The Duplex used to be one of the best places to go on a Friday or Saturday night. Gay, straight, old, young...it didn't matter. Everyone was welcome, and everyone had a great time. It was the piano bar to beat all piano bars! Women could go in there for an evening, feel comfortable & not worry about getting hit on by drunk & obnoxious patrons. You met the people around you & joined in the communal experience of live music. I've enjoyed short & long evenings in there with famous, infamous & not-so-famous people. I've had nothing to drink & too much to drink I've watched as Broadway singers debuted songs & as other patrons worked up the courage to sing with a live pianist. I've seen amazing talent & those who truly believed they had amazing talent (but didn't). All the while drinks were good & plentiful. I have nearly 10 years of incredible memories of weekends at the Duplex. Well, times have changed, and it seems the management would rather court drunk millennials who screech along to the piano, the pianist & the singers (both the staff & the patrons), as if it were live karaoke & not a piano bar. The ever-changing parade of bouncers outside are rude & arbitrary, which starts the night on a negative note. Once in, if you're lucky enough to get into the downstairs piano bar, you need to find a place where you won't be assaulted by the vocal stylings of drunkards screaming lyrics off-key at the tops of their lungs. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not against sing-a-longs, but respect for those playing & singing & enjoying the music is crucial to the success of a bar like this.) The talented waitstaff used to do regular sets, which is apparently no longer allowed (or encouraged). The floor used to be incredibly clean for a crowded bar, now it is a sticky, trash-filled mess. ..and now I'm told that Maria, the heart & soul of the Duplex, will no longer be working Friday & Saturday nights? Maria, who has an incredible voice, warm spirit, can sell ice to Eskimos, calm a belligerent drunk & made the most amazing drinks, is no longer the weekend anchor? There is no logical reason for management to remove her (aside from jealousy & a desire to attract a young, drunk, obnoxious crowd). There are so few places in NYC where you can enjoy live music on the weekend without having booked a table & bought tickets in advance. The Duplex was the go-to choice for that. No longer. My concern is for the staff, who will suffer as tips plummet as millennials don't tip as well as more established & wealthy patrons. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, the Duplex is over. We can only hope that management sees the error of their ways & returns the Duplex to its profitable (& enjoyable) past. read more

The Duplex is a blast. If you are game, you are going to enjoy a night of singing with the nicest group of strangers you could imagine. The drinks are fine. The space is intimate. The experience ... the best. I was there when Gerry was on the piano and Maria and Deena were singing and they were fabulous. Looking forward to going back. read more

Great place, i love it, had a amazing time the piano, the bar tender was very good, the music everything i love it :D i went there on tues, i though it will be boring and they really surprise me. Defntly coming back read more

This place has always been a splendid time. Kayla took excellent care of us on the patio! Thanks for your wonderful service!! Cheers!

I am on vacation and originally from NYC. I went here a long time ago. Saturday night was a lot of fun. There was a mixture of people and really, that's life. People should coexist. Loved the performances and laughed a lot. So thanks for making an older lesbian feel young again. If people don't like this place, they just don't know how to have a great time. It's loud and the humour is pretty dead on! read more

Great overall, but the real standout is Mostly Sondheim on Friday nights in the cabaret space upstairs. Happiest room in NYC every week.

Love love love coming here!!!!!! Justin the bartender always makes me feel welcomed!!! His high energy and friendliness will always make me come back for more shots! Thanks Justin for always making a bad day a better one. read more

I had planned a cabaret fundraiser for the ACLU last night and on top of that it was my birthday. I found out that people were refused at the door, so I had less then 20 people in the space and so they cancelled my event. Their loss of a perfectly good night! I won't be coming here again, the set up process was easy until the night of, when people didn't do their jobs and the lack of compassion to let the show go on was just plain wrong. I had to pay $350 cancellation fee, plus the cost of my musicians and cameraman. What a scam! read more

I love this bar! The piano bar is so fun, and the drag shows upstairs are incredible. The space is small which means you get to hang out with the performers, it is the best. Highly recommend! read more

Love this place! Always have a good time here. It's a fun Village experience and a perfect way to spend a night. It turns a bar into a musical. read more

Fun place, but, really, a tourist trap. caveat emptor. have been there more than a few times. it's really devolved. went last night with 2 european friends who did the ordering. when we got the bill a "suggested" gratuity of 17% had beed added to the total and it wasn't very obvious. i spoke to the waitress and said i'm from here, what is this about. her reply: oh sorry, it was a mistake (i.e., i didn't know a non-tourist was at the table.) seems they're very willing to fuck over non-americans in the know and americans who think their total bill does not include a tip, which is the norm. the consumer protection department and better business bureau are getting a letter from me about this place. so glad i have the receipt. read more

Very nice patio but they charged us $16 for one beer and a soda, seem pretty pricy so we didnt stay for dinner.

