Lobby Bar at The Hotel Chelsea

Dustin was lovely. He made the experience amazing. We went back to have more drinks and we were assisted by Corey who was equally haz amazing. Great experience.

Uptight roaring 20s style cocktail bar in the hotel lobby, everything is served with taste and cocktails are delicious, though expensive, median cost is $27. They dont play music at all and it takes away from the atmosphere. Star off because I havent tried the food

The Chelsea hotel lobby bar was amazing. The service was top notch and the cocktails were some of the best available in the city. Thanks for having us!

Very neat spot, the bar and seating area are gorgeous. Service was very good. My only complaint is the high cost of drinks, even by NYC standards. Cocktails started at $25 and a shot was $20. It was a good experience and Im glad we checked it out but we wont return purely due to the prices.

A classy bar with high end vibe but not pretentious. You can totally dress up or down and wont look out of place.You can sit by the bar which fits probably 15 people, at the tables around the bar area, and there is a backroom and a solarium (a patio-like area with a glass room, very cute) - it is spacious.The cocktails were amazing and on the pricy side ($20-24). The Martini 1881 did not disappoint and was very smooth, but the best one was my 2nd drink with a mango and mezcal i guess (forgot the name). My friends both cocktails were also very good.We shared some fresh veggies dip (which was just ok) and a very delicious buckwheat crepe stuffed with smth nice (i was under the influence of alcohol by that time so i dont even know, but it was very good)The best of all was the service- the host Eric exuded hospitality and good energy, he was very accomodating with our seats changing, also made us feel very much at home with a small talk and a treat of a cocktail sample. Our waitress was also very nice and friendly.

Absolutely incredible. Wonderful service and hospitality— Jeronimo made us the most exquisite cocktails. He was wonderful and made out experience so special. We will be back!

Beautiful bar . Amazing drinks. Order the lost weekend drink. Attentive bartender.

All the staff was amazing except the girl with all the tattoos. Someone must have put something bad in her Cheerios. Great bar otherwise

Transport yourself into Nostalgia with fantastic drinks and ambience

The Chelsea Hotel has long been a cornerstone of our community, beloved by generations of New Yorkers. As a resident of the same ZIP code and an enthusiastic advocate for the hotels revival, witnessing its successful restoration and reopening in late 2022 filled me with immense joy. This landmark’s comeback was met with widespread acclaim and has enhanced the fabric of our neighborhood.The revamped offerings at the hotel, including the lobby bar, have become a regular treat for me, given their proximity—a mere three-minute stroll from my apartment. The interiors of the Chelsea Hotel blend artistic elegance with old-world charm seamlessly, creating an atmosphere that does not disappoint. Even though the food and cocktails are on the pricier side, they truly elevate the overall experience.For me, the lobby bar has transformed into a sanctuary, a place to decompress after a busy week with a martini and some appetizers, or to impress friends visiting from out of town with its stunning decor. Over the past year and a bit, this venue has brought immense joy to me and all those I’ve introduced to it.However, the hotels new, exclusive policies regarding reservations have cast a shadow over this joy. The bar’s popularity has surged due to its unique and upscale ambiance, understandably making it a coveted spot. Yet, the recent decision to reserve tables solely for hotel guests, sidelining locals who have championed the Chelsea Hotel for years, is profoundly disheartening. We, the very people who have helped build its esteemed reputation, now face endless waitlists and an uncharacteristic snub from the hosting staff. We are suddenly cut off from a piece of our local heritage that we eagerly awaited to see revitalized.It seems there could be a more inclusive approach, such as making reservations available to all or adopting a first-come, first-served policy, rather than ostracizing those who have supported the establishment for years. I sincerely hope the management will reconsider and implement a fairer policy that honors the loyalty of its local patrons.

One of the worst martinis I’ve had, and for $36. Pretty low-quality gin, almost undrinkable.

What a lovely spot. Although one Maitre D/ hostess was so kind and helpful (Taylor I think), while the other was so rude and unpleasant. On the expensive side. Great cocktails and vibes

Atmosphere charming! Quaint, almost like a cafe as I see people working from here. It started getting very crowded during night time and I can understand why. I loved the classic martini. Would definitely come back if it’s not too crowded during a lazy afternoon.

