We were in the area & needed to kill some time before an event near by so we decided to stop by for drinks. Nice lounge area, very comfy seating. Drinks I went with Tito's & cranberry easy enough hard to go wrong, drink was good taste & alcohol wise. My friend had a Jameson & ginger ale not bad as well. Nice bar / lounge area to relax in & get drinks, service was good & prices are decent. read more

Locl Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

My favorite movie is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so when I found out LOCL was having a Willy Wonka inspired 2017 Holiday Factory Pop Up, I had to try it! I went on a Saturday night around 7pm close to the end date of the Pop Up. It was busy, but my party of 4 was able to find seating along a wall and then move to a table once one opened up. The seating in the bar area is limited, but there are two other sections of seating that have a more lounge feel. Our server was accommodating &polite, and found us when we switched seating. We each ordered something different: Goodie Goodie Gumballs, Snozberries Taste Like Snozberries, Violette, You're Turning Violette & That's the Ticket. Talk about a sugar rush! We even ordered the Rainbow Popcorn. Everything was super creative, from the drinks to the decor. I can't wait to see what next year's theme is! read more

See all

*disclaimer this review is based off last year's experience. December 2016* but wanted to review it in case someone was thinking of going this year. Saw this on a Facebook video that was circulating last year so decide to check it out...I understand it was busy but the bartenders must have overlooked me at least 10 times and taken customers behind me's order. I understand I look younger than I am but it's no way to treat a customer. It was very rude and unprofessional. The snowglobe drink was a big disappointment in taste and presentation. The video did not properly represent what you get. Almost everyone had some type of Christmas related toy in their drink except me, of course. I was livid, for the price you pay, everyone deserves fair and equal treatment. Just terrible. There was at least 3 bartenders that night yet all of them ignored me until I had to just scream my order at one of them. If you're looking for a cute Christmas bar, take your business to Rolfs. read more

Who: hotel guests- but not tourists. Big European presence. A few locals. Crowd age ~30-45 years. What: Very trendy cocktails (famed for their snow globe cocktail). Lounge seating areas to accommodate larger groups. Low noise level- you can actually hear the people you are with. When: 9PM+ Where: West side of the park. Easy place to grab cabs. Why (or why not): I really try not to dig-in on venues about poor service because I understand one bad waiter should not define a review. However, the service was an absolute disaster. They held onto my ID as collateral for the snow globe drink glass, and managed to loose both my ID and my credit card. The staff made me feel as though it was my fault this had happened. They were very rude and weird about not allowing a party to order more than two of the snow globe beverages. The drinks took about at least a forty five minutes to come out each round. We were over-billed by 3 beverages and received a serious attitude when questioning the overcharge. It was very disappointing that the terrible service overshadowed everything else this place has going on! read more

Locl Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Just walk away; save yourself some time and anger. The bartenders were extremely rude and curt. After waiting for one hour, we suddenly saw the people next to us who had sat down for only around 15 min get their drinks. When we asked why we were not served our drinks, the bartender said she didn't know and she was too busy to answer. We went to the manager and he asked us what we would like him to do, as if the answer was not obvious. It's clear that the main issue of this place is the managements cluelessness of how to provide adequate service. I have no plans to go back again and will surely not recommend this place to anyone else. If you don't want to provide service or at least have the courtesy to inform us of the reason for delay, then you should stay out of the service business. There are plenty of other bars around the city. If I could give this place zero or negative stars, I would. read more

I came here for the Shakespeare/holiday drink pop-up. My friend ordered the Gnomeo and Juliet, and i ordered Shakespeare's globe. We didn't mind that it took a little while to prepare the drinks, but when they arrived we were not thrilled. The Gnomeo and Juliet arrived not in a bronze gnome, but a bronze owl. When we asked the waitress about it, she said "yeah it's owls and gnomes" and didn't seem to understand why were upset. The Shakespeare's globe was also a disappointment, from pictures online and instagram I was led to believe it would really look like a snow globe with a santa or something inside, but it just looked like an orb. We ended up ordering another Gnomeo and Juliet, but specified we only wanted it if it would be in a Gnome. Overall the waitress wasn't super nice, and didn't seem to understand the pop-up was an instagram destination and owls are no substitute for gnomes. Appearances aside both drinks did taste very good, but if i'm paying 16$ and it says "gnome" in the title of the drink - my drink better be in a gnome. read more

