We had a most excellent drink experience here. First time staying the night in Ithaca. Went into this bar solely for its name but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of craft cocktails. The bartender was excellent and friendly. Atmosphere was quiet and respectful read more

See all

This is a sad review for me to write because my husband, friend, and I regularly started our evenings out downtown by getting a cocktail here. We loved the atmosphere and menu. We have found some of the bartenders to be stand-offish and would only call one of them really friendly, but that just rolled off our shoulders - all three of us are industry veterans. I have never in my entire career as a server and bartender (and customer) observed an interaction like the one we had Friday night. The bartender was so incredibly rude to my friend that we will never return. read more

Great service. Great cocktails. If you're looking for a small quiet pub with great cocktails, this is the spot for you. read more

I truthfully am speechless about my experience at Nowhere Special. The owner was extremely rude and inpatient, and swore at my group continuously under his breath while we were politely ordering drinks. He kicked us out 20 minutes before closing time when we were already planning on leaving well before then. Rather than asking us politely to leave, he swore and yelled at us, clearly taking advantage of the fact that we were a young group of mostly women. I have never felt so uncomfortable, and quite frankly, scared. I am still in disbelief, and will never return here. I would advise anyone else not in the owner's close friend group to avoid this bar at all costs. I have never in my life experienced such exclusiveness from what should have been a welcoming environment to all. read more

Best bar in Ithaca. Great drinks, great vibe, great bartenders. Never disappoints. Highly recommend the hot buttered bourbon. read more

See all

Cocktails were so well made- balanced, interesting flavor combos, and reasonably priced. It is majority intimate bar seating which I don't usually love, but it actually allowed the bartender to be attentive to us. He gave us waters without us even asking right when I was wanting some! Great at anticipating customer needs. Nice to find a grown up bar in a college town with guys who really know how to mix a cocktail read more

I usually have a pretty high tolerance for bad service. And I HATE leaving bad reviews. But this place has earned it. I have never felt so unwelcome in an establishment. The bartender was not just blatantly rude, slamming his equipment and rolling his eyes, but he swore at us. Telling us to "move our f**king feet." I'm at a loss for words after our experience tonight. Do not come here. You will regret it. You will be treated horribly. You will leave with your blood boiling. read more

This is the worst bar I've ever been to in Ithaca. The moment we walked in, the bartender started making snide remarks and insulting our intelligence. He yelled at several people and said "if you're not drinking, get out." He claimed the bar was closed at 9:40 when it closes at 10 pm, and it was a Saturday night. If was our friend's birthday and he was extremely rude to her. I would not recommend coming here ever. read more

Absolutely unprofessional bartender/owner, and from reading other reviews, many have had this experience. As other reviews from my group have mentioned, my friends stopped here for one drink to surprise me before moving on with our night. Had the bartender simply said to them that he doesn't take large groups, they would have moved on with their night and respected that. However, given that he did not say anything until everyone had purchased a drink, we (CRAZILY!) assumed that a bar open until 10:00 PM on a Saturday night would allow customers at 9:30 PM. He clearly had a problem with the fact that we were all 21-22, despite the fact that everyone was paying and tipping, and no one was being rowdy. Instead of asking us to leave politely when we walked in, he instead decided to ruin the moment when my friends said "Surprise" by instead immediately screaming at us that they close at 10:00pm, insulting us, cursing at us, and rolling his eyes. I truly have never experienced something like this. As a Cornell student, it is imperative to me to support small Ithaca businesses and I make it a point to be respectful of the local community. If he has some problem with college students, I am not sure what he expected when opening a business in Ithaca, but that isn't something we could have magically predicted. When he eventually cursed at us to leave, my friend posted a review stating exactly what had happened, similar to how I described it above, but even nicer, complimenting the female bartender (who I heard was lovely). Instead of addressing the complaint from a dissatisfied customer, or simply ignoring it, the outrageous owner decided to POST her review, including her full name, letting his army of loyal supporters tear her a new one in the comments. These commenters insulted my friend, uninformed and clearly part of some weird cult-like customer base. I understand that they have an interesting selection of drinks (I was unable to purchase one before being kicked out), which people seem to be particularly passionate about. Some more rational commenters who don't hate young people for no reason pointed out that Nowhere Special does not have this no-group policy listed on their website, which I confirmed, and that they should simply have politely told us to leave. I am genuinely astounded not only at the treatment of my group, but the subsequent bullying of an honest reviewer. Their assertion that they OBVIOUSLY don't take large parties or host "bar-crawls" is not only untraditional for any classic bar open on a Saturday night, but seems to be an arbitrary policy made up by the bitter owner. Luckily, we were able to relocate to Chanticleer after being kicked out - not only did they welcome us with open arms, but they had very cheap drinks, and the bartender wore one of my party hats:) read more

Great vibe! Cool hole in the wall find! You almost miss it...but when you walk in it's like you discovered a hidden secret!