Absolutely beautiful! nice place for a drink with a friend. they will ask for your phone number if you are not staying at the hotel in order to seat you??? not cool.

Very nice bar with a certain selection of food. Staff are very friendly. Surroundings are beautiful. Classy renovation.

The acoustics were pretty loud but we didn’t help that :) very kind front of house and table service staff, the cost was high and since it’s been a few years since I’ve been to Manhattan, the $25 cocktail minimum price was a little sticker shock. Oysters were good but not wow worthy and the fries were crispy-licious. Cheese plate was good. Overall fun experience as welcome back to NY drinks.

Had a great time. Really ended my New York trip on the highest of notes. Nick gave us the greatest of services along with a heart-warming atmosphere that can guarantee our return on our next occasion to visit New York City. Paired up with interesting, crafty cocktails, I believe that this the place to be in New York City at ANY time of the week.

High end bar in Chelsea. Historic and classy.

I spent a lot of time in the Lobby Bar at the Chelsea Hotel these past two weeks. Everyone was wonderful and nice (and Im not a big spender). There were some stand outs:Courtney - Wonderful, helpful, and a great smile.Valerie - She was kind, efficient, and charming.Mathew - Wonderful bartender with a great presents.But, everyone was genuinely nice and helpful. Great staff! Be back soon.

Very cool. Wanted to try a few months back but waited for the Swifties to come and go...and it was worth the wait! Such a luxurious and historical atmosphere, with modern cocktails and good service. I ordered a specialty cocktail that tasted like a (boozy) hike through the forest, and my friend ordered one that tasted like citrus and summertime. Expensive (averaging $25 each) but worth the trip, at least once. I ordered a jungle bird (off menu) and was impressed with the presentation and the bartenders own spin on the drink (more bitter, less syrupy, with an almost grapefruit like essence), while maintaining the overall flavor profile I was looking for. Im not in the area too often, but I would recommend this bar to anyone who respects architecture and historical significance.

UPDATE:The Lobby Bar left a gracious reply suggesting I call to make amends for the issues I had (you can read the response by viewing review). After calling - no one called me back or answered. One can only then assume it was a marketing charade to build good will with anyone seeing my review.Picture it:Trying to find a place to celebrate 10 years of living in NYC with some friends. A classy joint to have nice cocktails? Where better than the Hotel Chelsea?Probably not many places - but this will come at a cost - the Lobby Bar is no place to go with an unconfirmed number of guests lest you awaken the maître’ d’ from the fifth layer of hell.But as a NYer now (newly minted!) I held my own with kindness and aplomb - being the keeper of the keys to such an establishment can’t be easy and the clientele is surely difficult night after night. So - we followed the rules. We waited for seats. And when we were texted that a table for 6 (5 had arrived at this point) was ready - I walked inside the double doors faced once again with my nemesis declaring that the table wasn’t ready please leave! But I had just been texted and it is he who made the mistake. I didn’t hold him to an apology at the moment because we had already succeeded in what we came to achieve - a table for 6!The drinks were wonderful and the table side service was kind, generous, and numerous. Nothing stuffy about it.The drinks were fabulous - the company was incredible - and ran our bill up up and up - it’s a shame the maître d’ gets a cut of the tips - he really almost ruined it - but if there’s one thing I’ve learned after 10 years here - it’s not to pay any single person too much mind.

Some of the most knowledgeable bar staff in the city! Dustin and Natasha are particularly good at steering you to something you will enjoy. Dukes martini with Gin is a particular fave from the menu!

Beautiful bar with amazing cocktails and hors doeuvre menu. The Maitre D, Shania, was lovely. She welcomed us and gave us our own personal tour of the Lobby Bar. The staff was friendly and accommodated us quickly. We can’t wait to come back. 5 stars!

We spent 5 lazy hours there people watching and drinking the best old fashions ever. The atmosphere of that historic beautiful building is fantastic. Perfect lighting, drinks and food. Love that place!

Absolutely gorgeous space with fantastic staff and yummiest!

