The Ship

This is a great hidden gem in Soho. Great for dates and groups. Great Soho 30s crowd.
Cocktails are yum, and I often have their amazing cheese plate paired with a good Sancerre.
The cheese plate is good for sharing and all cheeses presented are delicately good.
Best time to come is after work, before it becomes insanely crowded.

I have never been so hammered in my life.
We wandered into the Ship on a Thursday and I told the waitress that I liked sweet drinks and I’d never had Bourbon or Whiskey before. Famous last words, my friends.
I have no idea what drinks I had but they were delicious. I had far too many. Never board the Ship with British friends, never expect to leave The Ship and walk a straight line. Best night and far worse morning.

I liked this place because I didn’t know what to order for a drink so the waiter asked me what type of drinks I liked and just had the bartender make one up ! The first one I didn’t like but the second was fine! Pretty cool because sometimes waiters and waitresses just look at you and wait for you to make to up your mind. Here they try to read your mind! Fun!

Chic, friendly, delicious. From the bouncer to the host to the bartender, they were all really nice. The décor is simple and elegant. My husband and I arrived at 9:30 on a Friday night, so we had a very short wait, about 15 minutes. We got seated at the bar and loved watching the drinks being made– I think bartender’s name is Yoichoi? The precision, care and knowledge! Plus, fresh ingrededients. I got the Bartender’s choice and my husband got Where There’s Smoke. The price is average for a nice NY bar. I would definitely come back.

Came here for happy hour drinks — as many have suggested we do so. The dimly-​lit atmosphere is really nice, as well as the layout of the bar — you walk in and the majority of the bar is downstairs (with 5ish bar seats up top overlooking the rest of the bar). It’s a bit tight, as much of the floor has booth tables, so there’s not a ton of room for standing. We came on a Mon or Tues and it wasn’t busy at all. ~$ 14 a drink.

I haven’t exactly figured out why this place is called «the ship», but I do know that it is one incredible mixology spot. The small plates here are delicious and the cocktails are all on par with some of the best in new york.
The kalbi pretzel sliders and the brussel sprouts are an absolute must. Go on a weekday, sit at the bar and ask the bartender to surprise you with something. You will not be disappointed.

I have found my favorite bar in SoHo. You can find The Ship anchored a block away from the touristy shops/​overpriced and average food. (Yes, I made that pun. SEE ME.)
It’s a small spot with solid cocktails. The smaller the party, the better. Like any other good cocktail spot in Manhattan, there is no space and those trendy tables can only hold so many bodies. If you’re looking for a guaranteed seat, I would make sure that you’re there right when they open.
I’m into the nautical theme and it isn’t taken overboard. The details, down to the restroom, have the boat feel but it’s not completely in your face. It can get a little loud in the bar so depending on the mood you’re going for, I would say it’s a little more of a date spot than where you should go to catch up with friends. I would recommend sitting in a booth over the communal table because of the noise level.
The service is solid. Even though my friend and I were there right when the bar opened, it took less than half an hour to almost hit capacity yet we didn’t feel like any of the servers forgot about us.
Warning for those who do not like stairs: this is the Hakkasan of cocktail bairs. You have to go down (and then back up) a long staircase to get to the bar.
All in all, I would definitely come back if I was in the SoHo area.

Came here with a friend after Unilocaling new & hip bars in the neighborhood. In the Soho area close to Chinatown.
They have a bouncer outside and once in, you go downstairs to this amazing bar space that serves superb drinks and great food. A bit on the pricey side and to my knowledge they don’t have HH deals.
But loved the service, décor, and variety of drinks they had to offer.

The Ship is a swanky hidden gem in SoHo… literally hidden behind an unassuming door, down a flight of stairs, into the «belly» of the ship. This unpretentious cocktail lounge is high class and low key. There is an awesome alcohol menu, offering wines (and bubbly), liquor and specialty cocktails, but the in-​house mixologists will create one of a kind drinks to your tastes and preferences. I got a really cool sweet and sour prosecco cocktail that was so perfect for me. I can’t wait to go back!

