Little Rituals Is (By Far) the World’s Best Courtyard by Marriott Bar
Little Rituals
It’s always a struggle when you’re in downtown deciding between Little Rituals and Bitter & Twisted. They’re right next to each other, and both would be the best cocktail bar in most cities. (Hell, Coabana is right down the street, and it also might be the best cocktail bar in most cities.) Little Rituals probably gets the nod from me because it’s just a little more mysterious. Instead of being on the ground floor on the main road, it’s strangely tucked into the 4th floor of the Residence Inn Hotel. One minute you’re in the most generic of places, and the next you’re in a wild cocktail wonderland. And the food is surprisingly good, too.
Awards + Accolades
James Beard Awards
2024: Outstanding Bar - Semifinalist
2020: Outstanding Bar Program - Semifinalist
The Pinnacle Guide
2024: 1 Pin
Spirited Awards
2024: Best U.S. Hotel Bar - Top 4
2023: Best U.S. Hotel Bar - Top 4
2022: Best U.S. Hotel Bar - Top 4
2020: Best US Hotel Bar - Regional Top 10
2019: Best New US Cocktail Bar - Regional Top 10
Reviews
July 11, 2019 / Chris Malloy
Phoenix New Times: Cafe Review: Another Step Forward for Cocktails in Phoenix
One drink in, a night at Little Rituals feels like something else: square one of an adult Candyland gameboard. Some drinks are low-ABV, designed to be enjoyed at gentler velocity as you navigate a trove of liquid options. But before you fall into the matrix of the well-described, helpfully illustrated drink menu, get some food.
What to Get
Big City Nights
The drink itself is a slightly herbal variation of the European-style sour, combining blackberry-infused gin, Suze gentian liqueur (a French aperitif that’s earthy and floral), dry vermouth, fresh lemon and simple syrup infused with herbes de Provence and Ceylon cinnamon. The pièce de résistance? A frothy rim of egg white, which supports the stunning garnish, a circle of edible rice paper imprinted with a replica of the bar’s mural – a collage featuring iconic elements of Phoenix’s past and present.
- Nikki Buchanan, Phoenix Magazine
Curry Daiquiri
The most mind-blending, Seussian cocktail I had this year was from Little Rituals. Across a coupe glass showing a pale yellow elixir thinly laced with frost, a colored line of dots travels from rim to rim, wobbling. Improbably, the dots are dyed Sichuan pepper oil. The leaves clipped to the glass? Curry leaves. A sip brings a trace of their fragrance — and cold, rum-based deep refreshment, bright like a daiquiri should be, only with the expected-yet-wholly unexpected notes of curry braided through. Who knew curry could blend so fluidly into Cuba’s most maligned cocktail, lifting it to new places?
- Chris Malloy, Phoenix New Times
Southwest Impossible Burger
Little Rituals chef Jeremiah Wilhelms always liked the idea of meat alternatives, but felt they often came up short in taste and texture. His solution: seasoning Impossible “meat” with garlic, salt, pepper and onion, hand-forming it into thin patties and searing it to golden brown perfection. He then loads up a locally made vegan bun with melted plant-based cheese, roasted garlic, spicy ketchup, flame-broiled green chile and more. Enjoying this meat-free masterpiece is a “ritual” we’ve come to love.
- Phoenix Magazine
