10/02/08

A great spot!

by SocialCaterpillar

This is by far my favorite "club" in NYC, mostly bc it is set up like a lounge. The dj is always amazing, and it has the energy of an awesome loft party. It can be hard to get in at the door, but make sure if/when you do you make friends with the staff to ease the trouble next time. I would highly recommend bottle service here if you have the money, as they will seat you directly on the dance floor. The staff has always been more than friendly to me and my friends, and go out of their way to make sure we have a great time. I'm pretty picky about my NYC spots so I'm shocked to read the other reviews considering I adore this place. The crowd is always full of sophisticated, beautiful socialite people, so I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about.

• Pros: Great energy, awesome music & ambiance
• Cons: Expensive, Tough door guy

In the space formerly known as Cafe Bari, a second story "secret" bar frequented by major celebrities, models, and very few others.

by Justine Goodman

In Short
Once an unremarkable cafe best known for leaving perishable foods on an outdoor display table, Cafe Bari has been overhauled, over-done and over-hyped. If you make it past the bouncers--and girls squealing such nonsense as, "Oh my god, there are SO many actors in there!"--head up a long, narrow staircase, through a graffiti-filled corridor and finally into the banquette-lined lounge. When it comes to decor, Upstairs is surprisingly tasteful: nothing gaudy or gold-plated. Several pieces of art jazz up the walls, while indoor foliage gives the room a jungle-like feel. A DJ churns out crowd-pleasers as a slightly older, more refined crowd dances, schmoozes and boozes into the wee hours.

Hits: Though the bar area tends to be slammed, there's considerable breathing room for a place with so much buzz. The crowd is glamorous without being overly pretentious, and there's no B&T.

Misses: Drinks are pricey, and a 20 percent gratuity is automatically added to all credit card transactions--something the bartender probably won't bother to tell you in advance.

05/06/08

Suburban House Wife Central!

by NYClubr

I don't know what the description is talking about! There was no line to get in, we walked right in. We stayed for one drink because it was the attack of the ugly people! It's shocking what they think they can charge at this club! Everyone looked like they were either from bad neighborhoods or suburbia. Maybe tourists from Wisconsin or something? We left right away, and there was no line at all the whole night.

• Cons: No prestigue, High Prices, Strange Older People

05/06/08

Horrible service, worse atmosphere

by JamieCK

I've never been more embarrassed in my life! We got a table at Upstairs on Saturday night. Over the phone, they had told us the minimum was 2 bottles at $350 a bottle. When we got there, they told us it was 4 bottles at $450 each! In front of all of my friends, the short manager started to yell at me and bargain! To get him to stop yelling at us in front of a crowd of everyone there, I offered to do 3 bottles, and even though my friends had just bought drinks, he threw us out! The place lacked service and had absolutely no style or elegance.

The sparse fake trees and large overhead fabric lamp shades reminded me of an old age home. The bar tenders spent the whole night just hanging out talking to each other and to the managers, and my friends eventually gave up and had to get drinks from the bar downstairs, before we were thrown out!

• Cons: Management, People (not a chic crowd), Overpriced, Atmosphere