This place is a absolutely fabulous. The vibe is amazing and music is so so good!! Everyone is just dancing and having a great time. If you want to go clubbing, I would recommend this place for sure. The frozen watermelon margaritas were so good but also dangerous haha - pretty strong but feels great. I also appreciated the fact that this place did not have any cover charge to enter. read more

Fun local joint with a high energy vibe. Great extended 4-9 HH. Check it out, it's a trip. read more

The Ritz - Partial view of front bar at Ritz - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Where has the? FNL show gone? I really miss it on Friday evening bring it back, cause it was the best drag show in town

They are just as despicable as they've always been. Charging people for drinks that they didn't order. The bartender's exact words were "Your friend should learn how to order a drink". Just because you are too inept to distinguish one order from another doesn't mean others should suffer from your stupidity. If one person orders and then another person orders, why would you assume those two people are on the same tab? And then make the second person pay for a strangers drinks without even an apology? Ritz was closed for taking advantage of innocent people and they should have stayed closed. Also, don't pay attention to these paid 5 star reviews. They are obviously paid to heighten Ritz' star rating. You've been warned!!! read more

I remember way back when The Ritz first opened. It was the coolest, hippest bar in Hells Kitchen. It expanded upstairs. The vibe was fun and we were there several nights every week and especially weekends. RuPaul's Drag Race ruled at least one night a week. The Ritz is not ritzy anymore, and in need of a facelift. The front bar is the only area serving during happy hour, and later during some weeknights. We still managed to have a good time last week as "tourists" but The Ritz is no longer The Place to be. We hope for a shot of botox so it can be true to its neon sign again: F*cking Gorgeous. read more

The Ritz - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Came back to this spot recently after I saw a post on IG that it recently got renovated and is under new ownership. So thankful to the new owners for reviving this great dance spot. My gay bffs and I had the best time ever dancing here recently on the weekend. The happy hour is unreal and the vibes were phenomenal. Can't wait to return again soon. read more

The Ritz - Happy hour menu - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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There are two floors with different music, mostly pop and EDM. Upstairs has two bathrooms and a coat check. Downstairs has an area with stands where drag shows happen. One drag queen was walking around with free shots for IG follows. It was fun and entertaining. There were two dancers at one point. It was annoying to have so much smoke blown in our faces though. read more

Horrible service I felt sexually discriminated because I wasn't a man. They got my drink purposely wrong then when tried to stop hold a conversion the bartender I got told my conversation wasn't good enough wouldn't recommend for a first time read more

Best place to be safe, friendly and drinks are great music is wonderful management is terrific they are always available read more

The Ritz - The Ritz - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Ritz is a vibe!!! Anyone's welcomed regardless of sexual orientation, preference etc. It's a great atmosphere to be in and the drinks are strong af. read more

Pretty dull and the vibes are simply off. Bouncers are interesting - laughing at you if you're not a "VIP" even if it's your first time. They scan your ID and chuckle that you're not a VIP and tell you to tip better. Did not stay long as it simply did not feel worthwhile. read more

They're known to try to overcharge patrons for extra drinks then have bouncers assault those who catch on (even those still willing to tip on the correct order). I'd recommend going elsewhere but accompanying friends who insist on going. Sexual assault on the dance floor is more or less explicitly allowed by on site security. read more

love the ritz but the music has been shitty on the weekends. play dance music (pop, hip hop, reggaeton, etc.) people wanna shake ass more then they want to sing lady Gaga and brazilian love ballads they don't even know. read more

I was denied a second water here on the basis that I needed to order alcohol. I'm breaking an addiction cycle, but thanks anyways!

