Hell Phone’s entrance (photo: Yannick Bindert)

That was our first thought upon hearing of Hell Phone. But before we sharpened our pitchforks, it seemed worth paying a benefit-of-the-doubt-visit to the recently opened extension of the Ange Noir Café in Bushwick. Admittedly, they also had us at their offer of crepes.

The first thing to catch our eye was a chalkboard outside Ange Noir encouraging its customers to “go through the phone booth” inside. While in its modern conception the speakeasy has lost its critical need to be inconspicuous, this seemed gratuitous. But, as co-owner Anguy Pacini explained it, before you can have anonymity, you need customers.

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