Around here, it’s always Halloween. Other months are just pre-Halloween. August and September? Falloween and Pre-Halloween. November? Turkeyween. All year round, we must dress up as normal people, but as the weather slowly goes from blazing heat to having just a tinge of frost, it’s an excellent excuse to start celebrating anything black and orange, pumpkin themed, and witchy. Here’s how to unlock Halloween in NYC all-year round.
Given our love of Halloween, Tim Burton and absolutely anything spooky ever, we decided to put together a list of our favorite NYC places that are Halloween themed, for you to enjoy.
First off, is Beetle House NYC, where it’s always Halloween, all-year round. Beetle House is off East 6th Street, and is inspired by magic, horror culture, and the entire body of works by virtuosos such as Tim Burton, Alfred Hitchcock, Bram Stoker, Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe and more. They’re a safe space where every “goth, punk, freak, weirdo, artist and visitor is welcomed and celebrated.”
The venue has been around for five years, and offers a full menu with drinks, appetizers, and main courses (including vegetarian and vegan options.) The drink menu has spooky themed drinks such as Coco Skellington and Blood Bags, and the Beetle’s Juice – with gin, rum, lime, and tequila and other things, you’re sure to love these as much as we do. Beetle House does take reservations, and they host up to 45 people, so start making plans!
If you live near Cobble Hill, in Brooklyn, you may have heard of Barely Disfigured, a unique cocktail bar that would not be out of place during Halloween. Formerly a brothel, as evidenced by the sign outside before it closed, the entire décor is around an old-world brothel, with women’s knickknacks and old-world potion bottles. There’s even a red-light bulb above the doorway and a canopy bed in the back room, with a lamp, nightstands and accent chairs and tables – it’s got a surrealist vibe to it.
They have an excellent drink menu, with drinks called “The Persistence of Memory” and “The Little Death, even “the Harlot’s Progress.” Their food is mainly shared plates and raw bar, such as charcuterie boards and different types of oysters. For those who love pleasure and incredibly seductive experiences with a tinge of horror, Barely Disfigured is the place to be.
There’s also The Slaughtered Lamb Pub – a tavern with a distinctly horror theme in Greenwich Village. They even have a Werewolf Lounge where you can sit by the fire, and a Game Room of the Dungeon where you can enjoy a game of darts. Their food menu has everything from mini burger sliders as appetizers to specialty wings such as maple chipotle and honey habanero. They also have specialty burgers such as the Inferno Burger as well as traditional English fish and chips.
Their beer list is impressive too, with drafts both domestic and imported from England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland. If you like your Halloween a little bit more laid back, but still have some of the trappings of traditional Halloween horror, this is the place for you.
If your idea of Halloween is more Harry Potter than horror, we recommend the Cauldron NYC. They have a dining and drinking experience, but they also have a potion making experience you can book – where you can make cocktails for anywhere from 2-10 people inside the venue. You’re given a magic wand, and then led to an interactive workstation where you “cast a pouring spell with your wand to receive a welcome drink from the maw of a magical creature.”
You can then choose two “potions” to brew from the range of cocktails they have – these drink menus are regularly updated, and additional drinks can be purchased during the visit. There’s also a family friendly potions experience for those who want to bring kids or are seeking a non-alcoholic experience as well.
We hope we’ve helped learn how unlock Halloween in NYC all-year round. If you’ve loved this series, let us know if you want to see more Halloween themed places for you to enjoy!
And if you’re interested in witchy things, check out: “6 Best Witchy Stores in NYC“, and to get your psychic kick, take a look at “3 Popular Psychics in NYC“.