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The food here looked rly pretty, but it was pretty mid, and the portions were quite small for the price. They had live jazz, but also a strict seating time limit. We wanted to stay a bit longer and were forced to buy drinks at the bar. The bartender was funny tho!
Disappointing for so many reasons. First of all, it is so hard to find. There's not a sign out front for it, and in fact, there's a sign for a completely different establishment in their window. The most obvious entrance is actually blocked off so we tried multiple til we found it. Second, we went specifically for the dinner menu on their website. When we got there, they told us that was only for restaurant week. But that menu has been on their website for at least eight months cause that's when I first looked this place up. And it doesn't say restaurant week menu on the website. It just says dinner menu. We came out of our way to go to the east side to eat that specific menu. Their actual menu is much smaller and was very disappointing. Finally, The service was not great. We waited a while for someone to come to our table and then once they took our order, we basically never saw them again. We had to track someone down to get our check. Which is ridiculous because we were one of only two tables. The food was good, but it's not worth the price.
This place was sick! If you're reading this while waiting in line at Tomi Jazz, just go here instead. To be fair, I haven't been to tomi yet, but my boyfriend and I had a lovely time at no work allowed. The pear and coconut cocktails were really nice and smooth, and we also got the Karaage, edamame, and truffle fries. Everything was great! The band was wonderful too. I saw some people complaining about the quality of the jazz, but I thought it was great? Maybe I just don't know enough about jazz lol. Had an awesome time and will be back the next time we're in New York. staff was really friendly too, Considering how busy it was. No wait at 8 PM on a Saturday night.
Aesthetic: Hip, Thai Jazz club What to try: Cucumber Breeze cocktail Service: Excellent Parking: None Rating: 5/5, this was a wonderful place to watch local jazz in the city. We didn't eat, but the drinks were incredible! The cucumber breeze soju was one of the most delicious fresh green juice drinks I've ever tried, I would come back just for this!
So happy I stumbled into No Work Allowed while initially looking for another establishment! It is an ABSOLUTE GEM of a space and menu! Very cozy atmosphere and very good bites
Recommend: Thai Teani (martini), Ume Yuzu (plum wine) The experience here does not compare to Tomi Jazz, but if you don't want to wait in a long line, or simply want to experience another of Midtown's Japanese-inspired jazz bars, then give this place a try. I went on a Friday night, live jazz starts around 7:30p. I ordered a few drinks, including the ones I recommended above. Food is okay, but pricey for the portion size. When the place gets packed, it gets very loud and service is noticeably slower for everyone. The jazz band was good, but when they took a break they went up to every table to ask for tips/donations. I usually tip on my own accord, but would have appreciated not having my meal/conversations interrupted. Overall not the worst experience, but not a first choice considering the other jazz bars in the area.
Great spot for a cocktail and live music. The group we saw were freaking amazing! Get there early it gets packed!
The ambience is great, the jazz is great, the lychee beer and tako wasabi is great...but the crying tiger steak is terrible. I ordered a medium rare and received a rare steak, the nam jim jeaw was straight-up just too sweet, the steak was filled with so many inedible fatty parts, and the kicker is that the website lists it as $32 but the QR code menu lists it as $45. I assumed the QR code would just lead to the website so I ended up thinking it was $13 less than it actually was and overpaid for a very disappointing meal. No Work Allowed needs to fix this admin issue to refrain from misleading customers.
Food is just ok but the vibes are definitely here! Given that the space is pretty tight/small, make sure to go early so you can decide how close to the performers you want to be. Service is definitely slow as they cater to many tables and get really busy. Took multiple asks to just get some napkins. It does get pretty loud so it will be hard to talk here. Just come here to enjoy the vibes!
Right on East 53rd St, this place is a great addition to "restaurant row" here. It's a Thai-Japanese fusion Izakaya and the food is solid. How it works - we came on a Friday and it seemed like people ate in waves. That's because they have live jazz (there was a saxophonist, bassist and pianist when we went), and they play in 45-60 minute sets. There's a minimum spend of $15 per person for each set. But that includes food or drinks. So you can spend the whole night here if you want by getting one drink per set. Not bad at all. Food is solid as well. We really enjoyed the flavors of everything, especially the scallops and the noodles. Some dishes have a nice southeast Asian flare to them, like the noodles which were slightly spicy. The only thing that was a little too salty was the grilled mackerel (or whatever fish it was). We left after 1 set but will come back again
New basement jazz bar in Midtown East. Very cute and cozy vibes inside. Perfect for our girls night. Loved the music too. There was basically no line when we went at 7:30pm on a Friday night (unlike its neighbor Tomi Jazz). We were let in to the bar immediately and then got seated shortly after, within 15-20 minutes I'd say. Honestly felt like I got the Tomi Jazz experience from here lol. Their drinks were sooo good. We got the Ume Yuzu and Thai Teani, and both drinks were delicious. We also got the bone-in Karage, truffle fries, crying tiger, and mentaiko pasta. Food was good, a little pricey and small portions. I liked the crying tiger the most. Definitely better for their drinks. However, their service is horribly slow. We asked 3 times for ketchup and they still didn't give it to us, until I had to very aggressively requested the waitress to get us ketchup the last 4th time. They also took forever to give us our check, we had to ask for the check 3 times too. The inside is small and cute, but it's freezing. They definitely need more heaters. Overall, food & drinks & vibes & music were great! We all had a great time. But service definitely needs improvement.
