Miles K.
Yelp
Without a doubt one of the the best cocktail bars I've seen. Doppelganger (or Bar Doppel as we found it) has no pretenses, just a wonderfully curated drink menu by knowledgable and talented staff. The drink menu is extensive, broken down into dozens of categories, there are probably 120 different cocktails on the menu. The first two we chose were excellent.
For our second drinks, we sat at the bar, as drinks like these are definitely a spectator sport. The bartenders sent ice shards all over the place as they whacked them with billy clubs into the right proportions. Skilled bartenders will put together a "you call it," drink with the liquor of your choice. For mine I requested a Fernet-based libation that emphasized the bitter notes of the liquor, they delivered perfectly. My wife described her favorite whiskey cocktail that she had tried previously and they were able to put it together flawlessly.
The amount of care and quality that they put into everything absolutely justifies the price: around 10 dollars per drink. Most cocktail spots I've been to in NYC have a level of pretentiousness from the decor or staff that doesn't merit the $11-20 dollar price tag, no matter how good the drink actually is. The environment at Doppel is classy, dark and comfortable. Might need to knock when you get there as they keep the door locked at night.