Prohibition

503 Columbus Ave. · btwn 84th & 85th St.
Upper West Side, Manhattan

In 2026

Still pouring

Checked October 15, 2026.

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Overview

Candle light, dark wood and crimson walls set the tone for this sexy spacious lounge. And with nightly live music, a consistent kitchen, and a full menu it's no surprise that Prohibition is one of the most popular lounges on the UWS.

History

Renovated, mostly, and back on Columbus

Our old review set the mood with candlelight, dark wood and crimson walls, and called Prohibition one of the most popular lounges on the Upper West Side. It had opened in 1996 at 503 Columbus Avenue, between 84th and 85th Streets, offering nightly live music, a dance floor and a vibrant singles scene¹.

It closed when the pandemic hit the city in March 2020, and stayed closed through a complete renovation, or most of one¹. A very different Prohibition was set to reopen on December 16, 2021¹.

It's still at 503 Columbus Avenue, and live music is back: in October 2026 its lineup had Backseat Cabbie playing on a Thursday^{2, 3}. Whether the crimson walls survived the renovation, we couldn't say.

Sources

Researched October 2026.

What's nearby

Firehouse 0.1 mi Closed; now Nina's Great Burrito Bar
Moonlighting 0.2 mi A different business is licensed at this address: E's Bar
Blue Donkey Bar 0.2 mi Closed; now King Food
George Keeley 0.2 mi Still pouring
Hi-Life 0.2 mi Still pouring
Soldier McGee Tavern 0.2 mi Closed; now Florentin Bistro and Bar
Fred's 0.2 mi Still pouring
Dead Poet 0.2 mi Still pouring
Gin Mill 0.2 mi Still pouring
McAleer's Pub and Restaurant 0.3 mi Closed; now The Wolfe