A sexy, Asian-inspired speakeasy on the second floor of the run-of-the-mill Village Yokocho sushi restaurant, where you'll find some of the best drinks and mixologists in the city.
Angel's Share is everything that is right with New York. I had my first experience here around midnight on a rainy Saturday evening in the summer, and I really couldn't have found a better place to hide inside with the comfort of extraordinary drinks. After walking up the stairs of Village Yokocho, I turned left to the hostess and told her I was here for Angel's Share, and she led me toward a large wooden door in the corner where I found this perfect room. Because of the weather, there was virtually no wait to be seated, and my friend and I immediately relaxed in a table by the window, overlooking the dark, rainy street below us.
Yet Angel's Share, just like the city itself, can't be experienced in a single visit, so I've dedicated myself to coming back as often as possible. While it's far easier to get a seat the earlier you come (ideally between 7 and 9 PM, though I know not all of us are finished with dinner by then), I surprisingly haven't waited more than 20 minutes for a table. The bar doesn't allow standing, which only enhances the calm, sleek atmosphere.
It's not a place to take more than 3 friends, simply because the tables aren't large enough. But if you're trying to bring a group here anyway, you're doing it wrong. Angel's Share is a haven in the middle of the East Village, a pocket of the city where you should either be starting or ending your night. It's so dark a light is sometimes needed to read the menu, but after a drink or two your voice turns into a raspy whisper and you start feeling like some part of this place has infiltrated your very being and turned you into a sexy, smart, well-traveled sophisticate.
Every drink on the menu is also mixed with the utmost refinement. There seem to be no less than 15 ingredients in each, and appropriately, there seems to be no drink that costs less than $15. Some drinks feel more like dessert, particularly the Cheek to Cheek's notes of raspberry cheesecake, but others are expertly strong, like the Serenity with citrus and herb-infused vodka, homemade lychee liqueur, fresh ruby red grapefruit juice, fresh lemon juice, and a dash of rose water.
All of this works to guarantee that although a visit to Angel's Share will typically be pricey, it will always be exceptional.
Angel's Share
8 Stuyvesant St
New York, NY 10003
New York, NY 10003
