I went here on a Thursday after work, and was all set to give this place 3 stars. On a weeknight, it's a giant bar with plenty of room to hang out with whomever you're with. You'll even meet strangers who are just chillaxin like yourself after a day at the office. There are about a bajillion and a half dudes here, so women will likely love this place for happy hour. They'd likely say 'happy hour, indeeeeed'. It would've gotten 3 stars then because of the $6 bud lights. Actually, $6 is the cheapest beer you'll find here. They have a TON of beer options. Why can't bud light be $4? I can't tip very well if 3 bud lights cost $18. Another reason for the 3 stars on a Thursday was because the chicken fingers had a hint of fishy smell, and they were so over fried, we couldn't tell whether they were chicken or fish. That's no bueno. Saturday nights at the Brass Monkey get 1 star. They really pack the meat in here. We had a birthday party reservation, so we were able to take over 3 tables by the windows. That was excellent, because otherwise we would've been smushed with lots and lots of people crowding around the bar. The music was typical of today's rap/80's..but they use a playlist, because the same songs started in sequence roughly 4 hours later. I only know this because Bon Jovi's 'Living On A Prayer' creates a unique wave over every crowd where the whole place raises their fist and screams 'wHOOOOAAAA WE'RE HALFWAY THEEEERREEEE!!!!'..and we were halfway there twice over a saturday night. I think if someone reserves a few tables for a birthday, it can be a decent time. The outdoor patio is decent, but it overlooks a dogpark, so you might catch toto popping a squat. I can't get over $6 bud lights. So, 3 on a thursday, 1 on a saturday, split the difference overall. :) read more

A nice big bar. It is 3 levels so definitely good for a big group of people. We went here for the rooftop, which was nice but unfortunately couldn't sit there cause it started raining. They had several beers on tap, I tried the shipyard pumpkin ale and loved it! I would've preferred it to be more crowded, it's was pretty much empty. But then again we did go at 3pm on a Saturday. Hah. read more

Used to love this place. Not a fan anymore. Too crowded, too loud, drinks are too expensive, line gets too crazy outside and it also gets insane for the cost check. Maybe the rooftop is a better time here but I have no patience for this place anymore. Pass. read more

Had to come here at 9:30 because a friend couldn't get table reservations for any other time. Our waitress had some funny conversations with us and was very attentive to our drink order needs... at least until the place became more packed around 11-12. Then a less-able waitress took over and we went 10 minute periods without any table service (there were about 8 of us). When this place gets crowded, it really gets crowded. Hard to get anywhere, and a long wait for the bathroom. DJ was playing a nice mix of music, from random remixes of Indie songs to just straight up dance songs. The drink menu has no prices, which was a red flag, but the tab wasn't nearly as bad as we had anticipated. And our original waitress gave us a round of Patron on the house since we were celebrating a birthday. Also, the ladies here are smokin' hot. read more

Look, this place may just be too cool for me. I have been three times now, and it is always so crowded. Not in a "good crowded" way but in a "OMG IT IS SO CROWDED I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE" way. Go early, its standard bar drinks, but boasts nice outdoor seats (if the weather is nice). The outdoor seating is the only real perk I can think of. Its trendy, sure, but you really need to go early to actually have any conversation with your friends. read more

This is an average bar. Nothing really special about it. The "rooftop" bar is more like an outdoor patio. It's only 3 stories, and I wouldn't call a parking lot and NJ much of a view. The bartender made my rum and coke really strong. I could hardly taste the coke. I guess that could be a good thing for some people, but it was awful going down. My group got there around 10pm on a Friday night and had no problem getting in. A few of us left around 12am and there was a long line outside. Really? I wouldn't come here if I had to wait in line. It's not that great. read more

Came here on a Saturday night and this place was the literal meaning of meatpacking. It was so crowded that you have to elbow your way through the sea of people. I even saw a guy randomly kiss a girl on the cheek while she was shoving through the crowd. Gross. He wasn't cute. The crowd was okay. More down to earth, less douche bag Ed Hardy types. Music was not bad. Too bad there was no room to dance, despite being a surprisingly large place for a dive-ish bar...3 floors, including a rooftop. Drinks were decent. Not too strong and not too weak. They were also cheap by Meatpacking standards. I'll come back because the vibe is friendly, and the people are not pretentious or weird (except for the kiss and run guy...). read more

Only been here for Sunday Fundays in the summer when I want to enjoy the great rooftop. Very fun scene, awesome view, tasty bloody marys. Get here early enough to get a table, then stick around to early evening when the party gets started. Much better scene than the biergarten, unless you love the Standard. Lots of space, so I assume it's fun in the winter as well. Must give it a try. read more

