This is an understated neighborhood bar. The decor isn't much to write home about, but it has a nice, casual vibe. They have high top stool seating at the bar and along a side counter, as well as a few tables in the back. They don't have any custom cocktails. I ordered a whiskey sour and it was well made: citrusy, tangy, and not too sweet. The music is not loud so you can have a conversation. Tons of hooks throughout for hanging jackets and purses. read more

the bartender is def giving weird vibes and racist. I know people are scared to be called racist these days, but there is no other word to describe how my friends were treated when we walked in. I have been to this to bar a couple times, but the one time I went with my friends who are Black, he asked for our IDs and started grilling us about information on our IDs and state facts that no one else would be privy to. This was around 5pm on Tuesday (2/18). read more

All the bad ratings for this place was because of service. Obviously they do not care. Was meeting a friend here at 4:30pm (opening time) which yes I already knew from the yelp page. I arrived at 4:27pm and stood to the side waiting didn't push the door, didn't knock or bother anyone. At 4:30 it started to drizzle and I still didnt bother the establishment out of respect for opening time. By4:32 pm the rain was getting heavier like it was about to pour so I finally knocked. The guy walking to the door seemed annoyed already and unlocked the door. He said we arent open. I said i thought you guys open at 4:30 and its about to pour so can I just come in and order a drink first or stand inside while you guys get ready? His response= CAN YOU SEE WE STILL DIDNT EVEN SET UP THE OUTSIDE CHAIRS YET? We arent open yet. He proceeded to just close back the door and lock it. His response was very uncalled for and unnecessary. It was about to pour how was you going to set up the outside chairs?? Im from this neighborhood but I was giving this place a chance. I took myself elsewhere nearby got seated within 10 seconds and had the best service. 0 stars, rude as heck for no reason...goodbye! read more

The one star is for how cheap the drinks are. Other than that, way too noisy, the people that work there, truly suck at hospitality. I get it's a dive bar or whatever but when you think that your conversation is more important than broken glass on the table and floor, I guess you're doing your job well. Not only did this employee have a hard time understand that it was an emergency, then proceeded to blamed me for spilling it, in which, it wasn't me. Was just trying to be a mindful/helpful of guest. Ass for that special employee, don't worry lil man, I will never interrupt your "important" conversation ever again. NEVER WILL STEP FOOT OR GIVE THEM ANY MONEY SINCE THEY DONT CARE FOR THEIR GUEST. Lastly, Clandestinos employeeeeeeees all suck everytime I go. Bye foreverrrrrrrrrr, losers read more

I've been wanting to try Clandestino since moving to lower Manhattan. It was so nice, I came twice. The first visit was on a Friday night, energy did not quit. I got a dirty martini and it was delicious. The staff, especially the bartenders were extremely nice and made us feel welcome, even though they were very full. The other patrons were happy and friendly, and everyone is just there to have fun. The second time I went was a Sunday and it still had great energy and atmosphere. I recommend completely. We will be stopping by in a few months for a follow up and video will be posted via TikTok and Insta read more

A hotbed for a sociopolitical zeitgeist hopefully half dead, we see in Clandestino a haunt for the harrowed, and oblivion at the bottom of a thousand cups. 10/10. Service knows their clientele, are industrious and warm without being overly friendly, intrusive, or too familiar even to regulars. Their cocktails are not what one might call "good", but that's not why most come anyway. They're here to be seen in the political scene, or felt to be in company they cannot speak. Ambiance is a lived in wood, which lends sincerity to the establishment if not the clientele. Always busy, best luck would be an edge in at the bar. read more

this has been in my top 5 bars in NYC for like 5 years,but the other night the black bartender (sorry i forget his name) made me a old fashion and i swear i think he made me move this bar up in my rankings lol. read more

Clandestino was pretty 'meh' as it gets. We'd just finished dinner and wanted a nightcap. Clandestino was fairly close to Bacaro, where we'd eaten for dinner. Now, I'm a big fan of signature cocktails. When we entered Clandestino, I didn't see any type of menu that listed specialty drinks. I'd sent my boyfriend to the bar to grab us a couple of drinks. He came back twice as the bar didn't have specific liquors for the drinks we were looking for. The drinks we ended up ordering were pretty 'meh'. The bartenders seemed pretty uninterested in us. The music was cacophonous... The atmosphere was okay. I would say at one point, it became hard to hear my partner. Clandestino translates to something that is, "hidden or kept secret, often because it is illegal". I get they may be going to a prohibition-era type of bar but man... This just did not fit the bill to me. I don't think I would return to Clandestino. 3/10 recommend read more

