Ah yes... my favorite speakeasy... Even though I have stopped drinking 3 years ago and my last time here was about 3 years ago, I feel obligated to share my memorable moments and experience here. Back before this place became more popular (about 4.5 years ago), I stumbled on this hidden gem on accident. The bartender there (hoping he is still there) was fairly new, but did such a great job with his mixed drinks! His secret? He told me the last bartender left a book with all the ingredients for him before he left. When I asked the bartender where else he has bartended, he said Applebees! That has to be one of my monumental moment. One of my favorite bartenders who left Applebees only a few weeks prior and became one of the best bartenders I've encountered. As time went on, I witnessed this bartender gain confidence and started making his own drinks. Soon enough, he was able to make drinks the way I liked it: strong, sour, spicy, and not too sweet. He also picked up on how much cocktails should be... because on my first couple visits, I was only charged $7 for each drink when everywhere else sold it for at least $12-15! Long are those days... In any case, I hope that bartender is still there. Because.. YNK... next time I visit, I might have to try his drinks. read more

YNK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

This cozy little bar/lounge is right up my alley for relaxing on a Friday night. I wish I remembered the drink I ordered because it was soooo good. It had lychee and soju and was sweet and fruity if that's your jam. The bartender was very hospitable as well! Great place to grab a drink with a loved one or friend. It's very small - seats about 12 - and you have to make reservations! Park at the hotel, YNK will validate :) I'll definitely be coming back here! read more

Craft Cocktails. With a "warning - will be expensive" label. The craft mixologist can make anything you like. They do have a menu with selections, although I stuck with a traditional old fashioned. Many drinks here feature large clear ice and are smoked in their smoked drinks chamber. Adds flavor and scent to peat whisky drinks. You should make reservations if you plan to come here. The space itself is small, and probably holds less than 20 people here. I met a small group and we had to crouch together. The valet is tricky - they charged one of us $8, and several others $20, for parking at the same place for the same amount of time. Several valets working their said they were cash only. Maybe call ahead to see what parking options there might be. An evening here can get expensive quickly with $20 plus tip parking and $25 drinks. It is admittedly a nice place with great service. read more

YNK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

This review is for the Mixology class lead by Sean. I booked the class for my birthday and all of my friends and I had the most amazing time. The class was fun, informative and the drinks were delicious and incredibly well-balanced. Sean was very sweet and patient with us. The class also included a crudité board and a dessert for all the guests at the end. You get the whole speakeasy to yourself and it was a perfect girls night out! read more

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This bar is an interesting bar. The drinks are good and the takes are creative. They're your basic cocktail staples in different names and in fun glasses. Some are smoked right in front of you! But the bar itself is a bit on the small side, in a room next to the hotel restaurant. So it did feel kind of weird coming into the hotel just for the small bar. It also felt strange having to pay a huge dollar amount for hotel parking when I was only there for about two hours. So I probably won't be coming back unless a friend specifically wants to go. read more

Super cute spot my date and I came to. The drinks were phenomenal but the bartender was a snob and pretty rude. I've worked in speakeasies before and his behavior is unacceptable especially for a place like this. Nonetheless, drinks were truly wonderful. read more

YNK - Inside of the hotel. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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After hearing great things, decided to visit the YNK speakeasy last night for New Year's Eve! Located inside of the Irvine Marriott, YNK is an intimate lounge that serves craft cocktails with a regional twist. The lounge is travel themed and "you never know" where you are headed! Last night's menu (which we found out runs quarterly) took us to Asia, with liquors and flavors from China, Japan and Thailand. My favorite was the Paper Crane - a cocktail mixed with yuzu, Japanese whisky and bitters that yielded a nice bite. We made reservations for 10 pm and were able to stay until 12 am for closing. We ended up doing our NYE countdown at the Marriott bar, right outside of the lounge. The sole bartender, Nick, was a great mixologist and had fantastic recommendations. I'm interested in coming back next quarter for their new menu and bringing a group - the lounge can accommodate up to 20 people and requires reservations. Enjoy your stay! read more

