Double Chicken Please

Address: 115 Allen St, New York, 10002, United States
Email: info@doublechickenplease.com
Website: view Double Chicken Please’s website
Instagram: @doublechickenpleasenyc
Facebook: view Double Chicken Please’s Facebook page
Door: Make reservation, Wait list
Style: Cocktail bar
Established: 2020

A bar of two halves - the front serving cocktails on tap and The Coop behind, famed for cocktails "that have been deconstructed and reimagined into a whimsical culinary-driven experience." Simply put, they replicate dishes from "appetizers", "mains", and "desserts" - Waldorf Salad to Key Lime Pie.

Review

Such is Double Chicken's renown; you’ll need to join a line to visit the front bar and then put your name on the waitlist to access The Coop. And expect a wait of several hours. While waiting, perhaps sample a few of the 11 tap cocktails available at the front bar, and be sure to get messy with the Mochi-Piña-Habanero-Cilantro or one of the other chicken sandwiches.

The Coop is where the real action is, and if you’re lucky enough to snag a seat at the single low-level bar counter, then watching the largely pre-batched cocktails being shaken, stirred and generally crafted into gorgeous-looking cocktails is a treat. Henry Ford would be impressed by the efficiency and division of labour in the production of the seemingly constant stream of cocktails flowing from this two-station bar.

I’m not sure asking for off-menu cocktails is possible, but it would certainly be silly given that time slots in The Coop are a mere 1.5 hours, and the extraordinary offering includes the likes of Custard Bun cocktail. This is made with “Wakaze Nigori sake, Palo Cortado sherry, sparkling wine, koji salted egg yolk, cacao Pu’er tea, palo santo” and is served in a Nick & Nora glass topped by a flavour bubble.

While the front bar is more of a utilitarian holding pen (although a refurb is planned for later in 2024), the dark wood-lined walled The Coop has a warm, vibrant vibe, helped by pink light from above the bar, the music and the hum of the crowd enjoying themselves.

Before visiting, I was sceptical about Double Chicken Please, but the hospitality, service, food and creative cocktails perhaps make this one of the world’s best bars. It's certainly one of the most interesting.