Experimental Cocktail Club

UPDATE: Came back and tried some more drinks. The Tarte Tatin drink is absolutely amazing. Top tier drink. One of my recent favorites in the city by far. ORIGINAL: Finding the entrance is part of the fun. The staff here were extremely friendly and attentive. I enjoyed the "The 80s Called, They Want Their Martini Back" and the Intrusion was refreshing.

We recently visited this cocktail bar and had a mixed experience. While the atmosphere and music didn’t quite meet our expectations—the music was too loud and the selection wasn’t the best—the cocktails definitely made up for it. We tried several cocktails, and the standout ones were the Croissant Champagne and Milk Money. Both were incredibly unique and absolutely delicious. The rest of the cocktails we sampled were also great, showcasing creativity and quality in every drink. The servers were okay, but nothing particularly stood out in terms of service. Despite the atmosphere not being ideal, we still highly recommend visiting for the cocktails alone—they’re truly worth it. Just a heads up, it’s best to make a reservation beforehand. If you can’t get a spot, the wine bar upstairs is a great alternative as it’s part of the same restaurant.

The drinks are surprisingly well done. Thanks to Nico de Soto. Only I really don’t like the drainage smell in the room. Will definitely consider coming again.

A speakeasy located in the La Compagnie Wine Bar making a grand return. The cocktails are curated with a bit of French flair. You will find libations made from rare, unique, and artisanal liqueurs. This cocktail club is for the grown and sexy. It's a divine experience. You may want to make a reservation.

The vibe is Parisian for sure. The decor is French. The libations are so so good. I want to say elevated. Great for a date or a business meet. Love the place and soft Opening. Been to London and Paris location let’s see if the second coming stays with us. I sure hope so they do

Slightly under the radar, as they haven't made the top lists yet, is the local Experimental Cocktail Club in NYC's Flatiron district. Ever since I discovered the brilliant bartender Nathalie Derrieu in 2020 when she was working at Katana Kitten, I knew she was just getting started. And now that she's the head bartender at ECC and in charge of the entire menu, I can say I was right. She, the bar and the menu all have a charming French touch. From the hilariously named 80's martini with a delicious grilled olive and smoked olive oil, to Tarte Tatin which is an apple pie in a glass, to Milk Money which makes your brain explode. It looks like a failed chemistry experiment but still manages to taste like an Espresso Martini. Is she a witch? If we're around, we'll always stop by, and you should too. If you can find it…🍸😍

If you fancy tasting some experimental cocktails then this is the spot. Their food was also delicious. Try the shrimp and the mushroom on a skewer. Their smoky grilled olives were amazing. And cocktails, well, you won’t be disappointed. Do ask waiters - they know the menu and can recommend a perfect glass of fuse for you.

Overall rating: 3.9 I had this place saved from TikTok but it is not worth it. It’s advertised as a cool speakeasy but it should be advertised as an all pink bar. It’s in the basement of an existing bar and the ceiling is very low. The staff is very friendly but the vibe is just extremely overrated. Also I got a reservation but this is 1 drink max. The seats are also very awkward so try to sit at the bar if you have to go.

This is an awesome hidden cocktail bar! We arrived on a Sunday evening with reservations and were seated promptly. This speakeasy is located inside the La Compagnie Wine Bar in the lower level. The decor is fitted in various shades of pink, giving it a retro aesthetic. The menu has small bites and a list of creative cocktails. Service was attentive and provided great recommendations. I had a drink that I loved that tasted like an Apple cider soda with caramel. We had some cheesy bread with butter and fried chickpeas. The food here is good for snacking but not a full meal so make sure to eat beforehand. There are two bathrooms located on the lower level that are equally as beautiful. This place is certainly a hidden gem. I recommend reservations just in case it gets busy. This is one of the more creative cocktail bars around. Instead of the same uninspired menu, they have taken care to come up with some really interesting drinks. The dress code here seems relaxed as well.

Loved the location once we found it! Through the wine bar into the basement you get escorted, we didn't have reservations but I do recommend. We were told we would have to vacate the table by a certain time which was fine as we had dinner reservations then. We understood. Nice chill feel, with music, very almost 70's feel in decor. Surprised how busy it was so early in the evening. They have a very interesting unique menu, some ingredients I'd never heard of, but I love that sometimes unknown! I chose the croissant kir royales, as Kirs are my drink of the moment and croissants are my food love, so this was a must get. Ingredients said croissant liqueur and champagne. It came in a wine glass, with basically just those two things in it, nothing about it gave off kir flavor, yes you could kinda get a Bready brioche type taste, but honestly this was kinda disappointing for $25. Not even any garnish. If your a fan of a good kir royale you'd agree with me. There was zero cassis in this. My friends had the soil to sip, which she loved, I found it a little earthy tasting but she loved it. Also we tried the Ispahan, for liquor forward, great mezcal drink, and pretty! Interesting mix of flavors. We also had some of their house chips, with Smokey whiskey ketchup for a snack, these were amazing good, thicker than your normal chip, but with the ketchup it went down well, loved that ketchup! One thing that was a little overkill was how many times we were told we had to vacate the table by a certain time, it must have been about 4 times, we heard them the first time and were not planning on staying over, kinda ruined the experience a little. Overall not quite up to what I expected. Definitely experimental, I gave the 4 stars for the place itself, service was good, food was good, and a neat concept. They need to work on the drinks though.

TLDR: NYCs hottest new speakeasy lives up! It may be tough to get a spot but I highly recommend this spot if you are looking for a low key vibe with live music and delicious cocktails. The clarified drinks are out of this world!

One of my new favorite cocktail bars. The guy at the front is a trip and the servers are very good at recommending and checking up on you. The cocktails were exceptional. Great music was being played, and the ambience was very cozy, just dark enough and not too loud. Would definitely come back here and sit at the bar for a drink.

