Raines Law Room takes its name from an 1896 New York State law that banned Sunday alcohol sales in most establishments but allowed hotels to keep serving. The loophole created a generation of fake "hotels" that were actually just bars with a few rooms upstairs to satisfy the law. The real speakeasies of the Prohibition era came from the same tradition of working around the rules, which is what the name is referencing.

The Chelsea location is on West 17th Street, and the entrance requires ringing a doorbell. Inside there are tin ceilings, velvet booths, and dim lighting that stays consistent regardless of what time you show up. Each table has a buzzer you press when you're ready to order. Bar director Meaghan Dorman has run the cocktail program for years, and the drinks are carefully made from seasonal and classical references.

Reservations are available for groups up to six. Walk-ins are taken when there's space. The room is deliberately small and the pace is unhurried.