I never post reviews because I feel like I'm pretty generous when it comes to "subpar" service and don't feel a strong urge to post either way. Unfortunately, my experience today was different. TLDR; Despite the 1+ hr of soaking my tips off, I was enjoying my time until my nail technician started on my manicure. She was rude, rough, and did a poor job. All the other technicians seemed very nice, and the other clients seemed satisfied with their results, so I will give this salon another try in the future, just with a different technician. First, I called at 5:15 to ask if they had availability to do a soak off + regular manicure. The lady I spoke with (perhaps also the owner?) was very nice and said I could come at 5:45 and took down my name. I arrived at 5:50, the place was packed (to be fair, it is a small space), and I waited 15 minutes before someone even looked at my nails. This was fine - I had nowhere urgent to be, and I did call somewhat "last minute" so I had no problem waiting. She told me my tips were thick so I had to soak them for longer than usual. I ended up soaking my nails for an entire hour (the foil was taken off at 7:20pm!). At this point, though I was a bit annoyed because I hadn't expected to spend 1.5+ hours at the salon, I wasn't upset. The ambience was very nice, all the technicians were kind and some girls were having good conversation. So, I was still enjoying myself. Then, the nail technician (blonde, older woman, not Asian) started doing my manicure. My nails are all different lengths because I'm a habitual nail biter, so about half of them were really long while the other half were extremely short. The first thing that gave me pause was when she started filing my obviously uneven nails without asking if I wanted them cut. When I asked her to cut them so they were all about the same length, she seemed a bit annoyed, and then proceeded to cut all my nails SO short that it was literally impossible to even file them into a round shape. Then, she spent no more than 4 seconds "filing" every nail. Then, after cleaning my cuticles, she told me that I had to pay now. I was very confused, because I've never had to pay for a service in the middle of receiving said service, but in my head I reasoned that I was paying her for the work she did, and another lady was going to actually paint my nails, so I was going to pay each separately so that the tips could be correctly distributed. When she came back with the receipt, she hovered over me and stared as I signed and tipped (I nervously tipped $3 on a $36 charge, again thinking that it was only a part of what I was going to pay in total and that I would complete the payment and tip when my nails were done). When she sat back down to continue my nails, I realized my mistake, and that $36 had probably been the total and I had only tipped 10%. In that moment, I resolved to complete the remaining 10%+ tip in cash at the end. But then she started painting my nails. It would be very fair to say that I could do what she did to my nails (maybe even better). The paint was uneven on virtually every finger. At one point when she was painting the second coat on my left thumb, she shoved (not an exaggeration) my other fingers out of the way and one of her fingers brushed against my pinky nail, taking off half the color. I felt and noticed it immediately, but chose to not say anything right away, as I knew she was going to see it when she was doing the topcoat. And she did. Except, she looked at it and said "You ruined it already?" I was so surprised I could only manage a "Sorry?" and she again stated, extremely frustrated, "You ruined it already". As I was recovering from my shock and she finished the topcoat, she told me to go dry my nails and I turned to grab my phone from the chair, and in an exasperated tone she said "Just go! I'll get your things". The entire manicure experience felt rushed, she wasn't gentle with my hands and seemed really annoyed the whole time. You can see in the pictures just how uneven the polish is and how rough my nails are after the "filing". I've never tipped less than 20% on any service I've received. It's just my baseline. And if I had tipped 20% to begin with, I would not have minded, despite the poor service. But I did not complete the remaining 10% tip today. I couldn't justify it, given my experience. I'm very disappointed, because the other technicians working there were so nice and seemed so gentle with their clients. And I didn't even mind the extended time and long wait. But the last 30 minutes I spent there with my technician dampened my entire experience and left me overall angry and displeased. I likely will go back and give them another try (but request a different technician), as the other ladies genuinely seemed great and the girls who got their nails done before me sounded satisfied. I'm really hoping and hopeful that I will have a better experience next time. read more

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Not sure where all the negativity comes from but I think for $23 Relax Nails offers a damn good mani-pedi experience. Walking in off the street on a weekday afternoon they took me right away, though I watched it get busier as the hour progressed. They don't have the widest selection of nail colors nor the most up-to-date pedicure chairs, but for that price what do you really expect? As far as the pedicure - awesome. They don't skimp at all. In fact, on top of the typical stuff they scrub your feet and calves and also apply a paraffin wrap to your heels. The manicure was also good, though didn't last very long before it started chipping and peeling. I'd 100% go back when I need a little digit update. read more

Relax Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

Love this place! So many great color options and the princes are unbeatable. Always satisfied with how my gel nails turn out! read more

Relax Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

Got a much needed pedicure. My technician was kind and the chair was comfy. Over all very pleased and will definitely be back!

