This temple of tequila is not a place for picky drinkers or people who relish a margarita at Chipotle. In fact, I don’t recall margaritas even mentioned on the menu, though they’ll probably whip up a delectable one if you ask nicely.This is a celebration for the true tequila lover—every drink made with the agave-derived spirit. But while it’s easy to get down with your drink in the dark, gothic space, daters must rely on the potent libations to create a grown-and-sexy mood that is otherwise hard to conjure up amidst the deliberately decrepit walls, religious bodega candles, severe black-and-white tiling, a giant tarantula chandelier and Mexican-fried renditions of U2 songs. In fact, the place feels less like an upscale Manhattan cocktail den and more like a creepy L.A. Mexican restaurant.
But the owners know ambience doesn’t matter—if you remember a bar’s interior, you didn’t do the night up right—as much as the magic of mixologist Phil Ward, whose sleights of hand come priced at $13. Even the bar’s ghastly music seemed less atrocious while sipping an Italian Inquisition, a potion involving reposado tequila, vermouth, blood orange liquor and Xocolatl Mole bitters that bartender Adam accurately described as tasting “like a Manhattan, but with tequila.” Listed under the menu’s subheading “Strange Stirrings,” the drink is also strong, dark and undeniably sexy—the perfect first date in liquid form.
For anyone who prefers his drinks on the lighter side, the menu’s “Agave Fresca” sub-section offers more refreshing options without sacrificing potency.The Selena Fizz is a fruitier, more perfumed take on a pisco sour; the Watermelon Sugar, though not very sweet, is the closest kin to a margarita you’ll find, down to a salted and spiced rim. And for anyone planning on staying a while, there are a number of tequila-accented sangrias and punches served by the glass or the pitcher.
Open officially for just two weeks, kinks are naturally still being worked out. The Whoopsy Daisy (tellingly named) is a muddy mess, with tequila and mescal both disappearing beneath an overpowering pomegranate molasses. Ward leans heavily on the same ingredients; at least a third of the menu involves vermouth. The requisite small bites menu, uninspired to begin with, is also startlingly overpriced. But if everyone ate the snacks at bars, late-night pizza places would shutter all over town. Go for the smart and inspired cocktails with a few select friends; any large groups will have a hard time finding space, unless the semi-enclosed front patio happens to be empty. And whatever you do, just don’t order anything stupid.
> Mayahuel
304 E. 6th St. (at 2nd Ave.), no phone.
