I've been getting my nails done at Potala on and off for several years now, and let me tell you, these ladies do their thing! I rarely make appointments, but when I do, it's with Jessie, my main girl. I always leave happy after she does my SNS mani, and we chat about life and travels. The other ladies are great, too. Candi has been my pedi lady lately. This is not a fancy place with overstimulating loud music or TVs, for that matter. This is a nail salon where you go to close your eyes or scroll away without too much noise or chatter from other patrons. You can get eyebrows threaded, which I've enjoyed the few times I've done. Chair massages are also available, and any one of the staff is excellent at kneading out the stress knots. Lastly, the prices are fair for the service you get. If you're one who likes to walk in and ask about wait time... they are worth the wait, don't leave them hanging. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - SNS by Jessie - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

They're very friendly here. They take their time but not too much time. I got a regular mani and pedi. I work with my hands so the nail polish lasted four days, which is great. My toes are still good too. Mera's Tip: nail it read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

If you, like me, are looking for a no frills nail salon that is both clean and affordable, look no further. Centrally located off Steinway Street, this unassuming nail spot offers a beautiful basic manicure for $10. Again TEN DOLLARS! Additionally, the place was not very crowded, had great social distancing shields in place, and did not try to nag me with upsells and add ons. My nails were in poor shape and the technician left them perfect! I will certainly be back next week for some maintenance. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - I needed this! - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

Horrible experience! The owner is super rude! I've never experienced this type of device. Please avoid this place!!!!!!

I've been hearing about the amazing nail salons in Queens. So I was in the neighborhood one time and had the chance to try Potala Nail & Spa. It appears the staff are all from Nepal and they were very kind. I got a manicure for $8. She did a nice job and everything was fine. Nothing magical about the experience but can't complain with that price! read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

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This place is disaster. I gave them 3 chances so far, because of the convenient location and price. But NO, the place is lack in quality and professionalism. Not only I got sloppy nail, they robbed me $39 + tip and blamed their poor workskill on me by telling "my nail bed is way too small". I'm DONE read more

Potala Nail & Spa - This is what I received from my reference photo. Sloppy and expensive - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Jessy is GREAT!!!! I have been getting my nails done here for a long time. The ladies are all so pity and hardworking. The place is conveniently located on Steinway street near 30th Avenue. They are open 7 days and their prices are very reasonable. I have had my mani and pedi done with at least 3 different ladies and they are all great however my favorite has to be Jessy. She is so good and yet quick but thorough. She is so hardworking and never turns no one away besides she is very precise when giving the wait times. Great job Jessy read more

Hate to do this been coming here for years but I went this weekend for pedicure and have an infection. The girl was going at it noticeably hard, it was uncomfortable and now my toe feels like it's going to fall off, I'm limping and I have to go to the doctor. :{ Follow up: confirmed by doctor bacterial infection read more

This is my go to nail place but I have an unfortunate experience. Convinced my husband to get his first pedicure ever with me here. Since he was just doing it for the experience and looking for a relaxing foot massage he opted for one of their spa pedicures (the honey and cinnamon scrub) everything was normal but for some reason the nail tech decided she needed to mess with the sides on his big toe. He tells me later that he was in excruciating pain but thought that she knew what she was doing. Fast forward to the next day and his toe is swollen and there is puss, he can barely take a step on it. I feel horrible because he works on his feet all day and I know it must be painful for him to wear shoes with a swollen toe and what's even worse is that he's turned off from pedicures forever :( lol! I'm disappointed because I like this place read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Toe - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

No ac in this 90 degree weather! Nail technicians and guests sweating bullets! Been waiting 30 minutes for a pedicure. The longest wait ever!!! And lately the nail technicians do a poor job on the pedicures. This was my go to nail salon but that's it. Never coming back again. read more

