While the bar is generally a chill place to hang out at, the obnoxious 37 year-old on a power trip at the door is utterly intolerable. I understand that it's NYC and sometimes you have to wait outside in line for a bit, but this guy epitomizes the former self-loathing closet-case turned judgmental douchebag. I never knew you could have someone so old being so caught up in the middle-schoolish drama of selecting all of the 'hot' people to get into the bar before everyone else. Give me a break. It's the Phoenix for god's sake. A word to the wise: No one cares who you are or perceives you as having the power to get them into your bar. People just want to drink and relax. You only do yourself and your establishment a disfavor by being such an ass. Chill out already. P.S. In my experience, every douchebag at a door deciding who gets in and who has to wait has been pretty well put together. Showering before starting work would be a positive first step in the right direction for you. Thanks. read more

Love this place, haven't been in a few months but I used to go a few times a week. Great place to go with friends for a few drinks or to play some pool, owner is a sweetheart! read more

i wouldn't go as far to call this place a "dive" bar - maybe thats a term used to distinguish it from other gay bars in the east village, which i would relatively describe as "skanky" (boys room/urge) or "scene-y" (eastern bloc/mr black). in any event, i like the reasonably-priced draught beers/drinks, the nice bartenders and the rarely-long wait for the bar. be careful, as the crowd fluctuates unpredictably and hourly. recommended for a more chill nite (relative, that is). read more

Phoenix is the ultimate gay dive bar. It's fantastic, and cheap! Great layout. Not the best for having a nice chat, but great place to just hang out and meet new guys. read more

I've been here a couple of times, and I think the magic is finding the right day to go. I've been on a Tuesday when it was dead and a Friday, where we could barely find a seat. Still, cozy atmosphere with a pool in the back of the main room and a separate room to the left of the entrance for private shows or just more privacy. Drinks were inexpensive also. read more

This place is chill and relaxed. One could say chillaxed but no, it is definitely not chillaxed. There's a pool table in the back for those macho queens (or hustler queens) and for the rest of us there's... beer. But seriously it's a good place to grab a drink and hang with some friends before heading home, or before starting the rest of the night. I haven't been in a long while but I hope it's still living up to my fond memories! read more

This place was dark and empty. The bartender was super friendly but the drinks were on the weak side. The lounge area was super creeps. It would have probably been more fun if we had been a lot drunker. read more

Phoenix seems to have gone downhill. It used to be a fun crowd, but Friday nights are waaaay too white for my taste. I won't be back unless they hire a new promoter or something read more

I went tonight because some performers I'm friends with had a Queer performance night at this place. Had never heard of the place before until yesterday. Didn't even know it was a gay bar (mind you... I just moved to NYC a couple of months back). The place is your typical bar... you couldn't tell it was a gay spot from looking at it... rather it's quite normal. The music wasn't loud enough to not be able to speak and hear what people are almost shouting at you, the selection was indeed commendable and in general the experience and atmosphere were both rather enjoyable. The bathroom was well lit and clean. It does have graffiti all over but really, can the owner control such behavior (plus some of the stuff was hilarious). My only gripe was the following. When I came in, I ordered a Heineken from one of the two bartenders, who was indeed very nice and friendly! I came back, another one took my order for 3 beers (the cheap $2 cans they have, wasn't Bud...), I came back, ordered another lonely beer from the same bartender again and paid cash all these times. When I finally decided to buy a proper drink (a Black Russian) the bartender flat out tells me he doesn't make those. I asked for a Vodka Cranberry instead, he stays quiet and then tells me: "You stiffed me!". I'm thinking maybe I somehow didn't pay him in full the past orders or something ($2 dollar beers in NYC are hard to come by nowadays) so I politely ask if I did so, but he then replies "You didn't tip me, so I won't serve you anymore drinks" and gives me a sea of attitude to boot and just leaves to take care of another customer. At this point, I got very upset. I was going to tip him before leaving. My gripe with all this is serving me 4 cans of cheap beer hardly represents anything skillful or anything other than basic bartender work. You serve me up a drink worthy of admiration and I'll be your most loyal admirer and advocate and of course TIP YOU ACCORDINGLY. But I found this extremely disrespectful and totally uncalled for. I don't care what people say, that this is NYC or whatever, in my world tips are EARNED. you have to prove to me that you deserve that extra or else you won't get it because you don't deserve it, plain and simple. After this incident I left the place. It's a shame, because aside from that incident, I had one hell of a great time there! The atmosphere was top notch. But that I guess, depends on your company. read more

