When I first walked in to Solas I wanted to turn around and walk out. The first room you enter into is very dive-y (which is not my thing at ALL). They were playing the usual fare- Jesse's Girl, Don't Stop Believing, etc. ...all the bar anthems I absolutely cannot stand. Luckily my friend and I happened upon the back room, where a dj was playing reggae and reggaeton, which is much more my speed. The music was completely played out (as in circa 2004), but at least it was better than where we had come from. The upstairs is a nice lounge area, if you aren't into dancing or having to shout over loud music. I would definitely not come back here, but I can see a lot of people liking the choice of dive, lounge, and Latin dance room. read more

After Continental told us they were closed and wouldn't let us in, (We didn't want your watered down shots anyways!) my friends and I were left to wander the streets in search of nightlife. It was probably a little past midnight when we heard "Glamorous Life" by Fergie blasting through an open door. Naturally, my bunch of (loud) music loving friends and I rushed to door where we saw a small chalkboard with the drink specials -- $5 red and white sangria and mojitos. Music and sangria?? I was sold. The place wasn't too crowded (Thursday) and the music we heard outside happened to be people singing karaoke. The vibe was a lot of fun, and we ended up befriending a random group of guys and one girl. Of course by befriending I mean singing everything from Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" to random rock songs I don't know the name of with them. Everyone there seemed to be in a group and they all appeared to be in search of fun. i.e. During a few songs, nearly everyone in the bar took part in singing. Karaoke ended about 20 minutes before closing,but they kept the night going by playing Top 40's. We got a few people to dance. What can I say...I roll with fun people. We only drank the sangria, and I recommend the white over the red. I'd honestly consider going back if I was in the area and had nothing planned. Also, there's some dope photographs near the front that the owner (I think it's the owner) took while out of the country. Good times. read more

More like 3 1/2 stars. Dropped by here on a Friday night for a dance obsessed friend's birthday party and boy did we have a good time. DANCE CENTRAL! :D If you can overlook the mainly NYU youngins, long ass wait time for a drink, balls to the wall crowdedness and really just wanna dance and let loose .. then this place is for you. Drinks prices aren't too bad here AND they carry Magner's but they'll make up for that by making you wait FOREVER to get a damn drink. This is where the 3-3 1/2 stars come in. Didn't really wander upstairs as it was crazy crowded and mainly stayed in the room to the right, aka the hip hop room. Coat check was $2 and downstairs in the basement. CC minimum was $20 I believe. And no cover, can't beat that! Give this place a shot anytime you're in the area and just wanna dance. read more

Pros: 1. no cover 2. generally easy to get into 3. cheap drinks (for nyc) 4. nice bartenders 5. dancing Cons: 1. gets pretty crowded 2. smells like a mixture of BO and a frat house 3. many drunk chicks ( i suppose if you're a dude this could be a good thing) All in all the a safe bet on a friday or saturday night read more

Incredibly fun with a large group of friends. very young and dynamic crowd. It has two floors, 4 sections with different vibes to satisfy different ppl's interest. I went there for Halloween after-party though, so not sure it's fair to say the normal night would be as fun. In any case, given the large space and multi-functionality, I would take my friends back to check it out and dance dance dance again. :) read more

Came for a drink with a friend and they randomly had a salsa night going on. A lot of nice looking girls at the bar, cheap drinks, and good music. Good place to pregame maybe. read more

I love to dance to pop music and this place definitely puts on 100 billboard music. Place is pretty jam backed on a Saturday night. They have upstairs and spots hidden behind a curtain, but all equally small and hard to really dance like crazy. Music are different in each area so feel free to moving around. Drinks are decent considering the price which range from 7-12 bucks. I must say if you get top-shelf drinks, their cups tend to be smaller. I wouldn't go for beer since their cocktails are pretty much equal in price. (***) Tip: Getting drinks is hard on the ground floor, I recommend getting your drink upstairs since it's easier to get through. People actually leave the bar once they get their drinks unlike the people on the ground floor. Bathroom is unisex so expect it to get dirty. I only come here because it's free entrance and lines usually are not long at all. (*) Beware of the bouncers. I can't say for all nights, but this time, the bouncer randomly swung his arm and broken an innocent man's nose. I must say if you want to stop a fight, don't start one yourself. For all I know, it should be him getting arrested and not the innocent bystanders. (-*) read more

