R Bar

In Short – Black pleather, cherry red, rock and roll--what's new? This Bowery bar may be mimicking the trends, but some details are worth noting. Namely, its spaciousness: The bar's deep and wide enough to fit a loud, looking-for-a-hook-up crowd. Mood-setting holograms of hot women hang from a crushed velvet wall, and the long bar shells out rock-themed cocktails. When it's not closed for private parties, a banquette-lined rear room boasts black-and-whites of Blondie and Jagger, and four underlit stripper poles.

Editor's Tips

Specialty Cocktails:: Specialty rock-themed cocktails include the champagne-based Supernova.
Where to Sit:: Snag a seat in the elevated enclaves beside the front door and you'll get to scope out everyone who enters.
Look Good:: The stripper poles are open for anyone's use--but know that you'll be kindly escorted down if security sees you've had too much to drink.
Know Before You Go:: Cash might come in handy--if the bar gets especially busy, a high credit card minimum is enforced.

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User Reviews (50)

ambiance	65.0% positive	“The front room's decor consists of red velour, bad lighting, uncomfortable furniture, and gigantic photos of scantily clad women.” “The decor is great (look closely at the pic of blondie in the back!” “Once you are in, R Bar is a great place - good music and a fun atmosphere.” “cool vibe and trendy decor” “think they want to be a strip club here as the decor is very tasteless.” “Not a bad place, I actually like the red decor and cute art on the walls.” “The decor is beautiful and the bartenders are great!” “There was a great atmosphere and DJ was fab.” “This place was nice, romantic and had awesome drinks.” “The service is terrible and it feels by the decor that you are in a strip club in AC.”
drinks	65.14999866485596% positive	“We were there on Friday night and it was so quite yet the music was maxed as if it was a full bar.” “We also encountered rude doormen who wouldn't allow members of my friend's party inside the not-even-close to crowded bar, along with a self-proclaimed "manager" with the worst Napoleon Complex in all of Manahattan.” “The bar staff are friendly, funny and helpful.” “But, what could have been a great night at a cool bar was ruined because of the a$$holes at the door.” “We had one overpriced drink and bailed.” “great music, drinks etc.” “It's a good place to go for a group (if you want to party in a low-class stinky bar), but definitely not a place to meet people.” “The bartenders were nice with good service, but to say this is a new NYC rock n roll bar is a complete joke!” “Place is great, besides the overpriced beer.” “I'm writing to let everyone know of the horrible service my friends and I received recently at R Bar, 218 Bowery St. We arrived at the bar well before the crowds.” “Bouncers ruin an otherwise great bar” “But if you like frat boys, boring interior, expensive drinks and a bar full of drunken dudes then this your spot.” “thought it would be a cool bar, not a really tacky club!” “Chill out and become the awesome bar that you used to be!” “Bar serves to remind us that a cool bar with great music is not an extinct species.” “lot of ppl were overly trashed, pushing people like crazy to get through the crowded area by the bar and I noticed a ton of broken glass on the floor.” “Bar can perhaps best be described as what an aspiring hipster with a trust fund living somewhere in the heartland dreams of when he fantasizes about a "cool New York bar” “This place was nice, romantic and had awesome drinks.” “The front room is large with couches and a really long bar (with the best bartenders!)” “And, the whole screening process is so ridiculous because the guys that did get into the bar weren't what I would exactly describe as alpha males.” “With velvet ropes and an doorman with no personality this place has gone froma great bar like Pioneer to being a cheesey club style lounge with no style.” “However, The Pioneer bar didn't have the bad attitude, cheesy people and rude bartenders.”
overall	100.0% positive	“Bar would be a great place for parties definitely but am a bit wary of the stripper poles though!” “It's a good place to go for a group (if you want to party in a low-class stinky bar), but definitely not a place to meet people.” “Once you are in, R Bar is a great place - good music and a fun atmosphere.” “They are actually the best people at the place!”
service	72.81000137329102% positive	“However, The Pioneer bar didn't have the bad attitude, cheesy people and rude bartenders.” “The decor is beautiful and the bartenders are great!” “The sound is great but the music played is less then crowd friendly.” “Bartenders were very friendly, as were the doormen.” “Pioneer Bar (which R Bar replaced) had a casual but upbeat vibe and was always packed with cool people.” “Friendly staff.” “They are actually the best people at the place!” “lot of ppl were overly trashed, pushing people like crazy to get through the crowded area by the bar and I noticed a ton of broken glass on the floor.” “The space was absolutely wonderful and our server was fantastic.” “The bar staff are friendly, funny and helpful.” “The service is terrible and it feels by the decor that you are in a strip club in AC.” “When asking for requests of the DJ, "Elan," we were rudely told, 'I'll play whatever I want, when I want' and the snippy attitude of the manager 'Michelle' was just as bad.” “I'm writing to let everyone know of the horrible service my friends and I received recently at R Bar, 218 Bowery St. We arrived at the bar well before the crowds.” “The bartenders were nice with good service, but to say this is a new NYC rock n roll bar is a complete joke!” “It's a good place to go for a group (if you want to party in a low-class stinky bar), but definitely not a place to meet people.” “The bartenders were very nice but seemed not interested in sering unless you were really hot.” “Great staff, but you pay for it.” “The front room is large with couches and a really long bar (with the best bartenders!)” “We also encountered rude doormen who wouldn't allow members of my friend's party inside the not-even-close to crowded bar, along with a self-proclaimed "manager" with the worst Napoleon Complex in all of Manahattan.”
value	50.0% positive	“Place is great, besides the overpriced beer.” “What a huge annoyance!” “Not too crowded, and kind of a good looking crowd, but not worth trying to yell over the music.” “We had one overpriced drink and bailed.” “But if you like frat boys, boring interior, expensive drinks and a bar full of drunken dudes then this your spot.”
wait time	100.0% positive	“The front room is large with couches and a really long bar (with the best bartenders!)”

