Beautiful historic bar on the Queen Mary, live music, DJ's and great drinks can be found here! read more

The Observation Bar - Fireball - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

After our dinner at the Promende Cafe we wandered over here to have another drink before calling it a night. It was crowded for a small place but luckily we found a table right behind a pillar that blocked the band that was playing...but that's O.K. I'm not even sure what type of music that they were playing but it was like big band, country...who knows but they were pretty good and the old folks hit the floor with a fury. There were all types of people here from young to old. There were even guys in their kilts! I really enjoyed the hour or so that we spent here and I look forward to coming back in the future. I guess I really liked the historic feeling of being there and thinking that this used to be reserved for only the first class passengers and how many important people must have been here before me. And maybe some are even still here...haunting us :o) read more

One of my favorite bars - it is a beautiful Art Deco setting with views, and outdoor seating on the deck available. The staff is always friendly, which is refreshing compared to every other staff member I encountered in the hotel or the Chelsea Chowder restaurant over this past weekend, when we stayed at the hotel. Great drinks, and the live music Saturday night was completely enjoyable. About twenty of us gathered Saturday night at 8PM to celebrate my 50th Birthday. We had terrific service - plenty of space, and a really nice time. We stayed until they shut it down - with last call at 1AM. Sunday afternoon around 1:30 - we returned to enjoy bloody mary's. It was a lovely day & we could hear the racing cars of the Long Beach Grand Prix while on the deck. They were also showing the race on the tv's inside. I can't figure out why rude people bring young children to a bar - (which is why we moved to a deck) Children running around, screaming, and being annoying is not bar suitable. But stupid parents could not ruin our weekend. (I never hesitate to make this complaint - I raised 5 kids and paid for baby sitters when visiting such locations). If you are looking for a great and scenic location - I recommend the Observation Bar. And, good news - Anyone under 21 must leave at 10PM. read more

See all

The Observation Bar is located on the Queen Mary. It is located at the bow of the ship. With your choices of indoor or outdoor seating, you have a great view of the bay. They have a select list of specialty drinks that will appeal to every pallet. The drinks at first glance are a bit pricey, but o so worth it. They are nice and strong and taste great. You can also enjoy some tasty appetizers from their menu. read more

The Observation Bar - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

Friday 4pm (Veterans Day Weekend). Stepped in for cocktails and a bite to eat to hold us over til dinner. Not crowded. Open seating. Nice views of the city. Period decor but original (or old). Seats are kind uncomfortable and mismatched. So find a seat you like. Cocktails start at $14. Small plate bites are filling and shareable making the cost seem not too much I guess. Waiter was super nice and kept checking on us periodically. They played only 80's and 90's music. read more

The Observation Bar - $14.00...good but not what I expected for the price. - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

My introduction to this bar was on one fo those Queen Mary tours; therefore, I learned all about the art deco features before I even had my first drink. The bar is fashioned to look like a keg of beer, and if you look around, you'll see that motif carried throughout. The railings, for instance, have beer barrels as filials. Neat! The view of downtown Long Beach is spectacular, and the vibe is sort of "vacationy." That is, more often than not, you'll find yourself listening to cheesy lounge acts while you sip on hotel-type drinks amongst a motley crowd, the sort you'd expect to see stuck together on a cruise ship: families with kids, retirees, couples, etc. When I went, there was a tatto convention on board, so you can imagine the strange mix of people sharing bar space. Being on the Queen Mary makes you feel like a tourist in your own hometown (in a good way). It's one of those places that transcends the everyday and makes you feel lucky to be here. Whatever you do, don't check out the comedy shows on the Queen Mary. Those really do make you feel like a captive audience on a cruise. read more