Had an outstanding night out with friends at the Duplex. Awesome entertainment, great drinks, and wonderful bartenders and servers. Overall, an amazing experience that hopefully will be followed by many more. read more

AWESOME!! Very friendly staff, great environment!! Would come back!! Great Champagne cocktailsssss

A dive piano bar! What a concept Ok but reasonably priced drinks Great music Fun crowd and staff read more

I was in NYC for the first time and these guys treated me like family. I loved being able to sing with a talented pianist, have good conversation and drink good beer. I met some very awesome people. Whenever I go back to the city I will definitely go there. read more

The Duplex is one of the best bars in the city. The staff are friendly, the piano bar is full of talented singers, and the drag queens are beyond talented. Don't let the size fool you, they will cram you in and everyone will have a great time. read more

The Duplex is a gem of a bar that deserves no less than 5 stars!! Love their bartenders and amazing staff

It's hard not to love the Duplex. The staff is wonderful and I love the drag shows! My personal faves are Justin and Thea, they always take great care of us! I sort of equate Duplex to the gay Cheers...with better hair. read more

What a fun place!!! I go there more times than I should broadcast, but I must say it's so much fun everytime I go. That one bartender, Kevin, is SOOOOOOOO HOT! And he's a sweetheart. The only problem is that he's not there enough. Plus his iPod is fantastic! Every song that he played was perfect. Everyone in the bar was loving him and his music. Maybe he should be a DJ. 2 thumbs up for the Duplex! 2 thumbs up (and other things) for Kevin! read more

How may years now I've been stopping by this place? Sometimes it ON, sometime not so much. But it's always good. It's kike an old shoe, minus the smell. I hope they stay around forever. read more

New York, sometimes I just love every little bit of you. Especially when I find places like The Duplex. I just saw singer Remy Block perform and she was INCREDIBLE! It was a 10 dollar cover and a two drink minimum. I don't drink alcohol and I'm always watching my calories, and when I told that to the server I knew I was going to get attitude. But I totally didn't! He was super nice and told me that I could just get bottled water. Awesome! I love bottled water! And I loved staying hydrated throughout Remy's wonderful performance. I've never seen a cabaret style performance, and now I'm hooked! I usually don't like concerts, but Remy's style keeps you engaged, and it's like she's telling a story the whole time. I felt deeply connected to the lyrics and it was very therapeutic. Can't wait to get back to the Duplex to see some other performers! read more

This is the best piano bar in NYC! Drinks are delicious and I've never had a bad experience here. Space is small but cozy, and the piano players are always amazing. The whole staff sings as well, so it's an entire night of entertainment. The nights I've been here there have been no cover and we always end up with a table. The upstairs is more of a DJ club like floor, not as good as the piano bar floor. read more

Scam scam scam!!! Just left the outside patio and I feel like I got taken for a ride( and not a good one). We had 1 beer(corona) and 1 stoli martini. Our server Lauren was very slow and not very service oriented. We asked for water 3 times. We decided it wasn't worth it and asked for our bill. While it took an additional 5 minutes to get our bill she then remembered our waters. Our bill came out to 24.50 which was not at all possible. When we asked for an itemized receipt we saw the suggested grat which was already added and not suggested AT ALL. Needless to say we will not be back and I advise you to stay away bad drinks with a bad attitude!!! read more

I loved the Duplex. I went for Brian every single Sunday this summer until today when I got up to sing the song I had requested and the owner/bouncer literally took the microphone away from me. He said I should have made it "more clear" that I had planned to sing and that Brian wasn't "prepared" for me. It was open mike. I loved Brian.i loved the duplex. I'm not only mortified but the fact that the owner couldn't care less about his customers makes things that must horrible. Thank u duplex for showing u don't care about the people who pay your bills. An eye opening night. Avoid if u plan to sing on open mike. Apparently that's frowned upon here, read more

What a shame the manager is such a t**t!!! Mistakenly sat on a table instead of a stool (after coats were cleared from the table) and had the most rude and ignorant reaction from the 'manager', Dave. Very arrogant and trying to prove himself. It's a shame he spoils a nice bar. Will obviously not be back! Cheers, Dave! read more

Two stars for the good entertainment. Experience spoiled by a 'suggested' 22% tip on the check. Pianist was excellent but drink service was mediocre at best. Decided to tip the waitress less (12%) and give more to the pianist. Was followed out by waitress accusing us of shorting them on the bill. Is the a new era in entitlement? Giving less than 20% tip for half hearted service is now considered ripping someone off? Give me a break. read more

