Discover the unique cocktail experience at Sip and Guzzle bar in New York. Enjoy inventive drinks and izakaya bites at Sip and Guzzle bar.
Sip & Guzzle sits at 29 Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village, a two-level bar where American ease meets Japanese cocktail precision.
Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider opened the venue in January 2024, shaping two distinct rooms: the intimate downstairs "Sip" and the louder, more convivial "Guzzle" upstairs. Former Alinea chef Mike Bagale designs the food menu, pairing inventive cocktails with izakaya-style dishes.
What to know before you go:
Expect premium pricing, scarce reservations, and a dual-concept room that rewards a little patience. If you care about cocktails with a clear point of view, put it on your Greenwich Village short list.
Sip & Guzzle gives you two moods under one roof. Downstairs, "Sip" leans into the polished hush of a cocktail lounge, with distressed oak, concrete textures, and Japanese-inspired art creating a close, low-lit setting. Upstairs, "Guzzle" changes tempo with a vintage New York saloon feel: exposed brick, classic millwork, and bold pop art. Here, the menu turns toward American comfort food with izakaya accents, matched with highballs and easygoing cocktails.
That split is not just a design trick. It gives Sip & Guzzle the frame its team needs to work in two very different registers.
Sip & Guzzle comes from a team with deep bar and kitchen pedigrees, each person bringing a precise piece of the experience.
Shingo Gokan, a major figure in bartending with 22 years of experience, leads the project. As head of SG Group, he is known for globally celebrated cocktail bars including The SG Club, Speak Low, Sober Company, and The Odd Couple. His Japanese-inspired cocktail work sets much of the tone here.
Steve Schneider, who leads Guzzle’s bar program, brings over two decades of experience. Formerly Principal Bartender at Employees Only in New York, he was part of the team when it won "The World's Best Cocktail Bar" Award. His quick, generous style shapes the upstairs saloon’s lively welcome.
Mike Bagale, once the executive chef of Chicago’s three Michelin-starred Alinea, now heads the culinary program. His move from fine dining to izakaya-inspired plates gives the food polish without letting it compete with the drinks.
Rounding out the team is Ben Yabrow, a bartender who keeps the downstairs Sip experience measured, polished, and in step with the venue’s high standards.
Sip & Guzzle's dual concept and seasoned team have already drawn attention from the bar world. In its very first year, the bar landed at No. 39 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list, a quick ascent for such a young establishment.
Sip & Guzzle also secured the No. 5 spot on North America's 50 Best Bars 2025, placing it among the continent’s leading drink destinations. The rankings point to what the room does well: two distinct bar experiences that feel connected rather than competing.
You’ll find Sip & Guzzle at 29 Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. The venue runs on a split schedule by level. Upstairs at Guzzle opens at 4:00 PM and closes at 1:00 AM from Sunday to Tuesday, then stays open until 2:00 AM Wednesday through Saturday. Downstairs at Sip, the cocktail lounge, begins service at 5:00 PM and follows the same closing times: 1:00 AM Sunday through Tuesday and 2:00 AM for the rest of the week. Those details matter if you have your heart set on a specific room.
Sip & Guzzle takes limited reservations and also welcomes walk-ins. That keeps the room feeling alive, but it can mean a wait, especially at peak hours. Friday and Saturday nights draw the heaviest crowd, so Sunday through Tuesday evenings are your better bet for a quieter drink or a shorter line. Arriving at opening is a good move.
Sip & Guzzle serves premium cocktails priced from $21 to $30. Upstairs at Guzzle, highballs and comfort cocktails run between $17 and $30. Food spans a wide range, from shareable izakaya plates starting at $14 to the Royale With Cheese A5 wagyu sandwich at $150. If you want to add caviar, it is $5 per gram with a 10-gram minimum. You can keep the night to a drink and a few plates, or turn it into a full splurge.
Sip & Guzzle uses its two levels to tell two different stories. Materials, lighting, and decor do the work, creating contrasting rooms that still feel part of the same address.
On the ground floor, Guzzle draws from vintage New York: exposed brick walls, bold pop art, brighter lighting, and an open layout built for conversation. It is the room for highballs, shared plates, and a bit more volume.
Head downstairs to Sip and the mood shifts toward Japanese-inspired elegance. Japanese artwork lines the walls, bringing texture and depth to the moody, composed setting.
The lighting is dim and theatrical, and the tables sit close enough to create a sense of seclusion. Sip is the better choice when you want a quieter, more refined drink.
Like the menus, the interiors of Sip and Guzzle give you a reason to choose your mood. You might prefer the darker, more composed atmosphere of Sip or the brighter social charge of Guzzle; either way, the rooms support what many describe as an elevated cocktail experience. The hospitality team keeps the service aligned with the setting, so the drinking and dining feel considered from start to finish.
"The ambience of speakeasy harmoniously clashes with the modernity of japanese cocktail influence. The bar is beautiful." - Austin S
Together, the two spaces show how flexible the bar can be without losing its identity. Each level keeps its own inspiration, while both stay rooted in New York’s pace and appetite. That dual design sets the stage for the food and drinks that follow.
Sip & Guzzle's cocktail menu works with imagination and control. Under Shingo Gokan and bartender Ben Yabrow, Japanese elements meet modern cocktail technique in drinks built as carefully as they are presented.
Among the signatures, the Wax On and Whisky Nigiri give you the clearest read on Sip & Guzzle's creative style.