Ah, Clandestino - my favorite out-of-my-neighborhood, "friendly neighborhood bar". Despite being almost impossible to get seating (it's first-come-first serve), a good time is to be had. The drinks are strong (there's no menu, so order as you wish) and the crowd is artsy / older crowd (30s+). During busy times, service is slow and you need to be proactive about ordering / getting the check. However this is a bar meant for casual hangouts, rather than a quick after-work drink. If you get there right at opening on a weekend, you're bound to set yourself up well for a leisurely afternoon of drinks and company. Pop on over to Kiki's before 6, and you can score a table with delicious Greek food too. read more

A neat bar with a cozy ambiance. I had a great evening of drinks sitting outside here - and appreciated that there was an attentive bouncer keeping an eye on things. read more

warm and cozy dive bar, usually pretty busy. good people watching if you're into that

Clandestino has to be my go to bar at the moment. Especially if you manage to get a table and sit with the homies it's such a vibe. Didn't really like the dirty martini but the margarita and Paloma were good. read more

Not good at all. Staff was weird and the food was mediocre at best. They also have cheap wine and try to sell it as if its good.

I've been coming here for a while. The atmosphere and drinks are fine. The bartenders are usually lovely. Last night, however, I was refused a drink by a bartender I hadn't met before. He poured my drink down the drain as I showed him my foreign passport. I've never been specifically asked for a New York State issued ID here. My passport has been accepted before, so it's highly unlikely that they just have a stringent policy, which is legal. This, and his attitude, make me believe that the refusal to serve was discriminatory. I left immediately. I'm Chinese and this is Chinatown and I'd like a whiskey sour, please. read more

Love the vibe, even left something and Andre went the extra mile and got it to me!! Nice people !!!

This is hands down my favorite bar. Love the amazingly curated music, eclectic crowd and deep philosophical discussions over IPAs. If you are a fan of the bar or a loyal patron, please find their gofundme site below to support them during the covid-19 crisis. https://www.gofundme.com/f/clandestino-nyc-employee-support-fund?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet read more

Man-- the bartenders are too cool for school. Didn't realize the sole act of taking an order and closing out a check was an unbearable endeavor. Don't come here, wouldn't want to get in these guys way as they do... what? I don't know-- not provide service, they've got other things going on. read more

Horrible service. They are rude and very unhelpful. I was waiting at the table for 30 min and was not helped. Then I went up to the bar and asked for help, and was sent away and all he said was you have to "wait for the server." read more

Yeah everyone who works has a foul attitude. I get they're overworked seeing how understaffed they are but they really take it out on you. Honestly I couldn't make anymore excuses for their attitudes after only 10 mins and I've been called slurs before. I get get nyc has the whole "customers don't come first" and I love that as a person who has worked in food service before. But these white hipsters r actually making me miss my racist waiter. Anyways if u want plain but dirt cheap drinks and a great location in this covid world but crappy service with a chaotic management. This is ur place. read more

It is difficult not to find this place useful. An easygoing unpretentious bar. Nothing fancy here, just a simple bar, where it is likely to find an empty table, and where the bar tenders are actually quite mixed people, and professionals in their baring. read more

Terrible bar. Security like to push people around. Be prepared to be disrespected and roughed up, especially when it's busy. The drinks are fine. be prepared to be disrespected. read more

Good drinks at reasonable prices. We came here with a big group and followed the rules (6 to a table) but still got attitude from the waiter. They probably don't care about this review, but I'm writing it anyway. It was my wife's birthday and they were pretty rude. If you're going to write the rules on the table then list them all or chill out. read more

Great neighborhood low key bar. My goodness, I guess I am getting old. I came in here a few weeks ago to meet up with some writer/illustrator friends and the place is not too loud, so we could enjoy a chat and have something to sip on. The place wasn't packed on a "school night" and the vibe was friendly and cozy. Kind of like the Cheers bar, but LES hipster style. If I came in here more often, I am sure it will be a bar "where everybody knows your name..." la la la... Lately, I've been more into places where I can hide from the "scene and be scene" crowd because I just need a break from the urban jungle. This place hit the spot for me. I'll definitely be back to sip and chat soon again. read more