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Who knew there was a modern speakeasy inside a corporate based hotel in Irvine!? When I first heard about YKK (You Now Know) -- this charming library-esque designed speakeasy -- set inside the Irvine Marriott, I had to go right away. Literally the first day I heard about it, I went! It is very intimate. I think there are about four lounge vignettes. They range from seating comfortably 3 or 4 people to a larger party of 6 to 8. One of of the couches is legitimately huge. The bartender's mixology area is pretty awesome looking. It makes me want to learn how to mix drinks. Our bartender was Jonathan. He is amazing, talented, and a genius at mixing. A true alchemist! He created four cocktail drinks for us and I'll be honest, I loved the one's he created for my friend versus me! Lol So this place has no menu. They only create a cocktail drink based on your favorite well then flavors. My first drink was like a Three Dots and a Dash. My friend got one like a Manhattan; that one was so good! My second was like an apple rum-tequilla drink. My friend's second drink was gin based with bitters and elderflower, which again... was sooooo good! It is located behind some screen glass doors directly behind the Irvine Marriott's lobby bar. Parking wise, you can do valet or self parking. Something even more speakeasy about this already speakeasy bar is there is a secret bar in the back of house section of the hotel. It's called the Butcher Shop. It takes the space of the hotel walk in refrigerator. It only opens on the weekends and needs RSVPs. That is for sure on my To-Do list. Can't wait for the next time! read more

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Cute quaint speakeasy. Inside the Marriott hotel it's a small space but accommodating to walk-ins on a Friday. The drinks were delicious and beautiful crafted. The menu is focused around a specific place/area/geographic location. My best friend and I visited during their North Pole time and felt the drinks were perfectly in theme. The food is equally delicious, you cannot go wrong here. read more

***sorry downgrading my review. This place has gone downhill. The bartender Nick sucks. Should not be working in hospitality ***Truly lives upto it's name. The mixologist is awesome. read more

Not quite what we were expecting. Hoping for a speakeasy, was definitely more of a small private room behind the main lobby bar. Not hidden at all. Sliding doors to the bar were open the entire time. Service was okay. Only one server and when we arrived there were about 4 parties. Had to repeat requests multiple times. However, the drinks were well crafted and the poke nachos were delicious. If you're looking for a "speakeasy" experience, you won't get it here. read more

This is a speakeasy lounge inside Irvine Marriott. It is hidden behind the hotel bar. The space is super small. It has a bar area, three sofa and couple chairs. It is almost like chilling in your own living room What is a speakeasy you ask? It is inspired in the Prohibition day in 1920's, where an intimate crowd gather and have a great time. It is normally in an almost impossible and hard to find spot, which makes it exclusive. We came here after a birthday party. Our group were way too big for this place. Some stayed in the speakeasy lounge, but most of us had to go to the actual hotel bar Our waiter, Jonathan was super friendly and know how to mix his liquor well. He took good care of us. We all had a super great time. Some of us were so happy, we end up crashing a wedding at the hotel. Shhhhh...we will never tell right:) Overall, a great experience. I would come here again read more

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This has to be one of the best bars I've ever experienced. The vibe, the ambiance, the drinks, the service, everything was an experience to remember. I cannot wait to visit next time I'm in the area. Nicholas was great! His drinks are some of the best I've ever had. Everyone in my party agreed. read more

YNK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

This is a must see hidden gem, bar tender was humble, knowledgeable, and friendly. Tiny place, requires reservations. But it's a must see

An unusual location but a really cute cocktail bar! Nick was our bartender and the whole please had gone Halloween themed: Addams family black and white up on the screens, tons of decorations, and fun themed cocktails. You can also order food from the main restaurant. It's not the same as a NY speakeasy, but it'll do for those stuck in the OC! read more

The giant, bright, flashing screens playing low-quality videos of the 1920's on repeat ruined the experience. Please. Get rid of the giant screens. I couldn't focus on what my wife was saying for the life of me as a result, and the screens were giving me a headache. Ever seen TVs in a 1920's speakeasy before? Me neither. The Marriott had a small useless room, and was like, "let's throw some mood lighting, a couple wood cupboards in here and call it a speakeasy." 20% more effort might make it passable. The bartender, Nick, was the saving grace of this place. Great cocktails, but a poor excuse for a "speakeasy." read more

Such a hidden gem A speakeasy inside a beautiful Hotel! Enjoyed our mixologist Nick. Very friendly and provided such great service. Every drink was amazing Will be coming back again very soon & bringing more friends. read more

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Mixology is top notch! Mixologist, Ben, is fantastic. Ordered both smoked cocktails. Drinks were excellent but the presentation was even better read more

