The NYC Prime Rib Restaurant With Retro Speakeasy Vibes

Most people are familiar with the costumey, commercialized brand of modern, so-called speakeasies hiding in plain sight. Their typically indeterminate vintage style, which many imbibers just can't seem get enough of, is a huge part of their appeal. Still, their perceived exclusivity is really what appears to send so many into rapturous, Yelpy effusions. The formula usually includes some cloak-and-dagger locale that's really just, say, missing flashing neon lights, and the most theatrical of the genre might require some kind of code or password, or at least a connection, to get in. Few are genuinely convincing, but places like New York City's 4 Charles Prime Rib hark back to the (realistically pretty unsexy) days of Prohibition, when alcohol was, you know, illegal, with aplomb.

4 Charles Prime Rib has a speakeasy spirit without any garish grave robbing. It's moody and intimate, and feels like you need to know somebody to get in. A decade after first opening, the very literally titled little spot (it is located at 4 Charles Street and serves an excellent prime rib, among other items) is still practically impossible to reserve. Its few dozen seats are so coveted that hungry (or maybe just figuratively thirsty) social media denizens post tips and tricks for entry. It also has the literary luminary look that so many associate with the Jazz Age, its petite dining room encased in warm wood, with roomy leather booths that feel like a reward for the considerable effort and patience required to snag a seat.

Well. It's not going to be easy. Yes, 4 Charles Prime Rib does have an online reservation platform presence, but free tables on Resy seldom seem to turn up. The restaurant even has a stated stance against the pesky resellers that blight NYC hospitality. However, there are some tactics that might make nabbing those impossible reservations a little easier.

The notify function that too often dashes dining dreams does actually work sometimes. So might popping in at off-peak times, like, say, before the restaurant's 4 p.m. opening on a Tuesday — particularly if there's inclement weather. Or you could play the long game, befriend a regular, and charm yourself into an invite.

Once you win a spot, choose your food and drinks wisely, for who knows when or if you'll be back. The best way to avoid ordering the wrong thing at a restaurant is to both literally and figuratively go with your gut. Still, consider getting in a prime rib mood. The signature dish is served in three thicknesses and four ways: English cut (thinly sliced), Chicago cut (generous, from the center), King cut (double-cut, bone-in), and 4 Charles cut (gorgonzola-aged, offered thinly sliced or as a thick center cut) — each plated with peppy horseradish cream and rich au jus. Another highlight is the double-patty smashed wagyu cheeseburger; seafood (including caviar), salads, and several entrees round out the menu. They might be hard to come by, but at least you won't need to locate a clandestine entrance to try them.