NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

The alarmingly-titled Bedlam bar draws inspiration from London’s infamous psychiatric hospital and a 19th-century gentleman’s club befitted in taxidermy adornments, aged leather-bound books, an intimate back room, crimson over-stuffed banquettes, and walls layered in the weathered pages of Victorian era novels and dictionaries. Classic whiskeys, beers and riffs on classics such as a gingered Whiskey Smash, as well as a slightly modernized Negroni and Side Car, are the drinks of choice for this casual East Village venue that’s also a 1,600 square foot party space. Their DJ’ed parties run well into the morning hours and will have you walking away with vague memories and the clearest understanding of why owners, Benjamin Maisani and Pablo Raimondi, came up with the bar’s name. Bedlam is a sure-fire way to spot young A-listers letting down their hair in one of the best gay-friendly dance parties this side of the Williamsburg bridge.