This is one of my favorite bars in the city. Every time I'm in here the bartenders are amazing and the vibe is on point. Everyone is always having a good time and the piano bar is so much fun. Duplex is a definite must go if you're looking for a great night out in the village. read more

Wednesday open mic is a BLAST! M/C is fun and encouraging. It's a small venue but great and supportive environment for comedians to work on new stuff. read more

fun vibe going on here and awesome outdoor bar section. weakkkk drinks. but the location, vibe, people and outdoor area makes it fun and I would go again! Good place to start the night. read more

A fabulous place to bring a group of friends for an incredibly fun night out. Tony and Maria went out of their way to make me hosting a group there completely hassle free. My guests were smiling and singing and that's all I needed. Superb customer service and an even better night out. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about this place. I ended up here every night of my trip to new York. I found it after looking for the best piano bars in nyc and I wasn't dissapointed. The place is adorable, and the ENTIRE staff is amazing. From the bartenders to the management! I feel bad for not remembering everyone's names. Greg the pianist was amazing!!! I believe the managers name was Denise. I work in the restaurant industry and find it rare that a manager goes out of her way to make you feel so welcome. The other staff, please forgive me if I mess up on names, dakota, maria, Adam and Deena were amazing! I can not wait to go back again. And for travelers they have WiFi and best of all outlets at the bar for you to use. I can't wait to be back in NYC and spend more nights at the duplex with the amazing staff and listening to a real piano man tickling the I votes. Thank you again for the amazing memories! read more

I rarely write reviews but this is by far the best bar in nyc. You will always have an amazing night. Make sure Maria is working. She makes an Incredible Cocktail and has an absolutely amazing voice. You'd be stupid to not come here. But don't come here because I don't want it to get too crowded. read more

Duplex is great. We go there frequently and the atmosphere and staff are always warm, funny, and upbeat.

Randomly walked into this bar a few weeks ago and have been back 3 times already. Maria the bartender makes you feel like family the moment you step in the door. Fantastic music and fun for all! Can't recommend enough. It's become one of my favorite bars in New York, mostly because Maria is the best! read more

2 different places. Downstairs is a piano bar later in the evening - which is good if thats your thing. But upstairs is a chill unpretentious gay bar with good draft beer, nice people and a friendly vibe unlike the rest of the Christopher Street scene. Good bartenders especially Michael. Good music and a trivia game to pass the time. read more

Located on the brightly lit corner of 7th ave and Christopher st. you won't miss this place. The Duplex has 3 floors. The girls and I went to Sat night for the cabaret on the 2cd floor. (Which you have to go up to the 3rd floor, walk across the bar, and then go downstairs for) The 3rd floor bar and the cabaret room are narrow but they managed to fit everyone comfortably for the show. High top tables but the floor slopes down a bit so you have clear view of the stage without any bopping heads in the way. It's a 2 drink min and the waiter asks for both your orders at the beginning of the show. Must admit that's pretty convenient and hand you your 2cd drink as your just finishing your 1st. The lights turn off and you can enjoy the lovely melodies and tunes from the performers. 2 drinks and a cover is about $40. Although for $30 I had a groupon for 2, remember to hand that over once you sit because they ring up the checks at the beginning. We enjoyed the performance although the performers dressed like Pugsly from the Adams family. They sang great however there weren't as many humorous songs as I would have preferred. I would consider returning depending on the act. read more

Music was fun. I've never felt more unwelcome in an establishment as a paying customer. We sat down at a table after buying drinks and the waiter immediately approached us asking if we planned on buying more drinks. Happy with our recent purchase, we told him we were fine for the time being. He told us that tables are reserved for people who asked the bouncer; however, this seemed made up on the spot. He was looking for customers who were ready to buy rounds of drinks and make him profits off tip $$. We watched as he asked multiple groups of people if they wanted our seats and told us that we should be ready to move at any moment. Keep in mind that we had full drinks in hand purchased 5 minutes prior at the bar. He finally found a group that seemed drunk and surprised that he was offering them a table. They accepted and he immediately asked us to move to sit at the corner of the crowded bar. Horrible customer service. I've never seen such transparent behavior. This place only cares about money and tips. Do not go here. You're better off torrenting Cabaret as you down a bottle of wine. read more

Nice place with a weird layout and long lines as the restrooms. The cabaret is a rather classy small place that seems to bring in an enthusiastic crowd. Drinks are expensive and the waiters are friendly. All in all, it's not my scene, but I had a good time. read more

The outdoor seating here is key-- and great for people watching. The inside is usually crowded but appears to be a good time.