Wise Men

Lounge scene with dj (went on a Friday night) music low enough to mingle and meet new people. Layout makes everyone approachable. Cool eccentric bartender makes your drink like he loves his job. Great singles bar. Wouldn’t even know it was a bar if it wasn’t for the bouncer saying hello and being friendly to us while walking on the street. I believe he was from S. Ozone as well. ⁷⁄₁₁ being next door helped when the kitchen was closed (we would of killed just for some fries).

Stopped in Friday ¾/​16 for cocktails. First time. Influenced by their good Unilocal rating.
Drinks were good. Not on the level of spots like Pegu, Employees Only, Flatiron Lounge, etc… but good. If there’s a middle ground between mixology bar and dive bar, Wise Men would exist there. Cocktail concepts were well thought out but lacked the details that elevate from «ok» to «memorable.» By details I mean stuff like their use of standard restaurant ice (which waters down your cocktail too quickly), pre-​cut garnishes (like peels and twists) sitting out and drying up, and generally dirty bottles of bitters and syrups inches away from the bar patrons. It’s all a little lazy, if you’re looking to attract guests who want great cocktails. I’m being a picky because I’m measuring them up to the top craft bars. Compared to dive bars, Wise Men is very good.
One final note that I hope the bartenders and management read…
While seated at the bar we spotted the barback/​busser (tall Hispanic kid with neck tattoo (s)) scooping ice with a glass. Looked like he was making himself a soda or glass of iced water. Scooping ice with glass is a major no-​no in the restaurant/​bar biz. He needs to be corrected asap. The simple act of plunging a glass into a basin of ice could cause the glass to chip… and that tiny glass chip in the ice can easily find its way into a guest’s drink. Very dangerous. Should always use a plastic or metal scoop to fill a glass with ice. This is bartending 101 stuff.

I recently hosted a birthday here at Wisemen for a friend and it was a great success!!! The drinks were delicious and far from your typical cranberry & vodkas. The bartenders should be called mixologists here without a doubt!!! It was super easy to organize this event with the Bar Manager, Caroleyn. She’s super easy to work with & really accommodating! I would highly recommend others to host any celebration at Wise Men.

Good date spot.
Dark red lighting, solid drinks, & eclectic selection of music.
Made good impression & would return.

The $$ in the description next to the bar should definitely be changed to $$$$. $ 16 for a perfectly measured out Knob Creek on the rocks is NOT ok.
To go with that, the music sounded like a mix between Cruisin the USA and Vice City.
It was a Friday night and I can see why there wasn’t much action going on inside.
I used to like this place a bit more when they played 90’s-early 2000s hip hop. Oh well…

Came here, asked my fiancée to get me a peak organic, she came back and said they were out of peak so she got some chocolate ipa instead, and it was terrible. I went to the bartender and told him I can’t get this it’s undrinkable, and instead of telling me too bad that’s what your girlfriend ordered he said okay and let me swap it for a sixpoint. I appreciated the flexibility and the fact that the bartender just rolled with the punches instead of drawing a line in the sand. Left a good tip but maybe more importantly we will be back again, the people here are chill and we appreciate that.

Get your lounge experience on at an average bar. If you’re looking for make out central, head to the back & you may see couples getting it on.
Ok that may be a tad dramatic… besides random make out sessions you can also expect cool cocktails and a nice DJ. This is a great place to come with your friends if you’re not in the mood for dancing!

Cool place. Good spicy mezcal drink… let it be known, it is spicy. So be prepared.
Mic drop.

Was there last night with a group of seven. Décor was cute sleek & inviting… it was kinda slow, but it was also before 9PM! I would definitely go back for another drink & to check out the attractive bartender with the wide gauges.

A very simple, yet chic small bar in NoHo. Wise Men has a great relaxed vibe and a nice healthy mix of fashion magazine editors, models, photographers, designers, skaters, musicians, gays, straights and all the types of people that make NYC interesting. At the same time, it feels completely un-​pretentious and cool — another hallmark of what makes NYC great. Sort of an oasis in the modern Manhattan bar scene of bros and hos. Highly recommended.

Speakeasy bar that always has great music. The DJ who was there had me saving songs on Soundhound! Of course the reason to come here are the variety of cocktails. It’s in an area that doesn’t have a lot of true cocktail bars so if you don’t want to trek out to Avenue C, this is a good place for drinks.

Wandered in here with a friend a few fridays ago while looking for a place to grab a good cocktail. The establishment itself is really cute & uniquely decorated but we each disliked the cocktail we got (we both got the sun salutation since we are tequila lovers). Ultimately we wound up leaving to go somewhere else but I wouldn’t count this place out to come back & try something else on the menu if in the area since it wasn’t too packed on a friday night & the bartenders were nice.

This is a small and classy bar In the Bowery. Cocktail menu is different and unique. I had the P3X and my friend had The Sidecar. They were both really good, try the popcorn. It Has a spicy (cayenne) kick to it. So, based on the look, ambience and overall feel of Wise Men, this wise girl will definitely be back!

