Vibey popular fun spot, live music at night. It gets very crowded with uptown vibe. Drinks seem were all batched. read more

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Love this place but the other reviews are right. You need to be dressed well AND look good to get in. They don't care if they lose your business. I always go for the Le Penelope signature cocktail, it tastes like a tequila old fashioned. The bar gets packed even when the tables are not but the bartenders are super friendly and like to converse with you. The food has actually improved lately and I'm so happy about it! The sliders got more flavor now, and the fries are better but can still use some more cooking time to crisp up. We also tried the spring rolls- pretty good, the yellowtail jalapeño- omg so good, very firm which I like, and the shishito peppers- they never disappoint. read more

Le Bar Penelope is that girl! Sophisticated, elevated, and effortlessly vibey with a chic crowd that understands the assignment. I've been a few times and never had any issues at the door. As long as you're dressed well and match the energy, you'll be fine. The cocktails are tasty, the food bites hit the spot, and the overall ambiance makes it easy to settle in and stay awhile. Definitely one of my favorite go-to spots read more

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Amazing evening! Sexy cool vibe , great drinks and the staff was amazing-espcially GM Shaun & server Sophia. You definitely need to get dressed up for a sophisticated evening read more

For a classy evening in the Upper East Side, look no further than Le Bar Penelope. This beautiful intimate lounge captures old New York charm with its velvet drapery, refined plush seating, and top flight champagne. While some may view their discerning doorman as pretentious, their attention to finely dressed clientele maintains its debonair aura. We were served two complementary glasses of top tier Prosecco. I highly recommend Penelope's secret on the drink menu featuring a delectable green chartreuse. read more

Le Bar Penelope - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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The entire experience here was defined by one interaction. We arrived with a reservation and were told there was a "private event," then left standing around with no explanation. The person handling it kept looking us over in a way that felt more judgmental than welcoming, then disappeared for 10-15 minutes without saying anything. When he finally came back, he casually said he'd "honor our reservation" like he was doing us a favor. No apology, no acknowledgment of the confusion, just a weird, dismissive tone that set the mood for the rest of the night. From that point on, everything else felt off. Drinks were average, music didn't hit, and the whole place just felt disorganized and uninviting. Plenty of better options nearby. Wouldn't go back. Would give it a 0 if I could. read more

Without a doubt, Le Bar Penelope is a luxurious and chic bar fit for the UES. I was there on a Thursday night with two girlfriends for drinks and food and we had such a fun time that we didn't leave until closing! The crowd is definitely a little older and more mature but it's still a fun spot for post dinner drinks and some fun music! read more

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This is just the spot the Upper East Side needs! No need to trek downtown to get your dose of chic and social fun! Everyone is friendly, staff and guests alike, beginning with friendly Jordan at the door. And the clientele runs the gamut age wise. It's fun for everyone. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Strong hundred with everything on point. Stellar service from Door to table. Gracious and courteous smiling staff with great attitude to create a really fun experience. Love the cool atmosphere and comfortable decor. Diverse crowd and fashion forward. Delicious drinks and yummy table bites. A definite yes and thank you. Looking forward to the next time. Great addition to the neighborhood. read more

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Definitely missing this in LA! Such a cute vibe. Visiting New York City I was able to check out this hot spot with a girlfriend. Definitely felt like I stepped into a cute little Parisian hot spot. The crowd was super chic and the venue gorgeous. The music was incredible, I literally was Shazaming every song the entire night. The drinks were creative and delicious and the food was your typical lounge/bar food. You don't come for the food, you come for the vibe, music and to have a good time. They give you some complimentary snacks when you first sit down, they are quite tasty. They also have a cute little candy station set up, I snagged some on my way out for the taxi ride back to the hotel. The dj was incredible and all the waitresses look like models. Our waitress Magdalena was super sweet and attentive to us the whole night. Not to mention absolutely beautiful. Love the sophisticated atmosphere and chic crowd that you can't find at many other places. Looking forward to coming back on my next trip to NYC. read more

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Le Bar Penelope is an absolute gem tucked into the heart of New York's UES. A friend recommended me this place and from the moment I walked in, I was sold. The vibe? Effortlessly chic. The music? On point. The service? Impeccable. Mem, my server, was an absolute delight, who was warm, attentive and brimming with charm. Managers Shane and Lina also stopped by to personally check in, making sure everything was just right. That level of hospitality doesn't go unnoticed. The crowd was as polished as the cocktails; beautifully dressed and clearly ready for a proper night out. Le Bar Penelope hits all the right notes and it's now firmly on my must-visit list whenever I'm in the city. Count me a fan!! read more

