Cleopatra's Needle Restaurant & Live Jazz

ambiance	100.0% positive	“They might try to brush you off if you're mean but they are not servants just restaurant workers in a cozy location.” “The place is ever so cozy.” “It looked like a great atmosphere with live jazz and good mediterrean dishes.” “Wonderful experience and nice decor too.” “The atmosphere is perfect for a NYC village type establishment you might recall from the 1970's.” “No cover charge, a cozy seat by the window , live jazz, and enjoying great food and drinks - what could be better!” “First, we love the live jazz which can be enjoyed in a very relaxing atmosphere.” “Luckily, though, Cleo's has retained the funky, creative ambiance it always had, and it's a real piece of New York.” “While I did not care for the classical jazz that played this particular evening (I prefer contemporary), the atmosphere was great.” “cozy romantic place to take in the sights of Broadway's Upper Westside and enjoy a glass of red wine and quality food and jazz!” “If you want a "romantic evening", eat early, though, because late at night, the place is packed with jazz musicians (sometimes famous muscians drop in), music students, hipsters and locals.” “It's a cozy, laid-back place.” “That didn't matter though, the music is lovely, with great service and a pleasant atmosphere!”
dessert	100.0% positive	“The chocolate martinis are delicious, the food is great (my favorite dishes are the Chicken Marsala and the Moussaka), and the music is excellent.”
drinks	57.14000225067139% positive	“But other than that, it's just an overpriced (i.e. $8 bottled beers) bar with underwhelming service and mediocre middle eastern style food.” “The food, no matter what they market it as, is mediterranean bar food - poor quilty served by inattentive and impersonal staff.” “No cover charge, a cozy seat by the window , live jazz, and enjoying great food and drinks - what could be better!” “During happy hour, you can get half price cocktails, then the music starts at 8, and you can enjoy some great jazz.” “The drinks are expensive and while the coffee and martini drinks are $10-$12, the beer and wine are $7-$9 meaning you will have to buy more than one to meet the minimum.” “Best jam sessions, live music, great cocktails, good down-to-earth food, funky vibe- recommended for REAL Jazz fans!” “cozy romantic place to take in the sights of Broadway's Upper Westside and enjoy a glass of red wine and quality food and jazz!”
food quality	79.00000095367432% positive	“enjoyed my meal, and didn?” “But other than that, it's just an overpriced (i.e. $8 bottled beers) bar with underwhelming service and mediocre middle eastern style food.” “The food is mediocre and the service is horrible.” “Second, the food is terrific.” “The Moussaka is my favorite dish, but the seafood and Chicken here is also excellent.” “The food, no matter what they market it as, is mediterranean bar food - poor quilty served by inattentive and impersonal staff.” “The food was extremely overpriced and overrated anyway.” “It looked like a great atmosphere with live jazz and good mediterrean dishes.” “The chocolate martinis are delicious, the food is great (my favorite dishes are the Chicken Marsala and the Moussaka), and the music is excellent.” “Anyway, the food was very good, we had a seafood platter special, which we liked.” “The food was good, healthy, hearty and not too spicy.” “had a very delightful pasta salad plate full of nice slices of tomatoes, carrots, green peppers and meaty fresh mushrooms at such a good price.” “We had a great time--the food is tasty too.” “the food is great!” “Best jam sessions, live music, great cocktails, good down-to-earth food, funky vibe- recommended for REAL Jazz fans!” “cozy romantic place to take in the sights of Broadway's Upper Westside and enjoy a glass of red wine and quality food and jazz!” “No cover charge, a cozy seat by the window , live jazz, and enjoying great food and drinks - what could be better!” “The food here is great!” “It's basic, good food, without any frills.” “The menu is so authentic!”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“The music was somewhat okay, but there are other jazz places around with more affordable prices and a better menu.” “The menu is great becuase there are so many choices.” “The menu is so authentic!”
overall	100.0% positive	“There is no cover charge, it's a great, lively hip crowd, and a mellow dimly-lit place for couples.”
service	41.66999816894531% positive	“But other than that, it's just an overpriced (i.e. $8 bottled beers) bar with underwhelming service and mediocre middle eastern style food.” “Horrible service” “The waitress was helpful, and gave us good suggestions.” “That didn't matter though, the music is lovely, with great service and a pleasant atmosphere!” “The staff that waited on us was especially attentive ?” “Place is nicely clean and all staff is very friendly.” “Lousy Food and Lousy customer service” “The food is mediocre and the service is horrible.” “Our waiter was a little weird and bumbling, but that was no big deal.” “As I would expect very little in the way of good customer service from a restaurant that responds so RUDELY to past customers.” “The food, no matter what they market it as, is mediterranean bar food - poor quilty served by inattentive and impersonal staff.” “would post such odd somewhat rude replies to customers.”
value	47.5% positive	“My Chicken Massala was expensive and (far worse) uneatable.” “The food was extremely overpriced and overrated anyway.” “The music was somewhat okay, but there are other jazz places around with more affordable prices and a better menu.” “The drinks are expensive and while the coffee and martini drinks are $10-$12, the beer and wine are $7-$9 meaning you will have to buy more than one to meet the minimum.” “understand that you may sacrifice some quality for good value.” “During happy hour, you can get half price cocktails, then the music starts at 8, and you can enjoy some great jazz.” “But other than that, it's just an overpriced (i.e. $8 bottled beers) bar with underwhelming service and mediocre middle eastern style food.” “had a very delightful pasta salad plate full of nice slices of tomatoes, carrots, green peppers and meaty fresh mushrooms at such a good price.”

