damnlines.comdamnlines.comDoyers Street apothecary speakeasy with lab-coated bartenders, no reservations, and a small room that fills after the 6:30pm open.
Apotheke is a walk-in-only cocktail bar at 9 Doyers Street, on the bent block of Chinatown. The venue's own site states it is open seven days a week from 6:30 PM and is "first come, first served" — no reservations at the Chinatown location. Time Out NY describes the room as holding "just a handful of small tables and banquettes," so the small capacity, not the door alone, is what creates the wait.
The line is a function of that room filling up. HiddenLibations reports the bar "usually has a few people waiting to get in." HelpNewYork recommends showing up "between 6:30 and 7:30 PM on a weeknight" as the window where you can walk in and get a bar seat, and reports that "by 9 PM the room is shoulder-to-shoulder." Weekends run hotter: HiddenLibations calls Friday and Saturday nights "rowdy and loud with a night club atmosphere," versus weeknights that are "much more relaxed, quiet, and spacious."
How people handle it: arrive at or near the 6:30 PM open, especially on weekends, or expect to wait for a table to clear. Entry is selective — HelpNewYork reports "sophisticated attire is encouraged" and admission is "at the host's discretion." There is no cover; guides put drinks in the $20–$25 range. We do not have a live camera at Apotheke, so everything here is reported, not measured.
No camera here yet — but these lines are on camera right now:
Golden Diner · 5 min walkclosedLucinda's · 24 min walkclosedBreakfast by Salt's Cure · 25 min walkclosedNo. The Chinatown location's own website states it is "first come, first served," open seven days a week from 6:30 PM. It is walk-in only, so arriving early is the only way to hold a spot.
We don't have a live camera here, so there's no live count. HiddenLibations reports the bar "usually has a few people waiting to get in," and HelpNewYork says the room is "shoulder-to-shoulder" by 9 PM. Weekend nights draw the heaviest crowds.
HelpNewYork recommends arriving between 6:30 and 7:30 PM on a weeknight for a bar seat and a quieter room. HiddenLibations describes weekend nights as loud and packed, so weeknights are the calmer bet.
6:30 PM daily, per the venue's own site and Time Out NY. Closing times vary by night; HelpNewYork puts last call anywhere from midnight to 2 AM.
HelpNewYork reports "sophisticated attire is encouraged" and entry is "at the host's discretion." There's no cover charge, and drinks run about $20–$25.