SM23

Is it expensive? A bit. But for the cocktails that I received, I was quite happy with the price.
Morristown is known for having a lot of great — and busy — bars, so I like knowing that SM23 is there for when I want a little bit of a more relaxed experience. I have been a few times, mostly on dates with my boyfriend. We usually find a spot on one of the comfortable seats, sit back, and relax. The bartenders and servers are all very nice and generally speaking, our service has always been good.
I’ve tried a few different drinks at SM23, such as the Tokyo and a Lavender Screwdriver. The Tokyo was strong (but it is made of quite a bit of alcohol) and I LOVED the Lavender Screwdriver. I’m a big fan of floral notes in my drinks and I got turned on to lavender when I first tried lavender kombucha. The lavender flavor in the screwdriver was very present but not overpowering. My boyfriend’s go-​to drink here is the Mango Mojito — crisp, fruity, and well-​balanced.
While it is sometimes more crowded than others, we enjoy heading to SM23 for dates because of the ambiance, the dimmer lights, the comfy setting, and the softer music (we have never been on a night where there was a DJ). I think that it is worth the money for the experience and will definitely be going back to try more of the delicious drinks in the future.

If your looking for a low key appetizer and drinks place this is it. It’s tucked away in the Hyatt but it’s a cool laid back atmosphere and the staff are wonderful.

Ambience was excellent. Bartender was very friendly and helpful. I had the Grilled Pineapple & Cardamom. Absolutely delicious and exotic tasting! Highly recommend.

I don’t usually write reviews but in this case I will. Last night we had a birthday dinner nearby for my wife and decided to come here since it was walking distance. We arrived about 1145p or so. The lounge was slow and not a lot of people. Coming from a birthday dinner we brought about 15 people to the bar. Our party brought life to the bar and as well as money since we ordered constantly drinks. At the end of the night lights came on and rightfully so it was time to finish our drinks. A bouncer that was there approached the group of girls that were with my wife and said to them «I tell you when to leave and you should leave now!» We were taken back by this since we were going to leave right after our drink but this guys comments were unprofessional and disrespectful. He did not have to say it in that way. I don’t know if this a guy that is hired to be the bouncer at this location every weekend or if it was a one night thing for him but wither way someone should say something about the unprofessionalism he showed to a party that made the loungr money last night. For him to just go up to a group of girls and say to «finish now» and leave was an utter disrespect to not only my wife but to all the girls enjoying a good time. I will not be coming back here anytime soon. They need to either teach proper customer service or hire professional bouncers. Never coming back!

Been here a bunch of times for happy hour and late night drinks with friends. Consistently yummy. I love the Indian fusion cocktails and small plates. Very tasty and a relaxing atmosphere. Staff is friendly and its just a chill experience. I also love that its next to Ming and Mehendi, two excellent Indian restaurants so you can stop by after dinner or just opt for appetizers in the bar/​lounge. Only downside would be the location, you literally have to park in a hotel parking lot and walk thru the building to get there. Other than that, love this place and will continue to go there whenever I can.

Definitely agree with other Unilocalers– this place is a hidden gem! The bartenders really have perfected their craft. They have really cool fresh Martinis. I’ve had their Bloody Mary and pomegranate mojito! Both delicious! However again only 4 stars because of the price. I believe my Bloody Mary was $ 11 and was barely even half a pint! My friends and I like coming here before or after seeing a movie next door at the AMC. The décor is pretty cool as well– almost feels like you’re in a cave or something.

We went for a drink this past Monday. I was very excited to have the grapefruit Mojito I had during a previous visit. We were greeted at the door by a male host. He told us to proceed in to the bar. We were the only ones in the cute lounge. We waited 15 minutes, still no bartender. We left, I wanted to tell the host nobody was there to serve us. The host wasn’t in his previous spot. I peeked in to the sister restaurant and he was talking to a group of servers.
He saw me and proceeded toward me.
I told him how we waited for the bartender and nobody came out to serve us. He wasn’t very empathetic so we just left.
To bad because their drinks were quality.

Went here on a first date and couldn’t be more pleased. Great atmosphere and an awesome drink menu. It’s small but cozy.

