10/11/09

WORST DOOR POLICY IN NYC

by jadapink

Seriously....i have NEVER in my entire life had such an experience. My fiance and I went for a friends bday on sat night. Waited for 30 min for the doorman James to turn us down. He said rude comments and announced to everyone on line that were not allowed in, plus purposely allowed a group behind us in! What was his point to humiliate me, jealous, maybe i reminded him of someone? We even had half the party come out to help along with the fact that they already had bottle service. WHO does he think he is, such a pathetic soul, were in an economic crisis and he is going to turn down two young professionals who can actually afford to be there.

Worst door policy for a bar/club in NYC...no question!

• Pros: 0
• Cons: ALL

08/22/09

Never again

by mgen280

For $15, $16 or $17 a drink -- whatever the staff chooses to charge you -- you should go to one of the established artisanal cocktail bars like Pegu Cub, Clover Club, Little Branch, PDT or Death & Co. They at least know how to create a properly balanced drink at prices of around $13, which they clearly disclose on their menus. The bar at Apotheke was slimy, quite literally sticky. The staff slammed ingredients around and often missed the glass when they even bothered to use a jigger. No drink ever came out the same way. They use regular, hollow-core ice, which can't cool drinks properly and waters them down in about 2 seconds. They don't cool anything, actually. One could refrigerate the booze (which would be the Japanese style) or one could refrigerate the glasses (which would be the American style). At Apotheke, the combination of terrible ice and warm booze and warm glassware means that you will be served a warm drink that gets watered down quickly. In terms of environment, they do not have any seating at their bar and space for only about 20 people to sit in the lounge area. Plus, there's no hooks for purses at the bar. So, you should go in prepared to stand with any of your baggage for the duration. Finally, although I've tried to stay objective about the product, I have one last word about the staff. They are obnoxious. If you want value for your money and a good experience for a night out, do not patron this establishment. Unless, that is, you want to just go in to the bathroom to wash your hands at the copper still converted into a faucet.

• Pros: Copper still as water faucet -- yes, bathroom only positive
• Cons: Terrible drinks, no prices on menu, snobbish doormen

08/10/09

Very Dissapointing

by ElanaR

This is my first time writing a negative review as I'm the type of person who would never want to negatively impact someone's livelihood/business because of my bad experience. However, I think this situation calls for it if only to save someone from the same embarassment that I underwent this past Friday night. One of my girlfriends has been raving about Apotheke after her company held a promotional event there...saying things like the drinks are amazing, great vibe, beautiful inside, etc. When one of our friends from DC came to visit us in NY, we thought it would be a great opportunity for me to check it out and bring our out-of-town friend. We arrive around 10:30 and the gentleman at the door started asking us questions such as "Have you been here before?", "What's your favorite drink?" "How did you hear of us?". From his attitude, I knew this man did not want to let us in even though he said it would be a 20 minute wait. I typically like to feel welcomed and relaxed when I go out. You can imagine my dismay when 3-4 groups of men and women were let in to Apotheke who came in after us. I had enough and asked my friends to leave as this was very insulting to me. However, they insisted that it would only be a couple of more minutes to get in. My out-of-town friend asked why were the other guests getting in even though they came after us and he responded, "It would take me all night to explain that to you." By this point, I told my friends I am leaving regardless of what they do and cannot take this treatment any longer. I've never had an issue getting into bars/lounges before and typically not when it's 3 attractive professional women looking to enjoy some cocktails together. I just wanted to share this story in case someone who has a fear of rejection plans on going...maybe think twice:(

• Pros: Looks Nice From Outside Looking In
• Cons: Offensive Door Staff

07/24/09

NO WAY!!!

by karousel

Really!!! The owner should realize and even TRY what the bar is actually serving! I appreciate the ideas & recipes that they put in to their menu and drinks BUT they are VERY WATERLY! I wish Clover Club was in the city then that will be my spot for evry after work!!!

Really, not just mine but all my friends are as well. At the fourth drink, I needed to ask the bartender to re-mix the drink! Better overview what you're serving "owner!!!" I am usually patient but I had to let my words out this time!

• Pros: pretty nice interior and creative recipe
• Cons: Over Priced WATER DRINK!!!

06/22/09

Doormen are D-Bags

by pearlwater

Can't even review the inside, because the doormen are such d-bags, we left. I had better service at Time Warner Cable. And AT&T. And Delta. And my building's management office. Seriously, don't bother. Plenty of great spots down there. Let this one die out.

• Pros: nothing
• Cons: you name it

05/26/09

Love it!

by CSMobileUser

- really like this place a lot. Great characters all around!

From the doormen to the barkeeps and the owner. Drinks are a little different and pricey.

In my opiniona great location for a good good evening.

