The best part about the bar is the music! Dancing there was so much fun. However, the DJ was extremely rude. I requested a song and he played it 30 minutes later. Then, I requested another song and he gave me a piece of paper with an app and told me to leave his space. I did not appreciate that one bit. It's a shame because he played some great music. It's the place you come to for a low key, fun night. read more

Oh Solas....how decieving thou art Solas!!! Came here for what i thought was a cut and dry B-day party at a local Americana Bar...only to walk into a 4 room and second level venue with Cuties galore and not to mention surprisingly cheap drinks..... I bumped into the elusive MIA there which caused a rather loud shrek-a-thon cuz haven't seen this girl in EONS... All in all will definitely come back to this place..... read more

Time and time again, Kevin has come through for me and the AMBW group. Andrew, the bartender, has also been amazing. Happy Hour prices are amongst the best in the city and the upstairs space provides privacy unlike any other bar. To all the reviews that claim racism it is an absurd and baseless accusation. AMBW will continue to hold parties here. Thank you Solas!! read more

Another bar that holds a special place in my heart, for reasons unspecified. The drinks were expensive, but strong enough to make up for it. My vodka and diet coke was literally clear. I'm going to say it was 90% vodka and 10% d.coke and ice. Just how I like my $7 drinks. My friend and I ventured upstairs, not knowing it had been rented out for a party. At any rate, we stayed and ended up talking to some people up there. Good mix of people the few nights I've been there. Good music to dance to downstairs. There's a good division between the dancing area and the bar... so good that it almost seems like 2 separate establishments. It's nice to have the best of both nightlife worlds under 1 roof. There was a leak by the bar last time I was there. Is it still there? read more

This is a great place to go to when you want to be in the East Village but not - meaning, when you find yourself smack in the middle of the village coming straight from work and still in a suit. You can run here for cover. This place is pretty spacious, made up of a hiphop room, 80's/pub room, and a laid back lounge upstairs. This place proves that people with differences can infact coexist under one roof - and that's hot. Of the few times I've been here, it's also never too packed, so if you have a crowd of wandering friends, consider dropping by here. read more

We entered expecting to find the usual bar-scene of St. Marks; packed to the gills, please make yourself at home by hanging out against that wall....Nope. This bar is a Mary Poppins bag; a side door will reveal a complete and sparce seating area; upstairs there is yet another lounging area with a bar, and another curtain-covered room with lots of couches and space to chill (This is the 80's room, and the only one where you can dance in) it IS super packed, shoulder to shoulder, but this bar is a great place to get drunk, mingle, and lounge around with friends. The music downstairs needs some reworking, but other than that, it's all fours. read more

This was the third bar I went to while bar hopping. Drinks were cheap and good. The bartender was awesome! Good company, good vibe, good drinks, what more could you ask for? read more

3.5 stars. Good times. $4 happy hour til 8pm is quite awesome. Drinks are nothing special, but they are decent. Bartenders are surprisingly friendly and don't give you side-eye for ordering extra drinks at 7:55pm (Tacky, I know. Sorry). We went upstairs for their comedy show, which appears to be a weekly thing. They section off the back room and bring up amateur performers entertain the group. When we got there, it was a small crowd that was pretty much all dudes. Being one of the few girls, I was getting more attention than necessary, but whatevs. The performers did a pretty good job, I could tell they were really trying to get the crowd going. We had a fun time. We didn't stay for much longer after the show, but I'd go back and check out the dancing scene. read more

