Inside Saaqui, the Low-Lit TriBeCa Speakeasy Reimagining a Mumbai Night Out

When speaking of speakeasies, the American classic comes to mind. Jazz, low-lights, perhaps cigar smoke in the air. For a very different take, set across the sea, open the black double doors of Saaqui and be transported to a Mumbai night out that you won’t want to miss. 

The venue is nestled under Musaafer, an Indian fine dining restaurant in TriBeCa. Head down the back staircase and watch your step, as the white and airy eatery above immediately shifts to a dark and sensual space as you enter Saaqui, brought to us by Mithu and Shammi Malik and led by Program Director Ishrat Randhawa and Executive Chef Mayank Istwal. 

The double doors open into a long rectangular room, with the 40-foot bar as the centerpiece lining the entirety of the back wall. While there is room to mingle and chat with the friendly bartenders, the best course of action is to set up at the velvet booths in the back. Sink into the plush cushions, but don’t forget to look around you; the walls surrounding are decorated with some of the most unique wallpaper that makes for a perfect photo background and fodder for conversation. Photos don’t do it justice, as each panel depicts new characters, from sultans and royals to Bollywood stars, each having the time of their lives and setting the scene for the night ahead once the drinks start flowing. Our favorite motif? Keep an eye out for the monkey with the MacBook in the back corner for a good laugh. 

Speaking of flowing drinks, the cocktail program is where Saaqui truly shines. It is hard to stand out in New York City, home to some of the most creative cocktails around. However, the bar’s 2026 menu found a way to have a drink for all spirit lovers and sober attendees alike. This is also in part due to the three new staple brands Saaqui has incorporated into many of the cocktails — Mijenta Tequila, UNA Vodka and Mermaid Gin, the latter of which we wrote about here. With the addition of Indian flavors like cardamom, saffron, and curry oil, each drink provided a completely different sensory take on classics that need to be tasted to be believed. 

If you can only stay for a drink or two, the Channapatna Toys should be the first to be ordered to the table, for both the aesthetics and taste. The rocks glass comes filled to the brim with a delicious blend of Mijenta Blanco tequila, jasmine verde liqueur and lime, but the standout is the garnish — a jelly ring made from passionfruit liqueur and a dropper with even more of the tequila, but this time, hibiscus-infused and a stunning hot pink color. Opt to drop it into your drink for an even more nuanced first sip, or directly into your mouth — no one is judging at Saaqui. 

There are also classics to be had, like the Shammi’s Old Fashioned that combines bourbon and bitters with a sandalwood-infused water for an Indian flair, and The Camac Street, which is an elevated spicy marg, but served in a coup glass and dressed up with lime bitters and panch phoron, a Bengali and East Indian five-spice blend. 

Since you will undoubtedly want to try every cocktail on the list, it is also wise to order a steady stream of bites to the table as well, and so the tapas-style bar menu is not to be skipped. While we were there, we got to nibble on some off-menu treats like paneer cones and spicy cauliflower bites that I pray make the menu soon, but patrons should make a beeline to the Cold Mini Pizza, which I promise isn’t from a Domino’s box. Instead, find a flaky pastry bottom, topped with either fresh tuna or marinated bell peppers, truffle paste, spices, and a thinly sliced jalapeno for an added pop.

Somehow this combination evoked pizza and, like pizza indeed, we couldn’t have just one “slice.” It is also rumored that the Chicken 65 Popcorn is the perfect cocktail complement, featuring curry leaf, ginger, garlic, and more, so we will be going back for that particular pick on another night. 

With the ambiance, cocktails, bites and music — there was a live DJ while we were there — this is the next setting for a group get-together in the velvet booths or a fun take on date night with a few tables set for two. It’s also a place that one can keep coming back to, as the drink menu is vast, allowing no one night to be like the next, and that is what any venue should aim to achieve. Since the speakeasy scene in New York has only gotten more and more crowded, those still on the hunt for a truly unique night out in a low-lit, impeccably decorated, and intimate space with the drinks and bites to back it up, Saaqui is it.