A bastion of exclusivity in the West Village

by Melanie Berliet

The enduring popularity of this underground, parlor-like lair (known to the regulars as “Bea” or “Trish”) tends to inspire loathing among those turned away by the infamous doorman with the standard “private party” line. But if you're lucky enough to finesse your way down the short flight of stairs, inside the bi-level den you’ll find an A-list crowd full of bold-faced names--and the media elites who write about them--tossing back high-priced drinks ($15 and up for wine, $24 for specialty cocktails) and kicking back like they own the joint. Take your place in one of the two low-ceilinged, dimly lit, shabby-chic rooms, or head up the back stairs and perch on a red leather banquet to watch the crowd groove to the stylings of whatever high-profile DJ happens to be spinning.

03/24/09

Coolest place in town.

by jonlikesit

If you're a Hipster in the know then this is your new Mecca. Dark, dingy, undergournd...everything a hipster secretly craves for. The music jumps from The Killers to The Gorillazs and from Abba to Snoop Dogg. A mix of unusual club songs keeps the tiny dance floor jumping. Guys: Bring a pretty girl and go early if you you're not in the "know". Ladies: have fun with it.

• Pros: Hipster Heaven
• Cons: Doormen can be too much.

02/20/09

New York's FINEST (sans the "lonely boy" doorman Angelo, and Chloe Sevigny's irritating brother, Paul)

by Ghostrider55

One of the greatest speakeasys New York has seen. Music that'll have you dancing for days, fab drinks, a guaranteed epic night...

01/03/09

never go there. never

by rywhiskey

they stole my belonging!! the staff took my things!!! i am not kidding! they are horrible people who never should be given anything but a mirror and coke to sniff. i asked for my shopping bag to be watched -- which had 400 dollar shoes in it!!! and they lost it! I am so sad and that was everything i worked so hard to get! those f.ers deserve to...t! i have been to this bar before and it wasnt soo bd, but htis time, i wish they gave a care but they all just shrugged and looked the other way -- i am going to make sure those f..kerds pay. never go there. never

• Pros: hot people
• Cons: stupid hot people

12/20/08

Overrated and not worthy of the hype

by What2Know

This place is very overrated. The door is nearly impossible to get by and once you do it really isn't worth it. Unless of course it's your cup of tea. The front area features banquets and tables and is an area to sit and drink. The back room is the dance area. This place has incredibly low ceilings (7 feet?) and because of this (and the fact that security doesn't really care) it fills up with smoke. If you spend a night here you leave smelling like an ashtray. Also, I apparently have sensitive eyes or something but after half an hour in this place my eyes are tearing and stinging like hell. The drinks are expensive but nothing out of the ordinary in NYC. The crowd is definitely made up of almost entirely hipsters and scenesters. There are a lot of people that only know each other through Beatrice and only see each other at Beatrice. Back to the door. There are two doormen, Todd and Angelo. They are both a**holes but Todd is by far the bigger a**hole. They will screw with you. If you're a newcomer with no connections whatsoever then forget about it. They will tell you it's closed for a private event everytime. They'll even play you if you're a regular from time to time. I went by the other night and even though they know me they gave me a hard time and actually didn't let me in. All in all I really feel this is not a good spot. I feel like it's just a place to go to as a bragging right to all your less cool friends. Haha.

• Pros: Scene (if that's what you like), music (although sometimes too eclectic)
• Cons: Smoke, ridiculous doormen, scene

12/03/08

Not so bad if it's your thing

by ebaldwin6

I go to Beatrice every so often and I don't find it as abrasive as others on CS. Yeah, the clientele are young and skinny and hip, but what do you expect? It's a hole in the wall with "ironic" retro music, it's dark, it's dirty, it's pretty much everything you could ask for if you're one of the Ray Bans wearing trust fund set. Otherwise, it can be fun if you dance, and if you go around 2 AM it's filled with relatively good-looking folks. One tip: if you're going to drink, drink before coming. You'll pay through the nose for mixed drinks at the bar.

Also, I didn't have any problems with snotty attitudes or rude bouncers at all. Maybe I just went on some lucky nights.

• Pros: waitstaff is hot, music is fun, good place to end your night
• Cons: expensive drinks, can get crowded

12/03/08

the place was dead...

by gregthehammer

...on a thursday at least. music, outdated. drinks, ridiculously priced. and for what? cause my gf wanted to see josh hartnett... say youre from paul's neighborhood in connecticut and get in automatically!

• Pros: small but with leg room
• Cons: the music, the leg room

10/18/08

Its snowing inside!

by huqleberryDOTcom

Ahhh the Beatrice Inn. It's so hip. It's the hippest place in the universe. It's like taking Bedford Avenue and condensing it into two rooms. It's so cool it gives me a pounding headache. Sometimes I wonder how I ever manage to get into this place. I'm not wearing a flannel t-shirt or a vest or scarf. F**k. The music is just so good. I want a cigarette... S**t. They really know how to start a party. It's so hip.

A word of advice, if you're going to do b**w in the bathroom have the common courtesy to at least try and give the impression you aren't powdering your nose. Maybe you should flush the toilet so when the next person walks in the water will still be settling. Or maybe you could just not do coke at all or maybe I want you to do coke until you overdose so I won't have to wait as long to take a p**s.

To tell you the truth I just like to steal oranges from this place. Visit my blog for more of the same

08/24/08

Music was pretty good and the coThe door guys are subpar at best. They are too busy texting on there blackberry's than paying attention to detail. Once you are in okay but not by any means fabulous.

by Picasso5050

The music was pretty good and cocktails not too shabby. The crowd was hip but overpowered by hipsters. All good if you like skinny jeans and chuck taylor low tops with uncombed hair. Bar staff was mediocre. Door guys were subpar at best and security detail was extremely weak both literally and figuratively. If you don't look like a hipster wannabe it will be somewhat of a challenge to get in. Would consider going back but for a good dj. Somewhat anticlimatic once we penetrated the so called tough door. Worthwhile to check out but no worries at all if you don't get to experience it.

• Pros: Good music and decent drink list.
• Cons: The door drama and clientele all looked the same

08/20/08

what a joke

by erikerikson

what a joke. please. are we that desperate to call a dump, literally hole in the wall with 7 foot ceilings, overpriced drinks (a given, in a hip NY spot), and a bunch of nobody's pretending to be important, a cool place to be? please can we get an identity, think for ourselves, and demand more from NY's 'hippest' places. A sad day when this place is considered the place to be. What has happened to the NY scene. Apparently if your last name is Sevigny you get an automatic pass. BORING!