Entry No. 46 — the New York City file — filed under: speakeasy-bar
Mace
Founded by globe-trotting bartender Nico de Soto, Mace builds every signature cocktail around a single handpicked spice, from the namesake mace to tonka, pandan, ginger, and black sesame, using house tinctures, infusions, and unusual botanicals. It is a regular on world's-best-bars lists and the menu is genuinely unlike standard cocktail fare. The room is intimate and the drinks arrive as small surprises of flavor.
The story
Most Greenwich Village cocktail lounges rely on velvet curtains or dim light to justify their menu prices. Mace takes a far weirder, more precise route: it throws out classic cocktail names entirely and builds every drink around a single hero spice. Founded by globe-trotting French bartender Nico de Soto after years spent collecting raw botanicals around the world, the bar functions less like a speakeasy and more like an aromatic laboratory.
You won't find a Manhattan or a Negroni on the bill. Instead, you order by botanical—whether that's pandan, tonka, ginger, black sesame, or the namesake mace itself. The bar staff uses house tinctures, custom infusions, and unexpected savory ingredients to recalibrate how spirits taste. Take the signature drink, 'Mace': it blends aquavit and Aperol with beet juice, orange acid, and young mace, delivering an earthy, tart profile that leaves standard sweet fruit mixers far behind.
What it's like
Don't look for a hidden telephone booth or a secret bookshelf—Mace sits right out in the open at 35 West 8th Street, putting all its weirdness inside the glass. The room is compact and intimate, and because it regularly lands on world's-best-bar lists, seating fills up fast; securing a table on Resy ahead of time is your best move. The drinks arrive as small, aromatic surprises alongside spice-forward seasonal small plates, making it an ideal spot to trade off drinks with a partner and compare how wildly two botanicals diverge.
The move: Work through the spice-by-spice menu together, each picking a different botanical and comparing how wildly the two cocktails diverge.
📍 Before you go Not a hidden door but a genuinely strange spice-driven cocktail den; small room, reservations help. Menu refreshed in 2026.
- 📍 Greenwich Village
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 35 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Museum of Interesting Things — Pair Nico de Soto's botanical experiments with a hands-on look at vintage inventions and mechanical oddities just a few blocks east.
- McSorley's Old Ale House — Follow up hyper-refined spice infusions with a pair of house ales on the sawdust floors of New York's oldest surviving Irish saloon.
- Patent Pending — Continue your high-concept cocktail night by heading north to NoMad for radio-wave-themed drinks hidden behind a coffee shop.
Good to know
Is there a secret door or password needed to get in?
No. Mace is a straightforward, accessible venue at 35 West 8th Street rather than a hidden speakeasy; the focus is strictly on experimental spice-driven mixology.
How does ordering from the cocktail menu work?
Every signature drink is named after and constructed around one specific handpicked spice, utilizing in-house infusions, tinctures, and rare botanicals.
What is in the namesake 'Mace' cocktail?
The signature 'Mace' drink combines aquavit, Aperol, beet juice, orange acid, and young mace for an earthy, complex, and slightly tart flavor.
Do I need reservations?
Reservations via Resy are strongly recommended. The space is small and highly sought after due to its international cocktail bar acclaim.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · theworlds50best.com · talesofthecocktail.org · resy.com
last checked: 2026-06-23