Schiller's Liquor Bar

(212) 260-4555

131 Rivington St
New York, NY null 40.71959 -73.986749

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Neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Downtown

SCHILLERSNY.COM

Years in business

Established in 2003

Hours:

Mon-Wed 11am-1am

Thu 11am-2am

Fri 11am-3am

Sat 10am-3am

Sun 10am-1am

Price:

$$

Last updated 1.11.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Breakfast, Family-Friendly Dining, Late Night Dining, Celeb Hangout, Brunch, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Business Breakfast, Food Delivery, Carry Out, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

European, Traditional American, French

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Schiller's Liquor Bar

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Owner Keith McNally should find a way to bottle his formula: Uber-chic Balthazar and Pastis have long been the default hangout for the famous and fashionable, and Schiller's follows suit. Wine bottles painted with prison-block letters line the walls; cool, flattering light streams through north-facing windows; and busboys with Heimlich maneuver instructions printed on their T-shirts--it's a downtown bistro aesthetic that makes every diner (or drinker) feel chic. Service is good and usually swift. – – The Food – At dinner, a nicely gamey chopped liver…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Wines are split into cheap, decent and good. Prices top off at $8 a glass, $19 a carafe. At brunch, cucumber and mint freshen up the Pimm's Cup; the bloody mary is spicy and just right.
Know Before You Go:
The restrooms, located downstairs, can be confusing: Enter a gender-marked door and find a common washroom. Keep to your side of the room--restrooms are through the second pair of doors.
Bar Scene:
Located in the thick of the Lower East Side's most bustling area, boisterous boozers take over after the weekend dinner hour, when the restaurant seemingly transforms into a full-scale bar.
ambiance
69.79000091552734% positive
  1. “Very cool atmosphere, as a matter a fact ran into people we knew!”
  2. “The place seemed fun but it was pricier than I thought considering the food was not that great.”
  3. “The atmosphere is terrible too bright too loud.”
  4. “Casual atmosphere with good food”
  5. “All in all I definitely recommend this place, the food was excellent, the atmosphere fun and young much more inviting than the other 2 restaurants Pastis and Balthazar.”
  6. “Why waste your money on this place, with ok food, poor service, not great drinks that aren't cheap, not comfortable seating dingy nasty bathrooms (they need to renovate those dungens).”
  7. “It is still consistent - very fun ambiance, good food and a great value compared to many other trendy NY spots.”
  8. “GREAT, boisterous atmosphere, and while loud (not a sound-absorbing surface in the place!)”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “When we said that we would like coffee, the maitre d' offered to buy us dessert if we would just leave the table!”
  2. “the french martini and the white chocolate martini were excellent, one of the best drinks i've had in the city.”
  3. “When we passed on dessert, he sent over a delicious english toffee cake(on the house) with a big ol' sparkler in it and said "Happy November, girls”
  4. “Only redeeming menu items is they have one good desert, a taffy cake with ice cream.”
drinks
80.26000022888184% positive
  1. “had a great time with a group of friends, music was really good and the bar is beautiful.”
  2. “When we said that we would like coffee, the maitre d' offered to buy us dessert if we would just leave the table!”
  3. “They use the best stainless steel taps for their beer, so the pour is always good.”
  4. “They have a poor wine list of overpriced bad wines.”
  5. “sat at the bar with a friend on a slow afternoon.”
  6. “Food was great and even including some brunch drinks price was very reasonable.”
  7. “This is a great nighttime place to get a late dinner or a nice drink.”
  8. “Great steak frites, really yummy cocktails.”
  9. “The watercress salad was way too lightly dressed, the welsh rarebit was so super small, and the drinks are overpriced.”
  10. “the french martini and the white chocolate martini were excellent, one of the best drinks i've had in the city.”
  11. “drinks at the bar were AMAZING.”
  12. “The drinks, food, and service were great.”
  13. “The wine is GOOD, and cheap.”
  14. “had the grilled chicken with salad and it was really good as was the "Decent" red wine.”
  15. “Overall, the food and drinks were good.”
  16. “the food is consistenly great, the drinks are always strong and the service is always friendly-”
  17. “and give as attentive food service at the bar as you would get at a table.”
  18. “Why waste your money on this place, with ok food, poor service, not great drinks that aren't cheap, not comfortable seating dingy nasty bathrooms (they need to renovate those dungens).”
  19. “The food is decent enough and the drinks are stiff, but someone should tell McNally to have a talk with these people.”
food quality
74.56999778747559% positive
  1. “Who cares about McNally if the food sucks, you can't hear, the host insults you, you're squeezed into a teensy weensy table and on top of it, you WAIT FOR ALL THIS?”
  2. “The drinks, food, and service were great.”
  3. “The food is decent enough and the drinks are stiff, but someone should tell McNally to have a talk with these people.”
  4. “The place seemed fun but it was pricier than I thought considering the food was not that great.”
  5. “the food was great but the prices are to much.”
  6. “not great food.”
  7. “We were not seated until 10:15 and the food which came quickly was overall disappointing, uninteresting and not good.”
  8. “As for the food: French onion soup was tasty but greasy.”
  9. “Casual atmosphere with good food”
  10. “Great food?”
  11. “service there was excellent, food is good, and prices pretty good.”
  12. “Friend had the shrimp appetizer, loved it, and i dug my watercress/bleu cheese salad.”
  13. “If you want good food in a young, casual setting without breaking the bank, this is the place to go.”