Awesome vibe and with a nice selection of beers. Chose to come here instead of the beer garden and it did not disappoint. Had cider on tap and a nice ambience on the roof. Only problem is that there isn't a bar up there so you need to go down a level to get a drink but not too difficult. read more

Fun place in meat packing, easy to get in with fast moving line if any and and don't have to worry about any dress code. 3 floors with open rooftop. Gets very busy on weekends. read more

My third time here and so far so good and Kelsey will be be bartender .. cute girl I may add .. AND of course my guinnes is ON !! read more

Brass Monkey - Some of my favorite beers .. Slàinte !! - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This place has a good deal of potential so I do feel a bit bad about the rating. However, both times I have been here I find it hard to enjoy myself because it is so packed. On the inside, it's mostly dark with yellow up-lighting illuminating the brick walls behind the bar and a lot of dark wood. It's a good look. Fortunately, I always have plenty of time to stare at it because it takes about 20 minutes for the bartender to make her way down the bar. Eventually, my group and I have been able to push our way through the crowd to the roof which is probably the best aspect of the place. It is not very big but even surrounded by people on a July night, it's not too hot. If you and your friends are lucky, like we were on our first visit, you may be able to watch a bachelorette party all pee behind a van together in the parking lot below. Fun! The crowd is nothing special. The majority seem to be people who were not able to get into a more selective club. It is definitely a younger demo and they let everyone inside. This place is just not my idea of a good time. I don't like having to squeeze into a spot like a sardine and fight for a half an hour to move 10 feet. There is nothing special here that can't be attained at a more enjoyable spot. I don't understand why it's so popular. read more

They have Smithwick's on tap!!! I came here a few Thursday evenings ago... basically, I invited everyone I knew to go to a bar for my birthday. I was there for a long while, during which time friends popped in and out as they pleased, so overall it was a good time. Yes, the bar is crowded, but it's not ass to ass crowded. I could easily maneuver my way to the bathroom and up and down stairs, but it was crowded enough that it still looked like a sea of people. No beer was spilled on me. Considering it was relatively crowded, my group managed to get a table pretty quick, and it wasn't a problem staying there all night. I got there around 7, it emptied a little around 9, and recrowded again with ibanker-type people (obviously their after-work time). I had some food, too, and it was pretty good (I mean, it's a bar). The fish and chips were lovely (fish tasted like fish, and not just generic "fried" flavor, and chips were nice enough), and the nachos were good. 4 stars for the overall experience, an extra star for Smithwick's on tap. Yay beer! read more

Brass Monkey... you funky monkey. This place is HUGE. You walk in, and walk back into the place for what seems like forever, then you can go up the stairs to another level of bar, or continue up to the roof deck/bar area. Regardless of which level you're on, it's crowded, but on the night I went the roof deck was so crowded I couldn't even turn around or move my arms to sip my drink without someone bumping into me...HARD. The music that they played was fun, but an interesting mix. It'd go from some kind of 80s pop song to a current rock song, to the Jackson 5... so I'm not sure about the DJ but the other staff here was great. The bouncers were polite (really, when does this actually happen?) and the bartender could not only pour a mean drink, but he was nice as well and hooked me up... more bartenders should do this... you get bigger tips! I'd like to see this place in the light of day, as I would expect it has a whole different vibe than the night scene. I'd be willing to go back but with so many other venues in NYC, don't know how soon that would actually happen. read more

Awesome rooftop which is what gives it the stars. The drinks are eh okay, regular average status. Nice to come here to enjoy good music and good weather. Come come. read more

I can't believe I haven't written about this place. What's notable about it is that it's fairly narrow and very tall. I think it has 3 floors and a roof? I like bars where one can ascend and descend flights of stairs. Don't ask me why, there's something liberating about it. The view from the roof is fantastic. It's right below the Standard Hotel and near the Highlight park. read more

good spot to throw yourself in when you are not dressed like an expensive escort girl (the ones that politicians use) and still wanna have a rocking party time. Door is not that tough and crowd provides good hunting options for 20 smthngs who want to hook up in a classy way. Crowd-after business hour crowd, mainly corporate crowd, so you can leave ur pepper spray home since its pretty safe. age goes from young cubicle interns to mature business folks. drinks- are decent. moderately priced and not overly sassy. music is good yet very few people dance here. they all gather into small groups and pretend to talk about something very important. as i mentioned before corporate crowd doesnt dance. rooftop-rocks. cozy and intimate, plus you can watch some attention hungry folks doing bunch of amusing stuff in the suits at Standard hotel which is located right across. read more

Weird location - kind of right on the highway. Went here for a New Year's Eve party. The place was WAY TOO packed, but I guess I would've encountered that everywhere. They said they were going to have an open bar and hors d'ouevres, but that actually meant an impossibly crowded bar and two people walking around with fried crap. I didn't try any of the food. It's a good relief from the rest of the meatpacking district stuff - trash, mostly. The bartenders were pretty good and the bus boys cleaned up the glasses quite quickly. The best part about this bar, though, is its huge booze selection. They have probably like 30 or 40 to choose from, with things like Lindemann's Framboise and some esoteric ales being included in the mix. read more