Ambiance/Vibe: Small area but if you are going for a good time the music is a vibe. I liked the entire club - we had to leave early so I didn't get the full experience. There was however A LOT OF SMOKE, so if you can't handle it don't sit close to the dance floor. Drinks: They were not the best, the only thing that I had that was good was the watermelon frozen margarita. The rest of it wasn't the best & when I asked around pretty much everyone agreed. Side Note: For more photos and videos check out my foodie Instagram @hike4foodies read more

Went with a friend during happy hour on Friday - bar was dead until 8 - 9 PM (which is fine! I didn't have to shout over loud house music) and somehow managed to get charged almost $50 for two rounds of buy-one-get-one whiskey gingers. So we purchased two (very small) drinks and got charged for the four, or Ritz's (again, really small) drinks are $12.20 a pop. Didn't feel like debating the charge with the bartender as I didn't want to cause a scene. How much is a well drink here??? read more

We loved it here! Mikey made us amazing drinks!!. We would highly recommend this place. We are from out of town (California) just looking for a place with decent drinks and we found The Ritz. every other place we check has closed by 11pm this place closes at 4am. Music is great and super friendly bar tenders. read more

The Ritz - a painting of a blue wave - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

One of my favorite bars in Hell's Kitchen, It is a great place to hang out with friends or colleagues after work. They have happy hour promo between 4:00pm to 9:00 pm daily. It appears very neighborly during these hours. The bartenders during happy hour are indeed very friendly, they pretty much know their clientele. Upon entering it appears small, but it is actually a multi level establishment. If not mistaken, they occupy the whole building with multiple rooms for private parties and events on 2nd and 3rd floor. They have two leveled back patio complete with bartenders during the summer season. The weekend nights can be very crowded in the dance floor area, Disco starts at 10pm thru early hours. They serve free hot and delicious pizzas on a Sunday afternoon. This is a great pit stop if you and your friends are going for a bar hop. read more

Ommmmmgahhhhhhh. Come here! You will have a blast. Best gay bar in nyc. Very welcoming to all orientations :) The happy hour is literally the best deal in nyc. $6 Tanqueray gin cocktails?? You can't beat that. Not to mention this place is as fun as fun gets. Planned to stay here for one drink last week and ended up staying for hours having a blast with the boys behind the bar. Shout out to Xavier and Stephanie for welcoming us and being the best bartenders in nyc :) Word is Friday and Saturday are the best nights out. Will be back soon!!! read more

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We Popped in for a quick drink before going to see Peter Pan Goes Wrong on Broadway and after some yummy dumplings We caught Happy Hour and I loved the vibe! Although, empty because it was early, still left w/a great impression. Our bartender was great! We caught Hhour and the drinks were strong loved everything a lot this great little spot! read more

I found the Ritz in Hell's Kitchen in NYC. A great small gay bar with wonderful drag shows. The staff is friendly and the customers are friendly. read more

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Bartender was a fucking disaster. I asked one question that was not yes-or-no. He said "no" and went back to his phone, and didn't serve me. Go to any other gay bar in HK, not here. read more

I once loved this bar. I sometimes return for reasons of nostalgia. I used to work around the corner. I had a falling out with one of the bartenders, which is no longer relevant. I have not seen this guy in a year. I never saw him outside of the bar. But, now, when I go, he harasses me. He called me ugly last time while screaming at me. He completely unnecessarily, unapologetically aggressive and unprofessional. It just sucks one person can ruin an otherwise great experience. Everyone else is so nice. He is a bully. He should be fired. read more

NEVER AGAIN. I was soo excited to go with 3 friends BUT the security at the door was unforgettably AND unacceptably rude. He said he didn't like how I "grabbed my ID out of his hand." All complete BS. He was pulling a power play. He had no explanation other than that. He was playing on his ego. I WILL NEVER put myself or my friends thru this type of disrespect to go out anywhere in NY, there's too much to experience and enjoy. read more

