Attaboy

Attaboy NYC. Chosen as our nightcap destination after a phenomenal meal at an NYC Cuban restaurant after seeing Idina Menzel in Redwood on Broadway. (Valentine's date night #2, kinda important to remake my statement to the hottest, silliest, smartest former NASA engineer wife an old Soldier can work hard to keep interested)Same tangible and intangible experiences as the one in Nashville. Hard to find venue more easily identified by looking for a small line of the faithful standing outside a nondescript door with a camera peering down from the top. This dimly lit small and narrow rectangular space feels like a submarine, a bunker and a diner all collided into what is the best, most intimate place to have a cocktail. No menus. If you're that one-trick pony who has a favorite obscure drink from Egypt before the time of the Pharoahs, they just might be able to make it. Seriously. They ain't playing. But if they didn't have the drink you want they definitely have something you'll drink. And you'll love it. Bee's Knees? Aviation from the time of Prohibition? Concoctions of Rye or Bourbon and things you would think break the laws of nature?This place has the long bar, diner stools and then a few tight booths that are reserved for at least 3 and ideally 4 people. They have no problem with people lining wall and it doesn't take a long look to accept that a Fire Marshall probably hasn't been there. Ever.Instead of a menu, the bartender just asks if you have a favorite and asks what ingredients you like. Sour? Complex? Don't ask for vodka. They don't do anything with vodka. I didn't ask. But, do they hate the Russians for giving us the only Russian thing on the planet worth loving about the Russians? No Vodka. Nyet.Anyway, we stood in line for about 30 minutes and enjoyed chatting with the couple behind us so much we conspired to level up and qualify for a booth. Great choice. In Nashville we did the stools and loved mixologists who sling drinks with more care and professionalism than Waffle House's best grill operator keeping the 3a.m. drunk crowd happy. Go. Expect to wait. At some point some guy who doesn't care what he wears to work will pop his out from that plain, wrecked ass door, and do a head count to clarify your position in the queue. It was raining and snow showed up to see how bad we wanted to wait. It was worth it.

I want to start by saying this was probably my favorite bar experience in all of New York City. The speakeasy experience starts from the entrance, which is a gray, metallic door that is very easy to miss. My friend and I arrived at 5:00pm, right when it opened and only had to wait 3 minutes to get a seat at the bar. The interior vibes are perfectly curated for a date night, besties night (which we were having!), and a unique cocktail experience. The way Attaboy works is that there is no fixed menu. Instead, you tell the bartender what kinds of flavor profiles you enjoy and they craft a drink to match. Being seated at the bar was a wonderful experience - we got to watch our talented bartender create incredible, flavorful, unique, and vibrant drinks. My bestie and I got 3 drinks total to share, each very different from one another. We requested a variety of drinks - one with a spicy punch, one with a citrusy profile, and one stronger drink. The bartender explained how we crafted each drink as well as the ingredients, profile, and name. He also patiently answered all of our questions about how he got this job - truly a sweet individual!Everything hit the mark exactly as we wanted, and the drinks themselves were little pieces of art. Would go back a hundred times over and cannot recommend this place enough!

Attaboy, on the Lower East Side, is one of the best cocktail experiences I have had in a long time. Our recent trip to New York was chock full of fantastic bars, but Attaboy was my favorite. I know it sounds pretty geeky, but it is truly hallowed ground in the world of cocktails.Attaboy opened 22 years ago replacing the original Milk & Honey, the ground-breaking speakeasy from cocktail pioneer Sasha Petraske. Milk and Honey won best cocktail bar in the world in 2008 and Attaboy won best bar in North America in 2022. Two of Petrakse's proteges. Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy reopened the 500 sq. ft. space as Attaboy and created some of the modern era's defining cocktails. Ross created the Penicillin and Paper Plane and McIlroy the Greenpoint, an iconic Manhattan riff. Don't look for them on the menu because there isn't one. The model is designed around the experience. There are no menus because each cocktail is custom made by skilled and friendly bartenders. They ask a few questions to determine what you enjoy and the wizardry starts there. I've been to many no-menu bars, but this was by far the best execution I've had because both of my cocktails were exceptional based on what I asked for. It's not easy to find. Look for a simple steel door with small sticker letters announcing the legendary bar. It is a welcoming environment from the moment the locked door opens and you are greeted for an open seat. Given the small space, great care is given by the host to each of the 22 seats. There are no reservations so there is usually a wait. It's worth it.My first cocktail was a Manhattan variation. I asked for a fun spin on this classic and they nailed it (photo #2)Rye Apple BrandyAmaro NoninoPeychauds bittersMy second absolutely blew me away (photo #5). I asked for a scotch based cocktail with banana and a fun Amaro. This well-balanced, velvety lovely was:Speyside ScotchAmaro BraulioBanana Liqueur Pear BrandyIt's worth the effort next time you're in NYC because you're truly among legendary history. Salute

I loved my time at Atta Boy. It was probably one of the better speakeasy and cocktail bars I've been to in the city. I got there 15 min before it opened and there was already a line! We waited an additional 20 minutes and were seated at the bar. The ambiance was dark but cozy. I loved the creativity behind the "no menu" concept. Our bartender whipped cocktails based on what we said we liked and they were great!

A super unique experience and a great way to find new flavors you like for drinks. It was a bit of a wait to get in but super cute spot, small for sure. Make sure you put your name down and your entire party is there by the time you go in. The service is excellent. We gave super open ended, also very specific drink profiles and flavors we were looking for and got so many delicious options. I am not a fan of mezcal but my drink was sooo good. Can't wait to come back and try more!

This was a cocktail bar and it doesn't take reservations. They do small groups and the service was amazing. The bartenders really knowledgeable and will make any drink based off of your cocktail preference. There is no menu but you tell the bartenders what you like and they will make a unique drink. I asked for a mule with gin and lots of ginger. Also got a berry drink that was bitter and not too sweet. I enjoyed both drinks and will come back for more.

Finally a "true" speakeasy! The door/outside is unmarked so I'm glad I came with a friend who's been before. There's no set menu, the bartenders craft you a personal drink based on your preference - those are my favorite kinds of speakeasy/cocktail bars. I opted for mocktail in the fruity side; my bartender created a version of the "cart before the house" drink for me and it was delicious! Highly recommend Attaboy!

One of my favorite speakeasies. The service is always so good and drinks without a menu just based on your preferences is even better. However it's a task to get in unless you write your name at 7pm and go to another bar and wait.

After many attempts to come here, we finally made it on a weekday right at opening by arriving 15 minutes early. We were the first ones seated at the bar as the place quickly filled up.There is no menu here. You tell the bartender what kind of alcohol and flavors you like and they create something special just for you on the spot. The talent of these bartenders is amazing as it's easy to see why it's become one of the top bars in the world. How could they go wrong when each drink is curated specifically for each person? I love whiskey and have been really into Jalapeño margaritas, so I loved how the bartender cleverly added cayenne pepper for that kick in my whiskey cocktail --amazing! We ended up spending over $200 for 6 cocktails with two specialty ones from the top shelf, so those were $35 each. For the experience, it's worth it to try bottles you may not often find. It's a treat, but definitely worth it!

Extra stars for the cool concept -- I came in a group of 5 not knowing that there wasn't a menu. I asked for something similar to Sex on the Beach, and my drink was fruity and just my type of cocktail.It was $22 each for both cocktails and mocktails. My friend reordered his mocktail because he didn't like their first take on his requested drink, and they were kindly able to accommodate without charging him extra.