For a hospitality place this bar falls flat. Tried to come in with some friends for celebratory drinks and asked the bartender if the rooftop was open. His response was "no, they're doing work on it." When we asked if that meant closed till later today or closed for a while his response was "I dont know. I dont do the construction work." What a warm welcome. This place doesn't deserve your patronage as they treat you like they're doing you the favor. read more

This place is notoriously hard to find. It looks like a little hole in the wall on a tiny nondescript block, and you'll probably never bump into it in your life if you didn't intend to go there in the first place. If you ARE looking for it however and don't mind a small taxi fare, jump in a cab and ask them simply to take you to Little West 12th Street (NOT just "West 12th", remember the "Little"). If the driver is smart he'll use the West Side Highway, and the bar sign is on the left near the corner as soon as the cab turns left onto Little West 12th. (I recommend a cab because if you try walking or using the trains, you might get lost with all the weird street angles, shady blocks, and construction around the area.) Once you get inside, you'll be shocked at how BUSY it is. I've never seen so many young businesspeople boozing up in one place on a work night. It's a really cool place, and everyone is very friendly and relaxed. The drinks are good and varied, and there are some neat tables and a window bench at the front where you can chill with a group (if you can manage to commandeer the area before anyone else does). read more

Great place to watch the game with friends. Late selection in beers. I recommend the wings.. the burger.. And the quesadilla. The bartenders are aware and friendly. Irish folk music on Sundays after 4pm. Good times! read more

Being in such close proximity to Tenjune, Brass Monkey ran a high risk of being Meatpackingly douchebag-tastic. We arrived around 9 on a Saturday and the place was empty save some diners; we settled in a huge corner table, ordered a bunch of draft pints (awesome!), and in a few hours the place got sweaty-packed. Goodlooking, relaxed crowd. Less douchey than expected. read more

One of my favorite bars, mostly because of the crowd and the structure of the place. The main level is HUGE but always too packed on a Saturday night so I opt for the 2nd floor. The space has lots of great booth seating at the far end of the bar and enough space to do a little dancing... Drinks are decently priced considering the area Bouncer is usually cool, no uptight red rope crap BUT on occasion there is a crazy busy night and they do get strict about who they let in... The international crowd is amazing, the roof top space is great and actually really secluded from the rest of the downtown scene... The overall casual feel is also nice! read more

worst staff and bouncers. so rude and pissed off all the time. they make the experience horrible

My friends and I stopped in on the 4th of July because we knew they had a good view along with good drinks and food. However, when we ordered we asked for cups of water as well to keep us hydrated. Our waitress must have forgotten to get them so we kindly asked again, to which she still did not bring us the waters, but when we asked for 2 shots we got those right away. We ended up asking for a bottle of water from another waiter, to which we received right away. Was not pleased with the service that time around but it must have been from the busy weekend I suppose. read more

fun crowd, large space so you don't feel like you're in a city bar. GREAT tap selection, but the bartenders are a little rude. my advice--have a few beers and go play frogger in the west side highway traffic. makes for some fun times. read more

This is a solid bar lounge. It's very dependable and a go-to location in the west village. Also, the doorman Lee is one of the coolest, nicest, but most responsible professional doormen in all of manhattan. Strong drinks, good people, fun times. read more

In my 2 trips to NYC I've ended up here 3 times.. and always enjoyed it. During my first visit, it was pouring rain outside, which made the rest of the bar very busy since the patio was out of commission. The enjoyable parts: -Nice outdoor patio on the roof - not huge but good for groups of people (plenty of seating) and a bit of a view -Pretty cheap drinks - no idea how much exactly, but our bill has always been reasonable at the end of the night -Friendly bartending staff - they always willing to buy you (or join in for!) a round of shots -Good location - when you can't get in anywhere else in meatpacking, or if you're looking for a pre or post bar spot.. look no further. read more

While walking the High Line on a gorgeous fall afternoon we spotted the rooftop deck and knew we had to go. The restaurant is a block or so down from The Standard beer garden and has three levels including the roof. The rooftop provides a great view of the High Line, Hudson River, and NJ. We settled in to a corner table and were fairly protected from the wind and enjoyed the gorgeous day. The beer menu was nice, not large, but nice, and reasonably priced. We also ordered some flatbread pizzas which were good. I really enjoyed the salad I ordered and the waitress was friendly and attentive. We enjoyed our time here, a good find in a good spot. read more

The reviews need more than 3 here. Great hole in the wall with great food . Great staff as well.

