Employees Only

(212) 242-3021

510 Hudson St (nr. Christopher St.)
New York, NY 10014 40.7333 -74.0062

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Neighborhoods: West Village, Downtown

EMPLOYEESONLYNYC.COM

Hours:

Daily, 6pm-3:30am

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Bars & Clubs, Neighborhood Bars, Bars & Pubs

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Bar & Pub Special Features:

Martinis, Bar Menu

Bar & Club Special Features:

Outdoor Seating, Romantic Nightlife, Specialty Cocktails, After Work, Late-Night Scene

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Employees Only

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

A mysterious fortune teller at the entrance sets the stage for the elegant, sexy haven inside. The richly appointed interior, meant to evoke a 1920s speakeasy, glows from the warmth of the mahogany-covered walls and soft lighting. While the staff graciously asks patrons if they're staying for dinner, most of the action swirls around the bar (gently warmed by a fire in the winter), where the mustachioed mixologists--outfitted in white chef-style shirts--work a crowd comprised of fashionable downtowners. A skylight adds romance to the raised back room, where diners sample dishes such as sauteed…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
The smooth Pimm's Cup, made with Cointreau, fresh lime and ginger soda, has just the right touches of cucumber and mint. To awaken the taste buds, try the bright Ginger Smash, a muddle of ginger root and cranberries, mixed with gin and apple liqueur.
Where to Sit:
In the summer months, the backyard garden opens for an alfresco experience.
On the Menu:
The list of wines by the glass include a local choice: a rose from the Wolffer Estate in the Hamptons. Whites and reds by the bottle are also available, most between $40 and $50 a bottle.
The Extras:
Drop by for brunch between 11am and 4pm on weekends.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The service was fantastic, the atmosphere had a great vibe and everything was just wonderful!”
  2. “The atmosphere is enchanting and the drinks are TO DIE FOR!”
  3. “good drinks, good fun”
  4. “And the atmosphere is perfect!”
  5. “I've lived in the neighborhood for four years and Employees Only has turned from a fun, no-attitude place with good drinks to a snobfest hang-out for power-tripping bouncers.”
  6. “The food and decor are both yummy and cozy.”
  7. “The drinks are great, the staff is friendly and the crowd is fun.”
  8. “White Horse Tavern (Hudson and 11st St) - fun no frills bar with good beers on tap, nice bouncers, and great table service.”
  9. “There's a great table for two in the window that's super romantic.”
  10. “Art bar (8th Ave at Jane St) - really cool atmosphere with cushions, lush couches, and pillows.”
  11. “Great ambience, nice crowd.”
  12. “Awesome knowledgable bartenders, cool atmosphere, cozy and cute.”
  13. “the perfect combination of style, service, ambiance.”
  14. “love the bartenders and drinks, food is great, music could be a little bit more up-to-date but goes with the decor and ambiance.”
  15. “Great atmosphere and accommodating staff”
drinks
89.53000068664551% positive
  1. “like the bartenders, but it is also hard to get a drink here unless you are a "regular" so my friends and I had to wait a long while in between drinks.”
  2. “perfect place for drink or two before hitting the clubs!”
  3. “good drinks, good fun”
  4. “This bar sells itself as an after work hangout, but acts like some pretentious meatpacker club.”
  5. “expensive weak drinks”
  6. “Come here if you want the price you pay to be worth a full bar experience.”
  7. “Art bar (8th Ave at Jane St) - really cool atmosphere with cushions, lush couches, and pillows.”
  8. “As it's known for, they make really great cocktails here.”
  9. “Fresh ingredients, creative drinks, attentive service and enthusiastic mixologists make this a great place to knock a few back.”
  10. “Beautiful bar, great vibe, lighting and service.”
  11. “delicious drinks, great low key.”
  12. “Speaking of the meal, it was delicious, and complemented well by the yummy cocktails.”
  13. “the best drinks and crowed before going out-out!”
  14. “Classic example of a good neighborhood bar/lounge that grew an ego & forgot who they are.”
  15. “Employees Only is my new favorite place for cocktails in the city.”
  16. “Please don't go there and just order a beer the drinks are delicious even to the most discerning- I brought my mother there (before 7 on a weekday) and she has not stopped talking about it since.”
  17. “wasn't impressed the first and only time that I was there, but given the reviews, I will give Employees Only another try during a time during the weekday when it's not so "popular" in order to actually enjoy a drink.”