01/05/12

Rudest Most Idiotic Management Ever

Wost experience ever at a restaurant or so-called jazz club. I went in to patronize the place and see my friend at the open mic session on Wed night. I took a seat by the bar and ordered a Riesling wine as there was a cover. The bartender asked for payment, so I pulled out a $10 bill. The $10 bill turned out to be two bills stuck together. One fell in the bar area as I tried to pull the two bills apart. The bartender saw the bill fall in the bar area and proceeded to look for it for about 15 minutes. When he couldn't find it, he demanded that I pay again. I told him that the Riesling was not worth $20 and asked him to keep searching in his area. A bit later, in the middle of a performance, the manager came up to me (obviously called by the idiotic bartender) and said to me very aggressively "You did not pay for your drink." I explained the situation but the rude, obnoxious manager Mahen insisted that I pay again. Which I did, after complaining loudly to the other guests who did not seem to be surprised, and left the restaurant. I hope that when they find my $10 under the bar, they can use it to invest in some customer service training. Thanks but I don't need the money!

Rude, obnoxious, possibly racist, and unaware of Customer Service 101.

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08/26/11

This is the best restaurant in America

by Alwahsh

I went to have dinner at this ausome restaurant with my family as one of my friends recommended it . They have great Live jazz with no cover charge and their food is great . The service is ausome and everything was OK . I don't think I'll go to any other restaurant after I knew this one but next time , I'll have to catch the happy hour .

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05/29/11

NEVER AGAIN!

by Zazou

Never again! I have never written a food review before, but I have to share what has just happened at Cleopatra's Needle to warn unsuspecting potential patrons.

I moved around the corner about 6 months ago and was curious to try it, so I went in with my visiting mum and a friend of hers this evening.

When the time came to order, I made sure to specify I wanted the moussaka with meat. After the server brought our food and we started digging in, I quickly realized that the horribly over-cooked piece on my plate was the vegetarian version of it (with mushrooms and cabbage, which are not in the meat version, and no meat). I decided to stick with it, but I called our server to let him know of the situation and to ask him to charge me for the vegetarian moussaka only (about $3 cheaper).

Once I had finished my plate, he came back and told me that the chef had stated that today the meat moussaka had mushrooms in it and that the meat was under, which was complete bull. I can tell when I eat meat or not, and there was not a speck of it in the piece I got.

The rest of our meal was mediocre (chicken marsala was completely dry, the vegetables were straight from the freezer as was the cheesecake, which was as compact as a brick. And since when does béchamel sauce have tomato in it?!).

They still charged me for the meat moussaka, at which point I just paid for it and barely left a tip. Looking around, we eventually realized that there were way many more people drinking at the bar than eating at the tables, and now we know why.

The jazz was OK, but that's beside the point. The food was a total disaster, the service non-existent and the attitude when confronted with their mistake despicable. There are enough very good restaurants on the UWS to be able to say to Cleopatra's Needle: Never again.

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09/26/10

Food is good, drinks are great.

by johnrod7

Nice place to spend an evening listening to great jazz

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11/16/09

Best atmosphere, music, Martinis, value.

by marstodd

Great BeBop at times. The atmosphere is perfect for a NYC village type establishment you might recall from the 1970's. Very relaxing so don't be uptight. If you are prudish or very fussy it might irritate you with it's homey feel. Place is nicely clean and all staff is very friendly. They might try to brush you off if you're mean but they are not servants just restaurant workers in a cozy location. Good selection of Martinis and Wine. Sit in the window and watch the street in the snow. Wonderful experience and nice decor too. I am a sometimes regular customer only.

Cleopatra's Needle Restaurant & Live Jazz

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What People Are Saying About Cleopatra's Needle Restaurant & Live Jazz

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01/05/12

Rudest Most Idiotic Management Ever

by Nyasha

08/26/11

This is the best restaurant in America

by Alwahsh

05/29/11

NEVER AGAIN!

by Zazou

09/26/10

Food is good, drinks are great.

by johnrod7

11/16/09

Best atmosphere, music, Martinis, value.

by marstodd

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