Solas

Good Venue for Private Parties

by Athena Chang , Citysearch Contributor

Solas has become a popular venue for birthday parties among my friends. There is a dance floor in another separate room and there are two floors on the other side where they play different music and offer a quieter lounging area.

I like it because you can choose to be dancing on the floor or chill on the couch sipping cocktail with friends.

• Pros: Separate Dance Floor and lounge

The Go-To Spot in the Hood

by a Tooch , Citysearch Contributor

Solas is our go-to spot in the East Village no matter the group we are with, time of night or level of intoxication. The place is completely unpretentious and has an overall good vibe. The front room offers a bar with board games, a floor above is a comfy lounge and the side room is a spacious dance floor complete with another bar and DJ.

Though there are doormen of sorts, there really is no dress code here. Most of the crowd is trendy-casual but there are sneakers and prom dresses alike. My favorite part of the dance floor are the tables/booths (no, you don't need to buy a $400 bottle to reserve) to hang out, rest your feet, and watch crazy dancers. The crowd is mixed as well, though it usually leans toward the young professional 20s-30s group.

Generally a crowd pleaser and great last-minute spot when it's 3 am and you just have to get that last bar in!

• Pros: plenty of space, board games, music
• Cons: drink prices

Great place to bring a party

by colorful1

One of those reviews you don't really want to write because you don't want a different crowd showing up at a place you really liked. I brought a group of about 10 people here last Saturday and had an awesome time. I had called well in advance and the manager was cool and reserved a table for us. Everyone was very comfortable -- the music was good, the bartenders were busy but very nice and worked FAST. Despite a full house we never waited more than a couple of minutes to get drinks... much better than most places. There was plenty of room to dance and to hang out: full, but definitely not elbow to elbow. We liked that there are other rooms but stayed nearby our table; we'll have to come back a different night to explore further. Overall it was a fun vibe -- not chaotic and not uptight.

Everyone had a great time and we closed the place. The only complaint we had was that sometimes they'd play a great song for maybe 45 seconds and then switch. Mostly we liked the music though; not enough to keep it from getting 5 stars.

• Pros: Plenty of people yet plenty of space
• Cons: Music medleys

Good Pint o Guinness

by NinthStreetNYCdotcom

They pour a good pint here, and the decor and feel is a bit different from a standard Irish pub. Solas sets itself apart. The upstairs space is cozy, with texture and small tables. Downstairs is the full bar. The service is pretty friendly, and the vibe is a bit younger than some other Irish bars in the hood.

Great Birthday spot

by eml12345

I wanted to have a bunch of my friends go out for my birthday, and I know I usually have fun at Solas. I spoke to the managers at Solas, and they really took care of us. They kept our tables like they said they would and they kept coming back to make sure we all had enough drinks. It's great that they have different areas with different stuff going on within the bar. The place started emptying out a little around 2:30, but it was a freezing January Saturday night.