No cover. No door drama. Top 40 type of music. Perfect when you want to dance the night away without the hassle of getting your friends in. Always a good time! read more

I remember why I don't really want to come here every time I come here. Young 20s crowd, can be kinda douchey. Sloppy. Really dark and hot on the bottom floor. Awkward floor plan on the top floor. The only thing good about this place is the music. The drinks are average price. Not crazy expensive, but pretty watered down. If you use a card, it's a 2 drink minimum. I usually only come here if someone suggests it, but I wouldn't probably recommend this place. It's really only good if you're already drunk. Maybe I just need to give it like 8 more tries. read more

Late night HH after 8pm = $5 mojitos, 'ritas & sangria! Chill place, next to a Japanese Tea House probably same owners. I would definitely come again with my chattier friends who are more into good convo than random and awkard scamming on dude(ttes). read more

Good drinks. Commendable deejays. But the bouncer is the rudest I have ever come across. Went outside to join a friend for a smoke and he refused to allow us back in. So much unnecessary attitude. read more

Ive been here twice and both times they closed the place an hour early. Theres 3 random DJs all taking turns for one booth AND THEY'RE ALL PLAYING THE SAME MUSIC OVER AND OVER AND OVER, the drinks are good but sooo overpriced dont waste your money for a place that's gonna close an hour early. read more

IMPECCABLE customer service. Great bar and dance floor. Awesome DJ on the weekends. An absolutely blast, one of the best bars in the city. HIGHLY recommend. read more

Generally a good vibe, crowd is mostly casual, in their 20's and almost everyone is dancing (in the dance floor room). The staff is friendly and drinks are reasonable. The best thing about solas are the DJs. Resident DJ ColorTV has guest DJ's perform a set on weekends (including some well known artists who typically don't play smaller intimate venues like Solas). A great place to dance. The music will make you move. read more

Love this place! Simeon is the man. If you had a day of the week to drink and have fun I'd recommend Sundays and Mondays. Enjoy the best bartender in the city! read more

We planned a large birthday party here and reserved the top floor for a private event. They were absolutely amazing. Extremely responsive, friendly staff great crowd. As promised we had security ensuring the event was private. We had a wonderful time and would definitely reserve the space again for a future event. We had a wonderful time! read more

I went here last night to meet up with a friend who moved away recently and was back in town. She picked the place, I showed up first, and had no idea what to expect. First reaction: HOLY SHIT this music is loud. Like, let-me-scream-at-the-top-of-my-lungs-directly-into-your-eardrum-so-you-can-sorta-hear-me loud. Second reaction: They're playing HAIR?? Of all the things to blast in a bar on a Saturday night, why why why would you pick Hair? I mean, maybe if it was some kind of trippy 60s theme night it would have fit a little better, but... not so much. Anyway, I was almost ready to leave and tell my friend I'd meet her somewhere else later, but then we noticed the stairs in the back, and the second floor was so much more chill. The music was good, and it was quiet enough to talk without hurting your vocal chords. The tables were all either full or reserved but there was plenty of room to stand, drinks were reasonably priced... all in all it ended up being a pretty good night. I'd definitely go back to Solas, especially if I could reserve one of the smaller rooms upstairs for a private party. Seems like the that would be the way to go. read more

Not a bad bar. 8 dollars for cocktials and 6 for beers. Music is decent, bad transitions between songs. Pretty spacious...it's aiiiiiiight ;) read more

Whenever my friend's suggest bars in the east village I'm always cautious. It's not that I think there is something inherintly wrong with the place, but rather I feel like a lot of the places tend to lack character. There are too many non-descript places with the same NYU crowd hanging out. Luckily, Solas doesn't suffer from this too much. It's a very interesting space in the way it's layed out. When you walk in the main door there is your typical bar to the left with not a whole lot of room to the right. When you move to the back there are stairs that lead up to another area much like downstairs. This area would be good for having your own party as its decently open spaced and somewhat secluded from the rest of the bar. Back on the main ground floor, near the stairs there is an opening to a big open spaced room with a bar at the back and a big dj booth. Some random tables are scattered around as well. I didn't particularly love this place but it wasn't like it was bad at all. The dj's on the two ground floors played different music, neither particularly good, but tolerable. Crowd was pretty average, few good looking people here and there but overall nothing special. I guess this place is cool if you come with a group of friends, but I feel like you have to important your own fun so I'd focus on going somewhere a little more upbeat. read more

