Attaboy

Hidden behind a grilled window that reads “Tailors M&H Alterations” the venue Attaboy occupies was once the hallowed ground of New York’s most famous cocktail bar, Milk & Honey. The birthplace of many popular cocktails (including the Paper Plane and Penicillin), Milk & Honey was the unequivocal pioneer of the city’s craft cocktail movement since 1999.

Moody and cozy, Attaboy only seats 28 people. The bar doesn’t accept reservations so getting your hands on the best cocktails in NYC requires some effort. You’ll need to wait in line to get added to the wait list, which can exceed 3 hours.

Once inside, you won’t even find a menu! Simply tell the bartender what you like and watch the magic unfold. All this to say, visiting Attaboy is non-negotiable for serious cocktail enthusiasts in search of the best cocktail bars in New York City.

Attaboy occupies the former space of New York City’s most famous speakeasy, Milk & Honey (now closed). Milk & Honey pioneered the craft cocktail and speakeasy movement in NYC, so Attaboy sits on hallowed ground.

Helmed by two expert Milk & Honey bartenders, this popular NYC speakeasy crafts cocktails tailored to individual preferences (there’s no menu in sight). Simply tell the bartender what you’re after and watch the magic unfold.

Getting in is the hardest part because the bar doesn’t accept reservations, the only way to score a coveted. Seat is to add your name to the wait list (the wait can be 2+ hours long during weekends). But hey, if you consider yourself a cocktail connoisseur, making a pilgrimage to Attaboy is non-negotiable.

If you visit Attaboy, pay extra attention to the address since there’s no signage outside the bar. What’s more, once inside, guests won’t even find a menu! Instead, patrons have to talk with the bartender, outlining what they like, and the bartender makes every drink special and catered to each guest. 

Getting in to Attaboy can prove challenging since there’s no reservations, but I’ll gladly pitch my tent in hopes I get a sip of Ross’ Penicillin (scotch, lemon juice, ginger-honey syrup). The popular LES bar was named the #1 best bar in North America, which is no easy feat!

If you choose to make the pilgrimage pay extra attention to the address since there’s no signage. Similar to how Ferrari doesn’t advertise, neither do the best bars in the Lower East Side, their reputation precedes them. What’s more, once inside you won’t even find a menu! You have to have a conversation with the bartender, which adds to the mystique of the bar.