Don't waste your time. I've given this salon 3rd, 4th and 5th chances. I wanted to like it because it's so close to my apartment. It's extremely affordable. However after having numerous cuticles nicked, a nail infected and now a ruined pair of fairly expensive flip flops. I'm done. I'm tired of getting new, inexperienced girls giving me inadequate service. Pay a little more and go to Athena. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Ruined my sandals with the wax. - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

This nail salon is one in many salon in this neighborhood, therefore they should consider being a bit more friendly and gentle. A little rough around the edges of the nails and made some areas bleed. Also when I asked to charge my phone they just said NO and no reason why. Try other spots around Steinway, they will greet you with smiles. read more

For a walk in french for only $13 is pretty good considering they were packed... after 20 min, I found my nails to be chipped already. My first time here but if I were to come back to Astoria, I would have to reconsider. I picked it because it was close by and it was highly rated. It's been awhile since I did a regular french (vs gel french). My sister got triple coats of some pinkish color and it was only $8. One of her nails was filed crooked. When we were drying our nails, my sister decided my eyebrows were icky and insisted i got it threaded. I've never got it threaded before so I had my sister in the room. The threading part did not hurt, just felt really weird. For $7.00, it was decent. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Regular french mani. - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

Decided to get a full set one evening after work. The fact that they stay open until 10pm is a plus! I was a little skeptical since I never heard of the place before, but I decided to try them out since they're so close to my apartment. WOW is all I can say! All of the ladies were extremely friendly and accommodating, and both the owner and her daughter even stayed past closing time in order to complete the design on my nails! She even took her time to try out all the different polishes I was thinking of, before I settled on a design she suggested for me! I never felt rushed, and they made me feel like a valued client! I will most certainly be back and do recommend them for all of your beauty needs. Such a pleasant experience!! :) read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Party nails!!! - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

I really like this place - great deal! You get a mani/pedi that includes a scrub, parafin, foot massage and shoulder massage for $23. I moved to LIC a few months ago and this place is worth the schlep! LIC is def lacking good, affordable nail places, of which I was spoiled with when I lived on the UES. Super clean and friendly staff! I've been 3 times so far. 2 times were great, they really took their time and did a great job. Once I felt a little rushed but it was still okay for the price I paid. Overall - It's great and I will continue to come here as often as I can! read more

I went in for a gel manicure & regular pedicure on a Sunday evening. The manicure came out very sloppy and was not painted down to the nail bed. Instead, my nails looked like I had painted them myself and were kind of rough looking at the bottom. After 6 days it started peeling at the base and chipping away. I only got 12 days of out it before it looked so awful I had to soak them off. However, the pedicure was amazing. They spend a good amount of time working on your feet. Afterwards they provide a hot lotion/oil in a plastic bag that they wrap on the heels of your feet (at no extra cost). Totally awesome! Overall, I didn't have many qualms about this place until it came time to pay. Apparently the nail tech wasn't happy with my tip and gave me a nasty look. Guess I'll be trying a new place in Astoria.... read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Gel mani after 6 days. Totally uneven and started peeling - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

Called for an appointment and was given one, when I said my name it was a quick response to see you later.. when I arrived and said I had an appointment it wasn't really acknowledged... maybe they only had a few or were ready. Pedicure was great.. she was very detailed and seemed to take extra steps to make it perfect! When nail polish was drying up.. another tech went to thin it out with thinner instead of replacing the bottle. When I asked to replace, they said they didn't have another. I changed the color of my mani then. Manicure was almost great... the cuticle cutter was not cleaned before use.. I saw skin in it. When it was noticed it was then cleaned with alcohol. Shaping of nail was spot on, painting was nicely done. I was offered a nice shoulder rub while getting my mani, was a nice treat which keeps up-to-par with other places. Really great late hours to accommodate working people.. they were full when I came in at 8:30pm. They charge $5 to remove gel if you want a basic manicure. They should post this charge somewhere. Overall vibe is relaxed and shows a homey feel. I most likely will return again. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Great job on design!! Pretty lady gave her dedication to get it perfect! Thanks!! - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

