Socialista

12/20/08

Usually quite solid

by What2Know at Citysearch

Here's the deal with Socialista. Winter 2007-2008 it had one of the toughest doors in NYC. You had to be somebody to get in. This winter (08-09) they have relaxed the door much more. It's no longer run by a celeb-status doorman (he was interviewed by the NYTimes) and being nice goes a long way. I started my forays at Socialista by going to Stan's, the small bar in the basement. Generally getting into Stan's isn't hard. The little guy who does the door is named Anthony and he is extremely nice. You just have to be charismatic and talk to him. The same goes for the other guy, Fernando. The trick is to not come at them directly requesting to get in. Start a conversation, just break the ice somehow. If you're nice and they like you they'll let you in. No reservations no cover to nothing. At this point I have no problems getting in either of the places at all. I like Socialista more. It has nice high ceilings and a less hipstery crowd. The usual DJ (bald guy) plays a very good set and doesn't get into the super ironic hipster stuff but at the same time isn't only mainstream. The drinks are usual NYC prices. All in all it makes for a good time. The key is playing it cool at the door. If it doesn't work out leave it, don't sweat Fernando and Anthony. If they say no it means no. Your money is no good to them so don't try to buy your way in. Just walk away and come back the next night or next weekend and try again. Make it seem like going in isn't important to you...

• Pros: Space, music, not too pretentious yet not too unpretentious
• Cons: None that I can think of, just that it's gotten slightly boring cause I go there so frequently

09/15/08

RUDE

by west2east at Citysearch

ABSOLUTELY unprofessional.

Door guys think that they're the *HIz

once you get in the crowd is boring. lame. just not a good representation of the culture there

08/10/08

Overrated!

by Elianita at Citysearch

My friends and I went to celebrate my friends 26th birthday. Wish we went elsewhere........When we finally got in the place, it was pretty much empty! They try and make it look as though it is a high end "exclusive" place.....well its not! It is ugly, small and stinks! Wish we would have read the other reviews before going to this trashy "lounge"! Please don't WASTE your time at this place!!! I think is it seriously overated by the owner himself the ex doorman!

07/31/08

great place

by msk83 at Citysearch

Took a friend to Socialista (upstairs) for her birthday - it was a really fun time. Crowd was great and music was really good, dancing was fun - it was an enjoyable place to go, although I wasn't as blown away as I was hoping, what with all the hype. The caipirinhas were good. I wish the bar was open in the day with the daylight in through the windows, i think the decor might even be cooler then. I really liked the Cuban motif. It wasn't cheesy actually i thought it was surprisingly elegant for being a club. All in all I had a great time there - will definitely go back.

06/15/08

Depends on the night

by uwsfls at Citysearch

I would disregard the review of the woman below who is clearly blown away by being let in somewhere. As someone who goes to Socialista and places of that ilk regularly, i'll tell you that it really depends on the night. By that I mean, some nights there will literally be 4 other people upstairs and it can be pretty boring. Other times it is a blast. It's not really the place you plan an evening around, you stop by for a few hours late night, either before or after Bungalow.

• Pros: Good drinks, nice crowd, great bathroom attendant
• Cons: Sometimes it is empty

04/19/08

not so busy

by Moniq77 at Citysearch

The waiters were friendly and nice but I cant say the same thing about the service speed. I didn't eat but people around was seemed to enjoy their food. "Socialista" their signature cocktail worths a try but mojito tasted kinda different from the ones I drank before. Nice atmosphere but not great.

• Pros: nice atmosphere
• Cons: slow service

03/12/08

This place is actually all it's cracked up to be.

by blobina at Citysearch

What, am I the only one that's ever been let in to Socialista? K, so apparently I'm the first reviewer. Let me just say, I LOVE this place. Yes, the door staff is very VERY picky. But other than that, it's one of my favorite places in the city. I went for girls' night with a friend on a Thursday around 10:30 or 11. We were first told that it was reservations only, and not being people to wait on line EVER (I don't do the lame club-line-in-thirty-degrees shiver dance, FORGET IT), we just decided to grab a drink at the restaurant downstairs since there is literally NOTHING else around here. The restaurant is pretty- we didn't eat. The drinks were great, though the bartender refused to give us any insight as to why the door staff is so hard to impress here. Just their thing I guess.

