Paper Planes

We had such an incredible experience here! Our party of 2 arrived around 6:30pm on a Saturday and was seated right away. They do not take reservations. The place is on the smaller side - maybe seats 10 parties of 2-4 people and probably 4 seats at the bar. When we left around 8pm, the place was about 2/3 full.When we got there, it was still light out so we got to see all the decor - its very nicely decorated. Its cozy but also you dont feel like youre smooshed up against the next table. The staff were also so friendly. They all seemed like they were having a fun time as well.We were thinking of getting 1-2 drinks each but ended up getting 3 each because we were enjoying them so much. The menu is really creative with some very interesting concoctions. We saw ancho infused campari, duck fat washed rye whiskey, house made syrups, just to name a few.We started off with the Tokyo Tour and the East India Trading Co - both were on the sweeter side and absolutely delicious. The East India Trading Co. drink is fascinating with its combination of sweet from guava and spicy from the curry spices.We then had the Cabin in the Woods and Morning Dew - they were both spirit forward drinks (which we were told when ordering). Im not as great with very spirit forward drinks but my companion loved his Morning Dew. And look at the cute paper plane carved into the ice!! What an amazing touchWe ended our stay with Well Always Have Paris and, of course, the Paper Plane. We were curious, and a bit wary, about the duck fat washed rye whiskey and the staff super kindly let us try a sip. It was a smooth, delicious, fragrant and spicy drink all in one. The Paper Plane was so delicious and refreshing - a great way to end the series of drinks.We also got to try their fries - it was fried perfectly, spiced perfectly, and paired with an amazing sauce. Such a good companion to our drinks.I wont gatekeep this place even though I want it to be my secret, haha. I would highly recommend this place! I cant wait to go back and try more of their drinks.

Paper Planes is a super cute speakeasy cocktail bar in the Lower East Side. From the moment you walk inside this speakeasy-inspired bar, youre in for a unique experience. Follow the paper planes up on the ceiling and head towards the cute indoor-outdoor setting. Their variety of cocktails are travel-inspired and suitable for any person’s liking! Their vibes are great & service was top-notch which makes Paper Planes a must-visit cocktail bar!Whether youre a local or a visitor, Paper Planes promises an unforgettable night out.

The services of the chef and the food are second to NO ONE. Having a mutli-ethnic background himself along with his undying passion to learn new things and continuing to perfect his craft is what separates Paper Planes and their staff from the rest of NY. The owner has been challenged and caught off guard before by others with preparation, while he himself was unaware of the prep that has been done by them, with little or no time to prepare for himself. Such a scenario attests to not only his skill but also his authenticity. Dining at Paper Planes is an experience one should make at the top of their list when visiting Manhattan, if not, just stopping by in on a regular basis!

Hands down one of the best bars/speakeasies in all of NYC. This place is a secret gem, the atmosphere is phenomenal and the cocktails are innovative and delicious (and reasonably priced). Really a perfect date spot or place to bring a small group of friends. Vibes are through the roof!! Ricky the bartender/owner is the man, super friendly and talented. Love this place and can’t wait to go back again soon. Definitely check it out!!

I held a private event here - it was really outstanding. The staff curated several themed cocktails for the event, which were excellent and made the whole experience truly unique. The drinks, food, and service were all outstanding. We enjoyed it so much we ended up staying another three hours after the private event had ended. Having tried both menus - I would highly recommend Paper Planes for any occasion and will absolutely be back.

Amazing bar! Cocktails and food are delicious and the staff is so friendly. I had a chance to meet the owner/chef as well he’s an awesome guy! Definitely recommend!

My husband and I had our 30th birthdays here and it was absolutely amazing! The food, cocktails, service, everything was fabulous! Highly recommend. A very cool speakeasy, located in the heart of the LES. Definitely worth checking out!

Hosted a cast and production opening night party with 40-50 people. The owners were fabulous! They even made a show-inspired themed menu for the show. Highly recommend. Drinks well crafted and reasonably priced. Fabulous service. All around great experience.

Fantastic innovative cocktails at a fair price. Definitely better to go here vs the overpriced cocktail bars around here. My favourites were house of dawn, east India trading company, Tokyo tours and Manhattan nights!! The sever was fantastic and very informative

Check this place out! Excellent cocktail bar with great food and service!I thought the drinks were outstanding and appreciated how fun and attentive the staff was. I recommend for any occasion.

Paper Planes has always been an amazing experience for me every time I walk in the door. The bartenders are amazing at making cocktails and easy to converse with. I would recommend this cocktail bar to anyone!

BEST COCKTAILS EVER!! You have to go through the kitchen to get to the back bar, which was very fun and adventurous. Made the experience even more memorable. Will come back. Drinks are unique and masterfully crafted.

Really cool place with the right kind of ambience I look for in a cocktail bar/speakeasy. The bartenders are really knowlegable about what they do, which shows in their menu. Ricky had the best recommendations and was a highlight of the night!

