A modern-day speakeasy above NYC's West Village Five Guys lets you bring your own burger and hang out in its living room-style lounge

Rachel AskinasiOct 6, 2020, 02:29 IST

Co-founders Adam Fulton (left) and Gavin Moseley (right) wanted a bar that felt like home.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The Garret is a cocktail bar tucked away above the Five Guys burger restaurant in NYC's West Village.
While owned and operated separately, the only way to access the bar is through the fast-food restaurant.
It's a great spot for a date, a place to kill time before a nearby dinner reservation, or even for a business meeting.
The Garret reopened on September 30 for walk-in and by-reservation indoor seating.

Nestled above Five Guys Burgers and Fries, looking out over 7th Avenue in Manhattan, is an attic-turned-cocktail bar called The Garret.

While the bar and the restaurant are owned and operated separately, the two establishments run in tandem. There is no signage for the bar outside — just a neon "Soul" sign in the window — and the only way to access it is through the fast-food restaurant.

Guests are encouraged to grab a burger and fries on their way up to the cool and quirky speakeasy-esque lounge. After spending an evening at the cozy, West Village spot, we think it's a great place for a date, a place to kill time before a nearby dinner reservation, or even for a business meeting.

Insider sat down with cofounders Adam Fulton and Gavin Moseley in January to figure out what The Garret is really about, and with their third partner Grant Wheeler to learn about everything behind the bar.

Wheeler also gave us his expert food and beverage pairings for a perfect Five Guys and The Garret snack.

(Insider visited The Garret West in January before it closed on March 15 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The bar reopened its doors with slight changes to the interior setup and new customer screening protocols on September 30. The Garret is now taking reservations and walk-in customers.)

At the corner of Bleecker Street and Barrow Street, perched atop a Five Guys Burgers and Fries, lies an under-the-radar bar dubbed The Garret.

Inside The Garret, a speakeasy-style bar in the heart of the West Village. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Customers have to walk into the Five Guys, head straight to the back, and climb a set of stairs across from the grills.

The only entrance to both Five Guys and The Garret. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The space upstairs has a warm, welcoming, and unpretentious vibe.

The Garret seating before it reopened with pandemic safety guidelines. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Ownership has made changes to the bar's indoor seating complying with safety guidelines set for NYC restaurants as of September 30.

Plexiglass dividers (left) and high top tables (right) are new additions. Courtesy of Den Hospitality

In addition to funky seating setups, there are also plenty of hidden features like a small, semi-private lounge area and a doorknob-covered restroom door.

You can see where there are missing doorknobs. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Just past the restroom is a sunken den-like seating area made to look like a cozy living room.

Moseley and Fulton in the den. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Moseley told Insider some visitors come to the Five Guys-connected bar and are disappointed by the absence of Garret-special burgers on the menu.

You won't find Garret-specific burgers on the menu. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Until that happens, diners can grab their burger and fries on their way up.

This is our personal dream come true. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Specialty house cocktails are $15 — The Beatles at Shea being the one exception at $16 — and classic cocktails are $14.

Drinks are priced on-par with other cocktail menus at bars around the city. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

You may want to spend time flavor-pairing if you're planning to eat and drink in one visit.

Bartender Aleksey Reznikov, pictured above, has been with The Garret since its opening. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

He said the shiso in The Norse Whisperer cocktail would complement plain fries.

Five Guys serves up cups of French fries. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The flavors of The First Lady drink and our acidic, pickle-y cheeseburger were all over the place.

This was a frothy drink. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Fulton and Moseley told us that, in their opinion, the absolute best Five Guys-Garret pairing is an order of Cajun fries and the bar's signature Beatles at Shea cocktail.

The Beatles at Shea and Cajun fries. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Fulton and Moseley told us that, in their opinion, the absolute best Five Guys-Garret pairing is an order of Cajun fries and the bar's signature Beatles at Shea cocktail.

We also tried The Full Brazilian: a cinnamon-like concoction featuring rye and Avuá Amburana Cachaça served without ice or garnish.