Worst Mardi Gras ever! Unfriendly bartenders, seemingly fearful of new people. I wil never grace this place again!

Now that I'm finally exploring outside my shell that is Hell's Kitchen, I must say, the East Village hasn't been what I expected at all. I really liked the Phoenix. It is nice to see a relaxing and laidback setting, a large open room with people chatting and mingling, no pressure, not pretense. My friend Eric tells me that it smelt of sewage and poop the last few times he came here, and the staff were in denial about it, but it did not this time, thankfully; otherwise, I doubt it would have got more than a star form me. Eric P., thanks for recommending this place! read more

Probably my favorite gay bar in NY. It has a neighborhood feel. It's unpretentious and friendly. The drinks aren't overpriced. The jukebox is fab. There's a great mix of "pretty people" and "normal people". $1 beer night on Wednesday is recommended. Warning that it's a dive. Sometimes it smells funny. And, while I've seen less appealing bathrooms in NY bars, the bathrooms are ... well ... kinda gross. read more

Girls...beware of this place. I am serious...do not come here. I understand that this is a gay bar, but my bf, his uncle (who lives in the city and is gay) and I came here after having a few drinks at other bars nearby. At first, everything was fine. We were keeping to ourselves, having a few beers before heading back home, and talking to a very nice local (who seems to frequent the bar a lot), and then everything went downhill from there. I have never felt so disrespected and discriminated upon for being a woman. I stood by the bar enjoying my time, until an emo looking guy who claimed to be a bartender at this place (he seemed to be off work since he was drinking like everyone else) started insulting me. He started screaming female derogatory terms at me . I'm not going to say the exact words he used, b/c they were highly offensive and don't believe in those kinds of attacks. He wouldn't leave me alone. He told me to get out of his bar. That heterosexuals do not belong here. He said said that girls like me that come from the other parts of the city (I was visiting NY for the first time from California by the way) go to this place as a joke and to prove something. At this point, my bf stepped in, and this 'bartender' (If he is one, deserves to be fired) started insulting my bf. Suddenly, the emo 'bartender' got very upset and threw his drink at us. And guess what: the bartenders that were working that night did NOTHING. And what did the on duty bartenders do when this loser 'bartender' threatened to smash a bottle on my bf's head? NOTHING!! Nobody did anything. We were being harassed for going to a bar and enjoying my bfs uncle's company. I cannot believe that I was attacked and hated the way I was for being a woman. I was being kicked out of this bar by this 'bartender' because of my sexuality and gender. This should never happen to anyone. I was outnumbered by a crowd that did not seem to care about my well being. There are some big egos at this place, and to be honest, its a dump. Believe me, if I lived in NY, I would've never stepped foot in this bar. I would like to point out though, that the nice local that I mentioned earlier in my review was the only person trying to fight off this guy...thank you for your help! read more

Phoenix used to be one of the best gay bars in the city. Warm, friendly, neighborhood fun. But now... Came in with a group of friends tonight, Saturday April 5th. My friend said hello to the bartender then stepped away from the bar for a second. The bartender called him back and told him he ordered a hoegarden, and told him he had to pay for it... My friend doesn't even like hoegarden and certainly didn't order one. But since the bartender was aggressive my friend chose to keep the peace - he paid for a drink he didn't order and tipped the bartender. Next time my friend goes to the bar, the bartender keeps at him about how wrong it was to order a drink and then not own up... Keep in mind the drink has been paid for and the bartender has been tipped at this point... This is just an example of the bar this has become. It used to be a friendly place for gay men to have a drink. Seems like new ownership has ruined it. read more

