HIGHBALL

From the street, Bank St. Deli reads as exactly what it is: a small, no-frills corner store on the edge of Little Italy, stocked with sandwiches and everyday essentials. But behind the counter sits a red Coca-Cola vending machine that isn't quite what it seems — pull the handle, and the machine swings open like a door, revealing Highball, a full speakeasy hidden in the building beyond.

Street, counter, and appliance give way to a room of exposed brick, salvaged wood paneling, and soaring ceiling height. The material palette contrasts raw and refined, reinforcing the room's Prohibition-era character. Unfinished brick walls are up-lit against wood-clad partitions and wide-plank hardwood flooring. A deep-set glass block window, original to the building, diffuses daylight in soft geometric patterns. Bentwood stools line a paneled bar. Leather ottomans and low round tables furnish a secondary seating area, connected to the main room through a salvaged-wood window cut.