Not cool enough to get into the cool clubs/lounges in MPD? Then Brass Monkey is the bar for you. Kidding... Kind of. Dance floor on the lower level, more mellow atmosphere on the upper floor, creepers in the house upstairs and down. I know creepers are present anywhere you go, but the ones I encountered here are worth a mention. Example: Stranger guy approaches stranger girl and asks "did you fart?" They both laugh, then start dancing. Huh...? Yes, I really witnessed that happen, and no, it's not a joke. This bar seems to remove itself from the pretentiousness found in MPD, but some characters in here make obvious failed attempts at trying to be who they're not (see: Not cool enough to get into the cool clubs/lounges in MPD?) read more

I ended up here at the end of the night for the past two nights. It's a great spot to head to when you get tired of whatever club you were at (or a back-up plan if you don't get into a club.) The place gets REALLY crowded, but it didn't really bother me. Although the roof was a bit too crowded for my tastes. It can be a little fratty, but there are a lot of good-looking guys. I would say better-looking than most of the guys at the Meatpacking clubs. Prices were reasonable especially in comparison to the rest of Meatpacking. I will be back. read more

Hope there was a zero. Expensive place with ordinary drinks and decor. Wasted my 2 hours.

Insane size bar... With a bar as cavernous as this (I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole), I couldn't believe there was multiple floors as well. With no cover compare to all the other lounge/clubs in the area, this place is the perfect place, if not the only place, that you can get a drink on w/o paying an arm and a leg (in the area). They also have a nice outdoor patio on the 3rd floor, which was nice considering the temperature of the place was quite warm in an above average winter day. read more

I came here years ago a couple times and never returned and I never really remembered why. I went again this week and I forgot that this is a pretty cool bar in the clubiest of neighborhoods. But still a cool bar nonetheless. It's a sports bar at heart with big screen TVs and a projecter and has a happy hour (so I'm told). The beer selection is good and the prices are pretty standard, especially considering the area. The food is typical bar fare, but a little pricey considering how basic it is. The crowd is a pretty mixed bag. It can range from a cool, albeit preppy crowd in the early evenings, to ultra trendy wannabes who couldn't get into Marquee or Soy Cubano that night. Worth checking out if you are in the area. read more

Brass Monkey is great bar right next to the Hudson River. It has bars on the ground floor and second level. From the second level you can get to the best part of the bar, the roof deck. The roof deck is big and has lots of seating. It also provides a good view of the Hudson. They have a good variety of beers to choose from and a decent menu. It can get pretty crowded for happy hour and the weekends. For less of a crowd go early or go on a week night. read more

I hadn't been to the Meatpacking District in awhile because I was so totally turned off the vibe, but it's either much better when it's warmer or I've grown fonder of it in an absence. The bartenders here are *not* very proactive at all, and you have to work to flag one down. Near the end of the night (after 2 am), they kept clearing away my drinks when I wasn't done with them. I'd seriously turn around to talk to my friend, turn back, and my half empty drink would be gone. That was really frustrating (but they did always replace them). I appreciate that they have bathrooms both in the basement and on the second floor, and the rooftop is a pretty cool place, although it has no cover. The DJs here play good songs, and while they still seem to suffer from that DJ-ADD that prevents them from playing any one song all the way through, they're not as bad as most places. I wasn't there to dance, just to hang out so I can't speak for the dance floor, but there was a dearth of coat hooks (and no coat check). The people here were all pretty cool and approachable, and while there was one couple that occasionally flopped on the floor and started making out, the staff took care of them pretty quickly. read more

The bartenders were great but the management literally kicked us off our seats and said I don't give a fuck. We were a small group of gals and got turned off by the abrasive move of management. They took our stools and no one else. They said it was everyone but it was visibly just us. So disappointed read more

Had a great time here the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. We hung out on the roof. The music wasn't too loud, but the best part of all was watching the sunset on a warm breezy day. This is a great place to hang in warm/ hot weather. read more

Went here on a Thursday night for an after work get together. There is a special till 7, so we were sure to get there in time for that. On our way, we passed the Standard which was PACKED. We got to Brass Monkey and it was empty. It started to fill up after 7. The reviews are true, the second floor is not air conditioned and the rooftop is small and packed. We were there early and were able to get a table which was nice. We also had waitress service which was key. Beers are super expensive. Average is about 9 bucks per beer, but they do have a great list of draft beers. Got the fries and chicken nachos. Those were pretty good, hit the spot. The waitress was pretty good until it got really packed. They did buy us a round of shots though. patron shots were 88 bucks for 6. We had the good fortune of getting gratuity added to our check bringing the grand total to 508$ for 6 people. I almost choked. No problem taking multiple cards to split the bill. Probably would not go again. Too expensive and nothing really offered that you cant get pretty much anywhere else. read more