We had lunch here between our guided tour and audio tour. It was alright, even though the food is made in a separate kitchen, it's still only a limited menu, but there was a few things on there that was substantial enough for lunch. We had the sliders and the fish bites, not too bad. Sliders were less than expected and a little dry. The house cab sav wasn't that nice. The room that the bar is in is beautiful. Mostly original from when the ship was built. Great view. They do validate the parking which gets you about $10 off, but it's only good for 3 hours from when you enter the parking lot so if you want to take you're time to look around, have lunch and do the tours, you might be pushing it for time, or arguing with the parking attendants like I did. read more

See all

The drinks here are vast enough to find something for everyone. Although just a smidge pricier than I would expect, still good, and fun view to be out on a boat in the water, but without the motion sickness. Success. read more

We came on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy the ambiance of sitting aboard a beautiful ship while having a few drinks and were met with everything we wanted. Our waitress had a wonderful personality and even excused herself for being new there and not 100% up to speed on all the drinks and food served. The band that was playing was fun. They played music from all sorts of eras and enjoyed it all. I couldn't see the guy very much from my seat but the lady had a great personality. My girlfriend's daughter had a great time watching them perform on stage. It was quite entertaining to watch! When we needed a breath of fresh air, the bow of the ship was easily accessible from the bar making for an even more pleasant experience. read more

I will have cocktail with this lady again thankyouverymuch. Went with a girlfriend to get a little snack. We were not planning to stay long but as 21:00 approached I noticed a double bass being taken out of it's case. My curiosity won. Apparently Saturday nights, they have a jazz band perform, complete with double-breasted suits, fedoras, Betty Paige bangs, red lipstick, and poodle skirts. Did I also mention they played good jazz (Friday&Saturdays only)? Pro: -Authentic art deco, ship-py vibe -Relaxed old-school vibe. The young greasers dressed Chicago-style do come once the band goes on -Yummy flat bread pizza and salad with mozzarella (delish dressing). Con: -Heat lamps outside? Or were they not out yet the time I went? Oh, and the band's vintage microphone adds a nice touch. read more

Feels very cool to hang out with friends and a few drinks in the Observation Bar. All you can do is imagine the fancy outfits that were worn and danced with way back when. Sometimes, you can see the spirits dancing around, too. The drinks were okay, but the hot appetizers were surprisingly good. They make a good Manhattan martini, of course. Pros: Fun bar with lots of seating inside. Pub height tables outside with a nice view from the bow. Live music, some good hot apps. Cons: Service sometimes slow. Occasionally, the live bands seemed too loud even from the far end of the room. Limited appetizer menu only. read more

Have stayed at the Queen Mary hotel on numerous occasions and we always make time to visit the observation bar. The atmosphere is exactly what you would expect to see in the 1930s aboard this fantastic art deco . It just makes you wish you could have experienced it in its heyday. The atmosphere is the reason to go to the observation bar, sadly the service is not up to par. The bar is frequently understaffed, and the bartenders don't seem too happy to be there either. The least painful way to experience the bar is to go during happy hour which is from 4 PM to 7 PM Monday through Thursday. Well drinks are only five dollars during that time. All that negativity aside, the observation bar is a must do for anyone who visits the Queen Mary. Find yourself a nice table with a perfect view, sip your drink and forget the rest. read more

The Observation Bar - The observation bar - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

Drinks on the Queen Mary is an experience. Each martini is about $11 dollars. We had a chocolate martini and a ginger pear martini. Both were made to perfection (strong). Unless you are staying there you have to buy a $15 certificate (per person) from the ticket office before they allow you to board. It is worth it for the nostalgia and has a very classic feel. After you are done drinking you can wander the boat. read more

The Observation Bar - Chocolate martini - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

See all

One of the only spots you can actually order a "Classic" drink, and have it made correctly. On top of that throw in 1930's class and style, mixed with live music. A must for any visitor and regular alike. They could use a few more waitresses, but the one's working will run there tail off getting you taken care of. Cheers! read more