Solas is a very mediocre bar with average drinks, music, crowd, everything. It is very big so you can have like 4 different parties going on each with its own people and music completely separate from other parts. The main bar downstairs was where we stayed and we had a couple of drinks (weak patron shots though) and stayed around and chilled. It was a great night to go out (friday) and yet the bar wasn't really that full. There are a lot of groups around having their parties and a mixed crowd (although when I first came in at around 9 it was all Asians, but maybe a coincidence). The music was too loud for conversation and the place, even upstairs, dark with a reddish undertone. I don't know, maybe this will be a good place to have birthday parties because of its great location and chill laid back door and a huuuuge space, but I would go elsewhere for a serious party. read more

Reasonably priced happy hour drinks and good size of glasses. Good place to enjoy drinks without screaming conversation. Maybe nothing remarkable about this place, but feel simply comfortable when I'm with friends just to enjoy happy hour conversation. Thus, I've been here so many times. For fri night prime time, this place can be super-packed and you can't even move(well, rest of the nights tend to be quiet though. Every time I come here, happy hour time and regular late night tend to be really slow) read more

Solas was one of the spots a couple of us hit during the 4th of July weekend. Out of all the bars we went to that night, Solas was one of my favorites. It was also the only place with a good crowd since everything else was pretty melo. It's located in St. Marks which is a very cool area to hang at. The Solas, which is located on a side street was live when everything else was calm. Really weird considering that St. Marks is always live. Solas has nice decor and seating. Lights are low and very chill. Could be a spot you take a date to. The music was good but they do need a pro DJ. I don't know if it was just me but the music kept on stopping when a new track was coming on. The crowd was pretty mixed. There were Latinos (as myself), whites, blacks and alot of Asians. Its all goo though. Drinks were ok priced. I read a couple reviews in which people say there are different rooms, we stayed on the main so I wouldn't know. I will definitely go back but this time to party and not just drink. read more

Went here last night for a friend's going away party & after reading the reviews expected a great time - as usual, reviews lived up to the hype. The decor was loungey,prices were reasonable for an nyc lounge, the drinks were generous in size and liquor, the DJ was a hit (we were at the bottom floor so I think it was oldies - always a fan!). Mojito was REALLLLY REALLLY gooood! Fresh mint and all for $9. Everyone else at the table stuck to the deathly Long Island Iced Tea's and some regretted having as many as they did. The LIIT's were STRONG and LARGE for $12 - can't go wrong, unless you black out. Overall - this place is definitely birthday party material, not so much datey, don't know much about their food options, but seems to be a solid place for friends to get together :) read more

I took my friend here when she was visiting the city for the weekend. I trusted yelpers to help me find a spot that we would both enjoy and where the drink prices wouldn't give my friend a case of sticker shock. Solas was perfect (thanks, guys!). I loved the fact that there were three rooms to choose from. When we first got to the place, we weren't exactly ready for the dance party going on in the larger room on the first floor. So, the second floor's more chill vibe was perfect for hanging out, getting the night started, and having quick access to drinks, as there was little to no line at that bar. Drinks are super reasonable--we were there on a Saturday and no cocktail that we ordered was above $8. The crowd was pretty cool, though there were some hangers-on on the dance floor, but I feel like you find them everywhere. There was no line to get in, and the staff is really friendly. All in all, a solid choice. read more

I've been here four-five times, mostly when my friends drag me here. Doormen are polite and there's no hassle for guys to get in since there is no cover. The crowd is mostly mid-20s. Drinks are priced pretty reasonably, but bartenders are inconsistent. I had one drink that had no alcohol in it, followed by another drink from another bartender that was almost all alcohol. The music is awesome and there's a room downstairs where you can dance. If you want to talk, go upstairs and chill in the more lounge-like area. So far, everything seems good, right? Except for the dance room and the bathrooms. I have genuinely never seen dirtier bathrooms in my life. I felt like I was going to contract tetanus or some other vile disease simply by opening the door to the bathroom. Solas, please invest in a bathroom attendant or at least someone who can take the bathroom trash out so that paper towels aren't entirely covering the floor. There was also no soap on one occasion. Disgusting. Secondly, the dance room is just one hot, sweaty mess. This is generally how dance floors are expected to be, but at Solas, you have the additional problem of people spilling their drinks everywhere on the dance floor. This not only makes the floor sticky and slippery but increases the chance you'll have a drink or two dropped straight on you. One time a drunk girl spilled a red drink (cran vodka maybe?) on the back of my white skirt and I literally looked like that girl in the seventh grade who got her period in gym class and didn't know it. Classy. Also, it is way too hot on the dance floor, and there are napkins on the dance floor, straws everywhere, etc. My nightlife consists pretty much only of dance clubs, but this place killed my mood to dance. I would come back, but maybe I'll stick to the lounge area. read more

