schmuck. is a cocktail bar from acclaimed bartenders Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy making their U.S. debut. Located in New York’s East Village on the corner of 1st avenue and 6th Street, schmuck. features cocktails influenced by the team’s high-volume and culinary backgrounds to craft ingredient-driven, flavorful drinks presented in a way that is approachable, fast, and easy-going. Since opening at the end of January 2025, schmuck. has been named one of America’s “Best New Bars” 2025 by Esquire and Bon Appetit, among other accolades.
Visiting schmuck. is akin to heading to a friend’s home for a house party, with around 24 drinks over two spaces, all under the schmuck. umbrella. The main living room bar is an all-seated experience, offering original creations or reinterpretations of favorite ingredients or dishes, allowing guests to discover flavors with each sip. The smaller bar, dubbed the kitchen table and with its own entrance, features drinks with one or two straight forward, big, strong flavors.
Moe Aljaff, who was born in Iraq and grew up in Sweden, entered the bar world working in high volume venues including live music bars, clubs, and the acclaimed Himkok in Oslo. In 2017 he opened Two Schmucks in Barcelona, a nailed together DIY bar that began to gain recognition for its “five-star dive bar’ approach to cocktails. By 2019, Aljaff and his partner rebuilt the bar into the space they always envisioned.
Juliette Larrouy, who hails from the south of France, started her hospitality journey at 14 years old and at 18 she moved to Paris to attend the Ferrandi Culinary School. After a year of being a sous chef for Chef Claude Colliot, Larrouy felt herself being drawn to bar operations and joined the award-winning team at Le Syndicat in 2016. Having collaborated on pop-ups since 2018, Aljaff and Larrouy officially partnered in 2020 when Larrouy joined the Two Schmucks team in Barcelona. After the bar was ranked number seven on the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2022, they departed to pursue new goals, turning their focus to the U.S. market. A 2023 residency in Miami led them to partner with Dan Binkiewicz, co-owner of Sweet Liberty and other venues. Together, they chose New York for their first joint venture — schmuck. — which opened in the East Village in January 2025.
