My wife and I took our kids (10 and 16 year old boys) to this place on our last evening in NYC. We…read morewere looking for a place that had a nice ambiance and good food. Ambiance: This place has a nice ambiance, definitely very "New York" -- dark (you can't see how dirty the floor is) and loud music (maybe too loud). We sat upstairs (we had a reservation) and of all the people on the top there was a party of 4 (us), a party of 8 (all dudes celebrating something) and the rest of the tables were on a DATE - which I thought was funny. Service: We were served by Ann-Marie who was so delightful. She was kind, super nice, and took the time to speak to us (which is basically how we figured out she wasn't a native New York City person). She gave us good food suggestions and we were very happy with our selection. Food: Here is what we ordered * Steak Frites: My two boys got the steak frites and I have to say the steak was awesome! I had a bite of each of theirs and they each ordered it differently (one Medium Rare/Medium and one Medium) and they both were prepared PERFECTLY. The fries were overflowing. * Caeser Salad with Salmon: My wife got the salad with Salmon (they only have a few salad options) and she enjoyed it. * Prawn and Crab Risotto: I got this and I have to say it was VERY bland. I wouldn't get this if you are looking for taste. I had to put salt and pepper on it to make it have any semblance of taste. Value/Price: I would say this is not over priced but it is not cheap either...bill is attached. I would recommend it to folks who are looking for a good place to either go out on a date or a family type meal.

Midtown between 5th and 6th is mostly sad salad chains and tourist traps, so Valerie is doing more…read morework than it should have to. Went today, pre-theater crowd already forming at 5. It's better than it needs to be, which in this neighborhood counts for a lot. The room is the star. Brass, smoked mirrors, marble, wallpaper with burlesque dancers, very Gatsby cosplay but done with actual money. Think the Campbell at Grand Central, minus the $28 martini attitude. It's also LOUD downstairs. Ask for upstairs if you want to hear your date. Gin is the program here and they take it seriously, house-infused bottles paired with specific tonics, not an afterthought. My G&T was legitimately well built. Food from chef JC Colón is better than cocktail-bar standard: truffle fries in duck fat are worth it, the lobster mac at $31 is rich and fine but you've had it before. Skip dessert. The steak frites at $48 is where I'd tap out, that's real-restaurant money for bar food execution. Here's the move though: weekday happy hour, 4 to 7. Dollar oysters and $13 cocktails in a room this pretty is one of the best deals in Midtown, full stop. Service was warm and fast even slammed. Not a destination, but if you're near Bryant Park or seeing a show, this beats everything else within five blocks. Book ahead, walk-ins were getting turned away by 5:30.

The "coconut milk was off" cocktail was soo good. All the cocktails (electric momisette and miso…read morecolada) were fun, creative, and delicious. The food (dingle pie and spice bag chips) were also really good. The spice bag chips seasoning was really good. We walked in Wednesday 8:30 PM and they had a couple of high chair seats at a side bar in the parlor room available. Really fun decorations and ambiance.

Been drinking here since the sawdust era, back when Muldoon and McGarry were still partners and you…read morecould get a Parlor seat without planning your week around it. The expansion into the building next door tripled the Taproom, and the crowds tripled with it. Here's the thing though. The Irish Coffee is still the best in America. Served warm, not scalding, cream whipped to order and floated so it sits like a lid. Three tables around me ordered rounds at 2pm and nobody was wrong. The Parlor upstairs is where the actual bar still lives. Sixteen cocktails you can't get downstairs, table service, relative quiet. Downstairs, skip the fried chicken (it's tenders, whatever the menu says) and get the fish and chips, which are honest. Service was fast and a little impersonal, which is what happens when your ground floor is 60 percent tourists photographing the dollar bills on the ceiling. The 1828 building still does a lot of work, low ceilings and all. Is it the world's best bar anymore? No, and half the old bar team has scattered to open their own spots around town, Limo in the East Village being the latest. But a Guinness and an Irish Coffee here on a weekday afternoon is still one of the better hours you can spend below Chambers. Book the Parlor, treat the Taproom as the warmup.

Thank goodness we FOUND paradise LOST. You ring the doorbell, and are buzzed in to be put on the…read morelist. For my group of 2, it was approximately a 25 minute wait on a Saturday at 7. We jumped over to the bar right beside and drank some girly drinks before getting the notification our table was ready. As with nearly every establishment in NYC, it is very close quarters in paradise lost. We stood at a table while waiting for seats at the bar to become available. Which, we didn't mind. I could see how this might be a little harder to get a seat for a bigger group if you aren't there before 6. It seemed that once a group got a big table, they camped out. The drinks were strong and creative. Friendly bartenders, good music, and yummy options for bar snacks. Also, the bathroom is a nice touch. Given the hell theming for the bar, the bathroom is a 180 and while using the Lou, you can listen to the bible being recited. Theres also a spooky surprise if you press the button in the bathroom. Speaking of the bathroom, it is at the bottom of some decently narrow stairs. So, try and stay sober enough for stairs or you may fall. Go to this bar. You will have fun.