  18. “This is a fantastic place to meet friends for a drink (some of the coolest bartenders in town and they have pretty interesting moustaches) or have brunch/dinner (great menu).”
  19. “If you want expensive overly fancy drinks and a crowd of pretentious downtowners this is the place for you.”
  20. “I'm sticking to less crowded times - the drinks are so good, you don't want to be annoyed by getting bumped into and pushed every 30 seconds.”
  21. “Great drinks and food”
  22. “love the bartenders and drinks, food is great, music could be a little bit more up-to-date but goes with the decor and ambiance.”
  23. “I've lived in the neighborhood for four years and Employees Only has turned from a fun, no-attitude place with good drinks to a snobfest hang-out for power-tripping bouncers.”
  24. “The drinks are great, the staff is friendly and the crowd is fun.”
  25. “You can start the night here with a nice dinner or you can come in late hours for a great cocktails.”
  26. “White Horse Tavern (Hudson and 11st St) - fun no frills bar with good beers on tap, nice bouncers, and great table service.”
  27. “Very good looking overall, and literally the best espresso martini I've ever had.”
  28. “If you want good drinks but not to be treated horridly, go to one of the many other top notch bars in the area.”
  29. “The atmosphere is enchanting and the drinks are TO DIE FOR!”
  30. “It has turned from a cool bar into a mix of horrible crowd + rude staff.”
  31. “About $25 entrees, $12 drinks, good wine for $”
  32. “The drinks were delicious, the food impressive and best of all the service was impeccable.”
  33. “After having one of the best drinks I have ever had, we sat down for dinner which was nothing short of perfect!”
  34. “The drinks are extremely tasty and different.”
  35. “Not only are the drinks incredible (I recommend the Ginger Smash), but watching the bartenders make them is a show in itself.”
  36. “We happily left to go to the White Horse (down the street) where their was no attitude, better service, and good beer on tap.”
  37. “Great bar, great crowd.”
  38. “wasn't drinking, but everyone else liked their drinks.”
  39. “sophisticated and stylish place with amazing drinks and great food.”
  40. “bar is great.”
  41. “food is unmemorable, but it is a great drink spot.”
  42. “LOVE this bar”
  43. “They take pride in their complex cocktails which are amazing.”
food quality
93.17999839782715% positive
  1. “go during the week, and go especially during the later hours--the crowd is a little more manageable, cooler and the kitchen still serves tasty tidbits (love the cheese plate, the steak tartar & chicken sandwich) to encourage cocktail experimentation.”
  2. “also had the meat and cheese plate which was so fabulous I wanted to lick the pate bowl clean.”
  3. “The once great steak tartar is now very average (watch out when the maitre d' makes it at your table - he gestured and some raw steak hit my date's hair).”
  4. “bad food, worse service”
  5. “They have a back patio where you can sit and eat, and the steak tartare is the best in Manhattan.”
  6. “Speaking of the meal, it was delicious, and complemented well by the yummy cocktails.”
  7. “The Maitre D, Igor, was very attentive and went so far as to start us off with a champagne toast for our celebration.”
  8. “Had dinner there on Saturday night, and the food was delicious too - I had salmon and my friend had the chicken - both were really well made.”
  9. “Halibut was amazing, 24oz steak was gigantic, steak tartar ruled and everthing was very fairly price.”
  10. “sophisticated and stylish place with amazing drinks and great food.”
  11. “fresh ingredients, highly skilled rock star bartenders, super creative cocktail recipes.”
  12. “The drinks were delicious, the food impressive and best of all the service was impeccable.”
  13. “Crowd was good, lots of guys (which is a plus) the food was only okay, and the service was pretty bad (unattentive, didn't really know the menu, and kind of rude)”
  14. “The food is excellent, too!”
  15. “The drinks are extremely tasty and different.”
  16. “Great drinks and food”
  17. “Please don't go there and just order a beer the drinks are delicious even to the most discerning- I brought my mother there (before 7 on a weekday) and she has not stopped talking about it since.”
  18. “food is unmemorable, but it is a great drink spot.”
  19. “delicious drinks, great low key.”
  20. “and you get a nice hot bowl of chicken soup around 4am last call to help you recover.”
  21. “love the bartenders and drinks, food is great, music could be a little bit more up-to-date but goes with the decor and ambiance.”
  22. “The food and decor are both yummy and cozy.”
menu variety
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “This is a fantastic place to meet friends for a drink (some of the coolest bartenders in town and they have pretty interesting moustaches) or have brunch/dinner (great menu).”