Whaddya know! Irvine has a speakeasy and they make drink classics like you remembered them to be. Y.N.K. (You Never Know) is a two year old themed bar/speakeasy in the the Irvine Marriott Hotel. I had a hard time finding it, but it really isn't hard to find... It's right behind the regular bar. YNK is an unconventional set up. It's a room that doesn't really have bar counter. Drinks are prepared on a table with vintage lights and what seems like burners and beakers. Almost like a science lab for drinks. There are two huge screens that display the featured drinks and a video that plays. The featured drinks are by country. When I went they were serving Italian drinks and were soon switching over to Amsterdam as the next theme. To keep it fresh, they change countries every 4-6 months. There is only one person behind the bar and his name is Ravin! He calmly took my order and precisely crafted my Old Fashioned. Even though he performs like a scientist who knows his lab, he doesn't aim to do anything crazy, his main focus is to prepare them correctly. It makes you realize that many bartenders could be so much better if they just prepared the classics as they should be done. He'll ice it down if it needs to be cooled first, he'll burn a cinnamon stick if your drink requires that fresh smoked spice, he'll froth up the drink if it requires egg white, etc. My Old Fashioned was great. Even though there's a themed menu, you can still order off the menu, especially if you want a standard classic like gin and tonic, vodka tonic, old fashioned, sazerac, etc. There is a leather bound book that has all their other drinks... Just ask for it! The room is not huge but has four seating areas with different couches and chairs and even though other people are not far away you can still have your own private conversation with your friends. If you are in the area near John Wayne Airport you need to bookmark this place. Do not be intimidated by the $23 hotel parking lot! YNK or any of the other dining establishments inside the hotel will stamp you with free validation for 3 hours. I was really impressed with YNK and will be back with friends. I wish more hotels would have craft bars like this, but then again, there is only one Ravin that crafts his drinks with such passion. Now if only Marriott could find a way to bottle him up and duplicate this at all their hotels! read more

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I had higher hopes for this place given what I had heard, but I think they may have just been trying harder when it first opened a few years ago. The space itself is small and dimly lit but comfortable and clean, with various objects of décor to suggest a "worldly" vibe, as the menu is themed after various countries of Europe. Its not particularly ornate or detailed, but then again this is a side room in a hotel lobby. The cocktails themselves were competent, certainly better than your standard-sweet fare at an average drinking establishment, but not exactly what I would consider unique nor did they set a high bar. We had: -The Gun Smoke, which is just a standard Negroni with a burnt stick of rosemary in it. -The Fog Of War, which is pretty much a dark and stormy to the T (with "citrus bitters"). -The Pearls 75, which is a French 75 with something called "lemon caviar" that was conspicuously missing from our drink (I assume it would have been some kind of boba-like "pearl"?) -The Penicillin, which was made standard but too sweet for my taste (I am assuming this was to blunt the taste of Laphroaig, but the original calls for Lagavulin which would work better for this reason). -The Garden Walk, which was probably the best of the bunch, as it was a refreshing Gin Basil Smash following a standard recipe of gin, basil and cucumber (amplified by the use of Hendricks gin). If your normal cocktail repertoire is simple and/or sweet stuff, you may be pleasantly surprised. However, if you've at all been drinking the aforementioned cocktails regularly, you wont find anything novel here. Moreover, the bartender was unenthused and low-energy. He seemed to perk up a bit at our enthusiasm, but it was an awkward vibe in the beginning. I personally give people a wide berth with stuff like this, since we are all human and the cocktails are what matters more, but several other reviews (especially on the opentable reservations site) mentioned the same thing. read more

A cool bar just behind the large bar inside the Marriott Irvine lobby. You Never Know (Y.N.K) what you'll discover on a random night out. The man and I came in after having a delicious meal at Mastro's to meet up with his BFF to celebrate his belated birthday. Very tiny room with a capacity of 15-20 seats to accommodate. A bar cart/ catering stand for a bar and one mixologist. Very chic/modern decor and furniture. The screens on the wall project the drink menu. Since I had a glass of wine with dinner, I decided to be DD so the man can enjoy a couple of drinks with his boy. They ordered their signature old fashion, which the bartender prepared - brought the glass to our table - and poured it from a decanter. Impressive! The only setbacks I have are that the drinks will take longer and you may not find a seat inside the speakeasy room. Being that it's specialty cocktails and one bartender, you know you'll be waiting about 10 mins for a drink. Parking can be validated at the Front Desk up to 3 hrs. Cheers! read more

