The Up & Up is hidden in a basement on MacDougal Street. The entrance is unmarked — descend a small staircase, push the unmarked door, and enter a 40-seat low-lit cocktail bar with leather banquettes and a serious whisky-focused back bar.
The cocktail programme leans whisky-heavy. The Old Fashioned programme runs to a dozen variations. The seasonal menu rotates four times a year and includes thoughtful original cocktails alongside reliable classics.
The crowd is mid-thirties West Village locals and curious cocktail tourists. Pair with Dante a few streets away for a complete West Village cocktail evening.