The Wax On combines shochu and coconut yogurt, bringing a smooth, balanced profile from an unexpected pairing. It shows how the bar uses unfamiliar combinations without losing drinkability.
The Whisky Nigiri turns presentation into part of the pleasure. Served to resemble sushi, the cocktail plays to the eye first, then follows with layered flavors on the palate. It is a drink built to slow you down for a moment.
These signatures show the technique behind Sip & Guzzle's menu. They are not just drinks with theatrical service; they are composed to intrigue, refresh, and sit naturally beside the food.
At Sip & Guzzle, the cocktails may draw the first glance, but the food deserves your attention. Chef Mike Bagale, formerly of Alinea, has built a menu that brings Japanese izakaya traditions together with the comfort of American cooking. The dishes are designed to meet the drinks rather than trail behind them.
The heart of Sip & Guzzle's food menu is its shareable izakaya-inspired plates, built for the table and for the cocktail list.
The Uni hand roll puts premium ingredients at the center. It shows the sweet, briny character of sea urchin in a form that feels polished but easy to eat.
The Mochi fries take a familiar bar snack somewhere more playful. Japanese rice cakes become crisp, golden fries, with a crunchy exterior and chewy center. Pair them with one of the bar's spirit-forward cocktails and the texture does the work.
The menu continues with a range of izakaya favorites, all built around bold flavors and quality ingredients. Portions are meant for sharing, encouraging the social rhythm that defines izakaya dining. Prices for these small plates range from $14 to $30, keeping them approachable for most guests.
If you want to lean in, Sip & Guzzle offers premium dishes that push the meal further. The headliner is the Royale With Cheese A5 wagyu sandwich, priced at $150. Made with the highest grade of Japanese beef, known for rich marbling and a buttery texture, it is the menu’s full splurge.
If you want to customize, caviar add-ons are available at $5 per gram, with a minimum of 10 grams, or $50. The briny pearls bring a more luxurious edge to whatever you choose.
Those premium choices carry a higher price, but the ingredients and preparation explain where the money goes.
The meal finishes with desserts that balance playfulness and polish. The Brown Butter Soft Serve delivers a nutty, rich flavor that still feels familiar. The brown butter comes from caramelized milk solids in butter, adding depth to the creamy soft serve.
It is a good example of the kitchen’s approach: simple formats, handled with detail. Whether you are eating mochi fries with a refreshing highball or pairing the A5 wagyu sandwich with a carefully built cocktail, the food at Sip & Guzzle is there to lift the drinking experience, not overshadow it.
Sip & Guzzle brings inventive mixology and a lively dining room together, with clear strengths and a few practical tradeoffs to keep in mind.
The bar's creative cocktail program, led by Shingo Gokan, is the main draw. Drinks such as the Whisky Nigiri and Wax On use inventive technique without losing their sense of pleasure. The experienced team keeps service polished and warm, matching the care in the glass.
The tradeoff is price. Cocktails range from $17 to $30, and some food items reach up to $165, so this is not an every-night bar for every budget. Limited seating and the walk-in focus can also mean longer waits, especially during peak weekend hours.
If you are drawn to innovative cocktails and a room with a distinct point of view, the higher spend and occasional wait may feel like part of the bargain.
Sip & Guzzle delivers a cocktail experience with a clear identity, and its No. 39 ranking feels easy to understand once you are in the room. It pairs the composed feel of Japanese influence with the vintage energy of New York, creating a space that feels specific rather than generic.
The bar reflects Shingo Gokan's vision through the drink presentation, from the Whisky Nigiri to the design details that bring different cultural references into conversation. With a seasoned team behind it, the cocktails and food land with more precision than you might expect from a bar still so young.
The pricing places Sip & Guzzle firmly in the luxury category. Still, the creativity and craft behind each drink make it a worthy splurge when you want a special evening in Greenwich Village.
Be prepared: reservations are limited, and the walk-in approach may mean a wait. Watching the bartenders build signatures such as the Wax On helps the time pass, and gives you a preview of why the room has traveled so quickly by word of mouth.
Sip & Guzzle brings a sharp Japanese influence to New York’s cocktail scene without losing the pleasure of the drink itself. Signatures such as the Wax On, with shochu and coconut yogurt, and the Whisky Nigiri, presented sushi-style, show how the bar balances technique with play.
Each cocktail is built with careful attention, matching distinctive ingredients with practiced execution. Add the moody room and polished service, and Sip & Guzzle offers an experience that feels apart from much of the city’s bar scene.
The layout at Sip & Guzzle gives you two distinct experiences under one roof, depending on your mood and the night you want. Upstairs at Guzzle, the energy is higher, with the feel of a classic New York-style pub. You can order American and izakaya-inspired comfort dishes that fit the room’s lively pace.
Downstairs at Sip, the atmosphere changes completely. The Japanese-inspired cocktail bar focuses on carefully made drinks in a calm, intimate setting.
The dual concept lets you choose between Guzzle’s upbeat charge and Sip’s quieter refinement. Both rooms share the same attention to service, inventive menus, and a setting designed to stay with you after you leave.
At Sip & Guzzle bar, cocktails are priced between $21 and $30, while highball and comfort cocktails range from $17 to $30. Food runs from $14 to $165, including indulgent options such as the A5 wagyu sandwich for $150.
Reservations are limited, so walk-ins are a practical option. Expect longer waits during busy hours because seating is limited. Each level has its own atmosphere, so give yourself time to explore both if the night allows.
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