Set in a neighborhood that for more than a hundred years was the knife’s edge of wealth, corruption, poverty and crime, Onieal’s today is a refined, hip restaurant but one with a history.

The bar itself is directly opposite the old Police Headquarters and its former occupants, as a brothel, speakeasy and gambling parlor would seem diametrically opposed to the purpose of the Police Department. But see, that’s the corruption part. So endemic was this corruption (we’re talking the heyday of Tammany) that when the Police Headquarters was built in 1909, a tunnel was dug connecting the buildings.

This was so uniformed cops and especially officials of the NYPD could step across the street for some cheer. The tunnel, which ended up coming in very handy during Prohibition, is still visible in Onieal’s and is used as our wine cellar. It has, unfortunately, been filled in by the new owners of the old Headquarters building which now houses very ritzy condos housing the likes of Steffi Graf, Winona Ryder and Christie Turlington.

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