(212) 579-0222

254 W 72nd St
New York, NY 10023 40.7792 -73.9835

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Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square, Midtown

sugarbarnyc.com/

Hours:

Mon-Thu 5:30pm-12am

Fri-Sat 5:30pm-1am

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express , Visa , MasterCard

Cuisine:

Traditional American

What People Are Saying About Sugar Bar

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – This African-inspired jazz club, owned by former pop duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, is known for drop-ins from the likes of Patti LaBelle and Maya Angelou. In addition to excellent live jazz, R&B and Latin music acts, there's also a bar upstairs, as well as a garden room with a big-screen TV. If the staff seems unpolished, it's because there's a lot going on here. – – The Food – During the week, the menu is Caribbean; on weekends, it switches over to South American. Weekdays' jerk chicken wings set your mouth ablaze, and the grilled pork chop,…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Go on a night when you're in the mood to hang out and hear some tunes--the cover charge is $10 any time.
When to Go:
Every Thursday starting at 9:30pm, live musicians accompany bold patrons at the open mic.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. The atmosphere was nice in the front room, but despite a reservation, we were relegated to the rear, where we were treated like stepchildren - we had to flag someone down to take our order, water with no ice, we had to ask for extras (as opposed to someon
  2. The cozy ambiance is extremely beautiful.
  3. Quarters were tight, but the atmosphere was so fun that no one cared.
  4. Who cares though because the atmosphere, service, food and energy of the place was great.
  5. This place was a gem -- who knew there was such an exotic, fun place for dinner and music on the UWS?
  6. Definitely romantic enough for a date too ;)
dessert
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. But then it was spoiled yet again by the rather rude hostess asking if we were planning on staying for the whole show just when we were about to order more drinks and dessert.
drinks
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. Good food, good drinks, great music and wonderful people.
  2. The drinks were good too.
  3. If you are looking for a cool place to catch a show, have a drink, have dinner - go to Sugar Bar!
  4. We wanted to go in and have couple of drinks, so we asked the very nice hotess if we could look around before we go to the bar.
  5. But then it was spoiled yet again by the rather rude hostess asking if we were planning on staying for the whole show just when we were about to order more drinks and dessert.
  6. It's a really great place to chill with friends at the bar.
  7. Next page: although the bar service has always been relatively slow, now that they have co-ed teams working it, they seem to spend more time flirting with one another than serving the customers.
  8. The food and drinks are great, the live shows are great, but the unprofessionalism epidemic here is fatal.
food quality
94.56999778747559% positive
  1. The food and drinks are great, the live shows are great, but the unprofessionalism epidemic here is fatal.
  2. The staff was attentive without being at my table every 2 mins., the food was good and since we got there early, we were able to have quiet conversation without being side by side with full tables.
  3. Who cares though because the atmosphere, service, food and energy of the place was great.
  4. The Guasacaca and the Bisteak were delicious!
  5. The food came out on time and was very delicious and the music was just perfect.
  6. The food was great, they had a great band playing and the people are just wonderful.
  7. As we sat contemplating if we should settle for one of the three entrees or order a combination of appetizers to create a meal-feel, I knew we couldnt stay there any longer.
  8. The food was good.
  9. The food was decent and the cost was low.
  10. We also ate dinner and the food was delicious.
  11. Good food, good drinks, great music and wonderful people.
  12. The service was very good, but best of all, the food was delicious.
  13. Although there was a show going on, there was no delay with our food, and the entire staff was very attentive.
  14. Great show, great food, great service!
  15. The food at Sugar Bar is EXCELLENT.
  16. The food was excellent (except the fried shrimp appetizer - it was overcooked).
  17. Great food
  18. The food is now a write-off; they have a new chef who is apparently so incompetent that the menu only has six items on it, and the best dishes and sides (the catfish meuniere, the mac-and-cheese) are gone, although they haven't updated any of the menus on
  19. The food was awesome!
  20. The food was great and the show was amazing.
  21. went to Sugar Bar a few years ago and it left a bad taste in my mouth - not the food, the service.
  22. The service was amazing and the food was to die for.
  23. The music was great and so was the food.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The food is now a write-off; they have a new chef who is apparently so incompetent that the menu only has six items on it, and the best dishes and sides (the catfish meuniere, the mac-and-cheese) are gone, although they haven't updated any of the menus on
overall
100.0% positive
  1. We've heard great things about the place so we picked the venue to celebrate a reunion.
  2. Ashford & Simpson have created the best celebrity owned restaurant, I have been too.
  3. It's a really great place to chill with friends at the bar.
service
75.87999820709229% positive
  1. There wasn't a long wait , and the service was great.
  2. The food was great, they had a great band playing and the people are just wonderful.
  3. The staff was attentive without being at my table every 2 mins., the food was good and since we got there early, we were able to have quiet conversation without being side by side with full tables.
  4. The staff was very polite and courteous,
  5. Great show, great food, great service!
  6. But then it was spoiled yet again by the rather rude hostess asking if we were planning on staying for the whole show just when we were about to order more drinks and dessert.
  7. The service was amazing and the food was to die for.
  8. Good food, good drinks, great music and wonderful people.
  9. The service was great, our waitress was professional & informative.
  10. Although there was a show going on, there was no delay with our food, and the entire staff was very attentive.
  11. The service was very good, but best of all, the food was delicious.
  12. would highly recommend the Decor is spectacular, Ambiance is Fabulous, Food is Great & Wonderful service.
  13. Who cares though because the atmosphere, service, food and energy of the place was great.
  14. went to Sugar Bar a few years ago and it left a bad taste in my mouth - not the food, the service.
  15. The Live Music was terrific, people were jumping out of their seats, singing-along.
  16. Several things you can guarantee " the service is terrible, being squeezed in a table to eat, unsympathetic staff, rude staff, and SHISTERS to get your money.
  17. Next page: although the bar service has always been relatively slow, now that they have co-ed teams working it, they seem to spend more time flirting with one another than serving the customers.
  18. This is not an elegant dining experience, its a ghetto-fabulous juke joint ran by people whose getting over like a fat cat.
  19. Sad that the service was so poor, because it really is a decent spot.
value
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. An extraordinary place to enjoy Great Food & Music for one price!
  2. That is more than the DVD is worth at best buy.
  3. Several things you can guarantee " the service is terrible, being squeezed in a table to eat, unsympathetic staff, rude staff, and SHISTERS to get your money.
wait time
58.33000183105469% positive
  1. The staff was attentive without being at my table every 2 mins., the food was good and since we got there early, we were able to have quiet conversation without being side by side with full tables.
  2. There wasn't a long wait , and the service was great.
  3. Next page: although the bar service has always been relatively slow, now that they have co-ed teams working it, they seem to spend more time flirting with one another than serving the customers.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/28/10

