{"id":64148,"date":"2025-12-08T12:38:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T12:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/64148\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T12:38:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T12:38:17","slug":"attaboy-one-of-new-york-citys-most-exclusive-cocktail-bars-is-doubling-in-size","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/64148\/","title":{"rendered":"Attaboy, One of New York City\u2019s Most Exclusive Cocktail Bars, Is Doubling in Size"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walking up and knocking on the mostly unmarked metal door at 134 Eldridge Street in Manhattan once meant trying your luck at getting a seat in one of the city\u2019s best (and smallest) cocktail bars: Attaboy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The historic bar space is known as the birthplace of modern classics like the Penicillin<\/a>, Paper Plane<\/a>, and Greenpoint<\/a>, making it one of the most lauded bars in New York City. But with room for just about 25 guests at a time, a host regularly turned away guests or fielded a long wait list, even on slower nights. So when space next to the bar opened up, co-owners Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy decided to take over and expand their bar, announcing this week that Attaboy will soon double in size.<\/p>\n

Related: The 25 Most Important Cocktails of the 2000s, From the Penicillin to The Porn Star Martini<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe bar is so tiny, and we know people are coming out of their way, whether it\u2019s locals or tourists visiting from around the world,\u201d says Ross. \u201cWe never want to disappoint people. We listened long enough that we felt it did really make sense to tweak the room and make even more Attaboy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attaboy\u2019s plan to give the people what they want<\/p>\n

Attaboy will take over what was once called Good Guys<\/a>, a second concept from the team that focused solely on spritzes and aperitivo snacks. McIlroy says they originally hoped the space would serve as a cozy waiting room for their primary bar next door, but the duo heard time and time again from guests that they just wanted to drink contemporary classics that were created at Attaboy, so they decided to give the people what they want.<\/p>\n

That means the bar\u2019s original 500-square-foot space will now be twice that size, and guests can expect the same signature Attaboy feel throughout the entire space. The additional bar area was actually designed to mirror the original Attaboy, a factor the team felt was important for keeping guests immersed in the bar\u2019s signature feel.<\/p>\n

\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Rachel Harrison Communications<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you expand a space, you run the risk of changing the energy of the room,\u201d says Matty Clark, the bar\u2019s general manager. \u201cBecause we have a mirrored space next door, it will feel the same. You\u2019re still going into Attaboy no matter which side of the room you enter.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to expect<\/p>\n

Instead of walking up to an unmarked door, you\u2019ll now likely see a host waiting outside between the original entrance to Attaboy and the other door for 134 Eldridge Street, which once led to Good Guys. Whether you\u2019re directed to the door on the right or left, you\u2019ll be treated to the bar\u2019s thoughtful hospitality once inside.<\/p>\n

\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Rachel Harrison Communications<\/p>\n

Another aspect of the bar that will be maintained is that guests will still never hold a menu in this new iteration of Attaboy, staying true to the bar\u2019s original concept.<\/p>\n

\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Rachel Harrison Communications<\/p>\n

Ross and McIlroy first met working behind the bar at Milk & Honey, Sasha Petraske\u2019s pioneering cocktail bar, which took a similar sans-menu approach. Instead, it put bartenders in the driver\u2019s seat to uncover each guest\u2019s preferences and perfect each drink order. The duo used that same approach when they opened their own concept in 2012 and a second Attaboy location in Nashville<\/a> in 2017.<\/p>\n

An important milestone leads to a new cocktail era<\/p>\n

Milk & Honey first opened in the space on New Year\u2019s Eve of 1999, so the building is celebrating its 25th anniversary as home to some of the best cocktail bars in the world this year. The duo felt it was the right time to expand, given the milestone, and taking off into a new era of the bar means they can further innovate and push the limits of cocktail making with a little more space.<\/p>\n

\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Rachel Harrison Communications<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re most excited that this will give us more opportunity to do some really cool, interesting things,\u201d says Ross. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot that we haven’t been able to do in the smaller, original space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hosting pop-ups with other bars from around the world, offering some reservations, booking private events, and teaching more cocktail classes are all on the table, he says. The team wasn\u2019t comfortable saying yes to these offerings before because it would limit the number of people able to get the full Attaboy experience.<\/p>\n

Now with 1,000 square feet of expertly made classic cocktails, two bar tops where bartenders make tailored cocktails, and the same dedication to hospitality, there\u2019s more than enough Attaboy to go around in this new era for the bar.<\/p>\n

Read the original article on Food & Wine<\/a><\/p>\n