My friend made reservations for dinner at 7pm on a Friday, this place was pretty empty when we walked in. The ambiance is gorgeous and inviting. Sherry was our server and she was amazing and provided suggestions on cocktails and food. My friend and I ordered lychee martinis, salad, spicy tuna crispy rice, yellowtail jalapeño sashimi, wagyu slider, and miso glazed Chilean sea bass. The food was really good but pricey for the portions you're getting. My favorite was the miso glazed Chilean sea bass, it melted in your mouth but it was so tiny. My friend treated me for my birthday and we had the butter cake for dessert, it was very dry and had no flavor. I would probably just come back for drinks if I'm around the area. read more

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I am sad to see all the negative reviews! This place was soooo fun. We went on a Wednesday night which had a live piano bar and the gentleman performing was really good he knew how to get the crowd going and everyone was up and dancing it was packed. The staff were very friendly as well as the doormen. The vibes inside were very sexy. The drinks were really good and the food as well. I would totally come back. I would try to go on a Wednesday for the live piano but the music they played after was still good. Overall very fun time! read more

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We visited Bar Penelope on Wednesday for the first and last time. The restaurant was half empty when my boyfriend and I arrived for our reservation, shortly before two friends were meant to join us. Despite the fact that we were all dressed appropriately (and that I was also wearing jeans), the bouncer refused to let our friends in because they were wearing jeans, albeit polished ones. Other people in the restaurant were also wearing jeans. When I asked the general manager why our friends weren't allowed in, he replied, "Oh, these are your friends? Give me a second," and then proceeded to disappear without addressing the situation. Service was equally disappointing. Our server seemed distracted, only part of our order arrived and it did so quite late. We ended up leaving just 30 minutes after our reservation. It's surprising that in a city like NYC, especially at a time when the dining scene is struggling, a half empty restaurant would turn away a group of people in their late 20s who were there to enjoy themselves and likely bring in more business. Terrible vibe, poor service, and overall not worth your time or money. read more

Doorman is a joke. Told the four of us dressed in suits that we couldn't get in without a reservation. When I asked if it was busy, he said no (it was a Tuesday for crying out loud). Then I proceeded to let him know that I can just book a reservation online and he said he wouldn't honor it because he "already saw us" and knows we didn't have one when we walked up. Huh? Good luck running a business this way. read more

My experience here was disappointing. The general manager Shane and lead hostess magda were consistently rude and created a hostile environment and concerns were not handled constructively, There were several instances of biased treatment toward certain guests. I cannot recommend this as a good place to come. read more

My friend and I really struggled with this place unfortunately. We only came for drinks at the bar. The doorman/bouncer was so kind though. When we walked in one of the hostesses in a black super short skimpy uniform glared at me though. I'm a customer dressed appropriately and wore a $1000+ fur coat. Don't know what her issue was. The hostess was kind though. A lot of tables were empty but reserved. By the time we left a whole entire section was still empty and reserved. At the bar, it was all women mostly glaring at me. Awesome. I didn't do anything. I just wanted a cocktail after a nice dinner we had. I feel like the bar consisted of a lot of jealous women. A couple were pretty chill. Anyway, this place is having an identity crisis. It's giving GITANO/Tulum vibes but trying to be almost like an exclusive members club, and a nightclub? The women working wear super short skimpy black dress or mini skirt uniforms which is odd because this place isn't a night club. This isn't Le Petite Disco/Marquee bottle service women. The bar area remind me of the Mulberry. The front entrance with the seating on the right side reminds me of a nice hotel lobby. The vibes and interior are off everywhere in each section. The bartenders are phenomenal and kind though. No issue with them. Drinks were great. There's a pianist who sings on wednesdays which is nice. read more

Le Bar Penelope - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Being in the industry, it's very easy to write up a bad review or anything negative for that matter. My wife and I tried out Le Bar Penelope. We walked in and yes it was impressive. The crowd was unique and comfortable. Staff was very accommodating and definitely not rude. Cocktails were great, price was just as great, considering the location you're in. My wife and I had a great time, but after all is said and done, one of the reasons we had a great time was because of our server. She was amazing, incredible, knowledgeable, polite, kind and sweet. She was simply human. A huge thank you to Vanessa!! You made our night even more special, simply because you were yourself. You're weren't "fake" or "snobbish", you were perfect. You did your job with grace, elegance and most importantly with a smile. Thank you for an amazing evening. We will definitely be back for all the mentioned above reasons and definitely requesting Vanessa's presence. read more