What an adorable, charming, intimate jazz bar. There are a few tables and bar seats, then the band. It's dimly lit and perfect for a date night or a fun girls night. The band was wonderful, and the Japanese menu was a charming contrast.
Got lost and stumbled across here-- very glad we found it! You have to walk down a flight of stairs, so it can be easy to miss from the street. We did not have a reservation, but we came early on a Monday night. They have an interesting menu and I definitely would like to come back to try more. They have a $15/person minimum and a ~75 min maximum on Fridays and Saturdays. Their fried squid with salted egg dip was absolutely delicious. Their salmon curry pasta was also scrumptious, and a little spicy. They are very attentive with their service, but respectful to not interrupt the jazz trio. Super cool spot and go to the restroom for a surprise...
23 days ago
We made our reservation at 6:15 pm which I think is the perfect time to sit down have a conversation and order some food before the and comes on at around 7pm. The food is more Thai than Japanese. We got sweet potato tempura, salmon green curry spaghetti, and crab fried rice. Ordered a pineapple cocktail and Thai tea as well. The crab fried rice was not as good as we were expecting (hyped up by Google reviews) the tempura was good and the salmon pasta was something new I've never seen. Our server was pretty nice and the band was great. Overall a great time! I would recommend bringing some loops ear plugs if you have sensitive ears since it's a small space you'll be sitting quite close to the band. read more
3 months ago
a jazz club with no line and no cover fee next to tomi jazz! both dishes were great and ambience was amazing! read more
2 months ago
The food here looked rly pretty, but it was pretty mid, and the portions were quite small for the price. They had live jazz, but also a strict seating time limit. We wanted to stay a bit longer and were forced to buy drinks at the bar. The bartender was funny tho! read more
24 days ago
Disappointing for so many reasons. First of all, it is so hard to find. There's not a sign out front for it, and in fact, there's a sign for a completely different establishment in their window. The most obvious entrance is actually blocked off so we tried multiple til we found it. Second, we went specifically for the dinner menu on their website. When we got there, they told us that was only for restaurant week. But that menu has been on their website for at least eight months cause that's when I first looked this place up. And it doesn't say restaurant week menu on the website. It just says dinner menu. We came out of our way to go to the east side to eat that specific menu. Their actual menu is much smaller and was very disappointing. Finally, The service was not great. We waited a while for someone to come to our table and then once they took our order, we basically never saw them again. We had to track someone down to get our check. Which is ridiculous because we were one of only two tables. The food was good, but it's not worth the price. read more
1 month ago
This place was sick! If you're reading this while waiting in line at Tomi Jazz, just go here instead. To be fair, I haven't been to tomi yet, but my boyfriend and I had a lovely time at no work allowed. The pear and coconut cocktails were really nice and smooth, and we also got the Karaage, edamame, and truffle fries. Everything was great! The band was wonderful too. I saw some people complaining about the quality of the jazz, but I thought it was great? Maybe I just don't know enough about jazz lol. Had an awesome time and will be back the next time we're in New York. staff was really friendly too, Considering how busy it was. No wait at 8 PM on a Saturday night. read more
Aesthetic: Hip, Thai Jazz club What to try: Cucumber Breeze cocktail Service: Excellent Parking: None Rating: 5/5, this was a wonderful place to watch local jazz in the city. We didn't eat, but the drinks were incredible! The cucumber breeze soju was one of the most delicious fresh green juice drinks I've ever tried, I would come back just for this! read more
10 months ago
So happy I stumbled into No Work Allowed while initially looking for another establishment! It is an ABSOLUTE GEM of a space and menu! Very cozy atmosphere and very good bites read more
Recommend: Thai Teani (martini), Ume Yuzu (plum wine) The experience here does not compare to Tomi Jazz, but if you don't want to wait in a long line, or simply want to experience another of Midtown's Japanese-inspired jazz bars, then give this place a try. I went on a Friday night, live jazz starts around 7:30p. I ordered a few drinks, including the ones I recommended above. Food is okay, but pricey for the portion size. When the place gets packed, it gets very loud and service is noticeably slower for everyone. The jazz band was good, but when they took a break they went up to every table to ask for tips/donations. I usually tip on my own accord, but would have appreciated not having my meal/conversations interrupted. Overall not the worst experience, but not a first choice considering the other jazz bars in the area. read more
4 months ago
Great spot for a cocktail and live music. The group we saw were freaking amazing! Get there early it gets packed! read more