They are a great little spot

by JELLYBEANS4U at Citysearch

Great for groups me and my friends had a blast when we came here. The staff were nice and the sweets were sweet.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/31/09

Great experience

by nelsonwalker at Citysearch

A group of friends decided to go to the Sugar Bar. We've heard great things about the place so we picked the venue to celebrate a reunion. WE had an AMAZING EXPERIENCE. Everything went perfectly well. The staff was very polite and courteous,

The food came out on time and was very delicious and the music was just perfect. They had a latin jazz artist called Paul Peress. I had the crab stuffed shrimp and the Vichysoise for entree and the ribeye steak and let me just say that I left a very happy and satisfied man.

The manager, Steve Abreu was also very kind to us. He came to greet us at our table and offered us some drink specials. It made us feel very welcomed and special.

I would highly recommend the place to anyone. We are definitely planning on going to the Sugar Bar very soon. Great job Ashford & Simpson

  • Pros: Food, music, ambience
  • Cons: No complain
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/11/09

I love the Sugar Bar

by VanessaMichel at Citysearch

I've heard great things about the Sugar Bar from friends that came to the venue few months ago. I currently live in CA and I decided to come check it out while visiting NYC. I had such a great experience at the venue that I will make it a point to come to the Sugar Bar anytime I am in NYC. We had a great time. The food was great, they had a great band playing and the people are just wonderful. We had the fried Calamari as an appetizer and the Sirloin Steak. The food came out just perfect.

Although the venue looks small and tight, the manager was kind enough to give me a tour and that's when I've realized that they have other dinning areas - the garden room and the cat lounge. I thought that was pretty cool.

I am definetely looking forward to going back again. I heard they have a great happy hour and early diner special. I LOVE THE SUGAR BAR. Good job Ashford & Simpson!!!!!

  • Pros: Thge music, the food, the atmosphere
  • Cons: I have no complain
1 Star Rating: Poor

06/05/09

Hated It

by mbaltazar77 at Citysearch

I went to Sugar Bar a few years ago and it left a bad taste in my mouth - not the food, the service. The waitstaff weren't plesant, and one even brought the paid bill back to the table which was close to $200 because he didnt like the tip. I forgave that last visit because I wanted to like this place, so I went again last week. It's now confirmed - I HATE THIS PLACE!

The front door girls were not pleasant or welcoming. In fact, as we walked in it was as if we were interrupting their conversation. We paid a cover charge to enter the restaurant for a 9pm show of some unadvertized phantom live performance. We were asked who did we come to support, I said no one, to eat dinner. I guess thats why they seated us by the lonesome table next to the bathroom with many people standing in line for it I guess that our view to the stage was obstructed.

