Mace stood out in every way from the concept of a unique herb/spice in every cocktail, to the small bites, ambiance and service. I had a reservation here with a group for happy hour and enjoyed the experience. For the cocktails, my personal favorite was the Sumac while the Black Sesame was too strong for me. Their menu has a description of how each cocktail tastes (i.e. refreshing, boozy) so definitely reference that before you order. For food, our group ordered almost all the small plates on their menu and you really can't go wrong here, but my favorite would be a tie between the burrata and the octopus. Overall, if you're looking for a cute, chill spot this would be perfect for a group happy hour or a date night! read more

It actually pains me to write this review. I love(d) Mace. My husband & I fell in love at Mace. We spent holidays at Mace. We (begrudgingly at first, but then happily) moved with them from the original Avenue C location to East 12th. I told everyone I knew about the best cocktail bar I'd ever been to. I compared all other cocktails to the constant innovation of Mace. Even if I didn't like a particular drink, I got what it was going for. So when we made our return post-lockdown to the 3rd Mace location, I was excited, even if the warm intimacy of the bar was lost in this larger space. And then the drinks came (after waiting ages to be served). One bland, one overly salted -- my favorite cocktails were nothing like the complex, flavorful drinks I remembered. I was so disappointed, but thought maybe it was an off-night. I returned tonight with a friend, hoping things had leveled out. Well, the service was worse than last time. We were at the bar for nearly 3 hours, and apart from our initial order, no one came to get us another drink -- despite another member of staff motioning that he'd get someone out for us. And maybe I could have forgiven that, if the drinks were any good. Alas dear reader... they weren't. I had the Sumac and it was bland until it wasn't; it shifted into a strange textured, peppery mixture that was honestly a bit hard to finish. My friend got the Fig and said it tasted nothing like fig, but was overly salty. I want to root for Mace. I want it to reserve its constant recognition as one of the 50 best bars. But it's old Mace that deserves that award; new Mace is, sadly, not even in the race. read more

Absolutely awful service and terrible place. If you want a pretentious and rude staff serving $14 French fries that's not as good as McDonald's, this is your place. Out of all of the places I've been on this planet, this place is at the very bottom. I'd rate this place a Michelin because its food taste like old tires. read more

This cocktail bar is unmatched in uniqueness and quality. While their service was a bit slow, the cocktails are one of a kind and the flavors go together like no other. Would highly recommend read more

Mace - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Honestly beyond impressed with this place. Each drink is crafted based on a certain herb or spice and they have some truly unique stuff. I tried the Frankensence and the cardamom. Both very good, the frankensence comes smoking as it is lot of fire and the cardamom is a frozen drink with the perfect amount of spice. Both were excellent but I have to say the cardamom was my favorite. The service end was excellent as well and the vibe is nice intimate and has plenty of seating. Just be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. read more

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Huge fan of this bar. Both vibes and drinks are pretty good. Drinks wise, we liked the Mace the best, followed by Sorrel and the Opal. But everything was good. I was surprised so many people were eating here but you can certainly just order drinks. Would recommend! Good for dates too (more of chatty/get to know you vs canoodling vibes). read more

Mace - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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A unique cocktail experience definitely. My friend and I stopped in for a quick drink before dinner. She got the Mace and I got the Sorrel. The drinks weren't bad and so creative but definitely give an interesting flavor combination. We were ignored for most of the time we were there, though. read more

Great ambiance & awesome unique drinks. If you like earthy flavors & mezcal this is the place for you. Also serves a mean Negroni 10/10 will be back. read more

1000% you should come here for drinks! Creative, fresh, fun, and the perfect date night spot.