Locl Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This review is for the holiday pop up bar they had from December to Jan. 1st. I was really impressed with the amount of seating in the lounge/bar and lobby area. It was enough to accommodate larger groups. The decor was tastefully done for the holidays. The cocktail menu was quite pricey, with most of the drinks ranging from $16-$18. I, like many people came by to try the Shakespeare's Globe drink as well as the Gnomeo & Juliet. Unfortunately by the time I arrived, they removed the Gnomeo & Juliet drink from the menu. The snowglobe drink was a let big let down in taste and presentation. The picture that was in Timeout NY did not properly represent what you get.However I guess that's not necessarily the bars fault? I did enjoy the Partying is such sweet sorrow shot. It also was the cheapest drink on the menu coming in at $9. This place is alright if you're staying in one of the rooms of the hotel. I don't know if I can necessarily recommend this to non tourists. read more

Locl Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I really dig this place. You can grab a drink and watch live music on Thursday and Saturday nights (there may be more on the schedule than this)-- but Thursdays is a terrific jazz vocalist her sings her heart out while I drink wine. Great combo. Comfy couches or bar stools (or comfy bar seats)- there is a range of seating options. This spot blends into the lobby of the hotel- so you'll also see people checking and people sitting on their laptops (there is a high top table w outlets etc). Price are reasonable for wine and they have a great selection. I'll be back. read more

Locl Bar - wines from $10-$15 well priced! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Bleh, the drinks here were SO disappointing. My friend and I both had the Nymph Nectar, which is a passionfruit cocktail, and I thought it was impossible to mess one of those up but these were so bland. Next. read more

Locl Bar - Nymph nectar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I came here for the Willy Wonka cocktail experience. It was awesome, though they ran out of the most fun cocktails. Service was attentive, despite the crowds, and the drinks were delicious. Lots of edible gold. You can't go wrong with that. read more

Came here for the Holiday Factory Pop Up---the menu featured Willy Wonka inspired drinks. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorite books when I was a kid, so loved the references on the menu. The layout is cozy and so cute. When you first walk in, there is a sunken area. We sat at the bar here---I didn't realize you can walk to the other side (which isn't sunken), and there cozy chairs and nooks to sit in. My friend and I came on a Sunday night, which had a decent amount of people but wasn't crowded at all. Service was fine. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but typical for Manhattan. The only downside was that the selection for bar snacks on the menu were limited to candy themed things; I prefer savory snacks with my drinks :) read more

Holy Fabulosity! Seriously this is the best of the best regarding Hotel Lobby bars. I had the Seasonal Spritz and my friend Nneka had a Red Zin...our lovely apps were from the SeraFina kitchen...all that's awesome but the difference was the amazing service we received from the incredible Ben and honorable mention goes to Cristopher...we loved the rustic and delicious decor. It's the perfect date or friend meet up. Later that evening there was lovely live music....I can't wait for the garage door to open up! Summer! Hurry up summer so I can spend all my evenings at LOCL Bar! Oh...yes...they freaking have Happy Hour!!!! read more

The service is slow slow SLOOOOW, the decorations for the Willy Wonka pop-up were tacky and confusing, and yet I am giving this bar 4 stars. Why? Because the gum ball drink was damn good. Me and 2 of my friends shared the big gumball machine drink and I thought it was incredibly tasty. I hope I can go back and try more of their drinks because the menu seemed to feature other creative concoctions. read more

Locl Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Went here last night with two girlfriends to check out the 'pop up' holiday bar. Great tasting drinks served in really fun vessels, like snow globes and gnomes. I had the Puck's Shadow drink and it had a lime that was lit on fire, then you roast a marshmallow! It was really cute. We had an excellent waiter named Dale. He was so sweet and friendly despite the crazy Saturday rush of people. He made our experience even better. read more

