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‘Tell Your Friends’: an inside look at the new underground cocktail lounge in Scottsdale

Here’s a look at some of its drinks, dishes and lounge
Posted: 5:19 PM, May 22, 2024
Updated: 2024-05-24 12:01:02-04
An inside look at the new underground cocktail lounge '‘Tell Your Friends’ in Scottsdale, AZ.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — There’s an underground cocktail lounge with a 'speakeasy atmosphere’ that’s now open in the Valley! 'Tell Your Friends' hopes to stir up the cocktail scene in Scottsdale. The new venue has 52 seats and promises unique drinks, live music and more.

The grand opening was originally set for May 18, but the new cocktail lounge opened to the public on May 23.

An inside look of the cocktail lounge.
An inside look of the cocktail lounge.

The speakeasy is located underneath The Americano in Scottsdale and is “accessed through a nondescript side door.”

“When you enter, there's going to be kind of a holding area where you'll get greeted by the hostess […] and then what's [going to] end up happening is we'll open these kinds of drapes up and you'll be introduced to the space for the first time,” said Keifer Gilbert, the Valley bartender behind the Cocktail Program at Tell Your Friends, in a previous interview with ABC15.

Valley Chef Beau MacMillan leads the small-bites menu for the location; guests will have the ability to order from the dining menu of The Americano, too.

Here’s a look at some of the offerings for the cocktail lounge:

Image features the following dishes: Korean Fried, The American Wedge, Salumi & Cheese Board, Whipped Ricotta & Coppa Ham.
Image features the following dishes: Korean Fried, The American Wedge, Salumi & Cheese Board, Whipped Ricotta & Coppa Ham.

COCKTAILS

Here’s what Gilbert shared with ABC15 about the cocktail lounge:

“There will be a classic section that I think will be nice and introductory for people. And the reason that we went that route is - gaining trust of the public as we are a new concept opening in a part of town that doesn't have the [richest] cocktail culture,” said Gilbert in a previous interview with ABC15. “You'll start seeing a lot of, you know, fresh produce being used, fresh citrus, lots of different styles of drinks, some different preparation techniques and just kind of using some of the culinary backgrounds that I've been able to grab [from] people that I've worked with over the years, and use that to manufacture ingredients or infuse spirits or make a syrup to give our drinks that really unique feel.”

‘Tell Your Friends’ is said to feature approximately 20 cocktails.

Image features the following cocktails: Hops To The Beat, Call The Paparazzi, and In the Mood For Love.
Image features the following cocktails: Hops To The Beat, Call The Paparazzi, and In the Mood For Love.
Image features the following cocktails: Ripping Darts, Money, Baby!, Flapper Fizz, and One Time Thing.
Image features the following cocktails: Ripping Darts, Money, Baby!, Flapper Fizz, and One Time Thing.

THE VIBE

“Because we are underneath a restaurant, I think people are going to be very caught off-guard by how high the ceilings are. So, it's this really cool space. And the build-out has this crazy like Rat Pack, kind of New York City vibe to it with the way that they went with the build, think like rich red colors for a lot of the décor, banquettes-kind of lighting the room, the stage is set right in the middle,” shared Gilbert with ABC15. “Then you're going to have the bar is kind of the centerpiece of the room and there'll be lighting fixtures that come out from behind the bar that arch over into the dining area and [it's] an absolutely beautiful space.”

More than just drinks, and bites… the Tell Your Friends has nightly entertainment.

Inside of 'Tell Your Friends' with a view to the bar area.
Inside of 'Tell Your Friends' with a view to the bar area.

“One of the things that I don't want to leave out is it is a live music venue. So, there's, there's going to be a jazz band playing every night. […] Even if you know, the food and drink and all that stuff, maybe necessarily isn't like your cup of tea or anything like that, we'll have a very diverse offering behind that bar,” said Gilbert. “There are not very many places that have live entertainment on a nightly basis anymore. So, I think they did a great job identifying that gap in the market.”

IF YOU GO

  • You can make a reservation by visiting their website, tellyourfriendsaz.com
  • Location: Under The Americano [17797 N Scottsdale Rd]
  • Grand opening: Thursday, May 23, at 5 p.m.- a reservation is required.

The video in the player above showcases the best things to do in the Valley this May. Read more about it right here.