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No Work Allowed

4.0 (42 reviews)
Open 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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Inside
Ally F.

Aesthetic: Hip, Thai Jazz club What to try: Cucumber Breeze cocktail Service: Excellent Parking: None Rating: 5/5, this was a wonderful place to watch local jazz in the city. We didn't eat, but the drinks were incredible! The cucumber breeze soju was one of the most delicious fresh green juice drinks I've ever tried, I would come back just for this!

kaprow moo kai dao
Hillary P.

So happy I stumbled into No Work Allowed while initially looking for another establishment! It is an ABSOLUTE GEM of a space and menu! Very cozy atmosphere and very good bites

Mary L.

Great spot for a cocktail and live music. The group we saw were freaking amazing! Get there early it gets packed!

Erick S.

Recommend: Thai Teani (martini), Ume Yuzu (plum wine) The experience here does not compare to Tomi Jazz, but if you don't want to wait in a long line, or simply want to experience another of Midtown's Japanese-inspired jazz bars, then give this place a try. I went on a Friday night, live jazz starts around 7:30p. I ordered a few drinks, including the ones I recommended above. Food is okay, but pricey for the portion size. When the place gets packed, it gets very loud and service is noticeably slower for everyone. The jazz band was good, but when they took a break they went up to every table to ask for tips/donations. I usually tip on my own accord, but would have appreciated not having my meal/conversations interrupted. Overall not the worst experience, but not a first choice considering the other jazz bars in the area.

Crying tiger
Joyce Y.

The ambience is great, the jazz is great, the lychee beer and tako wasabi is great...but the crying tiger steak is terrible. I ordered a medium rare and received a rare steak, the nam jim jeaw was straight-up just too sweet, the steak was filled with so many inedible fatty parts, and the kicker is that the website lists it as $32 but the QR code menu lists it as $45. I assumed the QR code would just lead to the website so I ended up thinking it was $13 less than it actually was and overpaid for a very disappointing meal. No Work Allowed needs to fix this admin issue to refrain from misleading customers.

Rina D.

Food is just ok but the vibes are definitely here! Given that the space is pretty tight/small, make sure to go early so you can decide how close to the performers you want to be. Service is definitely slow as they cater to many tables and get really busy. Took multiple asks to just get some napkins. It does get pretty loud so it will be hard to talk here. Just come here to enjoy the vibes!

George C.

Right on East 53rd St, this place is a great addition to "restaurant row" here. It's a Thai-Japanese fusion Izakaya and the food is solid. How it works - we came on a Friday and it seemed like people ate in waves. That's because they have live jazz (there was a saxophonist, bassist and pianist when we went), and they play in 45-60 minute sets. There's a minimum spend of $15 per person for each set. But that includes food or drinks. So you can spend the whole night here if you want by getting one drink per set. Not bad at all. Food is solid as well. We really enjoyed the flavors of everything, especially the scallops and the noodles. Some dishes have a nice southeast Asian flare to them, like the noodles which were slightly spicy. The only thing that was a little too salty was the grilled mackerel (or whatever fish it was). We left after 1 set but will come back again

Inside jazz
Emily H.

New basement jazz bar in Midtown East. Very cute and cozy vibes inside. Perfect for our girls night. Loved the music too. There was basically no line when we went at 7:30pm on a Friday night (unlike its neighbor Tomi Jazz). We were let in to the bar immediately and then got seated shortly after, within 15-20 minutes I'd say. Honestly felt like I got the Tomi Jazz experience from here lol. Their drinks were sooo good. We got the Ume Yuzu and Thai Teani, and both drinks were delicious. We also got the bone-in Karage, truffle fries, crying tiger, and mentaiko pasta. Food was good, a little pricey and small portions. I liked the crying tiger the most. Definitely better for their drinks. However, their service is horribly slow. We asked 3 times for ketchup and they still didn't give it to us, until I had to very aggressively requested the waitress to get us ketchup the last 4th time. They also took forever to give us our check, we had to ask for the check 3 times too. The inside is small and cute, but it's freezing. They definitely need more heaters. Overall, food & drinks & vibes & music were great! We all had a great time. But service definitely needs improvement.

went solo traveling to nyc and stumbled across this little gem. love the vibes here and the food is amazing. staff was super welcoming and of course i had to make friends with everyone highly recommend the crying tiger steak!! would love to come back here when i get the chance :) best night in nyc for sure!

Kelsey A.