My experience was similar to many others described here -- and that's a shame, as this place could be fabulous, if only... In December, I had a very long wait for drinks and lots of rigmarole beforehand for a snow globe drink. On a return visit in early June, one of my companions had a disagreement with the bartender over the proper ingredients in a Sidecar, which ended in the bartender Googling the recipe so she could make the drink properly. My drink, a Sea Breeze -- and I emphasize that I am a total lightweight in the alcohol department -- had to have been 98% cranberry juice; I felt nothing at all. BUT: The bar itself is a very nice space, one that's good for quiet conversation and relaxation. BOTTOM LINE: If you want to pay $13-$15 for fruit juice and ice cubes (and a teaspoon of Brand X vodka), train their underexperienced staff, and sit on a comfy sofa and actually HEAR what your friends have to say, then this is the place for you. read more

It was December so the window was decorated with lights and a wreath. Inside was dark. The front, between the door and the bar, had maybe 10 wooden tables and chairs. Behind the bar was cozier, with armchairs and couches. The place was packed when we first walked in on a Friday night. Absolutely no where to sit. People were even sitting on the steps. I walked up to a waitress to see if there was a list to get a table or if it was first come, first serve. She was busy at the register so I waited beside her. She didn't even look up to greet me or tell me she'd be with me in a minute. She completely ignored my presence. When she completed her task, she walked right past me, nudging my shoulder as she did so. Rude. We decided to seat ourselves if we could. Luckily enough, we saw a couple leaving and asked if we could have their table. Finally seated, we were able to peruse their holiday themed drink menu. I chose the Nymph Nectar with edible glitter. My two roommates chose the Gnomeo & Juliet (comes in copper gnome) and the Shakespeare's Globe (comes in snow globe). When we tried to place our order with the waitress, she told us that the Shakespeare's Globe would take an hour and a half because they didn't have enough globes to go around. They had to wait for customers to finish the drinks, wash out the globes, and then were able to serve them. I found that quite odd as this drink was a huge draw for many of the patrons and you would think they would have sufficient stock of their most popular drink. My roommate told her to place the order and bring her a martini in the meantime. That way, by the time she's done with her martini, she won't have to wait that long for the globe. My other roommate also asked for water and bar nuts. Half an hour later, we still hadn't gotten any water. One of my roommates went up to the waitress and inquired about the water. Ten minutes later, she brought us water. We watched as the bartenders stood around and flirted with the female patrons instead of mixing drinks. Another twenty minutes goes by, and still no alcoholic beverages. The waitress only told us that the globe would be a long wait, not ALL the drinks! We had also noticed that people who placed their orders at the bar were able to get the Shakespeare's Globe! They came in after us, finished their drinks, left, and we were still waiting! By then, we were so fed up having waited an hour, that we were going to cancel our drinks and leave. Just as my roommate stood up to find her, the waitress approached us with the gnome. Fuming, we asked about the other drinks. Martinis do not take long to make and the Nymph Nectar was not served in a special glass. We told her about the other people who were able to get the globe and about the bartenders' flirting. She just shrugged us off and said that she put the order in and we'd just have to wait for the drinks. Outraged by her nonchalant attitude, we asked to speak to a manager. She told us she'd try to locate him. She returned without the manager, but she had managed to find a new attitude. (She said the manager must have left for the evening.) She apologized for the wait time and said she shared in our frustrations. She told us she understood how we must be feeling and rolled her eyes at the bartenders. All of a sudden, she was sympathetic and helpful. Basically, she's in the same boat as us and it's all the bartenders' fault. She asked if she could do anything for us. She offered complimentary wine or beer. We asked for the drinks we ordered. Complimentary. She very reluctantly agreed. We canceled the martini but wanted the globe and Nymph Nectar. We also asked for bar nuts. Five minutes later, we had our drinks. At long last. Drinks were great for Instagram pictures. Taste-wise, they were mediocre. Mostly a gimmick to get people in the door. Oh well, lesson learned. Will never return to this hell hole. The most frustrating night of our lives. Please fire all your bar staff and start over. read more

Locl Bar - Nymph Nectar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I went on a Wednesday night around 7:15 in December. I had discovered A Midwinter Night's Dream, their Christmas pop-up bar, through pictures on Instagram. It looked like their most popular drink was "Shakespeare's Globe," which was served in a round jar made to look like a snowglobe. I ordered the Gnomeo and Juliet. The description on the menu explicitly said "served in a bronze gnome," but mine came in an owl-shaped vessel. The owl was still beautiful, but not what was advertised. My drink was good; the smoked rosemary garnish added a layer of complexity. My partner ordered Shakespeare's Globe. The presentation was extremely underwhelming. Yes, it came in a spherical jar with edible glitter in the drink, but there were no figurines inside the jar, nor was there ribbon on it. The presentation left much to be desired. The drink itself tasted like alcoholic root beer. Overall, it felt like the photos of the pop-up were a misrepresentation of what was actually served. I was very disappointed. read more