We did get a table change, ordered our drinks from the very nice (the only nice person we encountered that night) waitperson, but after looking at the menu it was so incredibly limited for such a supposed upscale wannabe restaurant I was very surprised. As we sat contemplating if we should settle for one of the three entrees or order a combination of appetizers to create a meal-feel, I knew we couldnt stay there any longer. The prices certainly did not justify the offerings.

Oh, then the phantom band we paid a cover for turned out to be a documentary film that debuted years ago. I thought it was being shown meantime the live performance got ready, but no live performance was forthcoming. We decided to leave, and since we were only in the restaurant for less than 30 min we wanted a refund of our cover and was told the cover was for the film. This is an extremely poor and decitful practice. There was nothing that advertized the showing of this film as the evening's entertainment, as a matter of fact I called earlier that day to ask about the band playing that evening and they told me it was two shows, an early and late show and it was would a band with three R&B singers. So to charge a cover for a old film instead of being honest with the patrons and say the performance was cancelled or whatever the case was is purely dishonest and disrespectful to the people that patronize this place.

I would strongly suggest you don't go here unless you enjoy paying a good sum for sudstandard treatment and a kiddie menu. This is not an elegant dining experience, its a ghetto-fabulous juke joint ran by people whose getting over like a fat cat.

Please dine elsewhere.

  • Pros: Ambiance
  • Cons: Everything else
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/30/09

keep looking elsewhere

by crasshh at Citysearch

1)Let's begin with our entrance. The cover was $10 each which wasn't earlier described but ok. Then the front door girl ( a light skinned) assigned our table from a reservationplaced earlier. We then asked if the dinner table would be where we could view the stage after paying the cover, she informed "Yes". Well upon sitting at the table it was clear that there was no way of eating dinner or having a drink and being able to see the stage( since my back is to the stage) . We then asked the same front (light skinned) girl about the poor viewing and she responded that there isn't anything she could do, all of the tables are taken. I then pointed to 3 tables that were in decnt viewing of the stage that were empty. Well to her dismay after not noticing the tables were empty, she sheepishly continued to say the tables are taken. We then asked a waitress if we could move to those available viewing tables and she said "sure, i don't see why not, but let me ask". Well, guess who came running down the aisle (Ms. light skin, wannabe) saying "the tables are available"

VERY POOR SERVICE.

3) Don't go by the menu on the website. We were told that there is a new chef and he can't make those previous items on the website. WHAT, a chef can't make Catfish. Oh! By the way, the menu is on a piece of paper. That's right a piece of paper you carry around with you, handed to you by, you know who, at the front door.

2)Then after getting to the "REAL" tables, I noticed they had to actually push the table in the aisle for you to sit down at them. WHAT. This is from them putting in too many tables together that there is no way of sitting down unless you remove them. WTF. Shisters, It becomes a annoyance when someone has to use the restroom. After sitting for a while we noticed that there wasn't a live band on stage where there should have been one for the 7:30 show, and for the cover charge demanded, they did say live entertainment. Rather than a live show they were playing a dvd. WTF.

4)After complaining to "you know who", at the front door, she said there is entertainment, we responded where said the screening. I said a 5 year old DVD, that you can get anywhrere isn't a screening and wouldn't constitute as live entertainment and demand $10 dollars. That is more than the DVD is worth at best buy. we asked for our cover back due to misleading and terrible service. Ofcourse, Ms. light skinned refused.

5)Also, I paid $10 for few drops of black label in a glass. They must have used an eye dropper to pour it.

6)Forget Ashford and Simpson's. Several things you can guarantee " the service is terrible, being squeezed in a table to eat, unsympathetic staff, rude staff, and SHISTERS to get your money.

I would love to support jazz establishments but when you are treated as sh*! you don't deserve my patrionage. As long as we accept substandard you will get substandard.

Go "Mintons", you'll be apreciated.

NOT SOLID AS A ROCK

  • Pros: Jazz feel
  • Cons: Shisters/Poor Service/Shady front desk girl

The Details on Sugar Bar

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • great service
  • love new sugar bar
  • great live music
  • good more drinks
  • very attentive entire staff
  • poor bar service
  • great experience
  • wonderful people
  • great show
  • rude hostess
  • extremely beautiful cozy ambiance
  • fun atmosphere
  • amazing hipgyrating dancers
  • great diner
  • delicious guasacaca
  • big as fans
  • great live shows
  • happy birthday song
  • very nice hotess
  • good main course
  • order dessert
  • really great place
  • extremely poor practice
  • best buy