In my opinion, the Phoenix is the best gay bar in New York. This is why: 1. The drinks are not too expensive 2. The bartenders are mostly friendly 3. It is the most diverse gay crowd (stylistically, racially, and in reference to age) that I've encountered in NYC 4. The jukebox plays actual songs. You will encounter no Cece Peniston industrial house remixes here. But you will find Sugababes! 5. There is a different crowd each night. (Since I live in the neighborhood, I've had weeks where I've dropped by a bit more often than I'd like to admit, and each night, I've encountered entirely different groups of people) 6. If you order a ginger ale and bitters, the bartender who's there on the weekend, who's really healthy looking and energetic will give it to you for free. It won't get you drunk, but people will approach you, look at your big glass of pinkish liquid, and say, "What the fuck are you drinking?" and this way, you meet people. 7. No matter how many times you go there, the doorman will act like he's never met you before and will ask for your ID. After a while this becomes entertaining. 8. You can go to either Muzzarella's or Papa D's afterward for Pizza. Or before and after. Or before, during, and after. Or you can buy pizza, return to the Phoenix, and smush your slice into a beer glass, and stand there like everyone else, as if you're drinking beer. People will also walk up and say, "Why the fuck are you drinking a glass of pizza?" and then you meet new people. 9. After you meet someone new here, instead of saying "Let's go back to my place," you can say, "Let's take a stroll in the park" since the park is so close by. This makes you feel a bit more comfortable, and seem a bit classy. The other person thinks, "This guy is nice. He just wants to get to know me and take a stroll." Once in the park, you can look at the guy under a street light and see if he's actually good-looking, and move on from there. read more

Lame crowed, music is alright, not so loud that u manage to make conversations here. I wouldn't come back again

Sorry, I just don't know what to make of tonight. We got there around 11:30, my friend (white guy) bought us a round (2 tequila+sodas) and was charged $12 total. Second round was on me (person of color), same drinks and I was charged $18. My friend and I talked about this and thought it was odd so for the 3rd round we agreed that he would go to the same, and only, bartender to see if the rate would be different for any reason... it wasn't. He was once again charged $12. So... as a person of color I am accustomed to not only being discriminated against, but also having to question each situation with paranoia, desperately grasping for reasons as to why the perpetrator might have not been biased towards me, like constantly needing to believe that the prejudiced person wasn't actually prejudiced towards me, especially in 2017. I never play the race card first, in fact I often take on the burden of delving for alternative reasons to excuse questionable behavior, but what choice do I have here? I'm honestly devastated over this. A gay bar in NYC, wow :( read more

Don't expect to get in on a Friday or Saturday night unless you're a euro twink. The doorman can be a prick who gives preference to the "regulars" aka dudes he thinks might hookup with him. Otherwise great bar. read more

Sooo i like this place as a nice old fashioned juke box dive becuase honey lets face facts - that's what it IS. Came in on a saturday evening for my birthday. there are 6 whole people here and i put some cash in the juke box... the bouncer comes over to me and warns me that i shouldn't put Too Much money in becuase they have a "DJ" going on at 10pm... ok i think to my self. its too late already put in a couple of dollars. anyways my sections are cut off half way through to accomodate this alleged DJ... WHO THEN PROCEEDS TO JUST RANDOMLY PLAY THE MOST MISMATCHED INCOHERENT STRING OF RANDOM CRAP... which is essentially what was already HAPPENING on the juke box. I feel like this bar owes me three fucking dollars but I'm too proud to ask them for it. They obviously need it a hell of a lot more than I do, as is evidenced by the desperation move of having this farse of a dj come in an put on airs. the saving grace was that the bartender was reasonable enough to give me a shot for my troubles. so good on him! read more

