Housed in a former 1800s carriage house that later became an artist's studio, Martiny's owes its name to sculptor Philip Martiny, who crafted details on the arch in Washington Square Park. Remarkably, Martiny's name is pronounced like the classic cocktail, making it seem as if the space was always meant to become a cocktail bar.
Martiny's is #15 of North America's 50 Best Bars 2025 and #24 of the World's 50 Best Bars 2024. In 2023, Martiny's won Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar at the Spirited Awards.
TAKUMA WATANABE
Takuma Watanabe spent eight years as the head bartender of Angel’s Share — one of New York City’s most iconic and pioneering cocktail dens — before venturing out on his own. In 2022, the Tokyo native unveiled his first solo project: Martiny’s, a Japanese cocktail bar spanning three floors of a renovated 1800s carriage house at 121 East 17th Street, located between Union Square East and Irving Place, in Gramercy.
In 2024, Takuma won Bartender of the Year at the Spirits Business Awards and won Best Bartender in North America at the Shaker Awards. He was recognized as a semifinalist for the 2025 James Beard Awards for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service and is a nominee for U.S. Bartender of the Year for the 2025 Spirited Awards.