After learning that The Ship is owned by the same good people who’ve brought us the holy trinity of Dutch Kills, Middle Branch and Little Branch, my five-​star inclinations while happily imbibing here made complete sense. My experience at the Ship was absolutely fantastic and it’s a welcome addition to the neighborhood!
Came here on a Saturday night around 8pm and was able to get a seat immediately. I wouldn’t call The Ship a true «speakeasy» given that it’s door is clearly marked. That said, it’s nestled on a pretty barren part of Lafayette and it’s hard to spot if you’re walking on the other side of the street. So maybe a pseudo-​speakeasy. In any case, it’s worth looking for. The ambiance and drinks were standout, and the service — other than a few hiccups early on — was commendable too.
Ambiance/​vibe: I’ve heard the Ship described as «kitschy», due to the ship décor. I don’t find that to be the case. Yes, elements of the interior are certainly reminiscent of the Titanic, etc., but it’s not overdone — completely tasteful. In my opinion, it helps maintain the balance of trendy/​refined and approachable, which can be a difficult task. Upon walking in, I was quite impressed with how spacious and altogether beautiful the space was. It’s classy as hell but not at all uppity — somehow manages to completely avoid pretentiousness. It’s also much, much larger than the cocktails bars I’m used to, which I wasn’t expecting. Notable feature: the only windows in the place are behind the bar (which is the only well-​lit part of the space, the rest is dim), which looks out on a brick wall. Very subtle nautical allusion and an aesthetically pleasing one at that.
Now for the main event: COCKTAILS. Some of the best I’ve had. In my tip, I urge you all NOT to order off the menu and stick with bartender’s choice. That’s also how I’ve felt about Little Branch and Middle Branch, which is not a coincidence. After speaking with our waitress a bit, I learned that this particular consortium of bars has their own little repertoire of «bartender’s choice» options, which are all — in my experience — totally delicious (had the exact same thoughts after my last trip to Little Branch).
So what I ordered: I first tried the «Virgo Sun» (Rittenhouse rye, montenegro, maple lemon, muddled orange, served on crushed ice). It was very very good, don’t get me wrong, but I’d still adamantly recommend you go straight to bartender’s choice (have I said that yet in this review?). Our waitress, who seemed to be snubbing us at first when we didn’t know what we wanted immediately, thankfully warmed up to us pretty quickly, and was very helpful when it came to ordering. As it typically goes with bartender’s choice, we gave her likes/​dislikes, flavor preferences, etc. She asked a few follow-​up questions, which I always appreciate. I’m annoyed with myself that I forget the names of my subsequent drinks, but they were both unbelievable. One was spicy/​gin/​savory, one was gin/​herbaceous/​slight sweet. Could not be more satisfied.
Come here with a small group of friends or on a date. The low lighting and subtly sexy vibe definitely make it a viable date option, but I’d also highly recommend it as a first stop with a couple of friends before heading to Chinatown/​LES. We were here until about 10:30, and it stayed fairly low-​key the entire time.

Updating my review:
I’m confused as to what happened the last time I came here. The bouncer wouldn’t let us in until we had all of our party together — much like a restaurant — and then we were promptly seated (no choice), which I thought was strange for a Saturday night. I don’t know if this place is trying to become more like a speakeasy where being seated is required?, but I would have liked the choice of standing at the bar or around the communal table in the center, rather than being seated. Still one of my favorite spots.
Also, they have Aesop’s handsoap in their bathrooms which I absolutely love.

Come here on Halloween night while killing some time between dinner and a party next door. A friend of mine found it and we followed her. I wouldn’t say it’s a «speakeasy» but more «speakeasy-​esque». It is kinda hard to find but the bouncer out front helped.
We were dressed up for a Great Gatsby party so we did feel even cooler walking into a speakeasy and the bouncer joked with us, he was incredibly friendly.
We all ordered different drinks, one member of our party couldn’t drink and the bartender threw her together a virgin cocktail that she absolutely loved and looked awesome. I can’t remember the name of the drink I ordered, but it had scotch, chocolate bitters, and a few more things and it was delicious. I love when they use large ice instead of individual cubes, it really helps not water the drink down. My wife loved her drink as well. Prices were on par for this type of atmoshphere.
It was very quiet only a couple other people sitting in seats around. The décor is fantastic, the ships pipes, exposed rock wall, edison bulbs, etc. The vibe was chill, trendy yet unpretentious. The staff were all friendly. I liked the sink outside the bathroom, it was just cool.
I would definitely come back here to chill, have a conversation and drink a couple drinks. It’s always refreshing to have a bar where there are no TVs and you can just talk.