Sunday night $2 domestic beers means Rolling Rock out the wazoo for an extremely minimal cost. This I appreciated. I also appreciated the extremely friendly bartenders, who perhaps only charged me for half of the beers I managed to drink. The crowd was good and totally unassuming, low key, real people, none of the west side Chelsea type suspects. The jukebox is definitely a huge draw, and even though it took about 2 hours for my selections to finally play, everyone before me had made good choices too so I enjoyed listening. Finally, they played The Dark Crystal on the TV at one end of the bar, which pretty much made my night. I LOVE that movie! read more

I decided to give this place a second and third time and it totally grew on me. Probably just caught it on an off night. The staff is polite and attentive. The prices are really reasonable and they take cards! The bar is actually quite nice and warm and the diverse crowd is always changing. Def be coming back. read more

The atmosphere was pretty nice. Cozy without feeling too divey. But, damn, was the bartender nasty. I was nothing but friendly to him and I went when it wasn't busy but he refused to answer any of my reasonable questions and was incredibly short with me. Maybe he was just having a bad day, I don't know, but it definitely killed my mood. read more

Not my cup of tea. I went here on a Friday night. This is definitely more of a place to socialize than a place to dance. The music was on the quiet side - not really loud enough to enjoy or dance to. Nor was the music particularly good. Very crowded (though most of the gay bars in New York are). The host of the Friday night party approached me a few times since I was alone, trying to introduce other guys to me, which I appreciated initially. Later on, once I had been there for a couple hours and was growing tired of the music, he asked me what was wrong - I mentioned that I wasn't really enjoying the music. He seemed very offput by the comment, rather than accepting the candid feedback. I don't think he liked me anymore after that (and I was just crushed emotionally as a result ;-) ). One positive about this bar is that it was a younger crowd. Aside from that, if you're looking for some good music to dance to, try out Hell's Kitchen. But if you do enjoy listening to awkward conversations with the chance of catching the attention of a handsome guy or two, this is the spot to be :-D read more

The night we went, it was great. I was with a few friends for drinks. Nothing fancy, just a low lit, relatively quiet space to have a great conversation, relax and hang. read more

Okay - this is not a dive. I was born and bred in Dublin, Ireland, and I know a good pub like a pig knows truffles. This is the real deal. I live in Los Angeles now, and I crave a bar like this. It's SO NORMAL, and in the same breath, kinda freaky too. The barmen are 'alternative' tattooed guys, very friendly. I'm hitting 45, and look in my latter 30's but if there's a bar I might want to retire beside, this is the one. It's lively, friendly, seriously well run (I saw them pitch out an annoying drunk, and generally look after the place), and there's a great selection of interesting men of all ages - mainly 30's. WOOF! read more

Cheapest happy hour you'll find in Manhattan ($3 wells!). Our bartender Brenda was super friendly and attentive. Great, relaxed atmosphere for an afterwork drink. read more

There's something very pleasant and almost comforting about Phoenix, it's a neighborhood gay bar that feels very chill and isn't pretentious at all. The space is pretty large for an East Village bar, which is nice. The music is mostly good, and the drinks are cheap. read more

I used to come here almost every week with my friends last year and the bartenders and the drag queen that used to work here were AMAZING and we never had a problem. I recently stopped by on a Thursday night and it was just a very bad experience and one that definitely surprised my friends and I. We ordered some drinks and immediately after paying the bartender and getting our drinks, he held out his hand to me and said "Um, you OWE me a tip." excuse me? I OWE you a tip? I don't OWE you anything except the money for the drink! By the way, let me just say I've never NOT tipped a server/bartender and what this moron failed to realize is that I was going to tip him if he would of just given me a second to reach for my damn wallet, but to come over immediately after giving us our drinks and DEMAND a tip - absolutely rude and ridiculous. We had planned on staying for a few hours and opening a tab, but after that we decided to just leave. Needless to say my friends and I were completely turned off by how unprofessional and snotty he was. I definitely won't be returning as long as that bartender is still there. read more