Every time I go, I spend $40 +tip on a powder dip manicure that breaks within 2 days. A regular manicure would last longer and be way cheaper. They're typically nice about fixing a nail for free, but then another just breaks in a day. Couldn't say how their acrylic or gel game is because I've never gotten anything besides powder dip. read more

The first time I came here I had an okay experience. The white tips I got lasted a while and the service was mediocre. The second time I came back I had a bad experience because even though I made an appointment I still had to wait at least 30 min. After I got my nails done and was about to pay, I was told it was an extra 5 dollars for the coffin shape tip & another extra 5 dollars for UV gel on top. So on top of the price for the white tips I still had to pay extra. I feel like it would have been worth it if the nails lasted !!!!!!! The third day of having my tips one of them broke off after I lifted my towel. I went back and a woman was very nice she fixed my nail but then started to tell me my nails were oily and that's why it happened? I said okay and let her finish... she then started to fix all my nails knowing I was in a rush so I got annoyed at that and said please just do this one. After that she didn't charge me so i said thanks and left. I know she was trying to help but I JUST did my nails why do I have to RE do them so fast 3 days later ???? Never once did I dip my hand in oil she just said my nails produced oil and that's why and I should get something else next time. How about NO ! On top of all Of this ... I just went to grab my metro card and Another nail Just broke ( causing me to write this review). I'm so pissed I spent 80 bucks on this place. I'm never coming back. The 2 stars was because I liked the pedicure & how the woman didn't charge me for the fix, however that wasn't even anything special. After trying to be forced to get the spa pedi, my nails breaking, the high price (which I don't mind paying for quality), it's safe to say I won't be back. read more

I got these done and had to come back 2 days later to get them fixed after one broke. They were very lazily done and if you notice they are different colors as the lady who fixed them didn't even bother to use the right color. She was the one that pointed it out to me actually and they didn't even offer to fix it. I paid $45 for this powder SNS full set and they came out a MESS. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

I usually go here often for my nail needs and most of the time, the service and job are done to my satisfaction. The only thing as to why I didn't give it 5 stars is because they allow appointments but sometimes forget or don't keep them timely. I find myself waiting sometimes. They are understanding if you mess up a nail or just dislike the color and will fix it. read more

Loved getting a pedicure and a shellac manicure here. The pedicure was good. The massage was nice and they do a standard treatment for your heel. Not sure what it's called but it's some sort of gel. Manicure was nice as well. Honestly my nails were horrible and she did the best she could with what I had. I didn't feel rushed - but the reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 is that I still feel like she was going a little too fast for my liking. But that's with alll the nail salons I've ever been too. I just wish they'd maybe just slow down a little and let us enjoy the relaxation. You do get a good 1 minute massage after your manicure so that was nice. I just wish the pedicure was a little more longer. Maybe I'm being greedy. But I'd definitely come back here. Super clean, sweet people, and good results. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Shellac nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

Came in on a Monday night for a last minute pedicure. Clean and fast. Lots of colors to choose from.

Such a great job. There Re no drills and thrills but my gel hasn't chipped in 2 weeks! And they massaged during my entire gel Mani. Such a great price for the quality! Love and will come Back! read more

Potala Nail & Spa - After 2weks! - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Maria is wonderful! My experience here was great, from the quality of my gel full set to the random conversation had with the staff and other customers. This salon is clean and clearly well taken care of. Such a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere. So glad I stopped by! read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Gel color acrylic set with design, $50, done by Maria - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

I really like my nails they always do good gel mani .i drove all the way from NJ to come here because they're so good ! read more

Potala Nail & Spa - Did a great job .love my nails. - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

I am one of their regular customers. And the last two times I went I got gel powder and it didn't even last a week. They started to pop off, and it's so annoying I feel like they use cheap products and charge a-lot. Three nails cracked within 5 days that's just ridiculous. I don't recommend anyone going there and getting gel powder manicures. Totally sucks!!!!!!!!!! read more

Absolutely horrible. I got my nails done 6 days ago, and the gel is cracking. Definitely not worth spending on. read more