We were invited upstairs to have a drink after one round. Yes, we were dressed up and looked very good. I won't lie. It makes a difference.

Anyway, EVERYONE here is incredibly NICE. The bouncer was friendly and polite. The bartender was awesome-- he made us this insane red rum drink that was like some sort of culinary concoction with nutmeg and blood-oranges and stuff like that. He bought us a shot that had something to do with Ernest Hemingway ;). The bathroom attendant was a total sweetheart. The crowd was good looking, polite and well-dressed. The DJ was top notch and spun a perfect mix of music. Oh and the place is GORGEOUS. Nice open space, very cool bartop that looks like a relic from part of an old Cuban building (maybe I was drunk?)-- the palm trees were a little much, but to be honest I really felt like I could be in Cuba. Not that I've ever been there. Oh, and the staff wears the best "uniforms" I've ever seen. I think everyone should dress like that all the time. All in all, the hospitality here is great, the vibe is hot-- as long as you can get inside.

• Pros: Amazing, friendly staff. Great music, great drinks, hot crowd. Gorgeous space.
• Cons: No, the doorman wouldn't be impressed with you. Even if you are Jesus, Madonna, or Paris Hilton. He won't care. Drinks are $12-16. But they're delish and worth it.

02/27/08

CAPITALISTA

by jessicalg at Citysearch

How many bored doormen does it take to turn away guests from a empty door? Apparently four if you're working at the new lounge Socialista, which has "no connection" to the overpriced mediocre restaurant right below with the same name. Despite advertisments on the website for Cuban music onTuesday nights in the upstairs lounge (strange isn't is considering they're not connected), we were summilarily turned away from a door crowded only with bouncers after eating in the DEAD restaurant next door. Service was poor and the food was nothing outstanding, but the real insult is that no one seems to care that you're there despite spending a pretty penny. Poor old Fidel would be sick just thinking about, even without the Hep A that was potentially served up along with the cocktails last week. Owners should watch out that someone doesn't sneak up and change lettering on door to read "Capitalista."

• Pros: Reminder of what's annoying about NYC
• Cons: Too many to list

02/21/08

good food, but rude doorman for upstairs lounge

by rapatalo at Citysearch

I went to a birthday party with over 15 people for dinner, and were under the impression (at least from their website) that we'd have no problem getting into the upstairs lounge. We were treated very rudely by the doorman, and after being told that there was a $15 cover, that we needed to be on the guest list regardless. I can't stand pretentious establishments. Despite the good food and the cool ambiance, I won't go back.

• Pros: food, ambiance
• Cons: doorman to upstairs lounge, rude service

West Village lounge and restaurant draws inspiration from Cuba--in its drinks, cuisine and air of impenetrability.

by Justine Goodman at Citysearch

In Short
Former Bungalow 8 doorman Armin Amiri must have learned a thing or two working those pearly gates because gaining entry to his Cuban hot spot is more difficult than getting into Cuba. Deliberately shabby chic Socialista succeeds in replicating the dreamy, tropical warmth of pre-revolution Havana with vibrant portraits hanging from faux-fading blue walls, mismatched light fixtures and antique fans. Upstairs, celebs and the models they date sip fruity cocktails and mingle with other exclusive factions into the wee hours.

Hits: If you make it past the fedora-wearing clipboard-carriers and into the pleasant, understated dining room you may just see what all the fuss is about.

Misses: Part of the restaurant is supposedly reserved for walk-ins and reservations for the lounge can be made via email (and then ignored), but even arriving with a harem of models still won't guarantee admission.