Sweet meetup spot. Pricey but special

I mean, I dont think I need to tell anything on the coolness of the location, the aura it has and so on..But guys, the staff.Thats what I mean with service.The one you are happy to lay for.I would always come back when in NYC.

Came here for a couple of drinks and the vibe were immaculate. The architecture is stunning and the lobby bar provides great service and wonderful drinks. My friend I really enjoyed it on a rainy afternoon.

Lovely ambiance and delicious drinks.Pricey side, but to be expected for prime location in Chelsea.Loved the sofas and artwork. Great service too!Perfect for dates!

I was so excited to come here for my birthday and I was sorely disappointed. The hotel front desk staff was helpful and polite, but the waiter and host at the Lobby Bar we’re very rude and cold. It’s a shame as the space itself is beautiful. Drinks were subpar. Bit of a tourist trap.

Service was friendly but inattentive. We have to ask them for more drinks several times. I didnt have any food. Atmosphere is very charming and classic.

This bar and lounge is a wonderful hidden gem off of the el Quixote bar and restaurant- we walked in just to see it’s historic space and ended up getting a small “tour” of the bar areas. There are multiple rooms and lounge areas, and once we saw the solarium and they offered us a corner comfy spot we were sold and decided to stay and have a few cocktails. The staff is THE FRIENDLIEST staff I’ve ever come across. It’s a true neighborhood gem and I will definitely be back to eat and drink.

I love this place! The service was great! Katrina was honestly the best server I ever had in my entire New York experience!The food tasted great!!!! I will definitely be back!!

Stopped by for a cocktail. Told they dont serve until 2:00 pm. Im pretty sure I was being lied to. So no one has Mimosa*s or Bloody Mary*s before 2pm. I feel we were being profiled.

A total vibe. Classy, upscale-but-hip NYC at its finest. Grab a bar seat and have a New York Happy Meal, aka a martini and french fries, or reserve a table in the gorgeous rooms for longer-term imbibing and people-watching.

Weird bartenders, clearly on drugs. Average drinks, but considering they are $22-25, that’s not enough. Dull atmosphere. Go only if you want to watch two jackrabbits behind a bar saying “like” a lot and being schitzo.

Some of the best cocktails ever! Has a lovely old world style lounge/ salon ambiance that we enjoyed. Very fitting. Great service too.

I could not express how great this place is. It’s beautiful, the drinks are great and the service is superb. I had welcome drinks with my wedding guests there and the staff made it such a great night for us, specially the manager. He did his best to make the night special for us and keep our guests happy. Can’t recommend enough!

Great drinks

Snazzy. Best dirty martini. Kind of an interesting crowd. $20 fries are a tough sell

Lovely ambiance and delicious cocktails. As others have noted, the prices are steep, but forewarned is forearmed and couldnt fault the drinks, speed of service or our efficient and friendly server.

Amazing vibes, superb martinis. Highly recommend to all wanting to be part of the Hotel Chelsea atmosphere for a bit.

Great cocktails, wonderful ambience and lots of comfortable seating; late night kitchen too.

I went the other day in the evening and didn’t like the experience at all. I found the service pushy. They made me and my company feel pressured to order more drinks and felt very judged. It seemed we were bothering the wait staff.I love the esthetic of the place, but the service was horrendous due to the way they made us feel.

Good drinks. Great people-watching.

Poor service, poor martinis. Tricking rich trust fund kids into paying $24 for a middling martini with a garbage gin selection. Treat yourself to Angel’s Share instead.

Iconic and comfy. Well made martini.

Charming and comfortable bar with lovely yellow velvet couches, soft lighting some refreshing fancy mocktails that weren’t overly sweet.

Cute hotel bar with no music. Uncomfortable atmosphere. Something playing in the background would really help the vibe of this place..

It was fine.

Update: manager called and resolved our issue, very sympathetic to our situation, we appreciate her follow up.The host made us feel uncomfortable, im waiting to hear back fromThe manager. Will update once we speak - hope they reach out.

Pros - a beautiful bar with charming atmosphere. Truly a pleasure to be there and staff was very friendly.Cons - cocktails were mediocre at best and not up to par with similar cocktail bars in NYC. They were also 20-30% more expensive than comparable high end cocktail bars

Very cool decor!