The vibe is cute, and the ambiance is cute, but everything is overpriced, although most tiki bars…read moreare. I don't know if I've ever had such a bad pina colada in my life at a tiki bar. I mean, I've had bad pina coladas at dive bars, but I expected more from this place. I would say it was very strong, though, so you know what? That's a good thing to be very strong for that price I'm paying. The spam musubi was also a rip-off. You see two here, but each one costs its own $10, so save your money. Eat somewhere else. Eat a pizza across the street.

Lillie's is always a good place to stop in for a drink. The flower decor changes…read more We sat at the bar and had a hummus plate which was a decent portion and tasty. Bartenders are attentive even when it's busts

Absolutely awful experience. Never again. Do NOT recommend…read more One of the staff, in charge of refilling water, spilled water on our table multiple times. I watched him spill on other tables as well. He never apologized. He never wiped it up. Then 4th time he filled our glasses, he spilled the water on my wife. He did not apologize. He did not even acknowledge it and it was very clear that he noticed he did it. My wife, quite restrained, let our waitress know what happened. Her response: "What do you want me to do about it?" My wife said that he should not serving water if he doesn't know how to pour it properly. The waitress, moments later, told him what we had said, merely inches from our tables. Beyond awkward. And, instead of coming over and apologizing, he simply never returned to our table. No more water. The waitress had an attitude with us since we sat down - no idea what we could have done - unsure what was going on - but it was beyond unpleasant. Most of our "table conversation" was about how lousy the staff were acting and how uncomfortable we felt along with how much we couldn't wait to leave. We had shared an appetizer and had no interest in ordering anything else after that. We paid. We left. I feel stupid for tipping them.

I'm here to answer your question: is Monkey Bar worth the hype?…read more1000000% YES. Forget trying to make a reservation - I arrived around 4 pm on a Friday to get my name on the list and we were seated around 5:30. The Cucumber Martini is one of the best martinis I've ever had - it's not too strong and has just the perfect amount of sweet and citrus. The food is equally as incredible: the Truffle Monkey Bread is an absolute must and truly blew me away. The Rigatoni Vodka is solid, and we had to pair it with some sides. The Button Mushrooms are tasty, the Creamed Spinach was unlike any spinach I've had before and is a must if you're a blue cheese lover, and the Truffle Mac - one of the best Mac & Cheeses I've had in the city. The Chocolate Cream Pie and Strawberry Meringue desserts are tasty - I do wish they had the Sticky Toffee Pudding like they do at their Chicago sister restaurant, Trivoli Tavern. Service was fantastic as well. Get in that line and get your table at Monkey Bar - you will NOT be disappointed!

I had such a hard time getting a reservation here! I think they have more availability during…read morelunch, but the dinner reservations are so hard to grab. I went on a Thursday night, and the place was absolutely packed. The front feels more like a bar/casual area, while the dining room is tucked toward the back. My reservation was at 10:15 PM, so I actually had a light dinner beforehand and ordered a little lighter than I normally would. I got: - Truffle Monkey Bread ($34.99) - Prime Rib French Dip ($39.99) - Pommes Frites ($13.99) - Banana Split Sundae ($24.99) I thought the prices were definitely on the higher end when I first sat down, but the Truffle Monkey Bread is divine! Honestly, it's probably in my top 3 bread experiences of my life. If you love truffle, butter, cheese, and basically everything good in life, please get this. It comes out slightly warm and is just incredible. I will probably dream about this bread. The French Dip was good, although it was a little too salty for me. If I get the chance to come back, I'd probably try one of their actual steaks instead. The pommes frites were super crispy, basically McDonald's fries but elevated. The Banana Split Sundae was so pretty. I loved how they placed all the little treats around the crevices/imprints of the dish (not sure how else to describe it ). It's huge, though, so definitely don't expect to finish it yourself. I'd recommend sharing it with 3+ people. I was also celebrating an anniversary, and they brought out a strawberry scoop for us. It tasted homemade and really fresh. I could actually see pieces of strawberry in it, which I loved. The restaurant is definitely on the pricier side, and getting a dinner reservation can be a struggle, but I'd absolutely go again if I got the chance. The decor is cozy and upscale, the food was excellent, and the whole place has a really nice atmosphere. My only real complaint was that our waitress kept pushing us to order more, which got a little annoying, especially since we had already ordered quite a bit. Overall: expensive + difficult reservation, but absolutely worth trying. And please get the truffle monkey bread.

If you love great cocktails, this hidden speakeasy is an absolute must-visit! From entering with a…read moresecret passcode to the very last sip, the entire experience is incredible. It has easily earned a spot as one of my favorite bars of all time. The underground space flawlessly captures a raw, seedy, 1980s rock 'n' roll vibe, with eclectic decor that extends beautifully to the themed menus and custom glassware. Sitting at the bar was a highlight--the bartenders were fantastic, clearly proud of their craft, and they even humorously indulged my game of trying to guess the ingredients of each drink they mixed. The cocktail lineup is phenomenal. A few absolute highlights: the Purple Rain with its purple ice and peppercorn, the flambéed Dirty Dancing, a brilliant espresso martini riff called Flick The Bean, and Pure Temptation--which has glassware you just have to see for yourself. Don't miss this place if you're in NYC!