What an adorable, charming, intimate jazz bar. There are a few tables and bar seats, then the band. It's dimly lit and perfect for a date night or a fun girls night. The band was wonderful, and the Japanese menu was a charming contrast.

Cool interior ambiance
Sophie C.

Got lost and stumbled across here-- very glad we found it! You have to walk down a flight of stairs, so it can be easy to miss from the street. We did not have a reservation, but we came early on a Monday night. They have an interesting menu and I definitely would like to come back to try more. They have a $15/person minimum and a ~75 min maximum on Fridays and Saturdays. Their fried squid with salted egg dip was absolutely delicious. Their salmon curry pasta was also scrumptious, and a little spicy. They are very attentive with their service, but respectful to not interrupt the jazz trio. Super cool spot and go to the restroom for a surprise...

Ume Yuzu
Ellie Z.

No Work Allowed is a "Japanese izakaya with a Northeastern Thai twist" that offers dinner, live jazz music, small plates, cocktails, and a great time. Live jazz starts at 7pm (Tuesdays through Fridays) and 5:30pm on Saturdays. I highly recommend the Ume Yuzu (8.9/10): This is a shochu based cocktail (Japanese distilled spirit) with plum wine, yuzu liquor, yuzu puree, lime juice, and seltzer. I LOVED this drink. Honestly one of my favorite cocktails that I have had in NYC. If I had to describe this drink in one word, it would be "refreshing." The plum wine adds a nice sweetness to the bright tangy flavor of the lime juice and yuzu. It also is a great sweetness level (especially since I like my cocktails on the fruitier/sweeter side). Highly recommend!! This place is located right next to the very popular Tomi Jazz so if the line for Tomi is looking a little too long, I promise you won't regret popping into here!

Valerie R.

This hidden gem was absolutely amazing! Everything was SO fresh and flavorful! Their menu is very unique- we went when they were also collaborating with Public Village. Highly recommend checking them out! They also have live jazz music Tues-Sat! Service was top tier!

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2 years ago

Adorable place with little to no wait time for a table!! The staff were friendly and the live music was excellent!

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1 year ago

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SaiTong Thai

SaiTong Thai

4.5
(443 reviews)
1.0 mi

Delicious noodles! Came after a broadway show. Really great service and amazing Pad See Ew!read more

I'm a Thai foodie from California and I really loved SaiTong! The restaurant was busy and I was by…read moremyself so I was happy to sit at the bar, and was attended to by the most sweet bartender ever. Very polite, professional and attentive. I first ordered the crispy spring rolls, which were very good. For my main I had the Massaman Curry. Now folks, this is my favorite curry of all time -- actually one of my favorite foods of all time -- and while it's common in LA where I used to live, it's not as common where I live now, in the Bay Area. And the restaurants that do carry it usually do not make it right and it's not very good. I am used to Massaman in the traditional preparation where it's more like a beef stew made with chunks of beef and needs to cook overnight. When done right it is the most aromatic curry ever -- it's almost like an aphrodisiac! -- and the beef comes out oh so tender. Usually if places have this curry but then offer a choice of protein, then it generally is not cooked properly, and that is actually how they prepare it at SaiTong. But because of such great reviews I decided to take a chance and try it. Well, let me tell you, it was definitely not the norm...it was absolutely delicious! I had it with chicken (they serve breast as default), and the chicken soaked up the curry really nicely. I also asked for there to be no onions, which I think alters the flavor of a curry too much. It does include the traditional potatoes and peanuts, and the potatoes were fine and cut into nice little chunks, the peanuts actually were thrown in raw.. what I think is the more traditional way which is to actually burn the peanuts a little bit, but that's okay, it didn't take down the dish any. Their brown rice is of the very dark kind, which I like, and goes so well with the curry. Service was wonderful from the bartender but was also provided by the rest of the staff and everyone was so nice. I left there feeling so satisfied, and cannot wait to go back and try some other dishes.