My friends and I had a really good time. I won't discount other peoples negative experiences with security or staff but I will say we didn't have any issues the night we went. My best friend was in town for the Bad Bunny concert the next day so we wanted to show her a good time. We tried multiple spots in the area before I recommended Ritz being that I was supposed to go for my birthday but ended up changing plans. Security was nice to us, it was still a little early for a Friday night (around 10:30ishh maybe) so maybe that's why. Security guards in general tend to get grumpier as the night goes on the more they have to deal with intoxicated folk lol. It's a quick little process of id and bag checks. They have a cute neon sign right upon entry which is great for a photo opp. There are also two floors which I think is really dope. The bar is also immediately upon entry. Drinks were good and the bartender was so nice. One thing I will say is it's soooooo dark and not many places to sit. When we initially approached the dance floor it was so crowded, like I'm talking bodies on bodies. Which is not necessarily a bad thing for a club but I need to be able to breathe. So we decided to check the second floor. I think it's pretty cool that they have two separate DJS for each floor when they could easily just use one. With two however, if you're not feeling the music on the first floor then you can just check out the second. Also super convenient if one bar is really busy. It was a little too empty upstairs though, the dance floor and bar were completely bare and again, no seating. The DJ was playing Beyonces new album though so props to him. We went back downstairs and back to the dance floor to see if any spots opened up on the bleacher like seating they have against the walls. I will say that the only reason we ended up staying is because we ended up finding seats right by the entrance to the dance floor. Mostly everyone was just standing on them and dancing. I like to dance don't get me wrong but I also like to be able to sit pretty and have somewhere to put my purse. The music was great and everyone was enjoying themselves. I have to say, it was a breath of fresh air not being hit on or harassed or touched. Just good vibes all around. read more

Visited the bar last night June 19-20th and witnessed some pretty bad behavior by the security staff. They were kicking out patrons who had literally just ordered a drink from the bar(including myself). This is not good business and everyone should have been allowed to remain on the premises until the drinks were complete (there also should have been a last call). Instead people were being forced outside of the building and harassed for not throwing away their drinks and leaving immediately. I witnessed one of the security guards grab a full drink out of someone's hand and toss it in the trash when she was trying finish it. (Heavy set Latino security and black dude) Security was also mocking people and saying things in "a gay tone" to make fun of "the gays that were mad" as they said. Why have straight people who clearly don't have respect for gay people working at your establishment? It's bad enough we have to experience this everywhere else, let alone a place we're supposed to feel safe. I also watched them physically remove a couple from the front that was sharing a kiss when all they had to do was tap them and kindly say the bar was closing. Once I realized some of the behavior by the security staff I began to record and then got a flashlight in my face and was harassed and called a loser until I left the premises. It's sad because this was one of my favorite bars in the city and now I def won't be returning or recommending to my friends. I have a video of a lot of this and will be passing it to the news outlets since it is pride month and sure there is interest. :) read more

Live next door and I have no complaints about the noise but the bass noise vibrate the building. Wished they could turn the bass down a bit to be respectful to residents. Over summer this wasn't a problem so I believe it was a recent thing. Any little reduction would help. read more

Joey the security at the front does a great job making me and everyone else feel the most safest at all times.

Although we moved upstate NY years ago after living in midtown, we return every month or so. This trip we discovered the Ritz!!!! Fun, welcoming and full of great locals. Loved every minute on Fri & Sat., from the GREAT bar staff (Anton, Mike & Juan), to the go-go guys, coat check & security to the fun dance music & vibe. Keep it up! This is our new go to night stop when in midtown!!! read more

This bar is embarrassing for the prime spot it has in NYC. The security was extremely rude. I feel like we only got in the door because it was a Tuesday night. The club was absolutely empty so we didn't stay long. read more

As I mentioned on another review, another small gay bar in New York. Like most bars and dance clubs in New York City, the bar is small. The space itself is nice enough. Drinks are expensive. It was OK. read more

this place is over charging people I paid cash and it was 44 dollars for 2 drinks the bartender is a completely bitchy & rude. just be aware if you coming here you might be scam by one of the bartender this is not the first time this happen to me in the Ritz. read more

The Ritz - a receipt for a bar and lounge - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Going to a Gay bar was in my bucket list and luckily, I was able to do it with a good friend. It was how I expected to be, just a bit better and classier. There is a LOT to like about a Gay bar for gay and straight people. At this place everyone was beautiful. The dancing area is small and cozy, fun to sit and watch people dance. The bar with an attentive bartender and the front with a nice small outdoor area by the sidewalk to sit and drink. What is really great here, the sense of peace and security a female or a gay person can experience in a fun place. Unlike regular bars or discos where the crowd is full of so many different types of personalities and the huge amount of Macho men, or drunk men who insist on dancing with you and stalk you all night preventing a lady from having a good night out, as I had experienced in other bars/disco places. Great place, great music not too loud, just the right place for a good night out. read more

The Ritz - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Fun club though the show did not start until late. Drinks were poured well. Staff friendly.