Have been here before when visiting family. Good, no frills manicure with short wait time. Excellent color selection. Opted for the ten minute massage too and it was a little heavy handed. Would definitely come back. read more

horrible experience. the woman who did my nails scraped each and every finger with the file to the point where three of my fingers are currently bleeding and the rest are raw and stinging. When I said it hurt she said "your fingers are sensitive". I've gotten my nails done every three weeks for years and years and I've never been scraped raw like this. read more

was able to get an eyebrow wax last minute and it was one of the best waxes i've had in a while! super clean and friendly!

Loved the mani/pedi here!! Great gel mani color selection and good massage chairs. They also have good combo deals. I recommend making an apt first because otherwise they may be too busy. read more

Sarah is so great. I got a dip manicure with tips and I have never had such beautiful nails. They've stayed on extremely well. My new go to nail spot. read more

Was hesitant due to the low stars, but loved my manicure I received. The staff was friendly enough and it wasn't busy so we really focused on my nails and spent time on them. Would go back again. read more

So relaxing! Got a pedi and gel nails. Very nice work. They have a good package deal if you do a bulk deal. I also got a foot massage. I will come back again. read more

Relax Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

I have been looking for a good salon for soooo long and my friend recently recommended Relax Nails as she swears by it and my goodness was she right! I had the best experience. They were so thorough with my mani/pedi and the place was very clean and nice. I truly can't wait to go back and so appreciate what a great job they did! Definitely would recommend!! read more

I had an appointment in the neighborhood - happily stopped in here for a mani-pedi. Turned out to be the best I've had in NYC! The place is a simple, peaceful oasis. Pristine and well-run. The staff is professional and caring and engaging. Long story short - loved it and will make a point of coming back to the neighborhood just for Relax:-) read more

I love Relax Nails! It's right in my neighborhood and a perfect gem. Clara is absolutely amazing and I call in advance to make sure I have an appointment with her. They take their time and make my nails look so amazing. If Clara is unavailable, I recommend Maria as well. My nails are super short but they always makes them look amazing every time! I recommend calling in advance or making an appointment online because they are always busy. It's a good sign they are busy though - means they are good :) read more

This place is absolutely the worse nail salon I've ever been to. I came here a day before my wedding to get my nails done. I called in advance to make sure they can take me. Started off with pedicure which was fine. For my nails, I asked for ombré and showed photos of exactly what I want. I wanted to make sure they can do it, and she reassured me she can. As I sat there, seeing layer after layer being applied but each time it looks worse and worse. I'm like okay there must be a trick to this, maybe the next layer will make it look better. Eventually she decided to wash off everything, using the drill to get the gel off and start over again. I don't know why I didn't say anything then but I let her, she said it will be quick and she knows what she have to do differently. I was wrong, it looked even worse the 2nd time. I tried so hard to hold my tears in, my wedding is tomorrow and I been sitting at this salon for over 2.5 hours and they can't even do my nails right. By removing the gel once again, off my nails made my nails so brittle and sensitive. They should've told me straight up they cannot do ombré, and that would've been fine. I would just get a regular solid gel. But she insisted. She even wanted to try A THIRD TIME. Terrible place, nightmare. Thanks for listening to my traumatizing experience. read more

What a wonderful nail salon very relaxing and the person who did my feet was very nice she went above and beyond in very happy My wife also had a pleasant visit and was very happy with her pedicure ! I highly recommend this nail salon and I'm picky so go for it ! read more

Got my nails done here two days ago and 5 of my nails are already chipped. I won't even get into that... what really made this a bad experience was my nail technician who kept telling me to relax, 5 times to be exact. I don't know what she was talking about, my hands were perfectly relaxed but I guess not enough for her. I finally spoke up and told her to stop, and that I promise I'm fine, I couldn't possibly be more relaxed, and I've never had to have anyone tell me that before. I seriously wasn't rude about it, just explaining that I was relaxed already. Well I guess I pissed her off, despite giving her a 20% tip, because she stopped talking, asked me to pay without telling me the price, rushed through the polish and just sat me down at the dryer. Also, I must mention that this woman completely scratched every single one of my nails by digging in the cuticle clippers and scraping the surface of my nail. I just took the polish off and you can see the scratches! Anyway, I asked her how long I should let them dry for and she just walked away to another one of her clients who was also drying her nails and massaged her shoulders. Gee, thanks, I certainly didn't get that. I sat there for exactly twenty minutes, they were fully dry and I went ahead and asked another girl for oil just to be extra sure, nope five of my nails are already chipped. No thank you's or goodbyes, really regret spending my money at this place. For whoever might care, it was the heavier set Hispanic woman with wrist guards on, she never bothered to introduce herself ‍ read more

Highly recommend m! Staff is nice and so many powder gel colors to pick from!! I will be going back my regular manicure even lasted almost a week!! read more

Great service! I usually get off work early and they're able to let me walk in to get a gel or powder mani each time. I think I was assigned to the owner once; she was pretty friendly but kept on being interrupted with phone calls and attending to other guests walking in. They're reasonable priced, but I do hope they invest in more sns powder colors...it's very limited. Overall, this is my go to place in Murray hill! read more