Went here for happy hour last week. Cozy little spot and great for people watching. Bartenders were attentive. Recommend going to 16th floor (ask your bartender for plastic glasses first) and checking out the rooftop views. Honestly my favorite part were the rooftop views, with a glass of Malbec in a plastic cup, watching the sunset. read more

Locl Bar - Rooftop views from 16th floor outdoor area. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Went there last Saturday night after a movie and it's really awesome. You can listen to live music and drink AND have your dog with you. I mean how great is that? Our server was super nice, the drinks were good and I loved the overall vibe of the place. read more

Went here last night, a Saturday, for some drinks with my coworkers. It's a nice cozy hotel bar, with a great selection of drinks and some snacks. If you're in a snacking mood, I recommend the cheese fries, they were delicious! read more

Locl Bar - Cheese fries, regular fries, wings - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

First time here. We were comped a room upgrade to a small suite with free wifi! Lobby has free charging stations, computer terminals and printers Rooms clean bright and inviting. Relaxing in the bar was nice. Great atmosphere. Hip without pretension. Tuesday night has a great band playing. read more

Locl Bar - From lounge towards bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Cool layout but lazy, unprofessional staff. Took over 20 minutes for them to get a paper cup to serve their spiked hot chocolate in. They didn't even offer an apology, nor did they attempt to make up for it. Drinks are gimmicky and overpriced. Also, as we were leaving, we witnessed one server take a sip out of a cocktail he was picking up from the bar to serve a customer at a table. He used his own straw but it was pretty shocking to say the least. read more

So My cousin and I decided to check this place out and the drinks were very good and strong!...It went just in time to get this Christmas Snow globe which Got us into the Holiday Spirit..CHRISTMAS! LOL. I loved how nicely the place looked and Cozy!.. The drink that I had was the Shakespeare Globe which tasted like champagne which I love so I did not mind and I truly loved the Nymph Nectar.. It tasted amazing with edible glitter.. I would go back again but I wouldn't like to wait an hour for the drinks and look around to see where I can sit! read more

Locl Bar - The Shakespeare Globe Drink..I liked it it tasted like - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Very chill and cozy with lots of couches and comfy chairs. We had a live three piece playing some classic jazz. Great for a quiet date.

We loved this bar when it first opened several years ago..... now it's just terrible. Horrible service and awful holiday cocktails. Don't waste your time. read more

There was a cute Willy wonka pop up bar. It wasn't as dynamic as I thought it would be (it was just decorations everywhere) but it was still very nice. I had this violet drink which wasn't too bad and my friends had the other popular drinks. The bartender was very nice. It was more pricey and sugary than I would have liked but still fun!! read more

Preface: DO. NOT. COME HERE. Came here on a Tuesday night for their snowglobe drinks. Sat at the bar with my friend at around 7:30PM. We spoke to one bartender and told her that we wanted to order two snowglobe drinks. She informed us that there was going to be a 30-40 minute wait since they ran out of globes at the moment. We told her that would be fine and ordered other drinks for the time being. The bartender we ordered from went on a break, and so we confirmed with the other bartender that indeed our name was down and our order was in for 2 snowglobe drinks. We sit and wait patiently for about an hour, just chatting and catching up until I noticed a couple that just sat down approx 10 minutes ago ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR DRINKS?!?!? I was shocked because we'd been waiting for an entire hour, and still weren't served anything relatively snowglobe-related. I asked the bartender why our order still hasn't been made, when someone who came in 10 minutes ago already received their drinks.. I expected some sort of acknowledgement that we waited an hour, and that we should be getting our order soon, or even that there was some sort of mishap. This was not what we received. Instead, we got disrespect and an attitude, who rudely informed us that "she's not in control of who gets what" and that "we have to speak to the bartender we ordered with", and "all I can tell you is there's going to be a wait". It was literally so unnecessary, and then she just said that she was too busy to speak to us any further. So... are we supposed to sit here for 2 hours while everyone else gets served? Ridiculous. We brought this matter up to the manager's attention, and explained to him what happened. He did not seem interested in resolving the matter, and actually asked us what we wanted him to do. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IT'S YOUR JOB... you figure ThaT OUT. Jeez. And then he tried to tell us that what had happened was not "poor customer service". We left with on the note that the manager would "speak with the said bartender and address the issue". We watched from the window for 5 minutes. 0 activity. 0 resolution. 0 stars for this place. read more

Went in for the well-publicized holiday drinks be they only make them from 6-9pm. Waitress was snarky about it too.