YNK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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Details.. .. Hubs found this place for a much needed end of week drink & snack food. .. It's a speakeasy. It's sorta loud. It's "hidden". It's not for people who don't want a cool vibe, awesome bartenders, & craft cocktails. prOs.. .. Our bartender Jonathan was AMAZING! Both of us had him make drinks based on what we liked & we loved all 4 drinks he made for us. Service was great. .. We also ordered the crab devil eggs (incredible), cajun popcorn chicken (very delicious, but could be more cajun-y), & smokehouse wings (well seasoned with a slight hint of sweet that isn't off putting). .. It was a small, intimate space that had a great vibe. nO cOns.. yayy! read more

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Great place to hang out! My bf and I came here last Friday and had an amazing time. YNK is pretty easy to find, located just inside the Irvine Marriott right past the lobby and the lounge. It's a pretty small place and can only seat probably 20 people. I loved the atmosphere of the place! The music, lighting, furniture, video playing on the walls were all awesome! Our mixologist Jonathan was amazing! The place was packed full of people, but he managed to make our drinks pretty quickly. My bf had the Smoky Old Fashioned (I think that's what it was called) and I just told him I wanted something fruity. He ended up making me the Farmer's Choice. Both drinks were DELICIOUS! For anyone who likes trying new bars and drinks, YNK is a MUST! read more

Very disappointed. There was a bartender (older gentleman with a trimmed white beard) who looked at my group of 6 colleagues and immediately said "reservations only." I looked inside and saw 3 people seated and thought to myself -- that's odd. After I called the restaurant, the operator told me there were a number of cancellations tonight and said I could walk in and be fine. I walked back in and told me he wouldn't seat us despite there being cancellations. He said there were more coming so we waited for 15 minutes. No one. He closed the door on us -- almost expecting us to leave. Extremely unfortunate because I had such high hopes. I'll be sure no one in our circles will be going. read more

Hey whaddya know! A fun little spot that offers an interesting vibe in Irvine. Go figure! The mixologist made tasty stiff drinks for us - some of which came with a fun feature of smoke or scented bubble. Small and intimate with fun travel vibe and decor. A great choice just to have some drinks and chat with your mate or a small group of friends. read more

YNK - Presentation of the Vieux Carre - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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Arrived a bit before 7pm on a Saturday night but staff had been diverted to deal with overflow crowds in main lobby bar...YNK opened at 7:20 for us that nite. Wes (one of the craft bartenders) took EXCELLENT care of us on the patio until YNK opened. Recommend the Jack Mule and Nickle something.... read more

YNK - Not quite open .... maybe soon?? You Never Know I guess... - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

You see, growing up with very Libra mom and dad meant we never shared our secrets, especially if they're GOOD secrets. I am totally violating all that they taught me by sharing my experience at this most awesomerific place here. We have been hearing so much about this place and could not wait to try. So obviously we went early. There's no drink menu here but there IS a mind-reading bartender here. Jonathan kept surprising us with knowing exactly what we needed and creating very original and tasty drinks for us. They tasted great and seeing him make drinks was equally entertaining. I have never wanted to savor each sip like this before. We ended up staying for hours, ordered desserts, had a great time. This place spoiled us in the best way possible--I don't think there's any other place we'd go for drinks now. My life will never be the same. read more

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Hands down my fave speakeasy! We went on a Wednesday night so it wasn't crowded. Got a chance to chat with our bartender and he gave us a lil spiel about the place, which was great. There wasn't a drink menu and all the drinks are customized which is a great touch! Marc was great and made amazing drinks for us. He asked us what our preferences were and made cocktails based on that. Fun, cute and intimate setting. Loved the music playlist too. Highly recommend and will definitely be back again! Special shoutout to Marc for the great experience! Thank you Marc!! Check them out, You Never Know (Y.N.K) what you're going to get :) read more

YNK - Vodka matcha & dark chocolate :) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

This isn't really much of a speakeasy, as the doors to enter it are labelled with big lights on the outside, and it really is just like a private room within a bigger bar. Still, the atmosphere was fun and the lighting and mood were excellent. I had the lavender bellini and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Do note that it isn't sweet, but the taste was still quite excellent. There were a few lavender seeds which actually went quite well with the drink as a whole. Overall this place as well made cocktails, though it is only run by one bartender, so it can get a little slow especially when crowded. read more

YNK - Lavender Bellini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here tonight on a Saturday night and they were closed. As a business, Yelp hours (even if during COVID) should be updated to reflect accurate times. read more