I desperately miss Booker and Dax. I miss their wonderfully creative one of a kind cocktails. MACE fulfills that empty spot left when Booker and Dax coded their doors. Truly delicious in intriguing cocktails...We tried an array...Frankincence, Black Pepper, Pandan, Celeric...all fantastic, especially the Frankincence which was smoked right in front of me. They have great raw clams and oysters and the best calamari I've ever had. The bartenders are friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. Prepare to want to try multiple cocktails and stay a while. You will not be disappointed. read more

A friend recommend Mace for some of the most creative drinks in the city. So naturally, I was excited to try this place out! We had reservations on a Friday night and it was packed. The cocktail menu was great - so many options and it the way it was described, made you want to try them all. I had the Tarragon and it was so delicious and perfectly balance! I had some sips from my friends drinks as well and they were all very tasty. The food on the other hand, while it was flavor full, you got such a small portion for what you were paying, it was a little bit overrated. We ordered the octopus - which was cooked perfectly, but again, the portion didn't share well. The fried asparagus, which literally only had 1 asparagus chopped into four pieces... This was so tasty but gone within 2 seconds because it barely had the main ingredient on the dish. The NY strip katsu was the most food we had on a plate and well worth it. We literally had to order double of everything just to feel like we actually ate a full meal. The staff was good - although wether it was busy or not, our server forgot to put in our 2nd round of drinks so we were waiting for a while. I definitely recommend this place to try the drinks - but food wise, look else were and get your moneys worth. read more

I love how creative the drinks are at Mace! All of the drinks are centered around a specific spice and even though some of the drinks seem a little wild, they all seem to hit the mark! I loved the Spruce and thought it was a great light cocktail! My friend had the Sumac and while it was nice and creamy, I didn't really taste too much of the Sumac coming through. Overall, I would say that Mace was a great experience and has an amazing ambiance! read more

Mace - Sumac Spruce - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Came here for girls night. Interesting blend of cocktails. Wasn't that great. But had a fun night.

As wonderful as advertised. The signature cocktail and the sorrel are two of the best cocktails I can remember tasting. They were floral and complex, and deeply flavorful, and the right amount of sweet. The poppy and fig leaf were also excellent, if not as acutely exciting as our first two beverages. The happy hour drinks were not as superb, but at the lower price point (and high level of booziness) I'm not complaining. It's naturally on the pricier side, although for a Manhattan cocktail bar (and one of this quality and reputation) I'd say you could do much, much worse. read more

The bartender here was very odd. She was very thrown off based on where I saw sitting at the bar and insisted I needed to sit more symmetrical with the bar? Then there was a bunch of employees staring at me and overall just a very odd experience. Giving two stars because the cocktails were very good and the music slapped. read more

Hopes for Mace were high, but when we went on a Friday night, the bar area was full and the "standing area only" was uncomfortably crowded. We stood in this area for over an hour before a space at the bar became available. I wish I could say that the drinks made the experience better, but while the menu was highly intriguing with drinks featuring different flavors, the actual drinks were disappointing. We also had planned to order food once we got to the bar, but the bartenders were so overwhelmed with orders we decided to go somewhere else so as to not have to wait. Not sure if I would come back to try the food. read more

Great cocktail bar with both indoor and outdoor seating (as of Oct '24) and unique, competently made drinks. A clarified punch on the daily specials list was my favorite. Lovely service too. Worth stopping by! read more

Had to wait 15 minutes for a table even with a reservation. Was rushed out of our table and presented with the check - without asking for it - in under an hour of being there. Also smelled like wet dog inside...would not recommend. read more

This place has everything...a physicist bartender, herbaceous drinks, plants, fire, ice brands, and cozy vibes. Dr Dorothy will cure your sobriety with incredible suggestions. Sit at the bar on a non peak day/time for best bar vibes and hearty laughs. 10/10, would do again. Ask for Jessica. Get the Pandan. Don't be a jerk. In that order. read more

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Super cool cocktails (one is even made with ants, if you're feeling adventurous!) in a cozy, intimate setting. The eponymous Mace cocktail is well-balanced, delicious, and gorgeously red. My boyfriend also liked his cocktail, the Dill. Perusing the menu, I was impressed by the cool, unique ingredients and pairings. The number of drinks involving clarified milk was a bit of a disappointment to me, though--because dairy doesn't play well with my stomach, I had to pass on an excellent-looking Sakura cocktail. Service was attentive and speedy, as well. We'll definitely be back! read more