The ambience is great, the jazz is great, the lychee beer and tako wasabi is great...but the crying tiger steak is terrible. I ordered a medium rare and received a rare steak, the nam jim jeaw was straight-up just too sweet, the steak was filled with so many inedible fatty parts, and the kicker is that the website lists it as $32 but the QR code menu lists it as $45. I assumed the QR code would just lead to the website so I ended up thinking it was $13 less than it actually was and overpaid for a very disappointing meal. No Work Allowed needs to fix this admin issue to refrain from misleading customers. read more
2 months ago
Food is just ok but the vibes are definitely here! Given that the space is pretty tight/small, make sure to go early so you can decide how close to the performers you want to be. Service is definitely slow as they cater to many tables and get really busy. Took multiple asks to just get some napkins. It does get pretty loud so it will be hard to talk here. Just come here to enjoy the vibes! read more
Right on East 53rd St, this place is a great addition to "restaurant row" here. It's a Thai-Japanese fusion Izakaya and the food is solid. How it works - we came on a Friday and it seemed like people ate in waves. That's because they have live jazz (there was a saxophonist, bassist and pianist when we went), and they play in 45-60 minute sets. There's a minimum spend of $15 per person for each set. But that includes food or drinks. So you can spend the whole night here if you want by getting one drink per set. Not bad at all. Food is solid as well. We really enjoyed the flavors of everything, especially the scallops and the noodles. Some dishes have a nice southeast Asian flare to them, like the noodles which were slightly spicy. The only thing that was a little too salty was the grilled mackerel (or whatever fish it was). We left after 1 set but will come back again read more
New basement jazz bar in Midtown East. Very cute and cozy vibes inside. Perfect for our girls night. Loved the music too. There was basically no line when we went at 7:30pm on a Friday night (unlike its neighbor Tomi Jazz). We were let in to the bar immediately and then got seated shortly after, within 15-20 minutes I'd say. Honestly felt like I got the Tomi Jazz experience from here lol. Their drinks were sooo good. We got the Ume Yuzu and Thai Teani, and both drinks were delicious. We also got the bone-in Karage, truffle fries, crying tiger, and mentaiko pasta. Food was good, a little pricey and small portions. I liked the crying tiger the most. Definitely better for their drinks. However, their service is horribly slow. We asked 3 times for ketchup and they still didn't give it to us, until I had to very aggressively requested the waitress to get us ketchup the last 4th time. They also took forever to give us our check, we had to ask for the check 3 times too. The inside is small and cute, but it's freezing. They definitely need more heaters. Overall, food & drinks & vibes & music were great! We all had a great time. But service definitely needs improvement. read more
What an adorable, charming, intimate jazz bar. There are a few tables and bar seats, then the band. It's dimly lit and perfect for a date night or a fun girls night. The band was wonderful, and the Japanese menu was a charming contrast. read more
Got lost and stumbled across here-- very glad we found it! You have to walk down a flight of stairs, so it can be easy to miss from the street. We did not have a reservation, but we came early on a Monday night. They have an interesting menu and I definitely would like to come back to try more. They have a $15/person minimum and a ~75 min maximum on Fridays and Saturdays. Their fried squid with salted egg dip was absolutely delicious. Their salmon curry pasta was also scrumptious, and a little spicy. They are very attentive with their service, but respectful to not interrupt the jazz trio. Super cool spot and go to the restroom for a surprise... read more
No Work Allowed is a "Japanese izakaya with a Northeastern Thai twist" that offers dinner, live jazz music, small plates, cocktails, and a great time. Live jazz starts at 7pm (Tuesdays through Fridays) and 5:30pm on Saturdays. I highly recommend the Ume Yuzu (8.9/10): This is a shochu based cocktail (Japanese distilled spirit) with plum wine, yuzu liquor, yuzu puree, lime juice, and seltzer. I LOVED this drink. Honestly one of my favorite cocktails that I have had in NYC. If I had to describe this drink in one word, it would be "refreshing." The plum wine adds a nice sweetness to the bright tangy flavor of the lime juice and yuzu. It also is a great sweetness level (especially since I like my cocktails on the fruitier/sweeter side). Highly recommend!! This place is located right next to the very popular Tomi Jazz so if the line for Tomi is looking a little too long, I promise you won't regret popping into here! read more
1 year ago
This hidden gem was absolutely amazing! Everything was SO fresh and flavorful! Their menu is very unique- we went when they were also collaborating with Public Village. Highly recommend checking them out! They also have live jazz music Tues-Sat! Service was top tier! read more
1 year ago
Came around 6:30 on a thursday and it was pretty empty but filled up later. The drinks were good but not great but the food was better. The scallop ceviche was very fresh and light. And the chili garlic pasta was the most flavorful. The crab fried rice and pad thai were good too. Service was a little on the slower side but ambiance and vibe were good with the jazz and decor read more
8 months ago