The Observation Bar - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

See all

Great bar aboard the Queen Mary. Yes, drinks are pricey, but honestly, when you're surrounded with so much history, I find it acceptable. Bartenders have always been awesome here, they're always quick to ask me if my wife and I would like another drink when we get close to finishing our current drink. The drinks have always been tasty. We usually order mixed drinks off of the menu and sidecars here. A few hours of drinking here will run up a tab of a couple hundred dollars, but it's such a great experience since we love being aboard this classic ocean liner. read more

Great service. Amanda was very nice and friendly. Awesome view of long beach. Good place to go for a relaxing day of drinking. Home made chips was awesome . read more

The Observation Bar - Awesome freshly made kettle chips. - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

Brie cheese in the pretzel bites was super good. The margarita pizza was small but decent tasting. Love my Moscow mule! Art Deco feel and view was nice! read more

See all

The staff are amazing here. Super friendly and very helpful. We enjoyed cocktails outside. They dorm services this area often so you have to get people to know your. Outside... even if the inside is full. The tables were wobbly but the view was good. A bit pricey for small cocktails. read more

I am *increasing* the star level due to it being an amazing location, in an amazing old boat, with amazing décor. Otherwise, based on service quality, and to a lesser extent food quality, it would be a 1. When we got there, the waitress told us to sit anywhere we wanted. We sat down at our dirty table, and she eventually came over and asked us if we knew what we wanted. Well, we wanted menus to start. She finally returned with the menus, and we asked if she could bring us a rag or some napkins so we could clean the table. It was very hard to get her attention, even though it wasn't extremely busy. The food was mediocre at best. Definitely pre-frozen and heated. I don't expect much more from a tourist area like that, but I do expect a little tiny bit more. Things came out separately - not just by a minute or two, but by 10, 15, 20 minutes. Not a great experience. Yet, if I was there with a new person, going to visit the Queen Mary, I might go back, have a drink and some chips, and just enjoy the ambience of being surrounded by wood on a classic ship. read more

I love this bar for the sheer atmosphere! Its like taking a step back in time and being on a luxury cruise in the 40s... which is essentially the case except the ship doesn't move. Most of the bar is original, which is awesome. Not much on food here, but there are other restaurants on the ship (Sir Winstons is a great upscale restaurant and I frequent the Chelsea Chowder house quite often when I'm in the area). Drinks are drinks... nothing special, but is a full bar. If you're on the Queen Mary, you should definitely stop here for a drink and to just enjoy the history of the bar! read more

Meh. Don't get me wrong, the drinks here are FINE. I was drinking spicy Palomas all night and I don't have a complaint about my drink quality. But overall, I was pretty underwhelmed. Everything took forever to come out and it was really really hard to get out waitress to come by our table. To start, we had ordered an appetizer because we had tickets to a show and didn't want to be late but we were SO HUNGRY we needed just something. Our waitress knew we only had an hour (that's so long!). I ordered chips and salsa (I figured it would be the fastest snack). After checking in after the snacks multiple times because the CHIPS AND SALSA still hadn't arrived, after 35 minutes I finally cancelled them. Not sure how a bar can't get chips and salsa out to a table in under 40 minutes, but...problematic. Later in the evening we returned after our show for some drinks and dancing. We asked the DJ to play a couple requests and he didn't seem to happy about it, but played them at first. The dance floor went from 100% empty to full! After a couple songs the DJ went back to his personal selection, refused to play more requests, and the dance floor emptied. Maybe they prefer empty dance floors here??? Honestly, I wouldn't return here because I was super underwhelmed. read more

I love their GINGER MOJITOS, and the aps are awesome! The HUMMUS AND PITA are superb, as well as their SPRING ROLLS. Been here 4 times now, I always get my mouth watering by the time I start walked down the polished wooded hallways! read more

The Observation Bar - Spicy Watermelon Margarita - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

