The speakeasy experience at Please Don’t Tell in New York

I’ve been trying to get into Please Don’t Tell (or PDT for short) since 2013. It seems like every time we make plans for it, we couldn’t get reservations.Yes, it’s just a cocktail bar, but it’s one of the first modern speakeasies that I’d heard of, and the fact that you have to enter the bar through a telephone booth inside a hot dog shop makes its charm quite attractive to both locals and tourists and, thus, difficult to get into.Speaking of reservations, to get one, the phone line opens at 3:00 PM for reservations that day. It’s first call, first served.I’d set an alarm on my phone for 2:50 and called from the UNIQLO store. Fortunately, we got reservations for 7 PM that evening.At 7 PM sharp, we walked into Crif Dogs, entered the phone booth, dialed 1, and the door unlocked. Inside was a very dimly lit cocktail bar, already bustling with weekday drinkers.The four of us were immediately seated at a booth. Service is friendly. I like cocktail bars where you can describe what you like and don’t like, and the bartender will make something for you accordingly. This is what I did, and the server suggested certain drinks from their menu. Cocktails will run you about $15 each, which is normal in New York. While the drinks were good, I don’t think they were as stellar as the ones I’ve had at Apothéke. (Of course, the average price for a drink at Apothéke is also $20, so you're paying a premium there.)I will, say, however, the highlight of the PDT experience was the tater tots with a side of melted cheese for dipping which, at $6 for a gigantic basket to share, was an extremely good deal (for anywhere, not just for New York). The tater tots were nicely nostalgic, and there’s something about combining craft cocktails with lowbrow bar food that tickles me. PDT serves food from Crif Dogs, and while I heard the hot dogs were very good, we’d just come off an eating binge so had no room in our stomachs for them.Overall, I’m glad I experienced Please Don’t Tell since it’s been on my list for so long, but to me, it’s the kind of place that you only need to try once, unless you’re craving a hot dog and tater tots and just want a stiff drink to wash it all down.Please Don’t Tell113 St. Marks Pl. (Between 1st Ave. and Ave. A)New York, NY 10009Phone: +1 212 614-0386