Wish I could give 1 star. Rude staff and unhygienic service. After 2 days since my pedicure I now have a throbbing infection in my big toe. Oh! And it was raining so I handed my umbrella to one of the staff who put it in a corner for me and when I was getting ready to leave I asked where my umbrella was and they said they had no idea....so my umbrella was stolen as well. Horrible time. Wish I never went. read more

Hi was weary of this place because of the low Yelp stars but honestly I had a really great experience here today! I came in for a manicure on a Sunday at 2 pm and was quickly seated even though the place was busy. The worker was super friendly and asked me to pick a color and to let them know my nail shape. The technician did a really careful and thorough job cutting my cuticles and filing my nails down. She listened and was attentive to what I asked for. Before she put on the polish I got a quick lotion hand massage and then she applied the polish The manicure was $8 too which is a really great price. While I was drying my nails I even got a quick minute long back massage, and I really enjoyed it! Overall all the employees were really friendly and manicure looks great so I'm glad to have have found my new go to spot! read more

Relax Nails - Love the color - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

Not the best nail salon in the city! The salon was empty and they were in such a hurry ending up cutting me while trying to cut my cuticles! The lady painting my nails was very inexperienced because she missed a lot of spots! Wouldn't come back! read more

Came in and asked a simple question. Woman at the front desk brushed me off and was very rude about it.

Great services. This is the only nail spa I go to in this neighborhood. They take their customers very seriously. I got pedi and mani today. Good as always! read more

Loved my gel mani/pedi here! They did a great job and it lasted. Will definitely be back!

A friend recommended this place and I really loved it. Conveniently close to the bus line on 2nd Ave. A regular manicure was $11. Linda took care of me and was very attentive and nice. She did a good job! They offer deals for mani-pedi on weekdays from Mon-Thurs for $28 read more

Relax Nails - Deals - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

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Absolutely am obsessed w my nails. I had to be extra and get a different color on every nail but the staff wAs so okay with it!! Everyone that works here is super nice and do very good work. Definitely my new nail spot! read more

Relax Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

Best area in Kips Bay to get your nails done! They take exceptional care of you and even stay long to make sure your nails look great. They are open late for those who work and they make sure to fit anyone in if you need to walk in. This place is my go to and I would recommend to anyone! read more

Great pedicure, but don't go here for snacks, especially if you already have the power on. They don't have the tools to remove sns, which means that they will soak your nails for over an hour and the previous powder still might not come off. read more

Passed by and saw their 28$ weekday mani pedi deal so I decided to treat myself! Cute little salon, staff super nice and friendly. I had Rosa who was awesome! She was very meticulous and my nails came out great. Will be back. read more

Was recommended by Maria from ShearblissNyc a block away from this nail salon and I'll say I'm definitely going to be back!!!! Thank you Sara (I think she's the owner) in dojng an amazing job with my nails... sns powder nails came out amazing.. the atmosphere is so clean and everyone is really nice! read more

They are so nice here and so accommodating of the different nail color changes. They also have amazing deals and my nails look fab read more

Relax Nails - Gorgeous gel color mani - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

My first time going to this nail salon as I just moved to the neighborhood and seems great so far! Very nice people, clean, following COVID protocols and my nails looked good! I plan on going back again! read more

Sarah is great for silk nails and Maria does a great pedicure. Prices are competitive also. read more

Amazing salon! consistently come every 2-3 weeks for the best experience and quality!!

Maria did a perfect job w my mani and pedi. She was thorough and quick. I came on a Wednesday afternoon and couldn't have left happier. I will definitely be back. Thank you! read more

Relax Nails - Perfect mani by Maria! Thank you for your thoroughness and attention to detail, I'll definitely be back. (Color is Viva Antigua) - Nail Salons Near Me - New York, New York

They really do a great job and take their time. My nails usually chip very fast but when i get them done here they last much longer.

UNGRATEFUL!!!Don't complain about a tip someone leaves you, especially when the customer leaves you a decent amount. You lost a customer, who has been coming for years. Also the last time I came the pedicure came out horrible. The paint job was terrible, and my calluses were barely removed. GOODBYE read more

You can imagine my anxiety knowing that I am flying out tomorrow and walked in this nail salon at 8:30 PM. It closes at 9! To my surprise they were so welcoming and kind and did not rush me. I felt so bad being the last patron but they did not make me feel uncomfortable. They waited for me to finish drying versus rushing me. I greatly appreciated this because I couldn't wear slippers in 30 degree weather. I will definitley be back here. The salon is clean and nice and the people are personable!! read more

All around sub par experience. I got a pedicure for $21. Overall the pedicure was fine but while I was there a worker had a ladder out and was waiting to change a lightbulb above my pedicure chair which made my experience feel quite rushed. The pedicure itself was fine. read more