The Headless Widow is on 1st Avenue in the East Village, decorated in Victorian style that manages to read as romantic rather than gothic, which is a harder distinction to maintain than it sounds. Dark wood, candlelight, cozy corners with curtained seating, and a cocktail menu built around names like the Passenger Princess and High Tea that commit to the bar's established personality without becoming arch about it.

The drinks are technically strong. Enough reviewers have called the bartenders out specifically that the skill behind the bar appears to be consistent rather than occasional. The High Tea uses actual tea components in a way that doesn't make you feel like you're at a themed event.

Open from Tuesday through Sunday, with slightly earlier hours on weekends. The bar has been named among Manhattan's more romantic speakeasy-style venues, which is a designation it earns through deliberate choices about atmosphere rather than luck. First Avenue in the East Village has some good neighbors for it.