Had a drink here on a quiet Monday night with some out of town guests. I love art deco design but my experience at this bar wasn't particularly special. It wasn't awful, either, and I'd give it another shot. I had a martini and a beer. Service was polite but not particularly friendly -- our waitress did everything she was supposed to do but it all felt kind of insincere. It costs $15 to get in - you pay at ground level, but that $15 goes toward your bill. It's another $7 (validated) to park on top of that... so if you're not going to have more than one drink I'd say it's a waste of money 'just to see it.' read more

The Observation Bar - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

Beautiful setting. Fun live music. Comfortable seating. Window view of harbor. Convenient smoking section. $12 drinks. Ouch. Could of used more waitresses. read more

The Observation Bar - Enjoying the night life on th QM. - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

This bar is a nice location however it is much more a dive bar than a classy 1920's style bar like they advertise... the drinks are alright but not professional and cheaply made. In the end it was not what we as 27 yr old ladies expected on a Friday night at 9:30pm. Karaoke on Friday night! We came dressed up casual stylishly not lavishly and everyone else was in sweaters and jeans :P it just was not what we expected. Edited: the more you drink the better it is read more

The atmosphere at this bar is fantastic....tons of history and great views Drinks: Great Tanqueray and tonic....at a fair price for the Queen Mary Service: Very attentive servers read more

Loved it! Had a great sapphire martini, and a classic old fashioned. Great ship, great view. We stayed he night, and enjoyed the ship, too. Our server was a beautiful young woman named Alexandra. She caught my attention because of her constant amazing smile. She was a total pro, and obviously loved her work. Overall, a truly great experience! Don't miss it when you're in Long Beach. read more

Ready for some comedy. Views are spectacular! The shop is amazing and so many things are originals! read more

The Observation Bar - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

We were so excited to have a beer and food here but the menu is sub par. Breakdown below: Pros: 1. Not many, if any.... ;) just kidding, awesome history and staff are very accommodating. 2. You're on a ship that's super vintage 3. Free water 4. Beer is a good price 5. We got lost on a Stationary ship trying to get out Cons: 1. Pretty sure the pizza is frozen and store bought from Ralph's, and it's a very small serving. 2. I think the bar is here so people get wasted before the haunted tour so that they trip on the whole ghost thing 3. Other menu option were not good. 4. Overall food options are lousy and overpriced Servers here are lovely though. read more

First time here & this drink really hit the spot !! Thank you David Ppl this is definitely the best ever!!! Thank you Lita for the Passion Affair!! read more

The Observation Bar - Coconut Mojito!! Thank You David !! This was the best drink ever!!! - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

We`ve been here last Sunday for a drink after taken a look at the Queen Mary. The atmosphere at the bar was very wonderful. It really felt like back in time. We`ve been there around 9.00 pm and luckily it was not crowded at all. Rachel was truly amazing. She was so friendly, patient and kind. We will be definitely back when she is working :) Thank you. read more

The Observation Bar - Bars Near Me - Long Beach, California

Sure, there are a great many ways to break into the card, cold shell that surrounds my heart. But, one surefire winner every time: art deco decor. I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about chevron patterns and sunburst motifs. It comes as no surprise that The Observation Bar tickles my fancy. Not only do you get a spectacular view of the Long Beach Harbor, the view inside the bar ain't half-bad either. In fact, it's almost not bad at all. Actually, it's pretty spectacular itself. With lots of comfy seating, and a patio that...well...it's not the best patio in the world, but - hey! It's a patio! (And it helps for those times when the Queen Mary AC is down...which seems to be....well...more often than not.) But, I'll leave you with this....they make a killer mojito. And sippin' a killer mojito at a snazzy art deco bar on an historic ship...well, that's a good time! read more