This place is for after the afterparty.
Given that I rarely frequent the SoHo area on a weekday or weekend for that matter, I had never heard of this place until after searching Unilocal for places that were open at 230am, but this was more than just a pleasant surprise. I wouldn’t call this a speakeasy, but the entrance is sort of hard to catch in the realm of the SoHo/​Chinatown border. The vibe is pretty low-​key and intimate, even though the space is relatively large and cavernous. The décor is very high-​end and modern, with nautical accents throughout the place. I really liked that it’s never crowded at all, but again, that might have been a function of my visits only occurring around 2−3am.
Recently, a couple of us stole away from the rest of our group, made our way here and cozied up in a booth downstairs. One of the roaming waitresses came around and took our drink orders very promptly. I told her that I wanted something spicy, dry and not too sweet, so I received a gin, lime, cucumber, black pepper, and cayenne extract concoction. It was a pretty unique drink, but the cayenne extract (hot sauce) was overkill. Not bad, but afterwards I just went with an old-​fashioned, which was delicious. They allow you to send back bartender’s choice drinks if you don’t like them, no questions asked. However, we were having such a good time, and I didn’t want to be a buzzkill, so I didn’t say anything, haha. In all, my thought is that the drinks here are solid, with a few special ingredients here and there, and the bartenders know what they’re doing, but in my opinion, you don’t necessarily come here for the drinks, you come here for the ambiance.
Service in general was more laid-​back and takes a while to get your drinks, but it’s not usually ever a problem. The cocktails were around $ 14, on par with most of the high-​end cocktail joints downtown. I’ve never been here for food, but the menu seems pretty interesting, albeit on the more expensive side. I also really enjoy how they serve cucumber water on the house, because it’s exceptionally refreshing, and something different from your typical water with lemon. Can’t speak for the vibe during the evening hours, but I would just always recommend coming later in the night anyways, because they dial the lights down, and it makes everything a bit more cozy. They take reservations Mon-​Wed, but not during Thu-​Sat, so keep that in mind when making plans to come here.
The Ship is the setting to a couple of the better nights I’ve had in Manhattan, and I’m always glad to come back, even though it’s in a neighborhood I don’t quite frequent. This is probably my go-​to bar for this area of SoHo, and it really is the perfect place for one of those late, intimate nights.

3.5−4 stars. This review is just for the food and ambience (didn’t have any drinks there tonight). The space itself is pretty small. There is an upstairs area that overlooks the entire downstairs area, which contains seating and a full bar. The vibe is trendy and modern. The theme is nautical, which was a nice touch.
We ordered the Kalbi Sliders, which were DELICIOUS. I liked how the bread was pretzel bread-​the saltiness really complemented the tender meat. Not a terribly large number people was there on this Friday night. The downstairs area was decently populated but the upstairs part was fairly empty. This place is definitely somewhere to come for more intimate conversation/​sipping on nice cocktails paired with hip food rather than somewhere to turn up. I enjoyed our experience but didn’t think it was particularly worth going seeking out if you’re not in the area. Took a peek at the cocktail menu and drinks are $ 14 a pop. I’m definitely hoping to come back and try the drinks but just going by ambiance alone I feel that there are better places for nice cocktails. This is definitely a solid bar to check out if you’re in Chinatown/​FiDi!

It had a very nautical feel, despite being in the concrete jungle. Any case, I love how the ceilings have an incomplete feel to it with the pipes coming down from it. It makes it feel like you are in the lower levels of a ship, drinking away the sorrows of a long day. Well… some of the imagery of being at the bottom of the ship was the bathroom, since it had a communal wash sink.
The bartender was very helpful with us and let my friend have some fun with the bartender’s choice, which was $ 14. Since my friend enjoys the harder stuff, the bartender made him something that really got my a friend in a more cheerful mood, which made my night more entertaining and giving the curator of the drinks a slightly a bigger tip from him. I ordered the Mount Vesuvius, $ 14, which was quite refreshing. It had the coconut milk as the base, which blended very nicely with the scotch and orange and pineapple juice. The nutmeg and cinnamon that were drizzle on the cocktail made a nice finishing touch on the drink.

Since moving into this neighborhood for almost a year now, The Ship is easily the best hidden gem I have stumbled upon. Apotheke is still as amazing as ever, but this cocktail spot is the perfect blend of casual and intimate ambiance. If a venue comes across as pretentious, patrons are often the ones to create that type of atmosphere. Fortunately, the pretentiousness has not found its way over here… yet.
The cocktails are very good and will not cost you $ 20 a drink. If rum and rye are your spirits, then On The Spot and Ward 8 are the ways to go. If you enjoy a surprise, the Bartender’s Choice would be a great idea. A good selection of red wine and beer adds great a good amount of variety as well.
The bartenders and staff are very friendly and have amazing memory. You will have as good a time sitting at the bar, at a table, or a booth. As this spot inevitably gets more popular, it is going to be hard to find a seat. Therefore in the spirit of being self-​serving, I will just say that every night is busy night!