This place gets great reviews. And to be honest me thinks it has been by people that haven’t been to great places. Mixology here is legit and good but nothing extraordinary. This place is not the Gin Joint in Charleston by any stretch of the imagination. Drinks are small and tend to be pricey for what you get. Prairie Vodka is nothing special and $ 16 per bottle at a liquor store and what they use in most of their martini’s. No wonder they don’t want you or will let you to substitute. I went on a week night and sat at the bar.
Music is loud for a speakeasy type place and on the night I went wasn’t good. The place is 600 square feet and they have a DJ spinning like people will want to dance but there is no dance floor.
Service is average to bad. I watched some girls walk up and threaten not to pay because no one would not bring them the bill. My guy was ok but slow and semi friendly. However, when I order food and get it as I am finishing my cocktail not to get asked if I would want something else by the guy that hasn’t been serving me is not good. Then, letting me eat my whole meal without seeing if I needed anything is worse. Then, as I am finishing my food and as the other bartender is taking my plate he sets a glass of water down like he is doing me a favor. That is just flat out rude. Finally, my bartender came back by and got my drink order. Drank one more and bolted.
Nitpicky stuff — Small. Appetizers are good but kinda pricey. Drinks are more smoke and mirrors than real mixology, yet are mostly good. Music is loud and not good. Go with someone because everyone else is there… with someone. Bathrooms were out of order when I went.
Overall: Meh…

I hate being negative, but when something that was terrific goes in the complete opposite direction, people should be told.
First most of the reviews below are old and probably posted when Eric was still there running SM23. Eric a terrific and talented mixologist is no longer there. We were regulars and had tried virtually everything on the menu. Unfortunately, he has not been replaced and when I ordered some of the old standbys, they were extremely disappointing. Mentioned it to the manger, but he did not seem to care.
Needless to say, I am very sad that a favorite spot is no more…

A+ for drinks and atmosphere! C for snacks … from Ming II? I will be back for sure … I just hope the food improves … more later …

One of the few quality lounge /​bars in Morristown, this is a great spot to take a date or go with friends for a few drinks in a really chill, trendy atmosphere.
I’ve been here 6 – 7 times over the past 6 years and I’ve noticed the same things every time:
1. Good, friendly bartenders
2. Delicious cocktails
3. Good music /​good DJ’s (deep house /​electro /​chill)
4. Very dark lighting
5. It’s kind of difficult to hear conversation if you aren’t in close with the one talking
Last time I was here was a Saturday night, every seat was taken but it wasn’t packed, just the right amount of people. It was easy to get a drink, as bartenders came out from the bar to take orders from the banquettes and tables. Their cocktails are probably the most «mixology» type you can find in Morristown. One of my favorites is the Penicillin Cocktail, which is made up of Johnny Walker Black scotch, lemon juice, honey, simple syrup and ginger extract topped with the Islay single malt scotch, Ardbeg, which gives it a smokey kick at the end.
It didn’t take long for a table to open up and I sat down with my friends. The music was really good that night, but no one really dances at this place. In reference to my list above, comment #5, since no one is dancing, it might make sense to lower the volume a tad, since this place is more about conversation.
Parking is easy, just park in the garage under the Hyatt, and then get your parking ticket validated near the coat check area.
Overall this is a really cool place, and quite different than what you get in this area. I will continue to come to this place every so often.

I recently had a milestone birthday party here at this bar/​lounge and Goldie, the manager, and his team of outstanding mixologists helped to make it one rockin party. We secured the room for the private event on a Saturday night, brought in our own DJ (note that we could have had the house deejay included) and worked with Goldie to customize a fantastic event.
We opted for a combination of passed hors d’oeuvres and a buffet which included a nice selection from both the Indian and pan-​Asian cuisine of he adjacent Mehndi and Ming II restaurants. They premixed several hand crafted signature cocktails and offered a premium bar. We were also able to bring in our own dessert table and cake and the staff could not have been more helpful in assisting us with set up and execution from start to finish.
The only downside was that they did permit a few stragglers in late night around midnight but it didn’t really impact the event in a significant way since we had the space privatized for the majority of the evening. The price per head was not inexpensive but given the quality of food and drink and the top notch service, it was well worth the money.
The space and event were such a hit that my guests are all inquiring now about hosting other events there! Such a great venue and perfect to accommodate a group that is 50 or more! Thank you to the fabulous bar tenders who were professional, yet fun and absolutely accommodating the entire night! Will definitely be back soon.
As an aside, if you’re inclined to eat at the Mehtani group restaurants which flank the bar area, I highly recommend. The food is flavorful and a nice blend of traditional and fusion cuisine! Thank you to the entire team there.

Best bar drinks that I’ve had in NJ. All the bartenders have always provided great service.
… But here’s my rant… I do have problems with the hostess staff and how they planned for New Years eve. I called ahead to reserve two seats and was told they only reserve for parties of 15 or more. Since we wanted to spend a carefree New Years there, I booked a hotel room in the same facility and got there early to get seats. … We were surprised to then find that SM23 was closed for New Years eve (private party??) !! Thanks! Why didn’t they tell me that when I called?!?