Dear "new management" of the Queen Mary, Fuck you, you greedy assholes. After having been regulars at the Observation Bar, and talking it up to many other people (see earlier review), my wife and I took a group of five friends from out of town there a couple of weeks ago to find that there is a new policy for customers not staying at the Queen Mary hotel: in order to step foot on the boat, every person must purchase a $15 "voucher." So we left. I don't mind that the drinks are overpriced; as I said in my first review, that much can be expected since the place is such a gem. But with this new policy, I no longer think it makes any sense to make the trek over to the Queen Mary. If you want to go for one drink, that'll be 15 dollars, plus parking. If you want to get your 15 dollars' worth, you and everyone with you have to plan your night around being at the bar. To me, the Observation was a place to get a drink, see the view, and then explore and learn about the ship. The bar itself is not a place to spend a large part of your night. The message from the new management's $15-entrance fee is clear: customers like me are a waste of their time. I'm surprised if they can afford to lose these customers, who I'm sure make up much of the Observation Bar clientele. Maybe it's just me, but I doubt there is much overlap between people who appreciate the Observation and people who are accustomed and willing to pay a cover to go to a bar. Oh well. I wish this new management speedy and painful bankruptcy. read more

As a champagne aficionado I immediately fell in love with the lovely art deco glasses they serve the bubbly in here. The bar itself I was a little disappointed in. This is probably my own fault though as I romanticized the idea of cocktails in an art deco bar on a historically famous old boat. And, very often often, any time you build up your expectation like that you're bound to be a little disappointed. It was just little things like the plastic windshield on the boat deck and potato skins as the highlight of the bar menu that really brought the classiness level down a notch for me here. But, it is quite nice to experience the old uneven wood floors polished to a high shine and the cool little shopping area that let you imagine what the ship was like in its heyday. Plus, those glasses are absolutely fabulous, especially filled with a Kir Royale. read more

Sadly, the bar is no longer accessible to anyone just wanting to get a late night drink...that is unless you want to pay for a daily ticket ($27) or get the SoCal pass ($25 for a year). The SoCal pass is not a bad deal if you come here more than a few times, but honestly, just the idea of being forced to purchase this to get into the bar turned me off on the idea completely. Some of us visit the Queen Mary just for the Observation Bar, but sadly, those days are over. One of my favorite things to do was take out of town family and friends to the Observation Bar for a unique experience, but not anymore...not at $27 a person for only a few hours at the bar. But I get it, businesses need to make money. My advice is that they at least go back to the dining voucher so people who just wanted to walk around on the ship for "free" will pay a fee and those of us who just want to drink and eat can use that fee towards drinks and food. read more

Right after attending a wedding on board the QM, a few of us wanted to keep the party going, so we hit up the only bar that stays open until 2:00 a.m. on the ship. It was a Saturday night, a jazz band was playing and the place was littered with Marines celebrating the Marine Corps. Ball. We found a spot out on the patio area, which was lovely and offered nice views of Long Beach. I only had beers for the rest of the night, but the prices were decent considering there was no where else to go. One note: They do accept credit/debit cards here, but they cannot leave a tab open for you. Cash out as you go. read more

My family is saddened by recent actions by the Queen Mary. It is $31.00 to get ON TO the ship, and that is not good toward a meal/drink purchase. They used to have a $25 voucher to get on the ship that was good toward drink/food at the lounge, which we happily used. We popped in yesterday 4/21/16 and at the front when asking to purchase the voucher as we had before, they informed us they do not do that any more and that it's now $31.00 to enter the boat, and then the regular full bar prices on top of that. Absolutely terrible, we walked away. Thankfully left the parking lot before being charged the parking rate. The voucher made sense, this new system is just bad for business. My mother is heartbroken as she would visit the ship to have a drink and some food and then visit the wedding chapel where she and my father were married 35 years ago. She feels cheated by the Queen Mary and is afraid policies such as this will lead to its demise. Long story short, the bar itself is a good 4-5 stars for style, service, and drinks (last several times I was there), but this policy is terrible. read more