Le Bar Penelope - Main Room - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I was here a month ago. I went here for drinks after dinner at Bilboquet. The doorman was extremely nice to us. Told him we just wanted to grab some drinks. He kindly let us in. The bartender was super cool and made great recommendations. As we were leaving, the doorman opened the door for us and thanked us for stopping by. Don't know why the bad reviews from some. We had a great experience there. read more

I wanted to take a moment to express my disappointment regarding my reservation at Lebarpenelope last night. I had a reservation for five guests, and one of my friends was arriving later, which I confirmed with the hostess prior to our arrival. When my fifth guest arrived, the doorman refused him entry based on his outfit, which consisted of a sweater, jeans, and dress boots. According to your dress code guidelines, he was compliant. Inside the restaurant, I noticed many patrons dressed similarly, and some were even less formally attired in T-shirts and sneakers. I found it particularly concerning that the doorman took a photo of my boyfriend without his permission. This incident left a very poor impression on us, and we decided to leave shortly after. The comments from the staff, suggesting that he could go home and change, were frustrating, especially since we do not live nearby and his outfit adhered to the dress code. I had heard wonderful things about your establishment from a friend who hosted a party there last weekend, so this experience was quite disappointing. As someone familiar with the NYC night life scene, I understand the importance of a dress code, but it seems unfair to deny entry while allowing others in similar attire. I was informed that the decision was at the discretion of the doorman and that there was some confusion regarding operations. I hope you can address these issues for future guests. read more

very upset with this place a lady came up to me wanting to fight me out of nowhere and she was drunk and I got kicked out. She was twice my age so keep that in mind that disrespect.... I've been to this place multiple times and the was disrespectful !!! so upset with this place. read more

Place is great. I'm visiting and it was one of my favorite spots would recommend this to anyone looking for specialty cocktails and a solid ambiance read more

Great vibe and the food and service is excellent. Light bites and live music on weeknights for a perfect night out. Dress code is strict. Totally worth checking out. read more

Super cool and sexy ambiance at this very stylish cocktail lounge full of beautiful people with delicious cocktails, scrumptious food bites and very attentive service. read more

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Awful night. Had a reservation for a friend's birthday party and they wouldn't let my boyfriend and I in as the reservation "got complicated." Ended up missing my friend's birthday. Doorman & manager were absolute d*cks. read more

Excellent ambience, fantastic light bites, great cocktails. the doorman understands the assignment of keeping the crowd well dressed, cool, and sophisticated. Pull up proper, or go home. read more

I was in New York a few months ago and decided to try this place out as it looked super cute online. I typically read reviews prior to going to new places but just went for it.... Huge mistake! I encountered the rudest staff of all time upon walking in. We felt the attitude and turned around and left. Just saw this place get recommended and I had to save others before they went in. After reading the reviews I see I'm not the only one who's experienced bad service. Why it's always important to read reviews read more

So I have heard about this new bar that just opened up next to Avra, and wanted it give it a try and check it out. I love the location, saw pictures online and the place looked great, so I had high expectations. Let me start by saying, the doorman they have is running a little discriminatory show at the door. My experience with him was beyond humiliating, and as I'm reading the comments below I'm not the only person who's had bad experience at this place as well. He is ruining the reputation of this bar and management should replace him if they want this place to be up and running and be successful. He uses his power to put guests down in a very humiliating and unprofessional way. And when I say this, I mean by pulling 1 guest aside from the group and say something negative about the other guests as to why he doesn't want them to get in. This happened to me and my friend last night, where the 3 of us would arrive and he let the 1 person in that we were with, but not us. But before he did that he pulled the person aside, whispered something in his ear about me and my friend, then told us "ladies, he is not coming back". I am a professional, been living in NYC for the past 19 years, and I have never received this kind of behavior from anyone before by simply trying to enter into a bar. This doorman takes it to another level, and if management cares about the reputation of this bar, they should not let him run this place. It's a brand new bar at a great location so of course it still attracts people, but give it 6 more months no one will want to go there due to bad reputation. I mean it only opened up on September 12th and it already has bad reviews. Not a good look. read more

Great crowd and ambiance at this new well placed cocktail lounge. Properly ran and managed as well. Surrounded by swanky restaurants in the area this place is great for after dinner cocktails. read more

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I've visited this place several times, and I've consistently encountered a pretentious attitude from the door staff. I had a reservation for a table, but my group of well-dressed executives in their 40s was denied entry, and they refused to honor our reservation. When we requested to speak with the manager, he wouldn't even come to the door. After some heated exchanges, we were informed that they DO NOT ALLOW groups of men into the club, period. It would be more transparent if they advertised this policy and removed the ability for men to reserve tables through Resey. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place as it's overpriced and not worth it. read more

