A private slice of paradise atop the Hudson Hotel.

by Lucy Blatter

In Short
New Yorkers, rejoice: A tropical getaway awaits you on West 58th street, 15 stories above street-level. Open only during spring and summer months, the Hudson Hotel's Sky Terrace is a beautiful private oasis that features pergolas covered in leaves, oversized planters filled with lima bean plants, and plenty of shady spots in which to relax. Guests can also soak up some sun on the deck's various lounge chairs, or try to snag the hammock (built for two). Cocktail connoisseurs will delight in seriously tasty treats like an expertly mixed elderflower martini and a refreshing white mint lemonade.

Hits: Sweeping views of the Hudson River and 9th Avenue give this relaxed rooftop oasis a chic urban feel.

Misses: The food menu (which includes ceviche, Caesar salad and tuna burgers) is only available from noon to 5pm, so hungry after-work drinkers are out of luck.

08/18/08

I thought it was great

by tds0311

The drinks are expensive, but the view and experience make it absolutely worthwhile. I took a client of mine there and he loved it. It's a gorgeous spot and I'm surprised more people don't know about it actually. My server Brianna was great- fast and friendly, she helped us figure out what we wanted to drink and encouraged us to stay for the sunset over the river which was great, I'm so glad we did. Did I mention the beautiful view?!

• Pros: atmosphere, tasty drinks, service
• Cons: pricey, "hotel guests only"

08/17/08

Enjoy the Sun and Cocktails

by Milena1

A great place to enjoy the sun on Saturdays ...very exclusive and drinks are fantastic. Make sure you call in advance and book a table.

• Pros: great drinks
• Cons: limited access

07/17/08

worst bar in new york city.rude staff with a very bad attitude.

by accra1

I can't believe all the review. I wish I had read this before even wasting my time at this bar. the so called "chief operations officer" was extremely rude to all guests in my party, and very unaccomodating. I would not wish this bar experience on my worst enemy. secret people - there are other bars in new york! many more with a welcoming atmosphere - perhaps when the scene fizzles out, and the economic impact of not having any customers left comes to the attention of the those in charge - the staff might change their attitude. BTW - why is citisearch showing 4 stars when there has not been 1 decent review with more than 1 star for this hell hole?

06/30/08

disappointing experience

by dtums

This place was over-hyped, and over-priced. I came here expecting a fun happy hour atmosphere, but was highly disappointed. although the scenary was nice, the service was poor, lines were long, and drinks expensive. unless you have money to burn and time on your hands, stay away!

• Pros: scenary
• Cons: everything else

06/27/08

Not so much!

by arzzy

Well, if you want to spend your money on teensy $16 dollar drinks that are served by waitresses that don't know how to run tabs, then this is the place for you. If you like bars without music that will slam doors in your face, run, don't walk to the Hudson Sky Terrace. They'll never see me again!

• Pros: scenery
• Cons: Obnoxious door, poor service, expensive drinks

06/27/08

Never go to this bar !

by jshnyc

The staff is obnoxious! From the jersey club bouncer, blocking the elevators? to the "never going to be America's next top model", clueless, bubble heads attempting to serve drinks in their beach cover ups. My tiny $18 glass of Pinot Grigio, which is the only white wine they serve, was basically flung at me in a filthy plastic cup after a 15min wait.

...The bartender took the liberty of keeping my change for her efforts.

06/27/08

Not worth the $18 drinks, and unfriendly bouncers/management

by ibouras

I am very disappointed with the treatment we received at the Hudson Sky Terrace, while celebrating my 30th birthday....There was no music at all, after it was promised that there would be music via an IPOD....

The staff was telling me that they were bringing speakers up, for an hour and a half, and then they never came, and the manager basically said their IPOD ran out of batteries???

Meanwhile, 50-60 people showed up and spent a lot of money at the bar, which was also ill-prepared for the crowd as there was a line of people waiting to be served, for the majority of the evening.

The most disappointing part of the evening took place toward closing time when some of my guests were not allowed back onto the terrace, because they were in the process of closing, and had the doors slammed in their face (even though some of them were still running a tab at the bar).

The bouncers were unfriendly, unnecessarily aggressive, and acted as though they were herding cattle, not people.

And the manager, who could not have been less accommodative if he tried, did not so much as utter a word of apology. Needless to say, my 30th birthday celebration was not what I expected, at all. The space is pretty, but there is no upside to coming all the way there, to an obscure area on the 15th floor, to be treated as though they are doing you a favor for allowing you to spend your hard-earned money on $18 drinks!

• Pros: Scenery
• Cons: Rude service, aggressive bouncers, over-priced drinks