The music here is always fun to dance to, but it's always ridiculously crowded in this small space. Like, difficult to breathe because you are squashed up against other people, especially in the dance floor area. read more

LOVE IT! A total neighborhood bar that I would go to nightly if I lived in NYC. The ambiance, music, and service was very chill and relaxing. And there happy hour was pretty cool, $3 draft beers and wells. I'll be back! read more

Two friends and I went to Solas on Halloween night just after watching the parade in a torrential downpour. The place was packed! We hung out in the dancing room with the small bar in the back - thinking that was the entire venue. The place is such a mix - with the dancing room with big TVs to show sports (or was that only for the World Series?) and the more relaxed room with the large bar. One room plays more pop and hip hop while the other places House music. I loooove House music. Living in Europe that's all they really listened to and I grew to love it. I just wish we found the room with the House music sooner. Anyways, the drinks aren't exactly mixed by mixologists, but they do the trick. Strong and a good size. Prices are decent, but not particularly impressive. The crowd is definitely mostly Asian and young - but maybe it's not that way all the time? Maybe try the House music room with the large bar out for pre-party drinks then head elsewhere for the main event. read more

Missed Happy Hour so On Friday night Just an airy overpriced lounge for groups. read more

My friends' and my go to place! Great music - they have three areas where DJ's play diff genres. You might just have to stand the whole time if you don't have a table but it doesn't really matter if you and your friends just wanna drink and dance! Don't try to request a Chris Brown song, tried a couple of times, the DJ said no. read more

Upsides: New Years Eve here was great! The music was a great mix of house, pop, and electronic beats and I really enjoyed dancing with the crowd. The atmosphere was still young, mostly NYU students, but I didn't feel like I was surrounded by underage kids. The drinks were mixed well, in large tumblers and glasses (not the small Dixie cups you get at some places). Too bad NYC has awful prices, $7 for a mixed drink is more than I'd like to pay. Still --- if it's filled to the top and delivered to me then I can't complain. Also, there was no cover, so the pricey drinks aren't really that bad. Downsides: Very crowded -- like wall-to-wall people. I understand it was New Year's Eve, but I'm pretty sure they were beyond any fire code limit of people. I heard there were other rooms to go into, but I couldn't find them or get into them. For this reason, my friends and I left after midnight to find another bar. If they had fewer people, then we definitely would have stayed there longer. read more

You know you're too old for a bar when the bouncer doesn't bother to card you and just waves you in. Dropped by on Friday night. As expected, totally empty at 9:30 PM...dangerously packed at midnight. Was upstairs most of the night, where the bartender was slammed with customers but still kept her cool and was super polite. Cheap beers ($6) and generous pours of house wine ($8). Crowd was mixed, although it seemed like more dudes than chicks. On behalf of all men, can I please complain about how there are ladies' rooms both upstairs and downstairs but men's facilities are only on the lower level? That's lame. read more

Solas is a great bar for people in their early and mid-20s (like me). The best thing about this bar is that the dancefloor and bar are separated by a heavy curtain without too much sound coming through. So, if you want to take a break from dancing to the great music, you can grab a drink from the bar and chat with your friends without having to shout to be heard. Coat check is only $2, but it's at the back of the bar, which means you have to cross the dancefloor to retrieve your coat at the end of the night. This stands out among the many East Village bars that are good for dancing. If you want to have a fun, high-energy night with your friends, you won't be disappointed with Solas. read more