It was not my first time at the Phoenix. But I was there for a month long vacation in October. Most of my friends live in the area and so I was there almost every night. It's dark, music appropriate for what ever mood your in. Drinks are not expensive and the customers are friendly. The staff are great. I read some of the reviews for the Phoenix, I find it funny how many complaint regarding the bathroom or the smell. It is a local bar and it gives that old school East Village bar. One of the bartender I especially give A+, great listener and all around cool guy. Thank you Mr. R read more

Love this place! after the lounge across the street double booked our party, Phoenix welcomed us in with open arms. and even though the DJ was kinda whack we had an awesome time. the bartenders were great, everybody was totally friendly and accommodating. the back room was perfect for our food. Love you phoenix! highly recommended. read more

After a year of being in NYC, this is clearly among the top gay bars in the city ( I haven't been to them all!) First and foremost, Brenda, the multi talented proprietrix is an excellent host. She has organised many fun filled nights ranging from naked twister, super hero costume night , beer pong often accompanied by the right amount of drag queen on the side and more..... Brenda at The Phoenix also cooks up a mean barbecue on a friday eve, great hot dogs, burgers and home made salads (potato is yummy) and all absolutely on the house!. You get a sense here that it is not all about making money but about doing it right!!! On a more serious note, if that is you, the music here is always great and at the weekend the pool table is covered and put to one side to accommodate a very friendly and appreciative crowd. Ages here vary , there is definitely something for everyone. True to say also of the cute and friendly bar staff, a rare commodity in this city where the two don't always go hand in hand. Hired I'm sure for there very special talents We all know bars in the city where the staff are downright rude..THIS IS NOT HERE! Oh, and its a bar so drinks are inexpensive and cocktails hit the spot! GO read more

I went to this bar with three friends of mine the other night. When we were in line, one of the guys that worked at the bar came outside and starting hitting on my male friend. My male friend didn't really respond to him, and I explained to this stranger that my friend is straight. The bar worker then said that he wasn't letting any straight guys into the bar. After that, he looked at my female friend, and said he isn't letting any women into the bar. Then, he looked at all of us, turned to the bouncer, and said that he isn't allowing any Jews into the bar (we all are Jewish and have Jewish features). We were all denied entrance and had to leave. read more

I was here on the night of April 25th (rather, past midnight) and met by a rather rude "bouncer" (a portly, white male wearing a black leather jacket who goes by the name of Michael) he claimed there was a private party happening and would not let a line of about two dozen people in because of this supposed private party. The "bouncer" then warned me that I, a black man, should "take a walk around the 'hood". I'm not quite sure why (he claimed I was being an asshole even though he cursed at me when I joined the line. I used to be a frequent attendee of Phoenix, but to be honest, I believe he is taking out a persona vendetta against me and my friend (perhaps, even the Black community as he is allowing his "regular" white patrons to enter) but blatantly told me, an African-American in line with two other African-Americans that that we would be waiting two hours to get inside. If you are a supporter of any of these communities--A POC or LGBT--then you will join me in boycotting the patronage of this once open and accepting communal place. read more

The Phoenix has great, great music and great service. Frank/ (Hank?) is so so so so sweet and welcoming. The regular scruffy bartender with the dark hair is great. The lady I assume is the new owner is sweet too. The bartender/barback Brendan leaves a bit to be desired. He was at the barstool (I assume off shift) and came over to the jukebox to insult the music I was playing on it (which was Siouxsie and the Banshees, Spinnerette, and The Ramones--only three songs that I paid for) After I ignored the rude comment, he got behind the bar and announced the jukebox was "off for the night.". And proceeded to play Rihanna. This is an East Village dive bar, and it was on a weeknight. I think he may be better suited to a more Top 40 establishment and neighborhood, or should do some research on the neighborhood in which the bar resides. The bar is known for it's good music-- and that has never included the stuff you'd hear any night uptown. read more

not fun. went with friends. boring, below average drinks selection, dj was no good.

pretty happy the bouncer realized this bar wasn't what we were looking for and notified us immediately. that said, we probably would've figured it out quick enough - there was a shirtless little asian guy just hanging out by the bar. read more