Arrived here for post shopping drinks. Heard great things for signature drinks. As I arrived around 8pm , man at the front door says there’s a wait. About 15 minutes waiting, a guest comes and speaks with that same man at the door. At this point I’m in ears distance. I can hear everything they are saying. Girl says hi I’m here to meet my friends. He asked her do you have a reservation, she says no. The guy looks over and sees us looking at them. He tells her “the line is watching us, I’m gonna ask you if you have a reservation show me your phone so it looks like you do”. I was super embarrassed by this. I had to look away and pretend I didn’t even hear that. Honor your customers who came first & stop playing favorites... once inside the bartender did make great drinks. However I don’t know if I would go again considering the entry of the place was a complete mess .

Very enjoyable cocktail and dining experience. 4 stars only because it is rated in the top 100 bars in the world so I had high expectations. I enjoyed the two whiskey cocktails, including the Yankee notions and billionaire cocktail, which were both quite good. Yankee notions in particular had a nice multiflavored experience. My dad enjoyed the espresso martini. The trout was cooked excellently and was nice and soft, but the flavor could have popped more. My friend had the half chicken, and she enjoyed it, but again it wasn’t quite up to the standard we were expecting. However, the dressing on the caprice salad was exceptional! The server was efficient and gave good recommendations. Overall a very enjoyable evening!

Easily one of my favorite cocktail bars in Manhattan. It’s probably smart to look for a reservation ahead of time as this place is a hot spot for locals. If there are none available, go early and you might have a chance at the bar. It pops off on Wednesday nights and can be a blast late night. One of the best Espresso Martinis I’ve had to date. Great staff.

This bar has a lot of Speakeasy vibes. Its visual identity and atmosphere are very appealing, with sleek lines and metallic finishes. The music they play is mostly jazz. Without a reservation I was only able to get into the standing room section. The drinks were fabulous, well balanced, and not overly complicated. I didn't try the food but it was highly recommended to me.

This place was terrific. Great cocktails, awesome staff and classic atmosphere. Reece at the front door was a true gentleman and welcoming. My bartender Ana was extremely pleasant and made one of the best Manhattans I've ever had. Patrick, who watched over the bar area, was also outstanding. He was attentive to everything that was going on and was extremely personable. I look forward to coming back.

One of the world top bar (rank 49 - 2023), we make a reservation though Resy for dinner. The dishes size is large for 2 girls, we had 4 drinks and 1 appetizer, 1 entree. Overall, the food is good, it definitely better than a lots of restaurants. Highly recommend the bone marrow pastry shell. It was very impressive. Also have the burger with truffle fries, we choice medium rare for beef but I believe it was medium. However, it still taste good. The only downside for me is the noise level really high, nice to hang out with small group friends.

A great bar, but I would recommend sit outside with two people only. Cocktails here are rather sweet, but the ones that are fruity are pretty good. As a classic cocktail lover, I would recommend their Manhattan. It’s strong with Bourbon’s fragrance. However, if you come with more than two people, you might need to wait in a long line for entering, and it is also pretty crowded for the bar. For parties under 2, there would be an outdoor seats with heaters, but you might need to wait for ordering and water. Still, a recommended bar here.

Review is for the bar only, where they don’t that reservations just for drinks. I appreciate that they meter the crowd in so that it never gets overly crowded standing in the bar. The fireplace is also great vibes in the winter in the bar. Cocktails were great, as was the Motown soundtrack playing in the bar.

🎊 We were a party of two and got there around 7 PM on a Thursday. It was PACKED! We were lucky enough to get two seats crammed to the right of the bar, but many people were standing around hoping for a spot. 🍸The bartenders seemed great because they were chatting up people who appeared to be regulars. Drinks were good. 🍔 Further in the back has a small dining area, which has better lighting and seating. However, would not recommend for a first date spot - it gets loud and again, very packed. Or maybe earlier in the day is better for dates. Perfect for grabbing drinks for maybe 30 mins or so.

Easily one of my favorite cocktail bars in Manhattan. It’s probably smart to look for a reservation ahead of time as this place is a hot spot for locals. Long lines. If there are none available, go early and you might have a chance at the bar. It pops off on Wednesday nights and can be a blast late night. One of the best Espresso Martinis I’ve had to date. Great staff.

Surprisingly good bar food! On the heavier side but still yummy. Drinks were really good too! The last leaf is a must get

This bar is absolutely stunning! Love the atmosphere, the service, the design of the place omg… and the cocktails are unbelievable! High quality, fine taste. It is an old speakeasy with the symbol of a key that opens a door as a logo.. so beautiful also the menu the graphic.. the lights! Perfect. A must see in NYC. I tried the cocktail called Amelia, my friends tried Gaia and another friend tried Powerhouse (if I remember well the name).. all very special

This place blew expectations out the water. We were able to make it before kitchen closed and got a table. Security was fashionable, professional, and friendly. The server was fantastic and was very attentive. Drinks and food were better than I would imagined. Music was great and ambience was amazing. It does get pretty busy late at night so be ready to wait to go inside.

