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At a Glance
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100% ambiance
“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.”
89% drinks
“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.”
93% food quality
“Great drinks and food”
83% menu variety
“Everything was excellent and the cheeses and charcouterie were of the highest quality and selection.”
100% overall
“agree that this is a great place to bring and impress out-of-town guests.”
85% service
“Place was amazing and I can't tell enough people they need to go here.”
40% value
“If you want expensive overly fancy drinks and a crowd of pretentious downtowners this is the place for you.”
50% wait time
“Staff is retro hip, very friendly & not pretentious but service was painfully slow.”
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Employees Only
From The Owner of Employees Only
What Our Expert Scouts Say
February 28, 2013
West Village favorite EO is intimate or wild, depending on the night. Check out Silky Sundays for a cocktail pajama party and burlesque at midnight.
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January 30, 2013
An accessible cocktail menu features long drinks and fancy cocktails, while the cool '20s vibe makes it perfect for covert conversations.
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October 24, 2012
Anywhere that charges me $16 for a fluffy martini and is WORTH it gets my vote.
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October 23, 2012
The place that got the speakeasy trend started still has some of the best cocktails in town, along with a suprisingly original, Croatian-inflected menu courtesy of chef Julia Jaksic. The crowd gets oppressive though.
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Tips for Employees Only
December 05, 2008
Adore this place.
Had my birthday here and they treated me and my guests perfectly.
Even though half of my party arrived late they still let all of us order from the brunch menu.
The drinks are extremely tasty and different.
And the atmosphere is perfect!!! Love their fire place and the little back area that they have, its great. Oh and the food was cooked to perfection we left there full and feeling good.
Oh and I had my cards read to me by the fortune teller they have by the door, she was great too bad I forgot her name!!!
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November 18, 2008
DO NOT GO HERE!. It has turned from a cool bar into a mix of horrible crowd + rude staff. The last 2 times I went they added something to my check that we never had and charged to much on my credit card. Never going there again.
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October 28, 2008
Do Not Go Here!.
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.
ALTERNATIVES to Employees Only (walking distance)...
- White Horse Tavern (Hudson and 11st St) - fun no frills bar with good beers on tap, nice bouncers, and great table service. There's outside seating as well.
- The Other Room (Perry and Washington St) - wine and beer only. Really good, reasonably priced wine. Awesome knowledgable bartenders, cool atmosphere, cozy and cute.
- Art bar (8th Ave at Jane St) - really cool atmosphere with cushions, lush couches, and pillows. great service, nice people
Went there on Friday at 9:30p. It was early, so the place was pretty empty. After ordering a drink with friends, more friends called me and were lost, so I went outside to meet them. They were standing right in front of the entrance. Upon turning around...
Bouncer: "You can't go inside"
Me: "I was just inside, my friends and drink are still there".
Bouncer: "So you want to go back in there with MORE people? I don't think so. You have to wait 45 minutes"
What a power trip! The place was not crowded, I had two people with me and a drink inside. He refused to let us in so I had to call my friends inside and tell them we were outside. We happily left to go to the White Horse (down the street) where their was no attitude, better service, and good beer on tap. I will never go back to Employees Only again. It's so sad, it used to be really nice and fun.
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October 26, 2008
Ugh not impressed at all... people were too wasted and it is too crowded!. The ONLY appeal of this place are the employees. Melo (?) I think his name was! I went there with friends last Thursday night and it was pretty dissappointing. Honestly this wasn't my first time in the place and it has gotten progressively worse everytime. I am all about having a good time and getting a few cocktails, but too many people in a tight space calls for a bunch of annoyance. Someone was so wasted they dropped a drink right next to my girlfriend and she was showered with vodka and shards of glass. Then I was almosted knocked down by a really drunk couple making out and getting it on only to bump into the next very drunk couple making out and was unable reach the bar. I 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. In short-- too crowded, clientele is way too wasted, will wait too long for drinks, will see drunks makeout and not be able to get to the bar.
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May 29, 2008
Sleek art-deco style provides a backdrop for stylish cocktails and gourmet dishes..
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 oysters, steak tartare and stuffed pork loin.
Hits: From the atmosphere to the food to the expertly mixed cocktails, everything about Employees Only is high class, low pretension.
Misses: It may be modeled after a speakeasy, but the word is out--expect large crowds by the bar, even on weeknights.
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January 25, 2008
drinks only. food is unmemorable, but it is a great drink spot. they should just turn the back into a place for more drinking. bar is great. fabu ginger smash!
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January 02, 2008
AWFUL!!!. I went here on a Friday night with a group of friends. The space was ok, nothing too fabulous.... and it was way too crowded. The bouncer was a total d**k and asked us not to come back just because he didn't like some of our other friends that he wouldn't let in. That is fine with me since this was my first and last time in this horrible place.
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December 19, 2007
Just okay. 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)
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November 12, 2007
Great drinks and food. As it's known for, they make really great cocktails here. 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. This place is really a zoo on the weekends, so I wouldn't recommend stopping by for a drink unless you can handle wall-to-wall people. 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.
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October 04, 2007
Super Spot!!!.
been going to this spot since inception - every couple of months and it never disappoints. glad to see that chris is keeping out persons such as this fella jose and his buddy milosh. no need to bash the bouncer for his ability to recognize lack of class.
on the review... everything is phenomenal! keep it up!
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