Okay, I know this is like essential and sceney these days but I think they let it go to their head. There's not really any clear or good system for claiming or getting an outdoor table. Waited inside for ages for a table outside and gave up. There should be a list or something. Staff is also pretty rude and doesn't seem to care about any of this. Why should they? People keep comin! read more

a cozy topia hidden in a tiny space. The drinks are meh, tastes like juice so either they are really good with their alcohology master chefs, or my taste buds are dying. There is a minimum $20 credit card fee, which buys you 2 drinks, barely. crowd: young white people, looks creative/ artsy down to earth type, not stock bros, plenty of big tables for groups of friends. One bartender has great hair. (Tarzan like beautiful hair) the other looks hipster. read more

A basic neighborhood bar with solid beers/cocktails at affordable prices. Not worth going out of your way for but if you're in the neighborhood and need a drink with friends at a low-key, unpretentious spot, definitely give Clandestino a shot. Praise aside, I am confused that this place is categorized as a wine bar. In fact, my only caveat would be SKIP THE WINE. On a recent visit, our Corbières and Côtes du Rhône were barely drinkable. We ended up running to Compagnie afterward... read more

Dark, seductive, low-key. Just like me. (Except for the dark and seductive parts.) Pimms. The outdoor seating area smelled like urine. Good thing it was closing at 11pm as we got there. read more

Bar is okay. Small venue, but lots of seats. Bar seats and table seating located in the front and back of the venue. Also, a bar table w/o seats opposite the bar. Local artwork on display. Dimly lit space. 2 bathrooms located in the back, one marked 'large bathroom' which I used. I ordered the Pimm's Cup. I forgot what my friend ordered (a drink twds bottom of the cocktail menu). Both were okay. Maybe it's the recipe or the bartender or both. I don't think I'll be returning. Plus, it's out of my way. read more

I have been going to this bar for a couple years and usually get great service. Tonight my credit card was handed to a different patron mistakenly and the bartender who was to blame put ME at fault for being upset about the situation. RIGHT from the jump he was a dick to me about my card being given away. This has never happened to me before and I was told "welcome to the world" to some bull shit that was clearly in the employees control. Fuck that dude and fuck this place despite its deliciously cozy atmosphere and delicious beverages. This isn't some ratchet bar and if this place was covered in graffiti I would think otherwise but given that its not some ratchet joint CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EVERY FUCKING THING. read more

Worst service I've experienced in my life. I took some time choosing my drink- and was asked for my ID. I'm not originally from NY and showed a foreign one. The bartender deemed it invalid so I showed another one. Instead of explaining his rationale for refusing that one too he claimed that he only accepts NY state IDs. I was with two Asian friends and we couldn't help but feel his behavior was discriminatory. Don't go there unless you want to deal with a xenophobic white guy on a power trip. read more

RUDE, INATTENTIVE BARTENDER! I've never had such an experience at a bar EVER. A chunky redhead bartender had the nerve to NOT bring the wine bottle that my friend and I ordered, but come over to ask for the card. When she left and asked again for the card I showed it was on the table for her to collect. She proceeded to yell "ARE YOU F****** KIDDING ME?" And slammed the bar table down. Needless to say, I won't be visiting here EVER. Better service at a super run down dive bar. read more

Bar back super sweet gave me cake on his birthday mwah. So sweet Yelp is making me make this a longer post so im just gonna keep saying sweet sweet sweet read more

Will someone please remind me again why I sometimes think it's a good idea to go out on the LES on a weekend? Must. Stay. Brooklyn. It seems that peeps are not being so clandestine when it comes to Clandestino. Totally packed Saturday night, impossible to move and near-impossible to hear, though the crowd seemed pretty cool despite that--a little older (late 20s-early 30s), probably locals...a LOT of locals. Now, I of course can't blame Clandestino itself for being crowded--obviously it's got a good thing going, and I think it's the kind of bar that I'd probably love on a weeknight. And yes, I'm old and grumpy and mad at myself for not getting a Pimm's Cup. How could I forget? I did have a tasty and generously-poured Woodford on the rocks, though, so there's something. Like I said, this place is probably just my style during the week, and I definitely intend on going back. But seriously, if you see me next Saturday headed for the F train, just take away my Metrocard, mkay? read more