I came here on Sukkot, distressed that I couldn't get a rainbow cookie and mini-hamantashen at Moishe's. I only live here three months a year and no WLA Jewish delis carry them. I suppose you can get them around Fairfax, but I'm not driving 30 minutes in traffic for a cookie. My primary residence, Santa Barbara, has no Jewish deli. This is not hyperbole: we have not a single restaurant, bakery or cafe which serves any cuisine remotely Jewish. Gelson's sells challah on Fridays (so does the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on De La Vina, which is truly weird). And Gelson's has an okay matzoh ball soup (Nana's), located by the Wolfgang Puck salads. Also weird. Arlington Tavern (fine dining) has a great chopped liver appetizer, but that's a restaurant. The lox at Gelson's is excellent but about 28/pound. We do have Norton's, a pastrami place everyone worships, but since I could not care less about pastrami, this helps me not at all. I've missed Moishe's two trips in a row and was so disappointed to see it dark inside with a sign on the door: "Closed for the holiday." This perplexed me, as I couldn't understand why kosher Jews would care overmuch about Columbus day, not to mention the fact that it was two days before the holiday. Three days off for Columbus Day struck me as overkill, but an urgent care in Tudor City was closed Sunday and Monday two years ago when I had a cold I believed to be a sinus infection (go antibiotics!), so I thought maybe New Yorkers are more into this holiday than Angelenos or SB people. Paul, the bartender from Dublin, was the one who told me. He lives in Brooklyn and thus up on his Jewish holidays. I am Jewish but don't celebrate any holidays except Christmas (a Christmas tree Jew all my life) and forgot it was Sukkot. Crestfallen, I made my way to the Astor Place subway to catch the 6 uptown and saw the sign for happy hour margaritas at 4 bucks and figured why not? I am SO glad I did. Paul is a great bartender: he makes strong delicious drinks and has a wonderful personality. I ended up having three. The first was a bit heavy on ice so it was more like 2.5 drinks and perfect pre-workout. I think "Just Do It" is an okay workout slogan, but having a drink makes you much more likely to want to "do it." I am hanging out more and more in the East Village and plan to return. I didn't know there was a back area where people dance. It was early when I went, about 4:30PM I think, though maybe it was 5. It wasn't loud at all, but I'm sure it gets loud later. read more

Ladies and gents come visit Solas, a fine nightlife spot that has something for everyone. One room of the club totin' a fairly sized bar and tables for those who wish to converse while sipping drinks, and the other room of the club set up lounge style, along with dance space and booths for the folks wishing to mingle in this type of setting. Can't complain about the service. With two bars to choose from, bartenders are usually quick to make drinks. On more laid-back nights, servers come around to take orders. And yes, though I've only been here twice, ladies the rumors I heard were true - we are bound to meet guys, good looking ones at that. The ratio is in our favor. Don't fret boys, I have seen many-a-pretty lady on the nights I have been here. 'Nuff said. read more

Visit the happy hour here from 4-8PM. (I went on a Friday). $4 draft beers (Guinness included) and sangria. I wouldn't recommend the Sangria though, but $4 Guinness!! It's a nice little place, there wasn't a crowd when I went which is a plus for me because you can actually hear your conversation with your friends. =) read more

I don't normally review bars because I think a person's experience at a bar really depends on who they are with and how they interact with the other people in the bar. With that being said, I like Solas. The bartender that I normally see (shaved head) is always friendly and accommodating. Also, the happy hour deals are great ($3 drafts - including Guiness and Bass). The downstairs might be a little cramped when it's busy, but the upstairs is pretty spacious. read more

This is an average club/lounge in NY. The inside is nice, with 4 different rooms to choose from. I personally think they play the best music in the bar room/upstairs, but they have the most room in the top 40 room. Drinks are whatever, but that isn't what i go here for. i mainly go here to dance because the dance floor is huge and no one here really dances. I like the fact i can always tangibly feel the jealously and hate in the room from other males cuz they have no rhtyhm and their women are staring hard. Pretty much this has occured 100% of the times i've been here. The DJ is probably pretty good when he doesn't have to cater to the top 40 crowd. When we get down he will always sneak in some tracks that generally are not heard in a place like this. Like a Eric B and Rakim, Afrika Bambatta, or a hard funk cut. I remember once i was rocking an Oakland A's jersey and he threw on 93' Til Infinity. Props man props. read more

Stumbled in here one Friday night, completely underdressed but ready to have a good time. And I did. Fun crowd, fun music, fun times. I'll be back. No cover charge! read more

Great place to lounge or dance with groups. Try not to bring too much stuff with you. There is no room to keep your belongings, and it gets really crowded. read more

I love this place. No cover. Drinks are very reasonable. Crowd is casual 20s looking to have some fun. Excellent place to go with a group of friends if you want some no hassle drinking, dancing, and mingling on a Friday or Saturday night! There are three separate areas: bar area downstairs, more seating and another bar upstairs, and a dance floor with a dj (with another bar). The place does fill up, but there is still space to move around. My only reservation is that there does tend to be an array of "sketchy" male characters around the dance floor, but let's be real, that's hard to avoid. Definitely a reliable spot. Always have a good time. read more