Great spot for drinks. Sat at the bar and the bartender was an abaolute professional.

Make sure to have the Martini 1884, just dont go past 2 glasses. Youve been warned 😄!Excellent ambiance. Good service. Fantastic drinks. Have visited twice and will make this a usual place for drinks.

Worth visiting for the atmosphere. The building has been renovated and the bar has a number of rooms that are absolutely beautiful. Drinks are good albeit expensive. We had planned to stay for dinner but pricing was absurd. Not sire why any hamburger should cost around $40.

I honestly never write these reviews (as a bartender, I understand the weight they carry), but the service we received was truly jarring and appalling.We visited the lobby bar around 11:00 PM. We were immediately treated with hostility by the maître d, who seemed to think we didn’t belong there. He inquired if we were staying at the hotel (we were) and then sat us. We received sparkling water and nuts that we asked to be taken away (I have an allergy.) That’s where the service stopped. No one spoke to us for 35 minutes. The maître d kept checking in on other guests and seemed to be putting on quite the show for them. Meanwhile he seemed to think we were no better than gum on his shoe. Which was odd - we were dressed quite nicely and are both polite company. Other guests even came up to us and complimented us on our style. Maybe because we are younger (not extremely…28+29) the staff assumed we have no money (however, given the fact we had a room at the hotel, this is clearly not true.) Eventually a waiter came over to us, stared at us without a word, and begrudgingly took our drink order.We are both service industry veterans and tip extremely well. We would have spent more and tipped even better if we felt like we were not being treated with complete and utter disdain. Staff of the lobby bar: I’m sorry you hate us! The feeling isn’t mutual; we hope you have better days soon.

It’s 9am, the bar is open for drinks and breakfast. Great way to start a Saturday.

Classy bar with great service, one of my favorite cocktail bars in the city.

Incredible breakfast, great late night cocktails and service, love everything about this place

Did a performance in an event room. Sat at the bar for half hour before I went on. It was FABULOUS!

Beautiful spot! My friends and I came for after dinner drinks from dining next door at El Quijote. They don’t take reservations but our lovely hostess at the restaurant booked us a table. We were seated in the lovely room behind the host stand. Such old world charm and elegance! Everything was lovely, from the hostess/host, waiter, decor, and atmosphere. Our drinks were delicious too. HIGHLY recommend!

Beautiful location to have an expensive drink and people watch.

Great and confusion vibe. Is it 1980 and I’m in business? Am I Russian and out of touch? Am I camp? I can smoke outside on the balcony of the bar thank godDrinks are over priced but not why you’re here

I went here to celebrate my birthday with a few friends. We got seats at the bar and had a great night. The service was outstanding, the cocktails were really solid, the vibes were on point, and I had what was quite possibly the best sundae of my life.

Everyone at the lobby bar was exceptional. Highly recommended. I had the cheese plate; it wasnt great but it was all I needed. Five stars.

A very nice place, of course because of the hotel. The hostess was very friendly and attentive, the waiter didnt really want to attend... maybe he was tired. But the drinks were horrible, we ordered wine and beer and both were really bad quality. In addition for the price of the menu, they should at least invest a little more and get better quality alcohol.

Gorgeous hotel ...had a couple of drinks which were expensive

Second time here. Fern was amazing. Definitely coming back.

I ordered just a mocktail on a Tuesday night. As you can see it had way too much ice, like a comical amount youd see on social media. The setting is quite classy but very loud. I couldnt hear the person across from me speak. I wouldnt take the trip here again honestly.

Amazing

Pros: Beautiful, classy bar, and friendly staffCons: 3 glasses of wine and 2 cocktails- $146 NOT including tip. The cocktails, though pretty, were weak.If it werent an iconic / historic place, I dont think they could get away with the prices for subpar cocktails. The servers, however, were super kind and knowledgeable.