Bar tender was extremely rude- drag shows were less than entertaining -credit card processing fees are exorbitant-drinks are overpriced-please patronize bars that support our community-this bar supports a very negative and dismissive attitude - extraordinarily disturbing as we begin to reopen read more

I open a tab in this bar the last time I visited and I'm pretty sure someone stole my information and attempted fraud. I know it was here because it was a brand card and is the only place where I used it... that's a shame because is a nice place to have fun read more

I was in NYC for about a week and a half for work, and I found myself wanting to go out a couple of nights. I found The Ritz on Google one night and went--twice during my entire trip. Once by myself and once with friends I made from my hostel. The first night, I went by myself. It had been pouring all night. Very low turnout. The second floor was practically empty. Iirc, the first floor dance had a decent turnout and was playing hip hop and R&B top 40 from the 90s and 00s. The second night was a lot more busy. My friends and I weaved our way through a crowd of people to the dance floor on the second floor. DJ was great that night--lots of reggaeton. The only negative thing I will say about this place is that one of the bartenders was a huge asshole. Long story short, there was a woman visiting from overseas who asked for a bl*wjob (essentially, a sweet mixed drink/shot). Not only did the bartender tell the woman that they did not have the ingredients for the drink, the bartender then insulted her drink of choice and started to yell a bunch of misogynistic and homophobic slurs to continue to insult her choice of drink and how "a f*g like him wouldn't drink sh*t like that" (paraphrasing, but basically said in the same spirit). When other bar patrons started to stand up for the woman, the bartender responded that he "[was] an asshole because [he was] a New Yorker". His energy radiated "insecure masc gay who doesn't do 'gay sh*t'". Extremely bad choice to have someone who acts like that when they're drunk during their bartending shift at a gay bar, imo. Other than that one particular bartender, everyone else was friendly and we all had a good time. read more

Friendly crowd, great performers and cool bartenders. But just beware of this one security guard near the bathroom on the first floor. He is extremely rude and unnecessarily aggressive with the wrong people. Avoid him and use the bathroom upstairs instead. Thankfully, the other security guards there were understanding and approachable. read more

The Ritz - Avoid this disrespectful bouncer next to the 1st floor bathroom. - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This is a great bar for both straights and gays! After our bar in NJ closed, my friend suggested we go into the city and knowing him, I knew he would bring me to a spot like this which is great because it's always a good time. So for my first time experience here, it was a blast! Small dance venue with two floors. Completely packed-3am on a Friday night. Service for drinks is good but the mixed drinks taste "so so." Drinks are also inexpensive considering the area this place is located in. Good music, everyone is dancing and having a good time. Friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Loved the late night 90s music. I thought the male dancers shaking what their mama gave them on their mini stages was pure entertainment. I mean, what girl wouldn't? Overall, I wouldn't mind coming here again and from what I have seen, this is probably one of the best gay bars in NY. read more

You may or may not want to thank me for this one day, but you've been warned: you will have a hard time showering for awhile after you walk into the air of filthy, dirty debauchery of The Ritz. There, I said it. The Ritz is one of the most raunchiest places I've ever been to, and if you love the bawdiness, you will absolutely fall in love with (or even at, if you're lucky) The Ritz. My friend LOVES this place, even though I didn't understand why after my first time here--the Britney/Madonna/Gaga remixes were expected, but weren't really danceable for me, however, the second time was different. I realize it's the steaminess, the loose canons, and primadonnas are all what make up of The Ritz's appealing risque. People here are not afraid to get down and dirty and oh, believe me, it plays out like softcore versions of "50 Shades of Grey" scenes--against-the-wall make outs, hands all over, make outs at first sights--you get the picture. Downstairs is a lot more laid back with Top 40, but if you want the full-on experience of what makes this place such a hot spot in gay nightlife, head straight upstairs to the trophy dance room and you'll know why. The bathrooms are quite disgusting and should be used with caution--I went in one with a broken lock and was almost walked in on! It makes it worse that the bathrooms are right in front of the coat check line. Overall, this is a fun place if you really want to break out a sweat on the dance floor and don't mind getting all touchy. read more