This is a very easy-going upscale and non-pretentious neighborhood bar. I found that Bull Mcabe's was charing $15 for an Irish Cars (can't say the rest because I'm at work) and when asked why? They said, "Well it's because it's Saint Patty's day baby!" Well- I'll tell you what Bull Mcabes... screw you. So I came here and it wasn't much different in terms of pricing but it wasn't outrageous. The people were very cool in the bar/club area. The bartender was awesome. However, I have a gripe with the guy. I usually tip $1 per drink/shot no matter what. I think that's a fair amount and a standard amount as I have been to countless bars. So I put all the drinks on the bill and then per drink I tipped $1 cash. I had a total of 6 shots. I tipped $8 in cash. I also offered to buy the bartender a shot but he declined which is fine. At the end- when I paid for my tab- I put down the tip as "CASH" which at this point I already tipped $8 for 6 drinks. I saw that I had an extra dollar left over and I decided to just throw that in the pot of tips as well, which were already collected from each shot/drink I ordered. So- I guess I confused the bartender that I only tipped him $1 on a $44 tab? Then he gave my girlfriend attitude questioning that move. I guess he must have been drinking because he forgot the $8 in tips I gave him earlier (within 30 minutes). I supposed the misunderstanding came when I gave him my left-over dollar and he misunderstood it as the tip? Whatever- that ruined my night and I'm still bitter about it on Monday (this happened Saturday night/Sunday morning for St. Patty's day). Really bothered me. Still does. Cool place though. I would def go back. I would give it 3.5 stars because of my tipping experience. I'll round up to 4 stars instead of 3 though. I'll definitely be back and this time make sure that the tip is in credit so that the place doesn't falsely accuse me of being cheap. Great place to dance. 4/5 for Atmosphere 4/5 for Pricing 2/5 for Experience on my tipping behavior 5/5 for their non-pretentiousness (Maybe because it was St. Patty's but I'll re-try this theory) 3.5/5 for overall experience BUT I'll round up because I liked the place a lot more. read more

I like this place because I'm not a big fan of most clubs. This place has a room that reminds me of a frat house basement - but it's great for dancing. It also has a room with a traditional bar, and another room, upstairs, which is more lounge-y. Each room has different music and a different vibe - and each room also has its own bar. It's nice to be able to leave the dance floor to just chill at a regular bar without having to step outside. The drinks are reasonably priced too. Only downside? This place can get PACKED on the weekend, and the crowd can be a strange mix. read more

This is what you call the hidden gem. Most times it is somewhere that gets overlooked due to being a street before St. Marks line of food and bars. But give this place a shot; It is an easy meeting spot for events and they try their best to accommodate their customers. I came here twice for the the Play All Gaming event and both times I was pleased with the service. Johnny is an amazing Bartender that can hold a great conversation. Additionally he is also very good at making his drinks without the fuss of skimming on the liquor. I suggest the Honey Sidecar; but ask him what his specialty is. He might be able to whip up a storm of a good time for you. read more

I went here for a birthday party recently and it was alright. The space was big enough and it wasn't as if everyone was on top of each other. It seems like they have at least 2 different djs going on upstairs and downstairs which was great...at first. I starting moving around and heard Katy Perry's Firework about 4 times within 20 minutes. Its like i left one room and it would start up and then travel to another and it would be ending or starting or in the middle. Maybe they thought people didn't shift from spot to spot, and they wouldn't notice.Soon it seemed like they had about 5-6 songs on rotate. I just left then. Drinks were alright but I didn't pay so I don't know about pricing. It's not the worst or best place, but I certainly don't think you'll be sharing any "wild night at Solas" stories. read more

Atmosphere - 7/10 Drinks - 6/10 The happy hours here are great, but marks go down for the outrageous prices at night ($16 a drink). No cover, 2 floors of fun, and a large club dance floor separate from the bar/lounge area. I've been to better club/lounges but this is probably the best one you'll find in East Village. Can get really crowded at night, girl/guy ratio is pretty even read more

The best bar in the East Village! Always a great time. There's always something fun going on during the week. Tango on Sundays or Salsa Wednesday's are two of my favorite nights. The weekends are always fun and draw in a good crowd. There's a variety of DJ's and 3 different rooms to choose from, you can dance in the club room have a private party upstairs or just hang out and mingle and the Main Bar. read more

Solas - Hanging out at Solas on Monday - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Came on a weekday. It was blah. Salsa next door was cool. $8 to get in. Many different ethnicities dancing salsa I love it! Also different age range! Salsa songs were classic big hits salsa hits and also modern contemporary new salsa songs. Im deff. coming back for that! read more

Fun place to grab a drink and dance with a couple of friends at the end of a night. The place has a lot is sections that I had no idea about but I keep to the downstairs part and always have a fun night read more