  14. “It is still consistent - very fun ambiance, good food and a great value compared to many other trendy NY spots.”
  15. “Went their for a friend's birthday and thought the hour and half wait, ridiculous noise, insulting maitre d, and incredibly crappy food were bad enough.”
  16. “Overall, the food and drinks were good.”
  17. “The watercress salad was way too lightly dressed, the welsh rarebit was so super small, and the drinks are overpriced.”
  18. “the food is consistenly great, the drinks are always strong and the service is always friendly-”
  19. “Even the hotel on Rivington's burger is less expensive than the unseasoned bland burger at this place.”
  20. “Why waste your money on this place, with ok food, poor service, not great drinks that aren't cheap, not comfortable seating dingy nasty bathrooms (they need to renovate those dungens).”
  21. “Bar steak was not bad at all, fries were boring.”
  22. “The food was good and very reasonably priced and our server was excellent.”
  23. “The food was terrible.”
  24. “Like the place and the food is good at decent prices.”
  25. “and give as attentive food service at the bar as you would get at a table.”
  26. “It sort of ruined a burger that would have been quite delicious.”
  27. “Schiller's has a cute bistro feel with some excellent food.”
  28. “The salad was somewhat overpriced.”
  29. “The food is not the best around, but the prices are not outrageous enough to complain about.”
  30. “They were delicious and at our table only seconds after ordering them.”
  31. “Great steak frites, really yummy cocktails.”
  32. “All in all I definitely recommend this place, the food was excellent, the atmosphere fun and young much more inviting than the other 2 restaurants Pastis and Balthazar.”
  33. “Duck and fish & chips were decent, nice server, good prices, cool old world bathroom.”
  34. “Drinks were good, but food was average.”
  35. “great food.”
  36. “Food wise, we got nachos as appetizers which were pretty good and i had the hangar steak with fries--steak was ok, fries were crunchy, which i liked.”
  37. “had the grilled chicken with salad and it was really good as was the "Decent" red wine.”
  38. “When we passed on dessert, he sent over a delicious english toffee cake(on the house) with a big ol' sparkler in it and said "Happy November, girls”
  39. “The food used to be OK but the burger was charred on the outside and raw on the inside, and the pumpkin salad was tasteless.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Only redeeming menu items is they have one good desert, a taffy cake with ice cream.”
  2. “Was very knowledgeable of the menu, had great recommendations.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This is a great nighttime place to get a late dinner or a nice drink.”
  2. “good place”
  3. “If you want good food in a young, casual setting without breaking the bank, this is the place to go.”
service
83.81999969482422% positive
  1. “The waitstaff is not that friendly.”
  2. “The waiter(his name was James by the way) was charming and funny.”
  3. “and give as attentive food service at the bar as you would get at a table.”
  4. “Why waste your money on this place, with ok food, poor service, not great drinks that aren't cheap, not comfortable seating dingy nasty bathrooms (they need to renovate those dungens).”
  5. “The food is decent enough and the drinks are stiff, but someone should tell McNally to have a talk with these people.”
  6. “The drinks, food, and service were great.”
  7. “Very cool atmosphere, as a matter a fact ran into people we knew!”
  8. “When I realized that people were actually impressed with this mess of a place because of some hot new chef, all I could think was this emporer has no clothes.”
  9. “The waitress was very nice, though.”
  10. “Our waitress was also great (despite the pressure from her manager to get us to get up after dinner b/c it was getting very crowded).”
  11. “Duck and fish & chips were decent, nice server, good prices, cool old world bathroom.”
  12. “Waited 1 1/4 hours for a table, watching as the rude hostesses seated THREE people in a SIX top.”
  13. “the food is consistenly great, the drinks are always strong and the service is always friendly-”
  14. “Staff was abundant but clumsy; the waiter visibly noticed my table rocked back & forth, but did nothing to fix it.”
  15. “service there was excellent, food is good, and prices pretty good.”
  16. “excellent service!”
  17. “The food was good and very reasonably priced and our server was excellent.”
value
64.06000137329102% positive
  1. “This is an overpriced Applebees.”
  2. “service there was excellent, food is good, and prices pretty good.”
  3. “It is still consistent - very fun ambiance, good food and a great value compared to many other trendy NY spots.”
  4. “Food was fantastic -- especially for the price.”
  5. “The food is not the best around, but the prices are not outrageous enough to complain about.”
  6. “They have a poor wine list of overpriced bad wines.”
  7. “Duck and fish & chips were decent, nice server, good prices, cool old world bathroom.”
  8. “The salad was somewhat overpriced.”
  9. “Food was great and even including some brunch drinks price was very reasonable.”
  10. “This place is such a great value!”
  11. “The watercress salad was way too lightly dressed, the welsh rarebit was so super small, and the drinks are overpriced.”
  12. “Like the place and the food is good at decent prices.”
  13. “The wine is GOOD, and cheap.”
  14. “the food was great but the prices are to much.”
  15. “Why waste your money on this place, with ok food, poor service, not great drinks that aren't cheap, not comfortable seating dingy nasty bathrooms (they need to renovate those dungens).”
  16. “Even the hotel on Rivington's burger is less expensive than the unseasoned bland burger at this place.”
wait time
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “sat at the bar with a friend on a slow afternoon.”
  2. “Worst Restaurant Experience in a long, long, time.”
  3. “It took about 20-30 minutes to be seated as the place was absolutely mobbed, but the host was very polite about the delay.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/09/11