Went here for my birthday/my cousin's going away party at the suggestion of a friend. I think I would have gone with more of a 3.5 star rating, because I'd probably go back but its not the greatest place I've ever been. The DJ was great, it's definitely a dance spot. I also love that they have the private rooms upstairs that are free of charge. I recommend calling early to reserve though, because I called a week in advance and both rooms were already reserved. They did however give us two tables on the main floor, but then you have to deal with people trying to hook up in your booth all night. Drinks were good, and bartenders were lovely. I didn't get to go for happy hour but I know people who have gone and rave about it. One big con for me though was how crowded it gets. I missed most of my party just taking that odessey to the bathroom in the back (and ladies, u know when you drink your bladder has no stamina). If they had kept like twenty peopl outside, I would have been much happier. Or maybe if I had been able to book the room upstairs. I did have a security experience when my cousin got kicked out for being too drunk. But I actually like that they're no nonsense. The bouncer was otherwise very nice to us, and honestly everyone hates being in a crowded bar with that guy whose trashed and being annoying. So It's good to know you won't deal with that here, but you should stay in your lane or else get booted out the door. Overall, I would definitely go back but it's not necessarily my first choice. It could be, but it's just a little too crowded for my taste. read more

Thanks so much to the owner Kevin for letting me reserve a room this past Saturday for my brother's congrats/going away/bday party! We had a party of 18 and the upstairs/leftmost room with the beautiful red lighting, and the nearby bartenders really went out of their way to help us be more comfortable and happy! read more

This is my first time writing review ever. I decided to take my time to sign up and write this, because this experience really infuriated me. At first, everything was awesome. Music and atmosphere were good and employees seemed really nice. But then once the last song finished, this tall security started cursing and yelling at everyone to leave. We left our coats at the bar section, so we tried to go across the door that connects the dance floor and bar, but he wouldn't let us use the door. We tried to tell him that we left our coats there, but he wouldn't listen, so we went outside and walked back into the bar using another door. There, we found out that our coats were missing, so we panicked and tried to ask the employees and people around to see if anyone witnessed anyone taking them. That same security saw us, and literally said, "You fucking dumbasses. You lost your coats? Too bad for you. Why did you get in here again. I told you to leave! I don't care if you can't find your coats. LEAVE!" I have never met such asshole as a security in my life. Other security told him to calm down and told us to stay around to see if anyone finds our coat, but this asshole kept cursing at us even when WE DID GO OUT. Seriously, he should get fired to make this bar a bit happier place. If that security is fired, I would give this place 4.5 stars. read more

$4 mojitos. $4 white wine sangria. The above are happy hour prices of course but man are those drinks tasty. I loves me a sweet drink. The white wine sangria is dotted with green granny smith apples and it is so good. I've only been to the early evening/weekday bar portion of this place so I can't speak to what the lounge/dancing is like. I'm pretty sure there are other $4 happy hour drinks besides the ones listed above. Come here for the quick and friendly bartender (the chick with Irish? English? accent), the great happy hour prices and the cute candlelit atmosphere. read more

Where the youngsters go, and let their urine flow. I was introduced to Solas by my party animal friend. She absolutely raves about this place, and i have to say I've been here every time i went to St. Marks. Which by the way is pretty often now. It's such a mellow place to be in, it's so diverse and there's three bars in one! One when you come in, one when you go upstairs and one in the other room with a dance floor. This is the place where you can't avoid drinking. Period. The drinks are decently price, I mean it is a bar, but the long island ice tea was a killer for my friend, $16 right out of her pocket. But it did its job. I love how this bar has a dance floor, I'm the clubbing type so I'm used to the dancing scene and they play pretty updated music which keeps my legs moving. But to warn you, the dance floor is pretty small and you will feel like you're dancing with everyone else around you. No air space. To top it off, this place is pretty fun for the night life. It's worth a go. read more

I am from Miami and recently visited Sola's in New York's East Village on Saturday night, October 22. It was a GREAT place! It was full of people and the environment was awesome. Lemon shots were delish! I did however lose my Hermes Red Shawl that I adore :( If anyone was there that night and happened to find it please email me at Delgadoa06@aol.com read more

Went here with a friend on his suggestion...the man likes to dance. I had never been here before, but I could definitely see it as a place to head back to for a fun evening. It was a one-stop shop as we headed upstairs to a more lounge-y area which had plenty of space for us to sit and chat, although the music was still pretty loud for a more lounge-y area. But no worries. We moved downstairs were we nabbed yet another booth (to sit and scream at each, music was much louder) before heading to the dance area. I honestly didn't even know there was a dance area, as you have to move a giant curtain to get to it. Dance floor was wayyyy crowded so I don't know how it would be with a bigger group, but we had a good time. Top hits and such were playing. I like the combination of the lounge-y and dance floor since it gives you more options, so I'll definitely be back one day! read more