Benedictine gives it the cinnamon flavor. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Wheeler said Avuá Amburana Cachaça, the base for this drink, is one of his favorite spirits.

It's definitely strong. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

There are plenty of cocktails to choose from.

Reznikov behind the bar. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The cocktail names and stories may seem intense, but the bar's atmosphere feels cool and collected.

They showed us how much they joke around with each other. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

While they don't take themselves too seriously, they're definitely serious about their bar. They've even got tattoos to prove it.

Fulton and Moseley both have tattoos paying homage to the bar. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Moseley showed us a tattoo and a ring that both pay homage to the story of the bar.

All three partners have a custom ring with Rocco's face on it. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Instead, they went with the word "garret" — a word that refers to the very top of a house, the space just beneath the roof.

Fulton and Moseley said each of the photos was collected for the bar and represent a well-traveled, artistic Rocco. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The Garret West is a great spot for a date, a place to kill time before a nearby dinner reservation, or even for a business meeting.

Fulton and Moseley said people hold meetings in the lounge quite often. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The Garret offers a unique experience that we have yet to find at another bar in the city.

Grease stains form on a Five Guys bag almost instantly. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

While it's not technically a Prohibition-era speakeasy since you can see the bar from the outside, there's still an element of mystery to the place.

There's no signage outside. You have to know how to get up there. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

The neon "Soul" sign acts as a beacon shining up 7th Avenue, letting everyone know they're open and all are welcome to come on in.

Fulton and Moseley said "soul" embodies their bar perfectly. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

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A modern-day speakeasy above NYC's West Village Five Guys lets you bring your own burger and hang out in its living room-style lounge

At the corner of Bleecker Street and Barrow Street, perched atop a Five Guys Burgers and Fries, lies an under-the-radar bar dubbed The Garret.

Customers have to walk into the Five Guys, head straight to the back, and climb a set of stairs across from the grills.

The space upstairs has a warm, welcoming, and unpretentious vibe.

Ownership has made changes to the bar's indoor seating complying with safety guidelines set for NYC restaurants as of September 30.

In addition to funky seating setups, there are also plenty of hidden features like a small, semi-private lounge area and a doorknob-covered restroom door.

Just past the restroom is a sunken den-like seating area made to look like a cozy living room.

Moseley told Insider some visitors come to the Five Guys-connected bar and are disappointed by the absence of Garret-special burgers on the menu.

Until that happens, diners can grab their burger and fries on their way up.

Specialty house cocktails are $15 — The Beatles at Shea being the one exception at $16 — and classic cocktails are $14.

You may want to spend time flavor-pairing if you're planning to eat and drink in one visit.

He said the shiso in The Norse Whisperer cocktail would complement plain fries.

The flavors of The First Lady drink and our acidic, pickle-y cheeseburger were all over the place.

Fulton and Moseley told us that, in their opinion, the absolute best Five Guys-Garret pairing is an order of Cajun fries and the bar's signature Beatles at Shea cocktail.

We also tried The Full Brazilian: a cinnamon-like concoction featuring rye and Avuá Amburana Cachaça served without ice or garnish.

Wheeler said Avuá Amburana Cachaça, the base for this drink, is one of his favorite spirits.

There are plenty of cocktails to choose from.

The cocktail names and stories may seem intense, but the bar's atmosphere feels cool and collected.

While they don't take themselves too seriously, they're definitely serious about their bar. They've even got tattoos to prove it.

Moseley showed us a tattoo and a ring that both pay homage to the story of the bar.

Instead, they went with the word "garret" — a word that refers to the very top of a house, the space just beneath the roof.

The Garret West is a great spot for a date, a place to kill time before a nearby dinner reservation, or even for a business meeting.

The Garret offers a unique experience that we have yet to find at another bar in the city.

While it's not technically a Prohibition-era speakeasy since you can see the bar from the outside, there's still an element of mystery to the place.

The neon "Soul" sign acts as a beacon shining up 7th Avenue, letting everyone know they're open and all are welcome to come on in.