Mace - We missed the happy hour, but if you can make it in time, it's a great deal at $10 for cocktails that are otherwise $16. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This review is for the Christmas Pop-Up Cocktail Bar. My friends and I came to Mace after riding the Vintage train (a train from the 1930s that runs in December on a special schedule) because it is near one of the train's stops in east village. We came in on a Sunday afternoon around 4 pm and did not have to wait to be seated. The place fills up fast especially on the weekends with tourists pouring in from out of town looking for that NYC holiday experience. We love everything Christmas and this place did not disappoint. The drinks are a steep $16+ per drink but they are placed in the cutest holiday cups! For the steep price, one would hope that the drink wasn't mostly ice, but sadly the ratio of drink-to-ice was heavily in favor of ice. Mezcal is my fave so I got the mezcal drink that came in a santa cup! My friend had the gingerbread drink that came in a santa dino cup! I tasted both and I thought the mezcal drink was okay (I prefer bitter/spicy or very fruity) and it was more on the bitter side without any heat so it was meh at best. My friend loved the gingerbread drink but I thought it tasted weird. One doesn't come here necessarily for the quality of the drinks (I have had drinks at several of the top bars in NYC), but the aesthetics definitely didn't disappoint. The drinks were so adorable we had to take pics of them! We noticed several people in Christmas sweaters, santa hats, and holiday headbands. People go all out when they come in for holiday drinks! I'd like to visit again when the Christmas theme is finished, maybe I enjoy Christmas but just don't really care too much about Christmas flavors. read more

Mace - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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We had a great time at Mace this Saturday! We ordered the: Sorrel, Terragon, opal basil and Frankensense. All of the cocktails were very well balanced and delicious. Our waiter was also kind enough to comp the cardamom cocktail that I did not enjoy-it was a bit too spicy without enough fruit if other flavors to balance it. Overall a great place to grab a few well crafted cocktails for a date or with friends. read more

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So cute. I've been here a bunch of times before and have loved their rotating seasonal menu. They have happy hour! Tried the White Truffle, Sakura (with boba!), Rose, and the Chamomile v2. Some of my least favorite this season, but still pretty inventive. It does get pretty loud and packed in here, so note that. read more

Came here for the Miracle on 12th Street pop-up bar and had an amazing time! The drinks are delicious, the cups they come in are adorable, and the decorations throughout the bar are 100% on point. Their bar food is excellent too! My friends and I tried the Paella Fritters and Monte Cristo Bites, which were both crunchy, tasty, and perfect bar snacks for sharing. You can't make reservations but you can put your name down and they'll text you when your table is ready. I'm excited to come back again to try their regular drinks after this pop-up is over. read more

Mace - Bad Santa ($16), SanTaRex Likes Milk & Cookies ($16) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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A friend and I came here for the first drink of the night, and it was definitely the perfect place for it. The concept and menu were so interesting - specialty cocktails cleverly made with spices from different countries. We had the curry leaves and Sorrel cocktails - both which had authentic and a bit surprising flavors (the curry leaves one definitely had a kick, but it was great!), but were very good and not too sweet. And they are strong and not watered down! We'll definitely be back again to taste the flavors from all the different countries on the menu. read more

Mace - very nice ambiance as well - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Memorably awesome plants focused cocktail bar. Great concept. Convincing executions. Well thought out and high effort creations. Artistry noticeably superior--even compared to most classic bars around the country. Very satisfying to approach like a chef's tasting or sushi omakase. But cute. Much different from the trodden "speakeasy" angle offered by myriad cocktail bars. Refreshing. read more

After a Yelp event around the area, a friend of mine, also a fellow Yelper, and I decided to grab drinks and catch up. We weren't really sure where to go until another fellow Yelper recommended this place. Talk about connections and all. So a little background. I was VERY hungover from my post tax season happy from the night before. Let's just say that I went to the happy hour at 7:30 pm and didn't get home until 2 am. So.... you get the picture. Due to this, I was uncharacteristically not in the mood to drink (I know. I honestly don't even know who I am anymore. Send help). When I sat by the bar, I saw all these spirits and syrups on that reminded me of a science lab. Well, I do think mixology is a type of science that you consume at your own risk/ pleasure or both. The friendly bartender asked me if I would like to drink anything and I told him I need virgin something and before I can finish my thought, boom! An interesting drink was presented in front me. I will be lying if I was able to tell you what was in the drink, but it was red, fruity, and had a little sharp turn (in a pleasant way). For those who do not know me by now, I give major brownie points for attention to detail. This place has a specific ice cube for each glass or drink they make. My virgin drink had a short, fat cylinder shaped ice cube and my friend's very spirited drink had a cube. Call me childish, but definitely something that excited me but I kept the excitement to myself. I plan on making another visit here to try several adult beverages. Stay tuned for a follow up! Would give this place five stars, but can't really give five stars to a cocktail bar without having a proper cocktail. So four stars for now. If anyone has any recommendations, please do leave a comment. Your input is valued and highly necessary. Cheers! read more