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by arielamir at Citysearch

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1 Star Rating: Poor

07/21/11

Average food, extremely rude staff

by Salvo at Citysearch

Went there on a friday night, the place was overcrowded and loud, full of tacky people. We couldn't even hear each other talk. The food was pretty low quality, cocktails were ok but expensive. The service was terrible, in particular the door staff were extremely unfriendly and rude. If you are looking for a nice place to eat, avoid this bar.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/01/10

This place is all about the drinks

by Bethany Leddy at Citysearch

The energy of Schiller's is electric even on a week night. If you can get a seat the place to be is definitely at the bar. With an extensive list of expertly mixed cocktails Schiller's lives up to the name Liquor Bar. This is a great place to meet neighborhood locals or sexy foreigners. Don't be intimidated by the hulky bartenders, their friendly charm will keep you coming back again and again.

Brunch, lunch, and dinner are well priced. Standouts include the Fried oysters, Onion Soup, and Steak Frites.

Come on the right night and you just might be sitting next to one of the celebrities who make Schiller's a local stop when in town.

  • Pros: Fantastic knowledgable bartenders
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/26/09

Felt like a Parisian bistro...food quite was good

by rpristin at Citysearch

We ate at Schiller's on a weekday night. Wasn't too crowded. Got a table right away. We had the bibb salad, hanger steak and pan fried trout with asparagus. The food was fresh, well-seasoned. The steak was seared on the outside and pink inside - very flavorful. The trout was crispy on the outside, tender inside - very tasty. Drinks were good. We liked the atmosphere. The service was just fine. Pricing wasn't cheap but not out of line with other comparable NYC bars and restaurants.

  • Pros: Attractive place, tasty food
  • Cons: A little hard to get to
1 Star Rating: Poor

04/18/09

Avoid at all cost

by mikeandrus at Citysearch

We had a reservation for 9:00PM and didn't get seated until 10:30. We were a large party but they never told us they wouldn't be able to accommodate us -- they took our reservation, took our credit card to hold it, and when we got there it was "5 more minutes, 5 more minutes" for an hour an a half. The food used to be OK but the burger was charred on the outside and raw on the inside, and the pumpkin salad was tasteless. The steaks were tiny and tough, and the cocktails, which used to be amazing, were small and poorly mixed. The space was cramped and crowded with loud, tacky, annoying people. One of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had in 20 years of living and eating out in New York. They should close.

  • Pros: None
  • Cons: Mediocre food, mediocre drinks, overcrowded, loud

The Details on Schiller's Liquor Bar

Place Categories:

  • good food
  • excellent food service
  • bad crappy food
  • good great drinks
  • good nighttime place
  • nice server
  • insults host
  • decent red wine
  • tasteless pumpkin salad
  • greasy french onion soup
  • not comfortable nasty bathrooms
  • great boisterous atmosphere
  • overpriced drinks
  • very nice waitress
  • overpriced bad wines
  • very nice hosthostesses
  • decent prices
  • great value
  • charming waiter
  • good taffy cake
  • like coffee
  • overwhelming heat
  • beautiful bar
  • worst restaurant experience
  • always good pour

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