The bar is actually quite nice. My problem is with everything else. First, they will try their best to charge you 26 bucks a person to just go to the bar. I had to ask a million questions before I found out that if you know someone staying on the ship you don't have to pay this ridiculous fee. And it's stupid to they charge it in the first place. Hardly anyone besides our group was at the bar. They'd get way more business without this ridiculous fee. They used to charge a fee but it went towards your bill. That makes way more sense and is way less of a rip off. Then, the prices at the bar are a bit steep. Not insane, but high. Also, we ordered drinks and food. First the bartender made me the wrong drink. It was entirely his mistake, but he wasn't very nice about it. I don't expect the bartender to bow down to me or anything like that, but if it's your mistake at least say sorry or something. Especially since I was very nice about the error. Overall, none of the servers were very welcoming. If you're going to charge the prices you do, it'd be nice to have at least some friendly service. Another suggetion is to bring some napkins to people when you serve them food. The server just gave us our food and then disappeared. I ended up going up to the bar and grabbing a bunch of cocktail napkins for us all. The atmosphere at this place is great, but everything else is below mediocre. read more

My 600th review! Seems fitting that it should be about Long Beach's most famous landmark, the Queen Mary. I hadn't been on this boat in probably almost 30 years, and wasn't really missing it all that much, to tell you the truth. But the Observation Bar will have me coming back for more. We came here on a Friday night to meet up with some friends and we were very pleasantly surprised. This is a stylish art deco bar located on the top floor of the Queen Mary, with a small stage and dancefloor. On Fridays and Saturdays a jazz combo led by a female chanteuse all dolled 40s-style performs here, and they're worth a listen. Did I mention that this is free? The ambiance and music all serve to take you back to a more glamorous time, when flip flops and and shorts were not considered proper evening attire, although, alas, plenty were in evidence on the night we went and is sure to proliferate as the high summer season approaches. But whatever, just relax and enjoy the atmosphere, the strong cocktails, and the lovely view of Long Beach Harbor from the deck outside. You can take your drinks out and about not just in the immediate deck area (which unfortunately has all this plexiglass all around it), but kind of all over that whole outside area, which was pretty awesome. On a warm summer night this place will be killer. The bf and I wandered about, enjoying our Ginger Pear Martini (mine--very good) and Bacardi Cocktail (his--not sure what else was in it besides Bacardi, but it was all right), and then we ambled back inside in time to do some slow dancing to music that our grandparents were into, but it was lovely. It's an especially great destination for us because we can take the local Passport bus (B to Pine St and trasnfer to C, which is free) and not have to deal with driving/parking. Damn right I'm a fan! read more

Since I'm on summer vacation I've decided that I'll hit up as many happy hour spots as my wallet can handle. (Unfortunately my wallet is crying right about now.) Anywho, since I was on a mission to utilize my vacation time I also decided that I'd bike here from Belmont Heights. FYI: There's a bike path that leads up to the Queen Mary! Yay! However, there's really no bicycle parking at the Queen Mary, only an old-school rack underneath the member stairs near the outdoor restrooms. Boo. After biking the rough terrain and dodging all the foot traffic, I made it! What can I say that hasn't already been said? One: It's definitely not filled with younger folks. Well, I went on Sunday...so maybe it is on other days? However, I did enjoy seeing the elderly couples dance the evening away. Aww. Two: I ordered the BBQ Chicken sliders and they were alright. Nothing specials, just filling. My friend ordered the Artichoke Dip + Chips...whoa greasy galore! Three: There's always someone around to wait on you, yay! Four: LIVE MUSIC! The duo that played while we were there rocked it. From pop music to oldies, they knew it all. Will I come here again? Yes! Well, when my wallet stops crying. Info for Happy Hour: Happy Hour Drink Specials specials are available from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Sunday thru Thursday $3.00 Domestic Bottled Beer $4.00 Imported Bottled Beer $4.00 Glasses of House Wine $5.00 Well Drinks Happy Hour Appetizer Specials All appetizers are 1/2 off from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Sunday thru Thursday read more