Tiny bar — a little divey — that actually looked cooler from the street when it was under construction. It’s definitely not a speakeasy, as the sign and entrance are now plainly visible. On a weekend evening though, it was pleasantly uncrowded but also not empty.

I’ve walked by this place countless times and wondered what was behind the door with the neon sign and the vintage photo of Asian women. Luckily, one night this place came up during my search for a cocktail bar.
Chic and low-​key, this place has the right environment for conversation. The music oozed chill vibes and wasn’t too loud. The decoration was a bit whimsical in its Bowery flair. There are booths and tables everywhere, great for bigger groups or two people. I was lucky enough to have 3 more drinking companions, so I was able to try most of the menu. Please note that I don’t really know how to describe cocktails professionally.
P3x: This one was my favorite. Fizzy, juicy, light. With vodka, prosecco, and pear. Just one is good for a lightweight like me. 2? Oh boy, I started talking in cursive.
Sticks and Stones: Your average masculine drink. Think Don Draper and his Old Fashioneds. This is one you sip a bit at a time. I was amused by the licorice root that looked like a twig in the drink.
Sidecar: I also liked this one since the citrus flavors really stand out. The cognac served as a bass to each melodious gulp. I couldn’t taste the vanilla bean at all. Was I supposed to?
Glasglow Kiss: Be careful, this one has an interesting aftertaste due to the beet reduction.
Just One More Thing: I love ginger, I love pineapple, but this one was a bit too strong for me. I guess I’m not a big fan of bitters.
Hope that helps, if at all.

$ 10 happy hour cocktail and food.
It’s a nice low-​key speakeasy earlier then it becomes much louder later.
Happy hour cocktail was A Better Stand — amaro, elderflower, lemon, and prosecco. Loved it.
Popcorn was really addicting and flatbread was deliciously cheesy. I would skip the mushroom croquettes.

Had no idea what to make of this place when I saw it from across the street, so I knew I had to go inside.
Great cocktails, wonderful staff and overall a really great time that completely flipped what I was expecting to be a quiet Sunday night.

Great little spot on Bowery with yummy cocktails and good small plates. Like other reviews mention, this place’s charm is that it always seems never too full and never too empty, making it a perfect spot for intimate cocktails and conversation. One ding for an off menu martini with Hendricks running $ 16 (the cocktails on the menu were all $ 12 – 14, pretty standard for your mixology-​focused EV bar).
The broccoli was awesome, too. Just sayin’…

Have you ever met a friendly door guy at a cool LES spot? Meet Wise Men.
Have you ever walked into a NYC bar and have the bartender immediately hand you the cocktail menu without asking? Meet Wise Men.
Have you ever had a cocktail made to perfection, you just wanted to cradle it to sleep? (order the Rear Window!) Meet Wise Men.
Have you ever found a seat for you and your friends & easily converse while listening to some MJ in the background? Ladies & Gents, meet Wise Men.
If you’re interested in meeting my new establishment of choice but don’t have anyone to join you, please meet me! I’m available to introduce you to Wise Men.

After walking around in the East Village one day, I passed this door wallpapered with a vintage photo of these 70’s clad Asian women. It looked really cool, but I had no idea what it was, there were no windows to peek in, so curiosity got the best of me. After looking up the name on the sign, I found out it was a bar, Wise Men. Great! I had to check it out.
I ordered a drink called The Last Word (Gin, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino, Lemon Juice). I really liked it. Potent, but has a nice sweetness and citrus taste that balances the drink out well.

New hidden gem find. Score!
It’s a chill, small lounge with a great menu and great tunes.
The drink menu had all the basics — but the highlights were there specialty cocktails. I had the New York Sour with Bourbon topped with Malbec. wow. Delicious. And my friend’s dirty martini — perfection.
While it seemed to get more crowded as the night went on it never got too packed.
I have a feeling future reviews are only going to make it worse.

— though small, it never got so crowded that I felt I couldn’t move
— came on a saturday evening with around 16 people
— attractive bartenders
— personable staff (very nice waitress) but I swear the manager had it out for me all evening
— recommend: New York Sour (I didn’t really enjoy the other cocktails that I tried) and Bavette Steak
— though the fries were delicious, they tasted exactly like McD’s fries.. . so for a 2 minute walk you can save about $ 5
— the steak was a great piece of meat, cooked to order (a perfect medium rare), tender and juicy; the accompanying steak sauce tasted a bit like fancy ketchup
— very reasonably priced for a cocktail bar
— music wasn’t so loud that I couldn’t hear my company (80s)

Hidden gem with a bit of an annoying crowd (or maybe the drinks are just too damn good and they are drunk off their minds in a small venue.) Maybe i’m just getting old. LOL
Anyway, staff here was cool and really know their stuff. SO MUCH SO, that even a dude who was «off duty» chimed in and recommended some good ass tequila for me. Kudos!
Would definitely come back.