Look carefully, or else you might stroll right by this lively little bar just adjacent to Les Enfant Terible. Although Clandestino is known for its wine, my then boyfriend, now fiance, and I decided to be mavericks and order beers and cocktails. He remarked that the fresh beer was redolent of London (his gold standard of beer quality). I opted to try the Pimm's Cup, which was tasty but rather weak. After a collabo with our very accomodating bartender, a second creation was concocted: ginger wine with a splash of soda...much better (though still on the weak side). She even graciously offered the drink on the house since it was an experiment. The highlight of Clandestino is the oversized picture of an adorable Asian baby. Random, yes, but how can you not be enamored?? A quirky little addition to the decor which is sure to elicit smiles. A fun and friendly bar with well-priced drinks...definitely a spot I will be back to visit, maybe to dabble in the highly regarded wine selection. read more

Clandestino reminds me of Rue Oberkampf in Paris. This cozy bar, located where the Lower East Side merge into Chinatown, is well stocked with liquor and wines from France, Spain and Argentina. On the blackboard you'll find a tempting selection of European cheeses, sausages and green olives. Alice, who works there on Friday night, looks like a silent movie star and is my favorite bartender. read more

All form no function, and beyond rude. One person in my group ordered a dirty martini and that seemed to confuse the bartender. When asked for details he became super defensive and rude. Then he made it wrong. Meanwhile the old fashioned that was ordered was borderline terrible. Not complex things to make if that's your job. There's also some preferential treatment at this place as some groups kept being attended to while other patrons were wondering where their drinks were. We were laughing as some folks just said screw it, and left. Last bit, the (owner/manager) keeps her mobile workspace on a table which is kind of weird if the rest of the patrons are standing. Would not go back and definitely wouldn't recommend. read more

If you want a place with no attitude and pretension and not crawling with the Skinny Jeans Wearing Mafia (altho I am guilty of that), this is the place. It is one of the few remaining place where you can actually get to know the people there, have real conversations, and listen to Laure's impressive music collection of all things Brit-pop. read more

Clandestino - a row of liquor bottles on a bar counter - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I've been coming here for a few months now and normally have a great time, there normally is a wait for drinks and as someone who's worked in service I understand it can be hard to get to everyone. Sat down outside and 20 minutes had gone by, the waiter seemed to only be talking to / serving his friends. Went inside to order a drink and was told it's table service and the server snapped at me with a "i'll get to you when I get to you", meanwhile there was no one sitting at the inside bar and I was immediately very off-put. He comes up to us around 5 to 10 minutes later, we end up ordering two rounds of drinks and had to somewhat hunt him down for the second round and already we could tell he was not a fan of us because I had gone inside to try to grab a drink. They had asked us to put a card on file, fine but annoying as there were just 3 of us and we wanted to pay separately. We get the check and pay with the card on file, my friend pulls up his venmo as we're trying to figure out how much we owe each other. The waiter comes back less than two minutes later (the fastest service of the night) and asks us to leave since people were waiting. I could understand if this was 10 minutes after the bill came but we all we're still trying to figure out the bill / venmo situation for our end. We get up and leave and are just very offput by the entire situation. I could understand if we were too drunken, rude or obnoxious but it was a very calm after work grab drinks in the area and we were treated very poorly. I'm not one to leave reviews but this left me pretty disappointed as I do enjoy this bar. read more

Really cool and classy neighborhood bar, period. Bartenders know their spirits, or if liquor isn't your game, they have a nice wine list as well. Crowd seems like mostly locals, which is great. I know I probably wouldn't make the trek from e.vil just to go here unless someone invited me (which they did of course :-)) It also doesn't get manhattan-crowded even on a Friday night. NICE read more

M and I stopped by after our dinner at Bacaro down the block (and around the corner). M wanders over here much more than I do so he's more of a regular, but we both love this little place. We've christened it Bizarro Von. Detour: remember Bizarro - he who is the opposite of Superboy and the Seinfeld episode involving bizarro George/Elaine/Kramer? This place is like Von (on Bleeker), but not like Von. They layout is similar, but like a mirror image. The regulars are cool too, but with a little less attitude. We were having some scotch at the bar and the song Rosanna (Toto) came on, and the bartender leans in to tell us that it was named for Rosanna Arquette - who knew?! A friendly bartender that talks to you -- now that's definitely Bizarro Von! Plus you can actually have a conversation here. Last comparison: Clandestino is to Bacaro what Von is to Bianca (more on Bianca another day). read more