  2. “Everything was excellent and the cheeses and charcouterie were of the highest quality and selection.”
  3. “Crowd was good, lots of guys (which is a plus) the food was only okay, and the service was pretty bad (unattentive, didn't really know the menu, and kind of rude)”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Fresh ingredients, creative drinks, attentive service and enthusiastic mixologists make this a great place to knock a few back.”
  2. “Great singles scene but also nice place for couples.”
  3. “agree that this is a great place to bring and impress out-of-town guests.”
service
85.29000282287598% positive
  1. “The staff is very friendly and extremely accomdating.”
  2. “We happily left to go to the White Horse (down the street) where their was no attitude, better service, and good beer on tap.”
  3. “The door staff is incredibly rude, and the service inside is positively wretched.”
  4. “Impeccable service!”
  5. “the host, wait staff, bartenders and door men could not have been more friendly!”
  6. “bad food, worse service”
  7. “It has turned from a cool bar into a mix of horrible crowd + rude staff.”
  8. “great service, nice people”
  9. “Fresh ingredients and happy bartenders are a good combination and they have it here.”
  10. “like the bartenders, but it is also hard to get a drink here unless you are a "regular" so my friends and I had to wait a long while in between drinks.”
  11. “only negative was the tarot card reader was awful, but atleast she was friendly!”
  12. “fresh ingredients, highly skilled rock star bartenders, super creative cocktail recipes.”
  13. “The drinks are great, the staff is friendly and the crowd is fun.”
  14. “This is a fantastic place to meet friends for a drink (some of the coolest bartenders in town and they have pretty interesting moustaches) or have brunch/dinner (great menu).”
  15. “the perfect combination of style, service, ambiance.”
  16. “Everyone from the owners to the busboys were friendly, attentive and nice - a rarity in NYC!”
  17. “Awesome knowledgable bartenders, cool atmosphere, cozy and cute.”
  18. “Beautiful bar, great vibe, lighting and service.”
  19. “Great atmosphere and accommodating staff”
  20. “The Maitre D, Igor, was very attentive and went so far as to start us off with a champagne toast for our celebration.”
  21. “Crowd was good, lots of guys (which is a plus) the food was only okay, and the service was pretty bad (unattentive, didn't really know the menu, and kind of rude)”
  22. “The drinks were delicious, the food impressive and best of all the service was impeccable.”
  23. “The service was fantastic, the atmosphere had a great vibe and everything was just wonderful!”
  24. “Place was amazing and I can't tell enough people they need to go here.”
  25. “The staff and owners are so friendly, the crowd is great and I love that there is so much seating in the back.”
  26. “Not only are the drinks incredible (I recommend the Ginger Smash), but watching the bartenders make them is a show in itself.”
  27. “Staff is retro hip, very friendly & not pretentious but service was painfully slow.”
  28. “Their bartenders are true artists and make the best Negroni downtown.”
  29. “White Horse Tavern (Hudson and 11st St) - fun no frills bar with good beers on tap, nice bouncers, and great table service.”
  30. “Our waitress was also super cool and right there whenever we needed her.”
  31. “Fresh ingredients, creative drinks, attentive service and enthusiastic mixologists make this a great place to knock a few back.”
  32. “Hidden behind a forturne teller's front awaits a throw-back to the roaring 20's complete with mustachioed owners in zoot suits, a roaring fire (the smell of the fireplace alone will transport you to another world), and friendly service.”
  33. “Our waitress was as friendly as she was beautiful (and that's saying a lot because she was stunning)!”
  34. “love the bartenders and drinks, food is great, music could be a little bit more up-to-date but goes with the decor and ambiance.”
value
40.0% positive
  1. “expensive weak drinks”
  2. “Come here if you want the price you pay to be worth a full bar experience.”
  3. “It's so classy and adult and not as expensive as most places like that in this city.”
  4. “Halibut was amazing, 24oz steak was gigantic, steak tartar ruled and everthing was very fairly price.”
  5. “If you want expensive overly fancy drinks and a crowd of pretentious downtowners this is the place for you.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “Staff is retro hip, very friendly & not pretentious but service was painfully slow.”
  2. “like the bartenders, but it is also hard to get a drink here unless you are a "regular" so my friends and I had to wait a long while in between drinks.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/09/11

