Strictly Prohibited
Boston's Newest Underground Speakeasy

Ah, the secret underground bar.

Long regarded as the holiest of drinking holes, yet hard to come by in our blue law-heavy city. Until now.

Welcome to Prohibited, which quietly began serving this past weekend, one level below the recently unveiled Symphony 8 pub.

Prohibited feels like the covert basement hangout in an Elk's Lodge, if it happened to be located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. To get there, you'll want to hang a right after entering Symphony 8 through the main entrance and look for the conspicuous bookcase. Grab a latch on the middle shelf, slide the bookcase sideways and proceed down the cast-iron staircase, James Bond-style. (In the future, a password will be required, but for now, if you mention UD, you're all set.)

At which point you'll discover: a cozy exposed-brick cavern, complete with taxidermy, vintage leather booths and an eight-seat bar. The bartenders will be sliding you bottles of Miller High Life and Schlitz (made with the classic 1960s formula your dad drank), cocktails like the B-Sharp (bourbon and vermouth topped off with a little stomach-settling Fernet digestif) and BBQ Hot Wings and Chili Dogs. And when you're ready to ship off, you'll exit out the back door so as not to draw attention.

But as far as we know, the chili dogs are completely legal.