Came for the holiday factor pop-up drinks that everyone has been talking about. Got the gumball machine-inspired drink and the violet-inspired drink. Gum Ball machine drink was a generous portion, however, could not taste any tequila. Additionally, violet-inspired drink was a tiny portion (probably about 5 ounces total). None of the group could taste any alcohol in the drinks, which run about $18 each. Service was slow - only 1 bartender for the entire bar. All in all, drinks looked interesting, come just for the snaps and IG, don't come if you're looking to actually enjoy the holiday drinks. Venue was warm and cozy, definitely a slow-paced place where a group can sit and talk for some time. Would recommend getting a regular beer or cocktail instead of holiday drinks. read more

LOCL is advertised online in Thrillest, ILoveUpperWestSide.com and other various websites as one of the top rooftop bars with public access in NYC. Went here tonight and was told by the lobby bartender that the 16th floor rooftop was for "hotel guests only" as of "one month ago". False advertising. This native New Yorker is pissed. Lobby bar seemed nice, but I'm turned off by the fact the rooftop isn't available like it says it is, all over the internet. Know that before you go here! read more

Came into this place for drinks and loved it. The bartender was wonderful, the staff was kind, and the atmosphere is really cool Will definitely be back as soon as I am in the city again! Thank you! read more

The "pop up bar" stops serving the holiday drinks at different times depending on the day. Staff is very unhelpful and unsympathetic. Not sure what kind of business decides to stop serving beverages when they visibly have all of the ingredients and supplies at different times each day just because they feel like it. Their website claims they close at 1am, but last call was at 11p and holiday drinks were done by 7p. Such a shame because the drinks look so cute but good luck getting them. read more

Where the cocktails are more like works of art. Hidden gem in the UWS & awesome neighborhood hangout. Check out the Silent Cinema screenings on Wednesdays. read more

The holiday drinks yes, it's very special. However the service was terrible especially the woman who worked in the bar. UNBELIEVABLE. She worked with attitudes, give you her damn face. We all agreed that's the worst bar we've ever been. read more

This bar is great. Always has interesting people watching, great cocktails, and is very New York for a hotel bar. I really like the live music as well when they have it! read more

Locl Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

The vibe with the bar is really good and they let you bring in your dog but I ordered filet mignon sliders which were overcooked, the bread was stale and the fries were worse than McDonald's. And they serve. all of this with a plastic fork. All for $15, so basically I would avoid eating the food at this bar. read more

Came here for a Yelp event. Nice little hotel bar in the UWS. Decor is nice and the crowd is good. The bartenders were really friendly and attentive and so was the hotel staff that I came across. The bar is clean and classy and although small, is a great bar. They also served different kinds of pizza and they were all surprisingly good. Would definitely stop in for a drink if I was in the area. read more

Went to the Christmas pop-up bar at LOCL. It was a very cozy and beautiful space with festive decorations! Cocktails, however, are all about the looks and not very good at all. Don't expect good drinks - just enjoy the space and the company you're with. read more

If you want a bar to actually relax at and be able to hold a conversation without shouting then this is the place to go. Great environment, friendly bar tenders, and excellent cocktails. It's one of those places that make the UWS great. read more

Came here for the holiday pop up, the interior was nicely decorated for the holiday season. I was excited to order Shakespeare's Globe drink that was advertised in TimeOut but much to my dismay the bartender gave me a regular circular glass with NO snowman, santa etc in it. He told me they were all out of of the speciality figurine ones. Disappointing! In addition the bartender did not specify to me that here were two different price points Or ask me which size I wanted and gave me the largest size. I was able to get an empty figurine globe that they filled with water later on in the night after much persistence though . read more