NTC Nightlife

by arielamir at Citysearch

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4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/24/11

Great mix of Food and Drinks

by FryeGurl at Citysearch

A bunch of us split appetizers while we had a few cocktails before we went out. For food I'd suggest the mussels and gnocchi. For drinks I'd go with a Manhattan, but The bartenders here are pretty on point so you could ask them to make you something based on the kind of drinks you like and they will make you something awesome.

1 Star Rating: Poor

05/19/10

NEVER WEITE A COMPLAIN IN MY LIFE BUT THIS TIME...

by federico lopez at Citysearch

WHILE HAVING A DRINK AT THE COUNTER

AFTER WAITNG 20 MINUTES FOR 1 gintonic

AND A COUPLE OF DRINKS FOR FRIENDS OF MINE

AFTER A HUGE OVERTIP

I HAVE TO HEAR UNPLEASANTLY THE BARTENDER NOT TO USE NO MORE THAN 1 NAPKIN ?????

OUT OF YOUR MIND ?????????

I WILL REPORT TO EVERY NETWORK IN TOWN !

  • Pros: BAD SERVICE UNPLEASANT STAFF
1 Star Rating: Poor

04/16/10

bad food, worse service

by mshawnypt1 at Citysearch

went for dinner and drinks with friends. i wasn't drinking, but everyone else liked their drinks. my fiance and i both ordered the seared prime rib. hers was ridiculously fatty...to the point where she couldn't get to the steak. it was unappetizing to say the least. she sent it back with the waitress, who first tried to "teach" us that it's a fatty cut of meat. granted-but mine wasn't nearly as fatty. she took it to the chef who offered to carve it...my fiance declined stating she had lost her appetite. a fifteen minute conversation/argument ensued with the waitress pressing us to take the carved steak. after we ultimately declined and returned to our edible dinners and drinks another staff member brought us the carved steak in a to go bag stating they just didn't want it to go to waste. annoying as this was, it would have been somewhat appropriate if it was an apologetic measure. turns out they just wanted to justify CHARGING us for the steak. when we protested yet again, the chef stormed to the table, snatched the bag and exclaimed "I'll eat it!" Finally we got the manager to remove the charge...and exited with another argument with the waitress. 100% unacceptable...and stupid when you consider we were spending $500 and the steak was $39.

  • Pros: tasty drinks
  • Cons: food, service
4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/22/09

Great atmosphere and accommodating staff

by gvinton at Citysearch

This weekend I threw my friend a bachelorette party and we decided to have dinner at Employees Only. I was allowed to decorate the table (with inappropriately shaped confetti, natch) and the servers kept coming up to the table and admiring the gifts. They seemed as excited about the party as we were! They were kind and accommodating throughout the meal. Speaking of the meal, it was delicious, and complemented well by the yummy cocktails. They were a bit pricy, I'm not going to lie, and we all ended up spending more than we wanted to, but I think it was worth it for the special time we had.

I almost forgot, they have a psychic who does palm and tarot readings... she was so, so, but it was a fun treat anyway. Great spot for bachelorette parties!

  • Pros: Friendly staff, yummy food and drink, atmosphere
  • Cons: Pricy, so so psychic

The Details on Employees Only

Place Categories:

  • delicious drinks
  • great fire place
  • great crowd
  • great food
  • great table service
  • cool wait staff
  • like star bartenders
  • cool atmosphere
  • great bar
  • great cocktails
  • friendly waitress
  • fresh ingredients
  • great everything
  • good beer
  • nice busboys
  • good combination
  • terrible doorman
  • great vibe
  • cozy awesome knowledgable bartenders
  • great drink spot
  • expensive fancy drinks
  • nice dinner
  • yummy decor
  • friendly owners
  • pretty bad worse service
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