Poor or lacking hospitality. Poor cocktail quality.Place was very warm. No music. Cocktails (Martini) were warm - we couldn’t drink them even after asking to have them chilled. When we asked for the check, there were no tkt holders and advised the bartender it was okay, that we could just take the paper. They just flung it at us from a few feet away as an attempt at a joke. Never asked why our cocktails were untouched. $28 / cocktail.

The ambiance, vibes, and cocktails are fabulous however the waitstaff was incredibly rude to us from the minute we walked in. It was almost as if they were annoyed for us to even be there and it was incredibly awkward.

Pure class.

My favorite bar in NYC. No music, excellent cocktails, very comfortable seating, and beautiful decoration. Claire Paparazzo--wine director and host there--always takes good care of us. My book club meets there every month.

Amazing service every time I’ve gone. They don’t allow reservations unless you are a guest of the hotel. But if you walk in the wait time is usually not that bad!

We ordered food and while waiting for it ordered another round. When those drinks were almost done we asked where our food was and the bartender said he forgot to order it. Did not offer to order it. So we left and had a great dinner somewhere else. Should have left after the first drink.

Lovely historic bar that takes you back to the 1950’s. Great attentive service. Drinks and wine are expensive

Great bar, amazing cocktails. Highly recommended for an experience. The bar itself was lively, the sitting rooms were more laid back and allowed conversation.

Beautiful gem of a bar & lounge in the infamous Hotel Chelsea. Very cozy, intimate with gorgeous ambience and lighting. No music in here. Favorite cocktail: Cowboy Mouth? Would highly recommend for drinks.

This review is mainly for Mathew, the highly professional bartender that served me at this historic hotel bar. Despite being obviously and painfully shorthanded, drinks were served in an efficient and timely manner. Great cocktails, theatric ambiance, pro bartender. 02/26/2023

Sooooo stuffy in here. Paid $8 for a simple black coffee. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. I wanted to check out this beautiful hotel and enjoy some coffee on a rainy morning here in NYC. Not only was the stuff unfriendly but that price for a simple black coffee was just uncalled for. Not to mention the coffee wasn’t even lukewarm. Stay clear of this place. There are much better, “aesthetic” places than here.

Looked in doorman invited us in for a drink. Oh yes

Hidden gem. Even New Yorkers don’t know about it. Rustic and old school.

Very nice looking place and friendly staff. Would be nice if they played some music later on in the evening though.

Nice and Cosy but a little bit overpriced

Cool spot

Great drinks and atmosphere. Fern was a great server!

Cool NY vibes and Taylor Jane the Maitre D is a gem ❤️

Only 1 block from me. It’s my go-to spot!

The Cowboy Mouth is a fantastic cocktail. Worth coming back for.

Tasty bites + good drinks + nice bartender = alright alright alright

A nice fancy bar but overpriced

Claire, working the hostess stand, was extremely condescending and rude for not reason at all. Very strange behavior and experience.

This place is underrated !

Great date spot

Great drinks

FERN

Excellent food

On December 15, our group of friends visited this establishment. We had been filming content earlier, so none of us were under the influence. One of the women in our group, who is 5’2” and was carrying two bags and shoes in her hands, had an unfortunate encounter with the manager.He bumped into her and immediately started yelling, claiming that she had hit or pushed him. The idea that a petite woman, who happens to be a lawyer, somehow pushed or attacked him is not only absurd but blatantly false. She was simply standing there, holding her belongings, when he escalated the situation.The manager continued to accuse her of being “out of control” and “aggressive,” which couldn’t have been further from the truth. It was clear to everyone that he had caused the incident and then decided to create unnecessary drama.What followed was even more shocking—he labeled our entire group as “aggressive” and forced us to leave. His behavior was both unprofessional and disrespectful. It’s deeply disappointing to see a man in a “position of authority “ treat women this way, fabricating a story to justify his actions.This kind of behavior is unacceptable and should be addressed. Avoid this place if you value respect and fair treatment.

We felt welcome here

Magnificent bar, very original cocktail menu (you can also ask for what you prefer but which is not on the menu). A must visit place to relax and have a drink.

Boudoir location, subdued atmosphere but overpriced cocktails

No one from no one must respect a great team like Morocco

So comfortable, but so far 😑

A piece of music history

👎👎👎