Inside Black Rabbit: NYC Nightlife, Real Digs, and the Daylight Truths Behind the Set

The Netflix drama Black Rabbit, starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman, drops itself into New York City’s infamous dining and nightlife ecosystem, and the creators Zach Baylin and Kate Susman pull back the velvet rope to show what happens when the lights go on and the surfaces turn sticky. Baylin, known for writing King Richard and nominated for best original screenplay at the Oscars, explains that he and Susman lived in New York for about 17 years and were inspired by a downtown scene that felt both magnetic and messy. The show places its main character, Jake, as the owner of a sought after NYC hotspot whose world tilts when his brother Vince returns with a shadowy underworld presence. Bateman’s Vince drags along elements of danger that threaten the business and the fragile balance of power inside the club and restaurant ecosystem.

What makes Black Rabbit feel authentic is the decision to shoot on location rather than fake urban grit with a stand in. The creators deliberately reference actual places and neighborhoods in their storytelling palette. The Spotted Pig, a famous New York hotspot that operated from 2004 to 2020 before closing amid sexual misconduct allegations, looms large as a touchstone in their narrative memory. Baylin notes that the show’s fictional restaurant is not a carbon copy of any one place; instead, it stitches together the mood and energy of several real venues from that era. Minetta Tavern and The Dressler in Williamsburg are highlighted as influences, anchoring the project in a sense of downtown artistic cool that defined a particular New York moment. Susman adds that their aim was to capture a version of New York that felt truer to the city’s evolving vibe than what television typically shows—an effort to represent the East Village, Coney Island, and other neighborhoods where the city breathes and swears at the same time.

Beyond the set design and location choices, the production leans into the day and night duality of NYC life. Baylin discusses the idea that during the day a place may appear flawlessly chic, but at night, when the lights flip, you notice the real machinery behind the glamour—the roaches on the surfaces, the sticky counters, the “magic trick” that makes a restaurant experience feel seamless. The script uses this duality to question what people see versus what actually runs the show. The show’s urban backbone includes the 10th Street Russian and Turkish baths in the East Village, a detail Baylin and Susman say helped ground the series in a lived reality that many viewers may recognize from their own late-night wanderings around the city. They also include the Brooklyn Bridge, the South Street Seaport, Chinatown bus terminals in the Lower East Side, and the historic Pool Room at the former Four Seasons as a way to traverse the city’s most iconic visuals while threading a narrative about power, money, and temptation.

And yes, the set attracts its share of real world cameos. The production team was camped out in Tribeca near David Letterman’s apartment, and at one moment, the TV icon himself wandered by the set. Susman recounts that Letterman ended up watching from behind the monitors for a while, initially thinking he might be locked out of his own home. The encounter reads like a modern urban fairytale moment: a legendary late night host crossing paths with a fictional nightlife empire on a real street. It’s a reminder that in New York, the line between fiction and the everyday city is thinner than you think, and sometimes it’s the bystander energy that makes the whole thing feel even more authentic.

So what can audiences expect as Black Rabbit premieres on September 18? A layered look at how a nightlife universe can feel part sanctuary and part machination, a portrayal of a business that runs on charisma, trust, and a bit of criminal edge. It’s the kind of show that invites you to sip and stare, then question what’s really happening behind the polished doors. The on-location shoots promise a texture you can practically taste, and the cast brings a gravity that makes the city’s glow seem earned rather than manufactured. If you’re after an NYC nightlife story that skews closer to the truth than to glossy fantasy, this is your ticket.

As the credits roll on the first season and the cameras reel toward deeper secrets, the real question lingers: which other corners of New York will get snapped into the frame next, and what other bystander moments will become essential plot points? The city is a character, and Black Rabbit is its most stylish confession yet. What happens when you spill the tea is sometimes more compelling than the brew itself. So keep an eye on those next episodes, because the dawn reveals more than the glow of neon lights.

Anyway, that is the deal. If this trends, don’t say I didn’t warn you.