Mixology: the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks. That’s what’s up!
Love this place! Totally sexy, classy, speak easy type of spot. Drink menu is creative and the mixologist are legit. My roll call included the Penicillin Cocktail which is a bit bolder and to the point. The next one was the Punjabi Christmas which has Johnnie Walker Black label scotch, Indian cream liqueur, and creole bitters. That was different, but perfect for the season and it packed a punch. I luv champagne so I had to have their caramelized apple bellini which to me was a bit on the lighter side, but very tasty. While I sipped on that my girlfriend had the spiced pumpkin martini and that was like dessert, really tasty and it hit the spot.
As we sipped on our drinks the DJ was spinning some pretty good beats, a couple of people were actually dancing. I wanted to do the same, but I had my priorities straight and I was trying to do some taste testing. What I love about this place is the vibe. It’s perfect for a date night because it’s dark and intimate, it’s not trashy what so ever.
You can get parking validated with the hostess and you can park in the building’s parking lot, where the AMC is at.

The drinks are absolutely amazing! The bartenders are fun and quick. Good music, good crowd. Highly recommended!

Very cute place nestled inside of Headquarters Plaza. It’s a nice escape from the craziness of South Street, and it’s certainly a hell of a lot easier to find parking here.
A couple of my girlfriends and I came here a few weeks ago, and we had a great time. The mango mojito (or maybe it was a martini? I obviously had a few) was SOOO good! I had to restrain myself from drinking it in one sip. One of my friends had a warm tea-​like drink, similar to a hot toddy. I’m not sure what exactly was in it because the bartender made it custom for her, but it was also very good.
There were a few service bumps when ordering drinks and opening a tab, but the server and bartender more than made up for any mistakes with sincere apologies and a free round of shots.
I will definitely be back again soon, maybe for a date night with my bf. The ambiance is intimate and sexy, and this is a definite go to spot in Morristown for a low key night out.

This is a surprisingly great little space in the heart of Morristown. I went there recently for a Unilocal Elite Event and had a great time. First off, its just one big circular rooms with dark lighting and black leather furniture to set the mood. For the event, there was a sampling of food and some of their more popular drinks. From the food, I had
From Ming II
Papaya Salad in Phyllo Dough Cups: Unfortunately, the phyllo dough had been sitting out too long and was no longer crispy, but I still really enjoyed this. The papaya was not ripe like I was expecting, so it had a great crunch.
Shrimp with Honey & Sesame: I’m not a fan of sweet, but this was crispy and nicely flavored.
Vegetable Spring Roll: These were ok, nothing too spectacular
Cauliflower Manchurian: Awesome. They nailed the Manchurian sauce.
From Mehendi
Achari Aloo Tikki: So if you like Indian pickles, you’ll like these. These are little potato croquettes with a pickle flavor.
Unfortunately, all the samosas were always gone by the time we go to the table
Tandoori Murgh Kali Mirch: This was delicious. The chicken was unbelievably tender and in this creamy, black pepper seasoned sauce.
SM23 provided the drinks and they were phenomenal. Absolutely on par with some of the speakeasies that I’ve been to in New York City. The grilled pineapple and cracked pepper was just the right balance of sweet and spicy and not cloyingly sweet like some pineapple drinks are prone to being. The English garden was the favorite of the night. Such a refreshing cucumber drink.
There were a LOT of people there for the event so things were a bit crazy, but I can imagine this being a great place for a date or a girls night out.

The drink cave of wonders.
Hidden gem of Motown, nestled between Ming II and Mehndi. An awesome place to grab a drink or two in this intimate, low lit, über trendy bar. The drinks have thought behind the combos such a nice change from the rest of Morristown «basic» drinks that I didnt mind shelling out a few more $ for a high quality drink. Love this spot!

Now this place is a lounge!!! (NY vibe) The atmosphere was stunning. It had a nice, dark and sexy vibe going on. Would be a great place for a nice date or for a small group of friends. The lounge is indeed small, but intimate and very cozy. This is not the place to go to for a quick average drink. You want to come here if you are in the mood for a nice stiff specialty cocktail.
I had a Mango Mojito, and it was the best I have had thus far. YUMMMMMMM! The bartender was kind enough to show me how much mango Cruzan rum goes in the drink, and I was impressed. I personally like all flavored mojitos to be made with Cruzan rums. So this place gets extra points on the rum choice.
I then had a Grilled Pineapple & Cracked Pepper martini. I know it sounds odd, but it was strangely delicious, and stiff enough to be your last drink. They infused the pepper in the
Prairie vodka themselves; which was really cool. If you like a nice spicy after taste than this is your drink.
I went after work hours and there was actually a pretty decent size after work crowd for a Monday. They have happy hour that consist of your basic wine and well drinks, but it does not include the specialty cocktails. I’m not sure I would indulge in happy hour drinks, when they have a good amount of delicious cocktails to choose from. The cocktails are not cheap, but well worth splurging once in a while. They have food and apps but didn’t try it. The bartender on duty was super cool, and really understood the art of mixology. I will definitely be coming back to this place (hopefully with a date lol).