Hidden gem!! Looking for a place for sophisticated craft cocktails in a friendly, casual vibes? I can’t think of a better place than Paper Planes! I wasn’t sure what to order so asked a bartender for “something refreshing but not too citrusy”. What he offered was perfect. Cocktail was beautiful and also tasty.Colorful festive interior and paper planes on the ceiling lift your spirits! They also have Japanese yoshoku-style restaurant next door — can’t wait to try it!!!

Paper Planes is such precious business! Drinks are greatly done, with many alternatives of infusions and liquors preferences. Finger food are yummy! Coming out HOT and QUICK!Definitely coming back to this speakeasy spot. Thank youuu Paper Planes

Exactly what I want a cocktail bar to be, right down to the all-black Secret Bar ----> sign out front. The menu is diverse and inventive and includes just enough of the non-liquid stuff that you can definitely make a night of it. The correct-amounts-of-friendly bartender knew the full history of absinthe (and, btw, makes a mean sazerac). Great spot to go with an old friend or a date whos likely to go the distance. And its just down the block from my favorite museum in NY, the LES Tenement Museum!

What a gem! LES just got a new cute speakeasy! The bartender was so fun and knowledged but still fuuuuun.We loved the names of the cocktails 😄 they were so good, we couldnt stop ordering more and more.PS- take pictures by the astronaut, (my new fav spot for pictures! )

I was excited to try this place but the drinks really fell flat. I tried two of their cocktails and was unimpressed. They sounded great on paper but that’s it. They weren’t boozy either.

Incredible drinks! Food was delicious. Staff is extremely warm and friendly, knowledgeable and the vibe is impeccable! Really cool location!

Hidden Gem!!! Please do go, they have a huge selection of cocktails and the bartenders actually like their craft. So it was a pleasure to speak to them, get their recommendation and watch them make the drink.

Ricky makes the best original cocktails I’ve had in the city, and it’s always a fun environment. Learn something new each time I visit!

Absolutely love the place! Great vibe, friendly people, amazing drinks! Got a few craft cocktails that I can easily describe with a word outstanding) We got a round of best Paper Planes I have ever tried! Very cozy atmosphere.

A really greet hidden bar. Cool atmosphere with a glass roof. Drinks are cheap proces too some of the cheapest in the area. Staff was also great. Ricky the bartender was wonderful.

Just love this place! Best cocktails I’ve ever tried in the city! Great service, cozy and amazing place!

This place is a great fun spot for drinks. Although I got a mocktail and was charged $15 still - not great.

Awesome cocktails in a chill space

I came here for my birthday. They led our group to a lower room that smelled like a litter box. The white waiter spoke in a condescending manner to my friend, who is Black, and does not drink, telling him he had to order a cocktail or leave, even though we were in a large party that ordered plenty of drinks, and the tables around us were all empty, so it’s not like we were taking away space from cocktail ordering customers. The waiter’s tone made my friend leave. And we left after the round of $20 drinks we ordered arrived. All of the cocktails I tasted were out of balance, far too acidic. The shrubs tasted like window cleaner. It might look cute online but don’t waste your time here. Not cute. Also the cotton balls say something about the plantation mindset of the owners.

This is a fave. Great drinks. Good vibes. Great staff. I almost hate to give up this info. 😉

Came here on a whim and loved it. Back bar room is super comfortable and the bar has tasty cocktails.

East India trading co is fantastic. Good service, great drinks and better get Top Bars this year.

Cocktails are amazing! And the bartender was sweet and friendly.

Went to several speakeasies this night with a group and everyone’s favorite drink came from here! Max was a great server and the service and drinks were amazing. Definitely recommended!

Amazing cocktail place! Ditch Attaboy and Double chicken please and come here! Try the East India Trading Co!

A hidden gem with many surprises: yummy drinks, great services, and a secret & fun hideout. My new favorite!

Great cocktails, customer service and atmosphere!

Chill vibe, great bar bites (GET THE DUMPLINGS!), and some of my favorite cocktails in LES.

Awesome little spot we stumbled upon! The staff is very friendly and you must try the House of Rising Sun.

Solid cocktails! Gotta try the East India Trading Company.

Best cocktail I have had in a long time.

Stopped by paper planes I got the Rickys Ricky and the house of the raising sun! And they were awesome!🤟🤟🙏

Amazing cocktails! Great atmosphere!

Enjoyed this place with friends. The Ristretro cocktail was lovely

Amazing cocktails and great for a quick snack! Highly recommend the Tokyo Tour and the dumplings. Ricky and the staff are super welcoming. Love taking friends to this place when in the LES

A cute little trendy place to have a couple of great cocktails with good friends. The finger food was delicious. Welcoming services just made our time there so memorable!

Been here multiple times and I can definitely say that they have some of the best drinks I’ve had in the city! Food is excellent too and the bartenders are super nice so I’ve always had a great time. Would definitely recommend

One of the coolest speakeasies ive been to in awhile. delicious cocktails and food. music is played at the right level so it doesnt disturb the conversation.