The male bar tender was extremely disrespectful. Screaming at customers to leave 20 minutes before closing. He was degrading members of a big party, while they were all well behaved. Horrible experience. Never had an experience where a bartender was upset at having business. Completely ruined the vibe of the bar. Bike bar is down the street, way better option! read more

A new favorite spot in Ithaca. The owner is passionate about what he does, and is truly an artist when it comes to crafting culinary cocktail concoctions. He's also got great taste in movies & tv and on the off-chance it's ever slow, he's only ever given me excellent recommendations. Drinks - 5 stars Atmosphere - 5 stars Conversation - 5 stars Cleanliness - 5 stars The only down-side is that it's a wee spot tucked away so when it's busy, there's a possibility you won't be able to fit at a table or the bar. Small price to pay for good quality. Also, there's a chalkboard in the bathroom, so after a few Tiki Time Cocktails I have a convenient and private outlet for my lewd drawings. read more

If I could give negative stars I would... Your bar was recommended to me by a family member who attended Cornell and heard good things. A couple friends and I stopped by on Friday June 25th for a cocktail before going to dinner. To say the bartender couldn't have been more ignorant and rude is an understatement. Myself and my party were completely appalled by his service, snide remarks, and totally nasty comments to us. We ordered drinks and finished them but he had nothing pleasant to say. The drinks we had were good and we thought we would order a second round then head out but he informed us that we were "done there" and threw our check across the bar. I'll have you know, we had 1 drink the entire day so being cut off for being intoxicated was not even a slight excuse. He was completely inappropriate and downright NASTY. A class in respect and the proper way to treat people would go a long way for this gentleman. Never again will I step foot in that establishment. read more

Cool spot for cocktails or a beer that just opened. Owner/bartender is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and I've loved all the cocktails I've tried. Check out the Jolly Pumpkin it it's still around when you swing by. read more

See all

I was there on a recent evening and it was odd. The woman behind the bar was very nice and making drinks as fast as she could while the owner just literally sat back and chatted with one customer. I caught his eye several times to indicate I wanted another drink since the woman was furiously trying to serve others. He just sat back casually not lifting a finger to help. It felt very rude and demeaning. read more

Jan 10, 2020 Went with high expectation and respect for the place given the recommendation from a friend who knows the owner from liquid state. Would have liked to have an experience like the rest are describing here. Unfortunately for me, however, the Owner that everyone seems to revere is somewhat of a pretentious pucker to people who have yet come to understand the art and technicality of whisky cocktails and or how to choose. They have a vast collection of bourbons, whisky, scotch and more I am sure. So how does one choose from the diversity? New to this experience, I kindly asked the bartender that I was looking for a floral whisky on the sweeter side to sip on. He seems bothered by the fact that I am asking for a recommendation. He begrudgingly points to six different bottles (which isn't really a recommendation when you aren't describing the drinks themselves). Having to make a blind decision, on his expansive description of the drinks /s, I think about which to choose. At this point he has become agitated and RUDELY asks if I am ever going to ever order anything, which is awkward because the lady working beside him was already in the works of making me the whisky sour I had ordered before I even spoke to him. His regulars/friends sitting at the bar even proceed to mock me among themselves. I have NEVER felt so belittled, so RIDICULED for trying to learn and purchase a good from an establishment that Dean, the owner describes the establishment as a place for, "Getting people to try little things that open up their palates and then they want to come back and try that again."themselves. This place clearly only caters to those that understand the process. His keenness to customer service blows my mind. I didn't even know they had a menu! Not even a suggestion if I'd like to see it. Regardless, perhaps even uniquely on this night, there was no room for kindness or patience for me. He pours my chilled whisky as he bellows under his breath, "your whiskey CHILLED," as if to throw the last verbal blow before finally having to end our interaction; shaming me for how I ordered the beverage. At this point I am feeling quite attacked, isolated and unwelcome that I casually and gracefully extend my middle finger to the bartender. He proceeds to ask me to leave and grabs the drink from my hands. I leave without protest relieved I no longer have to endure such a hostile and unwelcoming environment. Indeed, this place has earned its name wholeheartedly. "Nowhere special," hostile, unfriendly, demeaning and a place where social gatekeepers can sip on their egos. Feel free to respond here Mr. bartender. I'd love to hear how you felt it was appropriate to treat me the way you did. read more

Awesome little place for drinks and conversation. Knowledgeable and interesting bartender.... Pick his brain for cool creations and recommendations, or just shoot the shit with friends. read more

My all time favorite bar. The owner is a great dude and friend of mine. The drinks are amazing and the presentation always hits. Wouldn't go anywhere else. read more