This place would be 4 stars, but the portion was very underwhelming. I got an entree with an app split amongst others, and I was still hungry after. I would say my dish was very good (slightly saltier than I would have liked, but it grew on me the more I ate). Service was good, and it was a cool place to be with jazz playing nearby. Don't come here if you want to talk very much! Come if you want to just enjoy some music! Order lots too. read more
This place truly is a gem! We got seated and got a pear tonic and pineapple prik glua to start the night. I decided to try something new and got the raw octopus and it took me by surprise! If you're not into wasabi or ginger- it might not the dish for you, but if you are- this is definitely refreshing and delightful! I love a good truffle fry and if they sprinkled more truffle seasoning- it woulda been even better!!! The pasta was evenly coated in a thick sweet creamy curry sauce and the salmon piece was HUGE!! Definitely worth the price and to top the night off, there was live jazz music playing too!! The vibes were amazing and it definitely had me forgetting about the stress of work on a Tuesday night! read more
6 months ago
This was such an incredible dining experience and I'm so glad we were able to check it out. My friends and I were originally planning to dine at Tomi Jazz, but after seeing the line to get in we decided to try No Work Allowed instead, and I'm so glad we did! The staff told us that it might be a ~45 minute wait for a table, but after only a few minutes, one magically opened up for us! The seating arrangement in this restaurant is a bit strange... there's essentially a long hallway where tables are placed at, and then a spot in the back that is a bit more private but doesn't have a view of the live music. We were seated just a couple tables away from the band, which we preferred. The live music was incredible and went on during our entire hour-long stay. There is a table minimum, so we ordered some drinks and food which was also amazing. Each thing we tried here - the sweet potato tempura, shrimp pad thai, and krapow moo kai dao - was delicious and jam packed with flavor, but the standout dish that I'd come back for again was the krapow moo kai dao. I'd highly recommend this place for both the food and the jazz! You really can't go wrong here. read more
3 months ago
went solo traveling to nyc and stumbled across this little gem. love the vibes here and the food is amazing. staff was super welcoming and of course i had to make friends with everyone highly recommend the crying tiger steak!! would love to come back here when i get the chance :) best night in nyc for sure! read more
For your Jazz fix right next to Tomi Jazz, except without the crippling long line. This was a fun find, just make sure to be there early as it is a very small place and they don't have a lot of seating. If you're here to eat make sure you're ready to shout at your dining companion it IS LOUD But the food is good for a jazz place, they have Asian American fare and happens to be great, if only a bit overpriced. Worth it for the vibes imo This is definitely way more casual than Tomi next door but works the same, no reservations, only walk ins read more
2 years ago
They just don't want you to be there. What kind of bar would kick people out within an hour when you ordered both drinks and main dishes. Literally after 45 mins, right after my last bite of food, they came took the food away and put down the bill without saying anything. Not even trying to ask if you need something else or "are you done with it". The thing is we were still drinking and the cup is still more than half full. And the staff kept staring at us and wanted us to pay and go. The line outside weren't even long when we left. Giving it 1 star just because the musicians are cool. read more
Cute hole in the wall, very cozy. Easy to miss when you're walking by but a welcome spot when you get tired of waiting in line for a certain place next door lol. Friendly and welcoming. It seems the bartender was new and didnt seem familiar with our drink but it came out amazing. The Thaitini, which had Thai tea, and I think some type of rum, and a little citrus, was SO good. We didn't get food because we had made reservations elsewhere, but would definitely come back for food here. A very cute place for hanging with friends or date night. read more
1 year ago
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2 years ago
So so cute and a perfect spot for a date night or just an intimate hang out! It's pretty much a carbon copy of Tomi Jazz, just without the long wait (hopefully it stays that way :)). The place is below ground and requires you to go down some steps in order to get to it (the front door isn't super noticeable). We got the mackerel pasta for food and it was amazing, packed with both sour and spicy flavors. The drinks were super refreshing as well, don't remember the name exactly off the top of my head but the yuzu one was really good. The place encourages (not sure if it's enforced though tbh) a minimum spend on food/drink of $15 per person per jazz set. Each jazz set is about 1.5 hours long from start to finish I believe. You are not obligated to stay the entire time though, they seat you whenever there is an available table even if it's in the middle of a set and also allow you to get up and leave whenever. The jazz musicians have an appreciated tipping culture as well! read more
6 months ago
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1 year ago
Perry is sooooo amazing!!! We will absolutely be coming back. Came here on my birthday and I fell in love!!!! Come here if you want to have an amazing time with amazing people. read more
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