This place opened a few weeks ago i think and that's why it was pretty easy to get a reservation. Run, don't walk! This is a brilliant place and I want to gatekeep but then I also want to spread the love... We tried a couple of cocktails and loved all except one - 1. Best of the best for us was the KOTA TERNATE - so well balanced and lovely on the flavors. This was an absolute banger of a drink 2. Next I would say absolutely surprising was the TARTE TATIN - I am not kidding when I say it's a tarte tatin in a glass. I hate too much apple and I hate sugary drinks. Idk how (I mean I do they are professionals) they made this drink but it's legit voodoo. It's crisp, yummy, and the perfect end to your day 3. Another crowd favorite (among us) was the INTRUSION - we were amazed at how beautifully balanced this drink was. We could taste pretty much every element on the description. Amazing!! 4. The MON CHERI was expected to not disappoint and was our safe choice and it did not! You know what they say - classics don't go out of fashion. It's familiar flavors - done right 5. Another witchcraft example was the CROISSANT KIR ROYALE - they say it's a croissant liqueur and you're thinking "yeah sure" but then you have the first sip and wait for the feeling and taste to sink in then the bartender is saying "who's laughing now". What brilliance! 6. The ALSACIEN was another banger. Good flavors and a very well balanced and thought out drink 7. We also did the one with the banana (they said it would be like a daiquiri) - I didn't like it and they took it away so definitely appreciate that Food - the gougeres promises the best butter and doesn't lie Also their fries are on point - I can respect people who treat potatoes properly - and their dips were great as well. The vibe is good, live music/good dj, intimate seating but not tacky - OVERALL THIS IS LIKELY WHERE ILL SPEND A LOT OF MY MONEY

This place is a new hidden gem! Located below La Compagnie wine bar, this restaurant has an inviting atmosphere with friendly faces who are ready to engage in conversation and show you everything the place has to offer. Their food is simple yet flavorful. Their drinks are unique and enamoring. They even have entertainment - supposedly every Wednesday is a cabaret event and they have jazz and DJ nights as well. We got the oysters, French bread, and wagyu bologna sando. Pictures attached. Definitely try this place if you have an opportunity.

The ambiance was very nice, dimly lit and chill music playing. We missed the piano player which would have added to the experience but it was still nice. The service was excellent and speedy, good drink reccomendations. The cocktail is small for the price but it was still tasty. For appetizers we ate the crispy chickpeas (would not recommend). The chickpeas tasted like the cheeze-its snack but drier. The Maitake was our second appetizer and the taste was 10/10, great mushroom dish.

The food menu is small shareable bites but they are really good. I loved the roasted chickpeas. The cocktails are unique and offer some of the flavors of France including Croissants and Apple Tart Tartan. The decor is nice. They have some nice zero proof cocktail options too. I will definitely be back.

Gorgeous, ambience, and very friendly stuff. The food was delicious. There's limited seating, so highly recommended to make a reservation.

Drinks were good but service was slow although it wasn't very crowded and the ambiance/decorations didn't really fit the vibe. I loved their drink called Tarte Tatin which literally tastes like the dessert itself. I would recommend it for the drinks but not for the ambiance really

Would go for the mood, not the cocktails. We had: *The Alsacien - tasted like a light, refreshing Riesling wine, which is not exactly what I'd call an achievement for a cocktail *St. Germaine de Pres - overwhelmingly cucumber with a hint of lime. Nothing else came through, and I was burpin' up cucumber for the rest of the evening. Foam was really nicely done, I guess. *Soil to Sip - Very pleasant to smell, less to taste. Dominated by the sweet vermouth, and a bitter back taste. *The Anse Ceron wasn't available, but another rum drink was. I don't recall the name, but it was in the same direction (rum, coconut, served on a rock). Incredibly smooth, but zero rum came through. Just a smooth, sweet beach drink. Would have guessed it was a cocktail, honestly. Vibes. The place has great vibes. Kind of a retro groovy. A little smaller and louder than expected, but not in a bad way at all. Low ceiling, lots of mirrors, a circular bar surrounded by clusters of cushiony seats. The dj was laying down a nice mood that energized without getting in the way.

drinks are totally AMAZING! the hostess was great and was able to make some changes so we could have a better experience - shout out to her! definitely would describe this as a girls night out/ date night place! totally would recommend!

I really wanted to love this place but I found it to be just okay. If you want to come just for the vibes then you'll definitely enjoy it but I always appreciate a well made cocktail. The cocktails were fine but I've had better which is why I wasn't impressed. Overall, I did love the atmosphere and would come back if a friend wanted to try it.

I always love coming downstairs to the cocktail bar, ECC, under the wine bar, La Compagnie, in Flatiron! They have a great list of non-alcoholic cocktails alongside their legendary classic cocktails. Live music midweek and on the weekends, and great staff and service make this a non-to-be-missed spot!

So... it started well. Lovely place and great ambience. The bartender came coz our server was busy. Good start. We ordered 2 cocktails and 2 food items. For 25$ cocktails, they should consider putting alcohol in them. We got one food item. It was delicious. The second one, was like our server, MIA. I wouldn't recommend.

Pretentious place for no reason. While there are so many better bars nearby. I won't be back

Mid. We had a reservation but still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated, even though the bar was empty when we arrived. After finally being seated, they placed a table of three right next to us in a spot clearly meant for two, making it feel cramped and uncomfortable. We were hoping for a fun birthday celebration, but the atmosphere fell flat, and we ended up leaving shortly after. Honestly, this place is not worth the hype. Head to The Tiger or Temple Bar instead--the vibes and the crowd are so much better.