(212) 579-0222
254 W 72nd St
New York,
NY
10023
40.7792
-73.9835
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square, Midtown
Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:30pm-12am
Fri-Sat 5:30pm-1am
Last updated 10.17.11
Category:
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 |
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|---|---|---|
| dessert | 66.66999816894531% positive |
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| drinks | 83.33000183105469% positive |
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| food quality | 94.56999778747559% positive |
|
| menu variety | 100.0% positive |
|
| overall | 100.0% positive |
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| service | 75.87999820709229% positive |
|
| value | 66.66999816894531% positive |
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| wait time | 58.33000183105469% positive |
|
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.
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
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
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
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