05/18/09

Absolutely Terrible - DO NOT GO TO APOTHEKE

by Exposer

I went there for a night out with 10 work friends to celebrate one leaving for a new job. We wanted something special and as this place had been getting publicity we decided to try it out. I wish we hadn't wasted our time, and I wish I had read the reviews here that are almost unanimously accurate in their negative view. Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of our negative experiences there:

1. Even though we were a large group, we were forced to wait outside for 35 minutes. When we got in (not all at once), the place was virtually empty.

2. The doorman who forced us to wait outside was a totally disrespectful j-k who only agreed to let us in if we got two tables at a minimum $1K per table. They claim there is no table minimum - not true. We felt like we were falling victim to a classic bait and switch scam.

3. He let half of us in, forcing the other half of our group to wait another 25 minutes (including the person whose leaving drinks it was).

4. The drinks were nothing special at all and were priced well beyond their quality/uniqueness.

5. The absinth was not even real. It was the worst spent $35 I can remember.

6. Not one of our party had anything positive to say after we left (not long after we were let in an had a couple of drinks) and we felt like the set-up was a self-important, self-congratulating hole of arrogance, lack of customer service and disrespect. Going there completely ruined our evening.

7. The "Customary-20%-in-New-York-Tip" scam detailed in the earlier review was pulled on us too. They might be able to get away with that sort of thing with tourists who don't know any better, but as New Yorkers, we weren't falling for it and considered it just another incidence of how this set-up is designed to do nothing more than squeeze as much out of you for as little in return as possible.

To sum up: There is no appreciation for customers here at all. They almost want to make you feel they are doing you a favor by letting you go there - guess what - you have to earn respect from customers, you don't automatically get it from fabricating a cliche story about opium dens and using a 15 year old strategy of not having a sign outside.

It is a terribly managed place as our experiences are clearly not unique and have been going on a long time without management doing anything to improve the situation.

I will be surprised if Apotheke lasts very long as people get wise to what this place is really about. I doubt anyone will miss it when it's gone. We certainly won't.

• Pros: Don't even try it...
• Cons: Overpriced (rip-off), Pretentious, Unfriendly

04/28/09

Decor is nice, LOCATION SUX, Drinks below par, AND 20% ADDED

by xhinadol78

When first arriving, the mystique of the hidden door down the random hidden alley in Chinatown added to the attractiveness. (But I won't admit, it was a real freakin pain to get there and an ever bigger one finding a cab to leave!!) The drinks are priced as a normal mixology bar would be... approx $15/ cocktail. For the price, I'd rather go to Employee's Only or Pegyu... not yummy at all. I mean, who would ever think that tequila and lavender would go well together, really?!?!?

Decor was nice, but the place was not that large at all... There's some seating, but the standing area by the bar just felt awkward.

Bill arrived and we felt like it was a bit high... we received the final amount on a credit card slip, and the itemized bill. HOWEVER, the itemized bill was written in some secret code, (ticks marks, chicken scratch) just enough that we couldn't decifer what each drink costs. We decided to ask the waitress, and she informed us in her rehearsed voice "a 20% tip was added, which is customary in NYC..."

UM.... I've been going out like it's my job since 1995, so when the hell did this become customary outside of the Chelsea Clubs. NEVER going there again.

• Pros: Decor is alright.
• Cons: Location is bad, Drinks are not mixed nicely, 20% added

04/12/09

BEWARE!!

by KarenL

I was so excited to check this place out. Once we got to the door we were stopped by an annoying doorman. He agreed to let us in if we spent at least $400. The decor was nice. The drinks were over priced for what it was. We could of gone to a really chic hotel bar instead. I ordered the house of absinthe drink for $35, it was a ripp off!!!! Also, the doorman made a friend wait outside for 30min to get in even when i went outside to tell him she was with us. At the end, our bill was almost $600. We left and there was a crowd of people trying to get in, I dont know why. They should be paying us to go!!!! I would not go back, this place is OVERRATED

• Pros: Nice Decor
• Cons: Annoying Doorman

01/21/09

DON'T GO TO APOTHEKE!

by WisntonH

I went to Apotheke for a birthday party and had the most terrible experience I've ever had at a New York City lounge. Having prepared the establishment of our party and reserved a table in advance, the doorman was disrespectful to my guests, refused entry to several of them, including the birthday boy, and tried to force us to spend $1K at the table, where usually there's no table minimum.

I would not recommend this place under any circumstances, other than the decor, as they have no appreciation for their patrons and basic human respect. many of our guests stood more than one hour in the freezing cold, were rebuffed for "not making a good case to enter," while the bouncer allowed people he was acquainted with to go in. DON'T GO TO APOTHEKE!

• Pros: Nice decor
• Cons: The disrespectful bouncer