Came on a Friday night for a double date. It's a great cocktail bar, but pretty pricey. We ordered the Thai chilies, 2 Pandans and Moringa. Out of the 3, I preferred the Pandan! All the drinks were pretty good though. Would recommend if you're going on a first date and want to impress your date. read more

Definitely on the pricey side, especially for the size of some of their cocktails. We came here with a huge group though with no reservations and they had no problem seating us. The cocktail menu consists of different drinks based off one herb/spice. They are innovative and unique! The ghost chili cocktail has a small kick to it that comes out in the beginning and by the end just tastes sweet. Would definitely recommend coming back but be prepared to spend money read more

Mace - Ghost chili cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

The Drinks Vanilla: Tastes like Candy; was half ice The Mace(the alcoholic one): Cough medicine drink Grade: C The Food Cauliflower tempura: had twice as much sauce on it as it should have Grade: D Bartender: I asked him what the most popular drink is and he said all of them And the drinks didn't live up to that hype Grade: F for the answer. He seemed friendly though: C Ambiance: A Love it I'd come back for the ambiance, but try way different drinks and not have the tempura cauliflower read more

Amazing cocktails! One person in our party didnt see anything on the menu she wanted but our waiter was able to recommend a drink that we all ended up getting, and loving! The cocktails are strong, we ordered a few each and left feeling wonderfully tipsy. Decor and lighting is perfect inside for a nice evening with friends. Would definitely come back again. read more

Heinous cocktails but loved the ambiance. Ordered the following drinks: Spruce - tasted like Jungle Juice/fruit punch and vodka from college Pandan - expected sweet and smooth but it was very acidic and tart and zero pandan flavor Moringa - excited because it had ube! but actually all I tasted was sourness. Like a sour warhead. Ginger - this was ok, nothing special. Thai Chili - tasted like a mediocre gin and tonic. Not as spicy as I thought it would be. Black sesame - this was my favorite and tasted like a complex old fashioned, but zero black sesame flavor. read more

Mace - Moringa and Ginger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Ranked on the World's Top 50 Bars list, Mace, lives up to all the hype of their prestigious accomplishments. Located in the East Village, this spice-themed bar features a menu that has cocktails that you've likely never experienced, heard of or even dreamt of creating. The adventurous menu is based around exotic spices and bold flavors. Mixologist Nico De Soto and cocktailian Greg Boehm definitely put on their creative hats when coming up with their menu which features the likes of moringa, puxuri, sunflower milk, aquavit, jackfruit etc. It's truly an eye-opening menu in multiple ways. Pictured is their Fennel Pollen; a cocktail composed of fennel, bee pollen-infused Aperol, beeswax-infused pisco, Prosecco, champagne acid and acacia honey. It's unlike anything I've ever drank before - perfectly balanced, flavorful and bold. The vibe is perfect for pre-dinner drinks or happy hours with friends or colleagues. It goes without saying that I'll be back to Mace asap! read more

Mace - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

My friends and I have been meaning to go a a Christmasey bar for a while now, and Mace looked lovely. In the holiday season, this place is called Miracle on 9th! There are so many cute decorations, and you really feel the Christmas spirit in New York (it's like a giant Christmas tree!). They have a variety of yummy drinks served in holiday mugs. My personal favorites were the eggnog and the hot apple cider. Besides, you can buy the mugs (c'mon we all want those!). The only drawback was the wait :/ While the place is full, you are asked to wait outside (not ideal in New York winter). We had to wait ~ 30 minutes for a group of 5 on a Tuesday night. However, once you're seated, the service is really fast and efficient! read more

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Nice ambience and drinks. The servers need to know more about their drinks though, being listed on World's 50 best. read more

Mace - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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This cocktail bar says one thing...CLASS.....everything on that menu has to be tried! I had some cocktail with curry and bourbon and it was just incredible (see below) ....I'll be baaaaaacckkkkk read more