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. Yes, sometimes ships are built for awesome cocktails instead! The Ship is a relatively new, and very trendy cocktail bar on an otherwise pretty deserted strip. The entrance is surrounded by metal roller doors that give off the impression that you’re in an industrial part of town and got the address wrong. But fear not! All you have to do is look for the banner flying above and the bouncer in front. Why they need a bouncer, I have no idea…
But once he checks your ID, you can step down into what looks like a movie scene. There’s cool lighting made from old metal pipes (the biggest of which looks like a moon at the right angles). There’s a ton of seating with both booths and high tops. And there’s a cool little balcony adjacent to the bathroom with it’s giant unisex tub sink.
Service can leave a bit to be desired (had no fewer than 3 people serve us through two rounds of drinks, and there was a miscommunication where two of the women both thought the other was covering us). But once the drinks started coming in, it was hard to complain.
Favorite drinks (in order of preference):
–Virgo Sun (rye, Montenegro, maple lemon)
–On The Spot (rum, orgeat, pineapple and lime)
–Starboard (cachaca, lemon, cocchi Americano, peach liqueur)
–Burrapeg (Scotch, ginger, peach/​chocolate bitters)
Loved the flavors of the Virgo Sun. Simple but also boozy. A few of the other ones were more citrusy and on the sweeter side. The only drink I didn’t love was the Burrapeg, but it got better the more you sipped and got the nuances of the bitters.
The cocktails are reasonably priced (at $ 14) and they also have a small plates menu with charcuterie and some hot foods that smelled great. Didn’t have any though.
The vibe of the place is cool, with mismatched chairs, spraypainted mirrors, and a back section. It’d be cool to host an event here, whether for a company party or for a Unilocal one (hint, hint).
If you’re in the area (and even if you’re not), you should give The Ship a shot.

The Ship
NY: Manhattan: SoHo
9pm Saturday 20^th June 2015
Four Stars
You will literally walk past this place if you are not looking too closely. At 8:39−9pm it was relatively uncrowded. We sat in a booth left of the stairs. The place was romantically dark with some nondescript music was making easy to have a good conversation over some adult libations.
The first round we tried a couple cocktails off of their list: TIJUANA LADY served Tequila, liqueur 43, lime, angostura bitters shaken and served up in a coupe. MOUNT VESUVIUS contained Scotch, orange juice, pineapple, house coconut served in a highball with crushed ice and topped with nutmeg & cinnamon. The Second Round we went with bartenders choice. We had a Black Berry Concoction and Pimms Rangoon Variation with heavy black flavors served in a highball with a ice spear. Every drink had the proper glass. The Ice was beautiful: Cube, Crushed, and Spear. The bartenders here were top notch.
The Food menu was an upscale appetizer list. There were no bacon wrapped dates available so we opted for Brussel Sprouts, Salmon Devil Eggs, Radishes, and the Characuterie. The Brussel sprouts had a tender bite. The Asian dressing adding a unique flavor to the traditional. The peanuts added a definitive crunch that the sprouts didn’t have. The four devil eggs were standard. It could have used more spice. The radishes were kind of boring but at least they served it with aioli. Their menu says anchovy garlic aioli. I have pet peeve when people or places say «Garlic Aioli» which is like saying ATM Machine. It is simply redundant. The name aioli is just latinate base for garlic and oil. Without garlic it’s just mayonnaise. The Characuterie was worth the $ 20. The jamon serrano was cut thin like prosciutto. You could taste the fennel, fat, and Tuscan love In the finocchiona.
Overall a great way to spend $ 40 a person for a couple drinks and some apps.

very cozy and intimate atmosphere. Staff here is extremely friendly, very nice bartenders always speak with you and share your problems
+ FULL BAR!!!
And Margarita… nothing can equal this…

This was such a treat! Drinks on deck was not just a war cry tonight. Discreetly located on an industrial block, it’s easy to miss. Luckily the bouncer sitting casually in front of the door marks the spot.
Upon entry it’s hard to believe how much detail is placed into this nautical themed high end venue. Before landing on the main floor, which is located one flight down, there is an up stairs seating area that over looks the bar/​booths located one flight down! Beautiful!
The communal washroom has a very country, port/​dock feeling. Superbly maintained.
On the main floor, it’s trendy 28+ crowd. Social venue, recommended happy hour stop.
Me and the male bestie stopped in and got a seat at the bar. Our mixologist Michael K served us two rounds of the bartenders choice which did not disappoint.
We ordered some tapas.. The sliders which were crazy delicious, they were full of flavor and savory. I wanted 12 more. We also had the Brussel sprouts, lip smacking good.
The service was excellent, cute bartender, and friendly owner! I’d highly recommend