakeasy.. I feel like in order to be a speakeasy, you actually have to have a "front" (see PDT, bathtub gin, back room, garrett, etc). This is a bar with a key-making window. There is a bouncer & a hostess outside. Drinks were good. I got the barefoot & topless which was very light / borderline tasted like water. Not pictured, I also got the Good Night Negroni which was more my speed. Arrived around 7 on a Thursday & was able to "walk in" by 7:30. Reasonably crowded, but mostly women. I could come here again if I was in the area, but won't be seeking out or recommending.

Came here when I was visiting NYC with some friends. Never been to a speakeasy before and it was such a great experience

Came here recently after booking reservation a few days ahead of time. I love speakeasies so when I found out about this one, I knew I had to pay a visit. On the the day of the reservation, my party and I showed up a few minutes early and the friendly staff was able to accommodate us. As I walked to our table, I took a look around and loved how the decor & intimate setting created a fun and lively atmosphere. Once we were sat, the server brought over some tortilla chips for us to pick at while we perused the menu. We looked at the list of cocktails were quite happy to see so many great options to choose from. As the night progressed I tried a few drinks but my favorites of the evening were Adulting and Tokyo Love Story. The Tokyo Love Story in particular was the highlight drink for me personally since I am a big fan of ginger based drinks. Overall, I had a wonderful time and was very pleased with my experience at Keys & Heels. I am looking forward to visiting again soon and trying out some of the other drinks I did not get to order. Highly recommend this spot if you're planning on hanging out in the UES and are looking for an intimate cocktail bar.

Keys and Heels on the Upper East Side is a new addition to the NYC speakeasy scene located behind a false shoe repair / key copy storefront. The cocktails were great and our favorites were the Barefoot and Topless and the Keys Spritz Bomb served in a dual-dispenser glass. This spot makes for a great place to listen to funky throwbacks and enjoy good drinks with a group

Good spot. Good vibe. Usually a good crowd. Definitely a reason to get up to the UES.

Cute place. Drinks are great. Nice crowd great music. Only thing it's so dark inside . Staff was great. The place is so cute. Looks like a hardware store, but it transforms into a beautiful lounge.

Keys & Heels hit the mark for vibes and decor! I came here with a couple friends early Friday evening with reservations. If you walk in there is standing at the bar and a very small section to sit, but don't have high expectations to get a seat without a reservation. There seems to be a time limit on tables due to reservations, but unclear how long one can reserve a table. I estimated an hour and a half. Their cocktails are creative and tasty. Service was excellent. If you don't like your drink, no worries, you can order another one at no charge. If you are looking for a change of pace in your regular bar rotation, I recommend checking out Keys & Heels. Overall good vibes, atmosphere, and drinks. I plan to return for a second visit (maybe more)!

Had really high hopes for this place but was let down. Had a reservation for 1115 and showed up around 1110 but didn't get in until about 1130 despite them letting in a lot of people from the walk-in line. Also saw the bouncer get blatantly greased by a group of 5-6 seemingly underage kids which was a bit odd. They have one bathroom for the whole place so there is often a line of 4-5 waiting. I liked the music and disco ball vibes. Chips were also a nice touch and I liked them. Our server was friendly and service was pretty quick. My date and I both got the vodka drink which we didn't really like and there menu is heavily weighted towards manhattan-like whisky drinks without much variation. Probably won't go back.

Amazing vibe and atmosphere. Staff is always friendly and polite, and the drinks are reasonably priced. One of my go to spots in the Upper East Side.

My friend got roofed here last night. Ordered two drinks and I was still drinking my last one. My friend drank hers and ten minutes later her whole personality changed. She had one-two drinks the whole night. Someone slipped her something and then they kicked us out because she fell out of her chair. Be safe and watch your drinks.

Cute little speakeasy in the UES area. Came around 2 months ago for a quick drink because it was a new spot that opened up in town. Aesthetics are there and the speakeasy vibe is def there as well. Cocktails are good! If you did not make a reservation, there is a little bit of open space at the bar and bar area. When you order, they do give you a little bowl of chips so that was nice.

The vibes are cool inside. I like the music and the disco ball! But expect to wait even if you have a reservation, unfortunately. My drink tasted too strong and the menu is kinda limited. I like the speakeasy vibes though!

This place will give you everything you expect from a speakeasy. Dark ambiance with cute lighting, delicious cocktails and a dj. Highly recommend. Will be visiting again soon.

Would not recommend this place. There was definitely racial profiling and preferential treatment. I had gone for drinks with my boyfriend and they took forever to get us a table even though we had a reservation. When we finally were seated, no one came to take our order. I noticed the couple at the table next to us were being taken care of. They were being walked through the menu and were made to feel comfortable. When the waiter finished helping them, he just walked right by our table and said nothing. So we just left. Never going there again.

The best!!!! Such a fun night. Drinks were incredible and James the manager was so kind!!! Cannot recommend enough.

Keys & Heels creates an intimate venue that makes you feel special to take part. Craft cocktails, live entertainment, and friendly staff, it's a must see when I come to New York!

Decided to surprise the wife with a bit of adventure, so I told her we had an errand to run, and started walking to K&H. First time here, so didn't know what to expect... got there right about opening time, and my wife was confused by being greeted by a hostess in front of a shoe repair... But when inside, we were delighted by the interior. We didn't have reservations, but there was some space at the bar, so we bellied up... pro tip: get reservations. The cocktail menu is diverse and fun, but my wife still couldn't find something to fit her mood (and the bartender didn't know her favorite - the Corpse Reviver #2), so she punted back to a standard espresso martini. That sounded good to me, but I was interested in the Late Night Lover - a whiskey based version of an espresso martini, with a touch of chocolate liquor. Delicious. We just had time for the one drink, but we will be back.

Super fun place to go before dinner. Grab a drink with friends or go to listen to some music. The drinks are strong and at a nyc price point. Cute spot to bring people who don't live in nyc. I loved it here. A bit tricky with reservations so I did have a little assistance by dm'ing the social media page but my friend and I walked up about 7:30 (they open at 7) and there was no line. When we left around 8:30 they link outside was long. Now that I've been I won't say yes wait in a line but would definitely recommend going right when they open, experience the fun then go somewhere else. I do feel like the experience could be better if the person at the door acted more like I needed a key made or a heel fixed *shrugs* lol ... HEADS UP that sometimes they have private events and may not let you in so check on the social media pages where they announce that.

Very cool speakeasy with a fun atmosphere and solid drinks! But it's a small space so be ready to stand.

I would NOT recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a date spot. this place is all about turning tables as fast as they can. Last night we had paid the check and and finishing our drinks. They had three people try to take our drinks from the table before we were even finished. They then had the nerve to tell us we are required to leave as soon as we pay the check. On top of that they then send bouncers over to tell us our reservation had a time limit and we have overstayed our visit. It is not a good feeling when trying to impress a date let alone just enjoy some time and have a drink. Avoid this place at all costs.

Bouncer Claudius turned us away because of "dress code" which includes no athletic shoes. He was actively wearing athletic shoes, and we watched 3 people walk out of the speakeasy with athletic shoes on. My friend also wears a hat due to a medical condition, and the host proceeded to ask what medical condition he has which is illegal. We think their dress code reason was only enforced because we are two gay males who were holding hands. Not a good way for a new business to kick off Pride Month!

Fun spot in the upper east side behind a locksmith exterior. Music, cocktails, ambiance were all really great!

This is the absolutely best cocktail bar in the city. Awesome drinks Friendly staff Did i say.... Incredible cocktail lists Super cool DJ And the decor is right on point. We're absolutely coming back