Mace - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Call me an old fashioned, but I just don't get the big deal about Mace. Having sampled four different cocktails, I was less then impressed with the taste of the cocktails. Yes, they're definitely cocktails I've never seen the likes of before, but there's a reason for that. Some of these flavors were not meant to be consumed! Combine that with a Friday crowd that resulted in pretty slow service and Mace is a miss for me. There are better places on the surrounding block to go to. read more

Super cute spot for a drink, especially if you're looking for a first date spot. Was particularly enamored with the aesthetic of the menu and how informative it was. Prices are your typical NYC cocktail prices, expensive for sure but nothing over the top. I love that they have a couple long high-top like tables with no chairs right near the entrance so you can stand and talk to the people you're with. Service was a bit slow but it was a Friday night before dinner. Would definitely recommend and will definitely be back. read more

The service here was so awful, it caused me to break my hiatus from Yelp. On October 11th, 2020 around 7 pm, I stumbled upon this place and was enticed by the menu, particularly the Pandan cocktail and ice cream. Pandan is one of my favorite spices so I was intrigued. They also had Pandan ice cream on the menu. I ordered the cocktail and asked the cashier if they still had Pandan ice cream, and she affirmatively said they did. So I ordered those two things and she said the ice cream was not enough cover the NYC mandate where food is required if you are purchasing alcoholic drinks. So I ordered a Hot Dog with ube truffle aioli. She handed over a tiny bottled drink which was pretty disappointing for $14 - I was expecting a freshly made cocktail in a take out cup. Still I held my hopes up for the ice cream as I haven't seen anywhere else serve Pandan ice cream besides Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. 10 - 15 minutes later, she came back with the hot dog and told me they were out of the ice cream. I was really upset at this point because she said they had it and now they don't. I felt like it was a bait and switch situation. On top of that, she got my hot dog order wrong and gave me one with mustard and I confronted her about it and she said she never heard me say ube. She went back and got the ube truffle aioli for me in a tiny condiment box that was only halfway filled. To top it all off, she even forgot to give me back my credit card when she handed me the receipt. The service alone makes me never want to come back here. If you are the owner or manager of this establishment reading this, I really want you to take into consideration of keeping Emily L on as your employee. She clearly was all over the place and her mind was not fully engaged in the performance of her duties. I get it that it's a difficult time and a strange year - the pandemic has been stressful but by no means is it okay for people to be unprofessional. Especially in the service industry where people are being laid off and losing their jobs left and right. Emily's lack of gratefulness of having a job during these tough times truly shows in the way she gives zero forks while working at Mace. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people who would be happy to have her job right now in the service industry. If you are the owner, please please please re-evaluate Emily. As a consumer, I try to go out and contribute to the economy by supporting local businesses and treating myself to some quarantine happiness. The last thing I need is to deal with someone who lies to me about what products they have in stock, gets my food order wrong and gives a skimpy amount of sauce after being confronted with the error. The worst part of it all, she NEVER once apologized for the lack of Pandan ice cream, or for getting my order wrong. She did not even take ownership or accountability for her shortcomings, and instead deflected the blame and said that she never heard my order. Even if she did not hear me say "ube", I definitely did not say "mustard". If an item has 2 sauce options, and you did not hear your customer's choice, it behooves you as the cashier to clarify or ask which one the customer is ordering. To be fair, the Pandan cocktail was pretty good when I brought it home and poured it over ice. However, I tasted more hints of coconut than pandan so Mace might want to reconsider the name. The ube truffle aioli was great, but too bad I ran out of it halfway through the hot dog thanks to Emily's skimpy portion. 3.5/5 for the cocktail, 2.5/5 for the hot dog, and -5/5 for Emily rounds this place out to a solid 1/5 stars. Until Emily L is gone from Mace, avoid it at all costs. read more

I came here for their pistachio cocktail, which was offered on their 2015 menu... haha. They tried to think of the recipe and made me a customized drink. Thank you! It was also the last day that they were offering the fall menu. I was lucky to try their ant infused drink with caju juice. Can't wait for it to come back! Christmas special drinks are delicious. I just didn't take down all the names. So maybe order by the glass shape if you wanna try what's pictured. Cuz they are all tasty! read more

Mace - Dragons in the winter fell - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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