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Bar area
Bar area
Chicken Satay
Chicken Satay
Parang Curry

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Parang Curry
Dagg Thai Restaurant

Dagg Thai Restaurant

4.4
(151 reviews)
0.8 mi
$$$

My family and I originally came for a quick dinner, what we got was by far an amazing Thai food…read moreexperience! All the food we ordered was so good, my favorites were the Pork Jerky the Pad Thai I'll say, even tho I've only been in New York for a day, I would heavily recommend you visit this place if you dig Thai food! Do maybe expect a bit of a wait, especially for bigger parties

After walking nearly nine miles through 100-degree New York City heat, I had a late-night craving…read morefor Asian food. Fortunately, there were plenty of options near my Midtown hotel that offered quick delivery. Dagg Thai was just around the corner and had solid Yelp ratings. Rather than creating an online account, I called the restaurant directly and placed my order. They estimated delivery would take about 25 minutes. Less than 20 minutes later, the food was waiting for me in the hotel lobby. I ordered: * Cashew Nuts with Shrimp -- Bell peppers, onions, scallions, cashews, and dried chilies. * Dumplings -- Mixed shrimp and pork served with a soy vinaigrette dipping sauce. The Cashew Nuts with Shrimp had a flavorful, light sauce with just the right amount of heat. I really enjoyed it. My only disappointment was that the shrimp were battered and fried; I would have preferred grilled or pan-seared shrimp. The dumplings were more like shoo-mai than traditional dumplings. They were a bit dense but still flavorful and satisfying. Considering the quick delivery, the food arrived piping hot, and the excellent Cashew Nuts dish, this was an easy four-star meal.

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Bar area
Bar area
Our appetizers were delicious.
Our appetizers were delicious.
The entrees tasted good, too.

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The entrees tasted good, too.
Sabai Thai

Sabai Thai

4.3
(623 reviews)
1.2 mi
$$$

The first thing you'll notice is how beautiful the space is. Gorgeous interiors, a warm atmosphere,…read moreand genuinely friendly hosts made for a great first impression. We started with the curry puffs and satay buns, both of which were easy wins. No complaints, I would happily order them again. The Khao Soi was the highlight of my meal. Rich, comforting, and packed with flavor. I love when restaurants get this right. They also do super thin noodles in the khao soi which is a plus for me. I also tried a little bit of the crab fried rice which was also incredible. I also ordered the lychee mocktail. The drink itself was fairly average, but it came with a lychee mochi that completely stole the show. I honestly enjoyed the mochi more than the drink itself. Overall, this is just good, no-nonsense Thai food. Nothing feels overly gimmicky. The restaurant focuses on solid flavors, a beautiful space, and warm hospitality. I'd happily come back to work my way through more of the menu.

It was very easy to make a reservation. The ambiance and decor were so romantic and cozy. We…read morestarted off with the drinks. I ordered a delicious lychee Martini. For appetizers, we ordered the Sate, curry puff, chicken dumpling and shrimps. Everything was on point. The main course was the shrimp dish, chicken and tofu panang was our favorite. The fried rice and pad tai were just about okay. We ended the night with free celebration dessert my loved ones birthday celebration

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Sabai Thai
$16: curry puff
$16: curry puff
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Butterfly Pea Lemonade
Obao

Obao

4.0
(4.5k reviews)
1.2 mi
$$$

Wow, every dish so good. Thought it would be less specialized bc they serve both Thai and…read moreVietnamese dishes but flavors were very clean and strong. - Drunken noodles: not too greasy, might be the best drunken noodles I've had. Medium spice was not spicy at all for us. - Duck curry: a bit small on the portions but the curry is magical. Was scraping this plate clean. - Bo luc lac: star dish for sure. Beef melts on your tongue and the marinade is slightly sweet and smoky. - Summer rolls: small portions but the flavor is there. Super refreshing and special bc they pickle the vegetables inside. - Crispy pork belly: reminds me of the crispy pork I had in Vietnam. Really well done, pairs well with the lettuce and herbs. That green sauce is so addicting. - Papaya salad: super refreshing, nice fish sauce. - Crab fried rice: reminds me of the din tai fung fried rice bc of how clean the flavor is. Great dim ambiance for a date or dinner out. Definitely coming back soon.

So yum!!!! Top 3 thai spots for me…read more Food- Classic order of Pad Thai & Drunken Noodles. The pad thai noodles are a big thinner than i've had before but that didn't bother me, it has such great flavor too. I recommend ordering it spicy, it's the perfect heat if you're looking for that kick but don't add it if you can't handle spice. The drunken noodles are not spicy in my opinion but i can handle a bit of heat. Loved the flavor and the noodles had the right texture, could've done without the huge chunks of tomato but great otherwise. The summer rolls were good, hard to mess those up. We also got a free mango salad with the order and that was so fresh and delicious. We just popped in for pick up but the hostess was really nice and attentive as soon as we walked in. It looked to be a nice casual spot, could be good for dinner with friends or date night.

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Obao
Obao
Obao

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No Work Allowed - bars - Updated July 2026

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