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Honestly, had these nails not need for my birthday I probably wouldn't have been as upset as I am. I can't believe that these are the nails I'm going to have to display on my birthday. First things first, the wait was unorganized and an insurmountable amount of time. Not only did I get cut by another girl because apparently not everyone does tips, but a woman who arrived shortly after me and was waiting for a manicure, just a regular manicure, waited for over 1.5 hours, and they took 3 girls who came after them. When she approached the manager which was actually the woman who was doing my nails at the time, the woman blatantly ignored her, but the customer was not taking being ignored as an approximate response seeing as how she already waited an hour. The woman brushed off the customer and she went back to continue waiting. My manicurist did not speak English very well. When I sat down, she started pushing saying I should go a gel manicure. I told her over 4 times I did not want that. What I did want was a blue metallic, I ended up leaving the salon with some kind of gold/silver powder chrome gel manicure. As she was doing it and I saw her bring the UV machine, I told her I do not want gel, she said ok this girl will do manicure now and some other manicurist took over. This woman as well had a hard time understanding English. She proceeded to doing my manicure with a UV light and some strange chrome powder and brush. Again I said I didn't want gel just a regular blue metallic color that I had already showed them, but she kept going. The horrible shape of the nail became even more apparent as she applied this powder. She also smudged one of my nails and when I asked her to fix it she told me that's how it is. The sides of my nails were missing polish and I was again replied with that's how the nail is. Upon paying, they had no trouble with English when it came to asking for a tip. This business has become very money hungry and very inconsiderate to customers. Such a shame, I will not be returning and I recommend you try any other of the many salons on Steinway. read more

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This nail salon is one you go to for emergencies. Their nail work isn't the absolute best, it's just okay. One bad experience I've had is when I was getting a gel manicure and the woman cut my cuticles and all of them started bleeding. She blamed her hack job on my sensitive skin. As well as that, her gel manicure wasn't painted very well, there was polish on my cut cuticles. They aren't the best with acrylic nails, they always make them too thick. One plus side to this salon is from I've seen, they are clean and have many color choices from gel nails to regular polish. read more

I have no complaints about Potala! I love a nail place that offers rewards for loyalty (as they do with their lunch card). My pedicures and manicures always look great. They can always fit me in and never rush. read more

So the honey cinnamon pedi was BANGIN loved it but after returning home they are chipped within a day. Now as far as my nails I only got a fill and she managed to absolutely ruin the shape ,file them down too far , and made them thick and chunky by putting 5 gel coats on them not to mention the nails took two hrs. Just overral a disappointing experience. :( read more

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Beautiful job! Friendly staff and service! Liners, sanitized utensils... Very clean! Also opened late on Sundays! No complaints at all!

After trial and error with about 10 other nail salons in Astoria, I stumbled upon Potala. You could honestly miss this place walking by and if it wasn't for yelp, I wouldn't have noticed. Thank goodness I did. Now there's nothing fancy about this place....no frills, basic but clean. The girls here all do a really good job and they are so nice. They definitely pay attention to details and I have to say my basic mani/pedi's here last longer than anywhere else. Huge selection of Essie (and none are diluted thank god). I have messed up a nail/toe a few times here (truly my own fault not paying attention) and they always will fix it right there and are so patient about it which i know HAS to be annoying for them. The owner of this place is AWESOME. I think it's a husband and wife, bc i see them in there together a lot. But one night in particular last week really stands out to me. It was the Friday night it MONSOONED in Astoria. I was the last customer there and the owner knew i had a bit of a walk home (I live in Ditmars). She urged me to stay until the rain settled, sat with me patiently and a smile on her face the entire time. It was past closing at this point too. I finally left although she said I was more than welcome to stay longer (the rain was still coming down just not as heavy). I just cannot for the life of me see many other nail salon owners in Astoria treating a client this well given the circumstance and it being so late. Thought I would share this as I think it speaks volumes about this place. read more