Been here before (pre-COVID) and the drinks, ambiance were great. Today I made a reservation to stop by with my wife and daughter (under one, the kid - my wife is of age). When we arrive we were told it was a 21+ establishment. Nowhere on their website or reservation platform is this requirement mentioned. This is seriously annoying not the least of which because we mentioned the baby in the reservation notes. As my wife and I walked away I could hear raucous laughter coming from inside the bar. We had literally just left and there was one patron (high tube socks, old ratty sneakers and shorts) as well as the bartender. I'll never know if they were laughing at us or just something really amusing on the Muzak sound system. Just be warned, you never know what you'll get at this upscale hole in the wall. read more

Oh my goodness gracious, this little hole in the wall takes the CAKE when it comes to my favorite bars in the Irvine area. If you are hanging around Irvine and want to go to a very eclectic and intimate speakeasy, go to YNK bar. You Never Know (;D) what you will find! YNK bar is located within the Marriot hotel, nestled BEHIND the bar in the front in a small side door. It's small and cozy, and despite it's petite size, there are big surprises when it comes to drinks and you can always sit outside in the sitting area beside the fireplace. Jonathan was our bartender on the night of my visit, and he made us drinks that made us come back again for more! When first approaching his small desk, he let us know that though they have a menu, they can make off menu drinks depending on what YOU like. Now when it comes to drinks, I'm pretty particular about the drinks I like to have. Jonathan took my first challenge to him in earnest: a warm drink that used whiskey but no cinnamon. I was delighted with a earl grey tea and whiskey concoction, which was simply exquisite! I got to see him make an almaretto and an old fashioned as well, which he smoked in two different ways. WOW. I love an extra, dramatic drink! After our sips, we came back for round 2. I challenged our bartender magician with something minty, and he made me something with raspberry, aloe, and champagne- a beautiful pink drink that was supppper delicious. Just the quality of service, the drinks, and of course 3 hour PARKING VALIDATION (YAS!)... I'm coming back for more, you can count on that!! read more

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Talk about a hidden gem. Jonathon ensures your experience at Y.N.K. is untarnished. There are several treats hidden throughout this speakeasy... Hints: What does Y.N.K. stand for? Ask about the butcher shop. read more

Checked out this hidden gem located inside the Irvine Marriott behind the Floe Lounge today. The interior decor was like high class cozy lounge (if that makes any sense at all). The room fits about 20 people with comfy seating areas, dim lighting, and two large screens on opposite walls playing videos to go along with the theme that's currently running. The bartender, Ravin, was very unique guide in the YNK experience and definitely knows what he's doing. If you're not sure of what drink to get, just tell him the type of drink you'd like (I told him I liked fruity) and he'll whip you up a delicious concoction (I should know, buzzed as I write this). It's definitely very chill and I would absolutely come back again for a relaxing night out! Note: 3 hour validation offered read more

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Good food, good vibe, great drinks. The service was good too however the bartender wasn't friendly, made us feel like we were an inconvenience. read more

Neat little bar in the Marriott, but the priciest drinks in OC. Came for a Ramos to celebrate a friend's birthday with her favorite drink. It was okay. Also, they did NOTHING for the birthday girl. No little dessert or anything! What kind of place does NOTHING for someone's birthday celebration?!?! read more

We had an awesome experience. The bartender was amazing! Highly recommend. The drinks were al fantastic! Looking forward to coming back in the summer. read more

Cutest speakeasy with the 1920's vibe! The bartender there was super nice and made us feel right at home. He made this killer smoked whiskey for my hubby and we were so impressed with it! He even surprised my hubby with a birthday dessert. Great ambiance, great service and a nice place to chill! read more

So glad we finally made it here...had it bookmarked forever. Got here at 5pm and they didn't open until 5:45 ( their opening hours vary), kind of annoying but we'll worth it. The bartender, Wes, was friendly and a master at his craft. It was Amsterdam theme this month, so they were playing all Avicii music and had Dutch themed cocktails. The Dutch Apple Fizz was beautiful and delicious. Definitely Instagramable drinks up in here. We plan on returning every time they change to a new theme. Most drinks are $14 and remember to get your parking ticket validated. read more

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Would have loved to enjoy a cocktail here. Unfortunately after coming all the way here and having a hard time finding it we were told they're not open today (yelp hours says they should be). Disappointing that they don't think to update their hours when they are closed unexpectedly and cause us to lose a large chunk of our night. read more