Came here while waiting for our reservation to robataya (which is across the street) and had a few drinks. Pretty cheap- $4 for stella drafts. It's a chill bar. I heard at night the room next door turns into a club. I'd def come back to check it out! read more

Was here a few nights ago for some drinks. It was pretty empty on the first floor but tunes were going on. I liked the dim lighting and relaxed vibe but man the bartenders basically just dumped alcohol into the cocktails to make them undrinkable. I define a good cocktail as one where it's blended so well the alcohol is seductive not overpowering. At $11 a drink, what a waste =( There is also practically no table seating on the first floor - just stools- so if you have a large group like we did, standing for a while got old. read more

This review is for the happy hour..... The Sangria is pretty good. A little sweet. The mojitos are horrible. There all lime juice. We watched the bartender make the margaritas, it's more triple sec than tequilla & way to much ice so really theres barely any cocktail in it. The bartender (who I wasn't a fan of) did make the jack and coke really strong. I asked for a drink a certain way, he made it , then made a point to tell me that it's the wrong way. Hey thanks, I know that. I BARTEND. I just prefer it that way. The music was cool, it's dimly lit, it's inexpensive. it was a nice place to stop in to with my boyfriend for a few drinks. We'd come back if we were in the area, but I'd stick w/ the sangria if your ordering off happy hour read more

I never got into Solas, so why and how am I even reviewing this place??? Well, I had an experience with one of the bouncers who was a complete ignorant a-hole. Came here around midnight on Sunday morning with a group of 12 people. One of the guys in the group was feeling a bit nice, so he was just getting the line pumped up to go into Solas. When it was our turn to get in, the bouncer said "Sorry. We are only taking private parties". I got a little bit upset because the bastard was obviously lying and he didn't let us in because he thought my group was going to be a problem sort of speak. read more

This place reminds me of old NYC bars. Great place to have drinks & and fun events happening all the time. The bartenders are friendly and get the drinks quickly. Bumped into Simeon several times and he makes a great refreshing mojito and old-fashion!!! My favorite place to just chill and have a drink. Also, ran into some great regulars that visit and some celebrities too! Overall, fun friendly place with an amazing staff. read more

Solas - The full bar downstairs - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Solas is a great place to have a great night or have a private event! We had a private event here and the bartender really took care of us, and the drinks were great. I'd come again and again! read more

In writing this review, I was torn about what to rate it. This place has a lot going for it...but at the same time, has a lot that, well, sucks. In the end, I opted for a 3: entrance: not a huge line on a fri night, and no cover which is always a plus. no hassle at the door. inside: the first room you'll be led to is a loungey/club type area. As soon as I walked in, I realized the music would be pretty good; a lot of new rap /techno mixes. However, after moving out of this main room, I quickly found that the place was way too overcrowded. The secondary room had another bar and different music,which was a plus. Actually GETTING to the bar was a different story. There was another area upstairs, which was a plus. Actually walking around took like 20 mins, which again was a downer. Overall, the music in all the rooms was pretty decent. However, we wound up not staying too long due to the overcrowdedness of it all. If you come with a group and can set up shop in a specific area near the bar, then you will probably have a good time. Otherwise, it'll be a pain to walk around anywhere; still, the place gets a solid 3. read more

I want to give this 2.5 stars. I went there last night and the best way to describe my experience is to say that I kept expecting more. My friend sitting next to me says I need to elaborate more about what this means, "because you were actually walking around the bar about 500 times expecting there to be more bar." I know the reviews said it was tiny, but talking about the different floors made me expect.....more. FTR, I read about 500 reviews before going. I love places that are both lounge and dancing. I danced, did my thang. The music was like not great. I love pop music MORE than the next person but something about it just wasn't great (maybe just add in some 90's every now and then to pump up the crowd?) I drank absolut and club soda and they were $8 each. normz. Basically, I feel like I would go back if someone I was meeting up with was there, but I would never suggest that we go there. read more

The first time I came here, I was not at all impressed. My friends were super drunk, the dance floor was way too crowded, I felt that drinks were overpriced, and to top it off, we were being hit on by creepers right and left. It was as though every single time I turned around there was new, unwanted attention on us, AND the music was not the best. The second time around, Solas mildly redeemed itself. We went a bit earlier so it was not as crowded as last time. There was no cover, which was AWESOME, and there was a $3 coat check - though not mandatory. I sort of just threw my stuff behind a table. The drinks were the same as the last time, a bit over priced, but the music was SO much better. We had barely any creepers tailing us, and overall it was a much more enjoyable experience than last time. My only complaint was that I went to the DJ multiple times to request songs, however each time I was met with, I cannot play that song in this hour, or I do not know that song. All of these songs were top forty songs that every DJ should know, so I was a bit confused by that. I may go back again, but it's definitely not my first choice. I'd say go with a group, however there's no telling how crowded it'll be. read more