I really didn't want to write this review. I LOVED this place, brought many friends here.. But the yelp universe deserves to know the truth... Went last week to get a gel mani and pedi. Once I was done with the pedi i go to the table and she starts on my nails. That's when someone else walked in. They sat her down in the same pedi chair I was and it WAS NOT CLEAN! That FREAKED me out! They did not clean after me! And I had gotten an infection years ago from a nail salon using dirty equipment. I was grossed out. She keeps doing my nails when I see a ROACH crawl out of the basin of the same pedi chair!! Ugh horrible! PLUS my gel mani did not last two days!! It chipped immediately and I did nothing but go to school, no hard labor, nothing to get it bent out of shape. I am very sad about my experience here, even worse now I have to find a new place to go to - and Potala used to be my go-to salon read more

I've given Potala a few tries, and was really hoping I could continue getting my mani/pedi there. It's incredibly convenient....right around the corner from me. The first instance that happened was one of the girls getting wax in my hair when I was getting my eyebrows done. I had just gotten my hair done and had specifically asked her to be careful. We had to put oil in my hair to get the wax out, and it ruined my blowout. The second instance was a few weeks ago. I was getting a mani/pedi, with my manicure first. Because there are only 5-6 pedicure chairs I made it a point to tell my manicurist that I wanted to be sure the 1 vacant chair went to me, since we were almost done. I had also called and made an appointment - but no one had let my manicurist know. I had to wait almost 20 minutes before we even got started. I didn't mind...I tried to be patient and understanding. My manicurist let one of her co-workers know we were headed to that pedicure station, and the other person didn't listen and took it with a customer that just walked in the door. I had no more time to wait. I had already paid for both (paying during your mani is standard, whether it comes first or last), and requested a refund. The owner was completely rude and wouldn't give me a refund. She didn't listen to what had happened, and was not understanding. I am the easiest customer to keep....and they lost me. The girls that are there, for the most part, are lovely. Jenny was my go-to manicurist and she's seriously phenomenal. It's a shame the talented people they have working there seem afraid of their own management. read more

Loved it! First time here, I was very impressed. At first glance, I noticed that things are much cleaner here than most nail salons, that makes me feel good. I saw prices posted in clear view which is a very good sign to me. The employees are vey warm and friendly and the massage that you get while your nails dry is a very nice touch. I'll be back here soon. read more

Potala Nail & Spa - My French mani - Nail Salons Near Me - Astoria, New York

MEH - it was okay. I was not thrilled with the service I experienced here. I came in for a mani-pedi around 7/8PM on a weekday. The girl that did my nails paid no attention to my nails nor did she take her time. Whenever the door opened or someone walked through the establishment, she always looked to see who it was and stared to see what was happening. My issue is, she is not the owner (I spoke to the owner) to consistently look around to see what is taking place, your job is to cater to your client and do a good job yet that was not done. She did my feet and we moved on to my nails, she was extremely careless. My nails chipped within two days. I went on vacation and it looked like I didn't get my nails done prior to leaving NY, anyone that enjoys getting a great job done on their nails and have them last will understand that chipping within two days is unacceptable. read more

I was disappointed about how they painted my nails ... I'm not a picky person but I expect not to have nail polish outside of my nail... I don't think I would come back. I'm giving it 3 stars because they were nice and easy to book an appointment ... But the technicians need to be more professional with their work... 6/4/16 came back to give this place another chance with another technician and they are just mediocre ... read more

I used to love this place, I'd come once a week for a manicure and every other week for a pedi. Since the business was sold last year it has really gone downhill. Staff no longer seems to care about quality and they upsell you, either trying to buy a more expensive service or 10 minute massage, etc. Staff sits and chats and they do the minimal. They also raised their prices but cut down on the other "perks" they used to do standard, I.e., parafin after your pedi, quick neck massage while you are drying. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way as every time I'm in there, there's an argument with a customer about being over charged or doing a subpar job. Would have left 1 Star, but I used to frequently go here and at least it's clean. read more