Entry No. 45 — the New York City file — filed under: speakeasy-bar
Patent Pending
By day the storefront is Patent Coffee, an ordinary espresso bar; after 5pm a door behind the menu-board wall opens into a 34-seat Tesla-themed speakeasy. The bar sits in the building where Nikola Tesla once lived and worked, and the cocktail program leans into themes of invention and electricity. A separate even-smaller hidden room called The Lab operates as a bar-within-the-bar.
The story
In the late 1800s, Nikola Tesla lived and conducted radio wave experiments inside the Gerlach Hotel at 49 West 27th Street. Today, the street-level entrance operates by sun as Patent Coffee, a straightforward espresso bar serving NoMad's rush-hour commuters. But when 5:00 PM hits, the coffee machinery shuts down and the back wall—disguised as part of the cafe's menu board—opens up.
Step through that wall and you drop into a dim, exposed-brick cellar carved into the building's original skeleton. The main space holds just 34 seats, lit like a moody turn-of-the-century research laboratory. The cocktail menu leans directly into Tesla's obsessions with electricity, radio waves, and invention, shaking together unexpected combinations like bourbon, yellow chartreuse, mango black tea, and Szechuan peppercorn.
If you look closely enough inside the subterranean room, you might notice another doorway tucked into the shadows. That leads into The Lab, an even smaller, separate bar-within-a-bar designed for hyper-limited seating and an even more isolated drink experience.
What it's like
You arrive at what appears to be a darkened espresso shop after hours. Once you enter and pass through the hidden menu-board door, the vibe instantly shifts to dark, low-lit brick arches, heavy electric energy, and close-quarters seating. Because there are only 34 spots, walk-ins are a gamble; book a reservation early or be prepared to wait on West 27th Street.
The move: Order an espresso at the coffee counter, then slip behind the menu wall after dark for Tesla-inspired cocktails in his old building.
📍 Before you go Same address is Patent Coffee by day. Reservations recommended; the hidden Lab room is separate and limited.
- 📍 NoMad
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 49 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Mace — Trade Tesla's high-voltage concoctions for Mace's spice-isolated cocktail research under a mile south in Greenwich Village.
- Please Don't Tell (PDT) — Compare secret entryways by heading downtown from a coffee menu wall to a hot dog shop's wooden phone booth.
- McSorley's Old Ale House — Balance high-concept underground mixology with sawdust floors and house-brewed dark ale at New York's oldest saloon.
Good to know
How do you get into Patent Pending?
Head to 49 West 27th Street after 5:00 PM, enter Patent Coffee, and you'll be ushered through a hidden door set into the menu board wall.
Do I need reservations?
Reservations are strongly recommended. The bar only seats 34 people, though limited walk-in spots are held daily on a first-come, first-served basis.
What is 'The Lab' inside Patent Pending?
It is an ultra-intimate bar-within-a-bar hidden behind a second door inside the main speakeasy, operating with separate, highly limited capacity.
Did Nikola Tesla actually work in this building?
Yes, 49 West 27th Street was formerly the Gerlach Hotel, where Tesla lived and conducted early radio wave and electrical energy experiments.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · Time Out · Yelp · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23