Met a friend here for cocktails and had a blast. Staff was friendly and attentive. Lots of great food options. I will be back recommend checking out this spot!

These magicians of alcohol and flavor have blown my mind and I come here over and over again! I wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone looking to have a great and fun evening! Amazing date night spot!!!!

Chill spot for friends or low key date. Drinks are ok but def far from best

This might be my favorite all-around cocktail place in the city. Good cocktails, no pretense. FYI —If you come late at night, sometimes it looks like the restaurant in the front is closed

Incredible drinks, amazing experience all around. Ricky is so fun to chat with as well. I recommend this to anyone looking for a great cocktails and a good time.

Paper Planes provides a comprehensive cocktail experience executed to perfection. Whether you are looking to embrace cocktail traditionalism and indulge in their homages to the mainstay recipes of bartending cannon or if you are looking to seek out the daring fringes of mixology imagination, you will be satisfied all the same. For example, consider two of the main cocktails I had there. One was a creative but familiar tasting take on espresso martini - and the other a drink with elements of duck and five spice. Both drinks were staggeringly good. Add in the charisma of Ricky, the owner/operator and his excellent staff and you have one of the best cocktail bars in the city. 11/10

Amazing cocktail bar with knowledgeable bartenders

Great cocktails and sweet bartender!

Great cocktails and great service!

Great bar on the LES! I like to stop in for cocktails after work regular! Great service and menu!

Really good cocktails, my girlfriend loves the macha wings! Bartender Ricky is a really nice guy!

Wow! This is some place. And the drinks are superlative. I performed my usual test, ordering a whiskey,sour, which is one of the best I’ve ever had. On a later date, I had a Negroni, thinking to myself “how much can one improve and on a Negroni?“ Anyway I was blown away by not only this bar, but also that last Negroni.

This spot is a gem waiting to happen, Ricky Head Barman and Owner talented and amazing bartender and Ex-Chef is making this spot happen and has big plans.. go check this Orchard St. spot out!

Best cocktails in new york, hands down . East India trading co, and house of dawn are next level. Skip the line at Attaboy and double chicken. You will thank me later

What a phenomenal secret bar , the drinks , the food and the environment are just top tier . My go to place for small business meetings

Love this place! Great atmosphere and great selection of cocktails!

This place was pretty normal. Drinks were good enough. Food was good enough.

Amazing cocktail bar for those mischevous and marvelous lovers of New York. Say hello to Ricky when you get there.

Great cocktails, cool vibes spot. Ricky was an awesome host. Would definitely come back.

This bar is an awesome hidden gem. The ambiance and cocktails are amazing and the service is great. I highly recommend checking it out before it starts getting more crowded because Im sure once more people know about it, itll be a hit!

Fun vibes once we moved into the real bar area. Bartender is very nice and happy to make any type of drink you request. My friend doesnt drink and he made some delicious mocktails for her

Interesting cocktails. Steady vibe in LES.

Great drinks! Friendly atmosphere!! I recommend highly!! We’ll be going back!

Great little cocktail bar tucked away in the back of yo + shoku restaurant on the lower east side. It has a speakeasy vibe but its a bit different from your traditional speakeasy, firstly there is a pretty large sign outside the restaurant that announces Secret Bar and secondly it seems to be an outside patio that the place had thats been covered up and converted into a cocktail bar. Nonetheless, the place is great! If you didnt pay attention youd never even realize that youre sitting in an enclosed outside area - it was perfectly temperature controlled even in the cold. The decor plays along with the paper planes theme and was tastefully done in my opinion. The only thing Id say is this is not really ideal for groups bigger than 7-8 unless they are having a super slow night. Most tables are for 2-4 with a few bar stools and just one larger table thatll fit about 6.Now, getting to the important part - the drinks. Really loved them! The house of the rising sun was one of the best whiskey cocktails Ive had in a while. A beautiful combination of scotch and citrus it really hit the spot. The twin peaks was similarly fantastic with its rye and coffee notes. A friend had the Room where it happened, a cognac based cocktail and was similarly impressed by it. All in all the drinks were delicious I would love to be back to try their rum based cocktails next time.Bartenders and host were excellent. Super friendly and accommodating. They definitely gave you a very warm and positive vibe to let you know they appreciated your business. Really makes a difference to the experience when the staff make an effort.Definitely recommend for a date night or a small birthday celebration or even just to enjoy a great cocktail in a lovely space.

Bad cocktails. Banana bread cocktail was just cinnamon. Ricky’s rickie was just ice and meh

Best cocktail bar in NYC, house of the rising sun is my favoritedrink

Amazing food , I will definitely come back

The best Friday party was yesterday!!

Bring eye drops but overall loved it

Chill date spot. Ambience is easy on the eyes

Chill, music isnt loud so can listen to people

New favorite place 🫶🏻

Nice vibe, decent cocktails

Great cocktails, fun bartender.

Fun place in a semi-hidden location

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Cozy cocktail bar with good signature cocktails