My friends and I happened across this bar while wandering the neighborhood one chilly night. The bouncers were friendly (I know, this seems like an oxymoron), and gave us a little bit of hard time since our IDs all said California, but they were cool. Once inside, we explored the three-room bar. The main room is long and thin with a bar down the side and some seating scattered around. Through a curtain, next door was more of a dance floor room with another bar, which we stayed out of cause the music was too loud. Upstairs was a more lounge-y bar area that had some cool seating. Probably would have hung out here but it was super crowded. We grabbed some seats at the bar in the main room, where we had a good, fairly attentive bartender who really did seem to be working hard. He poured generously for everyone, and bounced around between making drinks and playing DJ on iTunes on his laptop. Drinks were a decent price, especially for it being Manhattan. Overall, we had a good time here. Nothing fantastic, but it entertained us for a few hours. read more

If you happen to come into this place while a DJ named Jamal is working the tables, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! Not only will he play bad hip hop, he will be a complete a**hole to you when you try to liven up the dance floor with a request. So what if I want you to play Ciara and do a little 1, 2 Step? Is that such a crime?! Aside from that, Solas is pretty reliable. It's got plenty of space, so anyone can find a place to chill whether they want to drink, talk or dance. I'm all about the dancing. I would suggest starting off at Solas or stopping by on your nightly crawl before you end up at that real good spot. Solas is good, but there's definitely better stuff out there. It's also a wonderful meeting place for the Yelpers Book Group. The big round booth in the back corner is perfect for mulling over the latest read with fellow Yelpers. Plus, there's that fantastic happy hour! $3 beers and $4 sangrias, anyone? read more

I'll supplement this review soon enough, but probably my favorite bar of the 8-10 I went to last weekend in my first bar-hopping weekend in NYC ever. Good music, Irish bartenders, and 2 different cute lesbian couples making out at the bar. And no one bothering anyone else. Can you ask for anything more? read more

This place has always been my go to spot if I'm ever in the area for a chill and fun evening. Sometimes it's a hit or a miss depending on the occasion and day. Like everyone says - drinks are not expensive. The music is good most of the time. Last time I went they were playing top 40 and mix in 90s hits. It was weird but fun at the same time. Too bad they don't take special requests. I think my only con about this place is the fact that the dance floor side (the right side of the lounge/club) gets super crowded - like really really crowded. My friends and I were dancing toward the exit door and it was still too crowded. However, I love this place. So if I'm ever in the area I will definitely hit up Solas. ~happy clubbing! read more

I'm going to preface this by saying: I was here on a Friday night after a long day at work and I am more into a dive bar kind of place than a pseudo-club atmosphere. I felt like I was supposed to feel like I was at a club (the music was too loud, everyone was wearing tight, slutty clothes) but it was just a mediocre bar. Also there was a lot of space but it didn't seem utilized too well...So so many people all cramped into one space = not something I am into. read more

I came here twice over the past couple of months. Once for a birthday party, and the other times with Lydia. The average of my experience was...well, pretty average. As explained by many reviews, the place has three main area. Two downstairs, and one upstairs. I wouldn't call it spacious, but there are room to move around. The drinks are decent but not spectacular. I really enjoy the vibe and decor of this place. They have separate music systems in each room, which is nice. When I walked in to the dance room, it was packed. However, I noticed that not a lot of people were dancing. After listening to a couple tracks, I figured out why. It is around 1:30am or something and it is about time to unleash some club bangers (old or new). However, the DJ seems to be just playing random slow songs mixed with decent techno. The mix did not work well to get people going. The DJ at this place needs to be more consistent. I really enjoy coming here, if the music is better, this will be my favorite bar place in east village. Until then, 3 stars for now. read more

I was at Solas for my sister's and her best friend's birthday on Saturday, July 9th. It was ultimately a horrible experience. While I understand that we only reserved the room until a certain hour, there is a professional way to ask a group to leave - and you and your employees did the opposite. It ultimately comes down to the fact that the bouncers and even the bar manager became aggressive with not only the men in our group but also the girls. read more