Sex And The City's Scout Is A Real-Life NYC Cocktail Bar
There are many things to love about New York City's SoHo neighborhood, and for die-hard "Sex and the City" fans, the bar scene is one of them. If you take a turn down Grand Street, you'll find the real-life version of Scout, the bar owned by characters Steve and Aidan in the show. The bar is not actually called Scout, and you won't find the Mulberry bush Carrie Bradshaw bought for Steve and Aidan. But the show really did film in the cocktail bar that's located at 174 Grand Street, also known to Manhattan natives as Onieal's.
Although Onieal's is a notorious filming spot — recognizable in other titles like "Are You There, Chelsea?" and "The Adjustment Bureau" — "Sex and the City" super-fans would say it's most known for its role in the HBO series, which was also the inspiration behind a premade version of the show's famous cocktail. Regardless of its claim to fame, this real restaurant where the SATC ladies mingled is a major tourist hub. If you visit the location, you're guaranteed to feel like you're in the HBO hit (and you might even see the SATC sight-seeing tour stop outside). Not much about the place is different onscreen, including the real Onieal's banner and window signs producers left in a couple of episodes. The only noticeable alteration is the fake street sign marking its address as Mulberry Street instead of the real Grand Street locale infamous for its provocative lore.
Order Carrie Bradshaw's cocktail
Interestingly, Onieal's has a rich history almost as compelling as "Sex and the City." In the 1920s, it functioned as a Prohibition speakeasy in a neighborhood abundant with crime. Rumor has it that the now-converted wine cellar underneath the building was once part of a tunnel that connected to the former police station across the street ... for not-so-Prohibition-friendly purposes. But the historic bar isn't quite as scandalous in the show. It's just home to some pretty entertaining storylines and plenty of cosmopolitans — Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha's signature drink from the show. At the actual NYC location, you can peruse a full dining menu at the bar, and most importantly, you can order the cocktail Carrie Bradshaw made famous, affectionately dubbed the "Sex and the City Cosmopolitan."
In a YouTube video for On Location Tours, an Onieal's bartender can be seen mixing up the iconic cosmo with citrus vodka, triple sec, lime juice, cranberry juice, and a neat trick involving matches and an orange. To infuse the flavor of the fresh orange without actually putting it in the drink, he briefly ignites the orange peel over the top of the glass. The smell then enhances the orange taste when you bring the glass to your mouth. While we can't confirm Scout was lighting up orange peels every night, we can say that Onieal's is a must-see if you've always wanted to have a Carrie Bradshaw moment.