Sip&Guzzle

Sip&Guzzle is really two different bars stacked on top of each other on Cornelia Street, each with its own distinct purpose. The ground floor belongs to Guzzle, a high-energy space that channels the spirit of an 1860s New York saloon. This is the more casual, walk-in friendly part of the operation, designed for a fun, energetic night with classic-style cocktails, shochu-based creations, and crushable highballs. A staircase leads down to Sip, the intimate, subterranean counterpart. Here, the atmosphere shifts entirely to a slower, more refined pace. The design is a direct homage to the *Kanrin Maru* – the ship that carried the first Japanese envoys to the United States – and the room is built with distressed white oak, oak-paneled walls featuring Japanese art, and a striking black concrete bar. With only five seats at the bar itself, it’s a focused, speakeasy-style experience. The entire establishment is a collaboration between bartenders Shingo Gokan of Tokyo's The SG Club and Steve Schneider, formerly of Employees Only. It’s imagined as the New York chapter of Gokan’s bar, built on the story of what those 1860s samurai envoys might have opened if they had stayed, merging the bar cultures of Tokyo and New York. That same fusion appears on the food menu, where a chef from a three-Michelin-star background reinterprets Japanese izakaya dishes with modern techniques. You’ll find things like Mochi French Fries, an A5 Wagyu burger, and Foie Gras on milk toast. The drinks follow suit, with Sip serving Gokan’s signature inventive cocktails like the Wagyu Old Fashioned, while Guzzle sticks to the classics. While Guzzle is built for walk-ins, you’ll want to make a reservation for the more deliberate experience at Sip.