The Woo Woo is loud and touristy--and honestly, that kind of sums it up…read more They market it as a speakeasy, which... technically yes. You need a password (easy to find online), and you go through a hidden door down a staircase. But it feels more like a novelty than anything else. NYC has way more iconic speakeasies, so this isn't somewhere I'd go out of my way for more than once. Nothing wrong with the vibe--it's Times Square, so you already know what you're getting--but it's definitely a one-and-done kind of spot. The drinks are good and super fun, but they're very extra (smoke, presentation, all that), so between that and how packed it gets, it can take a while just to get one cocktail. Didn't try the food. Overall, go for the pics and TikToks--it's perfect for that. I'd recommend checking it out once, but I don't really see it being a repeat spot.

Bar with no menu. You have to tell the the staff what you like and they will make you something…read moreaccording to your taste. Everything we ordered was great and fit the profiles we asked for. I asked for something along the lines of a singapore sling and I was pleasantly surprised with what was given to me. My advice? Be as descriptive as possible and be open to their suggestions. Along with double chicken please this is a must try in NYC

Small renowned cocktail bar without a menu…read more Highlights: - Bartender led: let them know what you like and they'll make you something. Mine was uncanny as I gave him a spirit and he ended up making me one cocktail with peach and another with apricot--2 flavors I love but did not mention. - Lots of locals - #37 of best of North America list for 2026 Midlights: - He told me the name of the cocktails he made, but I didn't remember to be able to order them again. Lowlights - Can be hard to find in the dark and rain but good the door next to it has a note to guide you to the right place - I could've used some bar nuts snack to go with it

I usually go to Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn to watch movies but I got an invitation to a Soirée…read morehere for the movie, Wicked. I didn't know what to expect but I loved the Broadway show and I'm always down for immersive events. So I arrived at the Press Room and saw that there was a bar with a couple of tables surrounding it. It seems to be where the kitchen is for all the wonderful food that Alamo provides during the in-dining movie experience. I had to approach the bartender to find out where exactly this party was and he instructed me to look beyond the large curtain to the side just as if I were searching for the Wizard of Oz. As I tugged myself behind the curtain, I walked into a decent-sized room and with balloons and the words, "Welcome to Emerald City" in the front of the room with a DJ playing today's hits and of course, songs from the Wizard Broadway show. At first, I thought this was going to be a dance party but soon realized that it was going to be a craft party instead. There was a station for making your own broom, one to make a friendship bracelet, and another one for letter writing along with sealed wax to use on the envelope with different stamps. I sipped away an Old-Fashioned in my souvenir Wicked cup while singing along to the Wicked soundtrack and making a friendship bracelet for my daughter. This experience was relaxing and joyful so now I know my type of party consists of a craft night. Close to the end of the night, I participated in a Wicked costume contest. I lost but nevertheless, I had a good time. Ended the night with an order of burger before heading home to show off my creations. I can't wait to check out their other events and come here again!

It's an enjoyable bar. It's slightly hidden away inside of an office building two flights down via…read morethe escalator next to the Alamo Drafthouse. Nice selection of alcohol, friendly bartenders and attentive service. Since it was tucked away it wasn't as crowded and I was able to spend an hour catching up with my friend and it wasn't overly crowded or loud.

Everything went great! Enjoy the atmosphere and the good food. The service were fast and agile.read more

Jorge's service was A+! Great atmosphere and ambiance. Had the French onion soup, escargot, and…read morelobster linguine. Will be coming back!!

Had a really good time at this bar. From the outside, it…read moredoesn't look much, but once you step in, you get to soak in the amazingly lit bar. The drinks were also pretty good and fairly priced! Really enjoyed my cucumber chili oil drink, it was savory and unique. Seating was limited though but our party managed to snag one once another party left. definitely a first come first serve concept.

Apotheke was one of my first experiences with a hidden speakeasy a number of years ago, and it…read morestill remains the OG in my vast encyclopedia of experiences. :) Strolling down Chinatown's busy and gritty Doyers Street, looking for any sign of Apotheke is a fond memory, then finally figuring out where it was, and entering through the mysterious and otherworldly threshold resulted a transformative experience that made me feel like I time traveled. Mood lighting, comfortable seating, great drinks in a cozy and Victorian-inspired space are the perfect blend of unique and. I always felt like I was part of something special the few times enjoyed creative, delicious, and strong libations from the pros at the bar. While it has always been pricey, I do feel like the excellent service ambiance, and drink quality warrant this, but may prevent more folks from becoming regulars so to speak. I love the clever and compact bathroom design, too. IYKYK Long live Apotheke!