When you have a speakeasy designed for bartenders getting off late shifts, prohibition style cocktails measured by sight, and flawless staff, you’re set for nothing short of a spectacular experience. Employees Only did not disappoint. Cocktails were excellent, atmosphere was stunning, and the bartenders were fantastic. One thing to note, it is usually packed so be ready to stand for a while around the bar in a large crowd while you wait for a seat to open up at the bar. If a table is more your style there are reservations possible and the room in the back is a lot more calm (though you are still able to see the magic happening at the bar).

I have been coming to Employees Only for years and will continue coming. It’s one of those places where the food, the drinks and the service is all top notch and worth every penny. This time I brought friends from UK here for dinner. We had some amazing drinks from the menu, and even one that I asked for that wasn’t on the menu, but bartender made it for me and it was delicious (Brandy Alexander) We had the bone marrow appetizer which was heavenly and I had the pork chop for main course and man that was one of the most tender and flavorful porchops ever. For dessert we had cheese cake and poached apple thing and both were absolutely melt in your mouth good. The place is always loud and you’re dining very close to the next table, but even that doesn’t diminish the experience.

West Village has plenty of places to bar hop but this place stands out for their impeccable list of cocktails. There was a line to get in but the door was quite friendly and welcomed us. Place was bustling but the bartenders were quite attentive. Dont miss the quiet storm and yankee notion - top notch cocktails!

Fantastic spot with great cocktails and amazing service! The cocktails were delicious - we got the espresso martini, the ginger smash, the Mata Hari, and the yankee notions - all of them were fantastic! Olivia was our server and she was absolutely amazing - very knowledgeable about all the drinks, had amazing recommendations, and constantly checked in on us to make sure we were doing alright! Highly recommend stopping by this joint (make reservations)!!

A perfect cocktail bar with delicious bites. Full of people. Great service. Cozy. Good spot to start the night. Book ahead of time. Cheers 🥂

Loved the drinks and ambiance of the place! We went on a Friday and the place was packed. They checked vaccination proof at the door but despite lots of covid cases in NYC at the time, it seemed like no one cared about covid anymore once we stepped inside.We did end up staying because it was very cold outside but there was absolutely no social distancing and people were breathing on each other. Seemed like a scene from 2019 (I hope we do go back to those times though.. would love to not be freaked out by crowds) Other than that the bartenders were very attentive and gave us great drinks at the bar. If there were some capacity restrictions, I wouldn't hesitate giving it a 5-star review.

I have been going to employees only for quite a long time. Every time I go me and my friends have the best times. Their late-night food selection is just awesome. Here is a Few pics from my last visit. We stayed until the end.

So fun! The food was great and the drinks we delicious. My friend didn’t enjoy the first option and they quickly had a new suggestion for her. Such a fun place and pretty lively even on a weeknight

Speakeasy vibes and atmosphere. The food was delicious. The drinks were topnotch. Our new waitress did great. Tarot reading was intense. The 1 restroom was small but clean. It was loud and crowded but expected for a popular place.

Best cocktail bar in the City. Frances and Igor gave us a memory in NYC we will never forget.

Walk-ins only, so be prepared to wait on line . I only had one drink that was recommended by the server. It was definitely something I would have never order as my first option but I like being taken out of my comfort zone. To my surprise, even tho the spirit it had is one of my least favorites, the cocktail was ver well executed. Everything was very well balanced and made it a very good cocktail I couldn’t stop drinking . I tried my friends drinks and they were good as well but they were also something I’ve tried before at other bars, you know , very popular flavors and spirit combination, but mine, mine really stood out . That’s how I know that I’ll be back to one place, when they have something no one else does . P.S. food and service were really good as well. I had a very nice experience overall. P.S. 2 they’re ranked #47 best bar in the world in the 50 best bars 2022 list

Had a dinner reservation and was seated right away. Our waitress Ashanti was a pleasure. Good cocktails and yummy food. Would come back for sure!

This is an institution. Go to place in WV. Sheer amount of combinations and amazing vibe whether you are at the bar or seated. Small cozy place but libations are another level. Recently had the Yankee notions and Hi Octane - both spectacular.

Visited in LA and here in NYC too. Great cocktails and fun vibe. All the drinks on the menu are amazing. Love the fact that they have a tarot reading at the entrance.

I recently celebrated my friend's birthday at "Employees Only," and I can't praise the experience enough. Despite not having a reservation, the bouncer, I think his name was Alexander, went above and beyond to accommodate us. His professionalism and efficiency in securing a table for our group of six made the whole process seamless. Once inside, the atmosphere was lively and energetic. The food at "Employees Only" was top tier and the drinks menu was equally impressive. Alexander made us feel welcomed and valued which just made the entire experience a fun time. I wholeheartedly recommend "Employees Only" to anyone looking for a fantastic dining and celebration spot. Thanks to Alexander and the entire staff, we had an unforgettable birthday celebration and will undoubtedly be coming back here.