04/21/12

Nice Fun Bowery Spot

by Perfectkitty

After a terrible experience accross the street at Katra one of the NICE Security Guys brought us to R-Bar.... Nice fun crowd line is a little long but definately more my crowd. Great music by the dj and goodlooking boys made our evening. Prices are good but it does get crazy packed

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04/22/11

Not a place for girls

by CSMobileUser6

Me and my cousins were there for a bday party having fun until one of the girls in our party was attacked by another girl and her boyfriend. After breaking up the altercation, I was escorted out for no reason. I do not recommend R Bar. I did not feel safe at all!

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04/19/11

BEWARE!! TERRIBLE PLACE!!

by BeachyBabe2001

This place looked like a blast. We had really high hopes, and heard it coould be a good place...but we were so dissappointed....

Condoms on the floor....

Ugly guys dancing on poles...

No good looking people...

Expensive drinks with little alcohol in them.

AND THE BOUNCER TOUCHED ME INAPPROPRIATELY WHEN I WALKED PAST HIM... the whole nights was awful!!

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04/19/11

WORST PLACE in NYC!! NOT SAFE!!!

by NYCgirl2011

THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE!!!!! Never will go here again.

They have the WORST bouncers. They did NOTHING when my friend (who is a girl) was getting PUNCHED in the face by a random girl.

The bouncers then threw out the guys who were trying to seperate the girls, and REFUSED to throw out the girl who was punching my friend in the face. It was the scariest experience ever!!!

This bar should just close up shop. I have heard awful things before, and now I know it's all true. AVOID THIS PLACE!!!!!! NOT SAFE AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!

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01/23/11

Great Place.

by gzelenin

The only bad thing I can say about this place is that it can get super crowded sometimes.

Aside from that, it's a great place to go. Staff is top notch and very friendly, everyone from owner to bus boys. Drinks are strong and prices are reasonable for NYC. Music is pretty standard top 40 stuff, but at a reasonable volume so you don't feel deaf the next day.

R Bar

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What People Are Saying About R Bar

Katie Heffernan

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Editor's Tips

04/21/12

Nice Fun Bowery Spot

by Perfectkitty

04/22/11

Not a place for girls

by CSMobileUser6

04/19/11

BEWARE!! TERRIBLE PLACE!!

by BeachyBabe2001

04/19/11

WORST PLACE in NYC!! NOT SAFE!!!

by NYCgirl2011

01/23/11

Great Place.

by gzelenin

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