Overpriced . Got in with a friends reservation who has been there before. To get a better table the manager Angelo wanted $$ . Inside its like guys with open shirt medallions. Avoid read more

Le Bar Penelope, a relatively new establishment in NYC, has left me quite disappointed after three visits. I won't be returning. I must acknowledge that the bartenders, waitstaff, DJs, and barback support staff are genuinely nice. However, the management's absurd policies, and the way they are enforced, are problematic. On Saturday night, Sept. 28, I brought a lovely female friend, but we were denied entry due to not having "reservations". That same night, when I returned to meet another male friend who was already inside, I was told that my female friend's attire wasn't up to Penelope's standards, although I was allowed in. The following Saturday, Oct. 5, I went alone. Upon leaving, a staff member informed me that next time I should wear a suit, not come alone, and bring a well-dressed lady; otherwise, I wouldn't be admitted. I pointed out that several guys inside were just wearing T-shirts and were alone, to which he responded that they "had connections". He also mentioned that even if well-dressed, I wouldn't be let in without a well-dressed lady. Just to clarify, on Saturday Oct. 5 I wore a black tie, a vest, and a black leather jacket. How is that worse than just wearing a T-shirt?? That night I noticed three things: 1) all the lone guys wearing T-shirts were white; 2) when I arrived at Penelope, there were other well-dressed black guys with attractive, well-dressed women who all left before me; and 3) when I finally left, I was the "only black guy in the bar without connections". It's not only unfair and outrageous that Penelope raises the bar for black people and women, but also racist and sexist. read more

Terrible service, especially arrogant condescending doorman. My friends and I are regulars of this place. We booked a table there on New Year's Eve. Upon arrival the doorman (who already knows us) yelled at us at the front door, would not let us in in the pouring rain (it was crazy thunderstorm on NYE) like we were a bunch of drunk hillbillies when we are a classy well dressed New York crowd. When we finally got to our table, we could not find waiters with food. They would just pass our tables by and we had to ask our bottle service waitress the food multiple times. The food trays were very sparse. Mind you we are regulars and have been spending a lot of money in that place on bottles, we always get a table so we are definitely not cheap, but we have been disappointed with the attitude of the doorman for weeks now, but the NYE party was just the last drop so we will not be returning due to the poor attitude and service. The decor and ambience is good, but that is not enough for spending thousands of dollars in that place receiving terrible attitude in return. Thankfully, there are a lot of other places that are opening around this area. So no, highly will not recommend. Just giving it 3 starts for a great pianist on Wednesdays and great decor. read more

This is by far the biggest disappointment of a restaurant. It's a shame because the inside is absolutely stunning but the service and food were so awful. We went for a girls dinner and we were there for 2 hours because that's how long it took us to get our food. We paid for a seafood tower and just picked at it because the taste was so bland. Our server had no idea what she was doing and was extremely forgetful when taking our orders. The only reason I never said a word during this dreadful dinner was because it was my best friends birthday and I didn't want to upset her more than she already was. I would never recommend coming here to anyone. read more

Executive that's frequents Avra weekly and was told by my favorite bartenders at Avra to check this out. Le bar Penelope discriminates and selectively allows certain people in. They tell you need a reservation but it's a lie they just pick and choose who they want. I was assaulted by the doorman recently so now I have no desire to go. I am still traumatized by this. My 20 years in nyc I have never seen this. The doorman should be fired. Go to Arora cocktail bar nearby or melody's for a better piano bar experience. I really hope the owners take this seriously and fire the doorman. read more

Doorman outside is quite strange and rlly stuck up for...what reason? Idk ‍ didnt let my friends in bc the dress code (tht they dont rlly specify online) was j not appealing for him. He basically gave us a lecture about how we werent dressed fancy enough and tht we would "see what [he] means when we look inside..its a really upscale bar." Mmkay. He let us in as if doing us an ENORMOUS favor then shortly told us we had to leave aaaand I had no problems walkin out he ruined the vibes before he let us in anyway. Went somewhere else and had a better time there than we woulda at this place :) not worth the hype tht was circulating for a while online. Im fine w being told the dress code wasnt up to par but the way in which he worded his request for us to leave was...distasteful which contrasts how chic and "upscale" the bar is according to his description. Hosts inside were kind though not mad, j...an experience i wouldnt wanna go thru again read more