East Side Social Club

Great space. Very old NYC feeling. Though I don’t get to the ES very often, if I did, I’d have to try having a meal here. My only experience was a recent event which the restaurant did a great job with.
The servers were all very nice. Usually at these kinds of events the waitstaff isn’t too happy because they know they’re not getting a nice fat tip off an expensive meal. But these servers were chatty, friendly and very accommodating.
If the food that they served during the event is any indication, then their menu is awesome! Delicious and fresh tuna and steak tar-​tar that I couldn’t get enough of.
The bathrooms were very nice and clean, individual only and nicely placed away from tables.

I checked this place out recently at a Unilocal event, and I’d definitely return. Spacious with style, but not pretentious. A nice large bar with an array of seating in the front and back of the restaurant. Plus, nice lighting.
I tried a couple of cocktails, and particularly enjoyed one of them. The appetizers at the event were good but not great (seemed a bit on the bland side, and an overabundance of fried things), but I’d have to try something from the regular menu before I judge the food fully.
Strangely no paper towels or hand dryer in the bathroom (unless I missed something).
A very nice space in a neighborhood I wouldn’t expect to find it in.

My first impression was that I loved the style. Even the bartender reminded me of sometime from the «old days». Very old school Italian décor. Good sized restaurant with a large, open seating area. I heard the bar area gets packed during happy hours/​late night.
The occasion was a work holiday party. I started out with a glass of $ 12 Pinot in the smallest glass I’ve ever seen in my life. I didn’t plan to get tipsy, but I thought I’d point that out.
We ordered:
Truffled mac & cheese: this was my first experience. It was 90% cheese and 10% macaroni. I might have tasted garlic, but I could be wrong.
Caprese salad (mozz, tomato, balsamic glaze): very delicious
Potato and mozzarella croquettes: greasy, fried and cheese– my favorite!
Creamed spinach (a side): huge plate that someone ordered and passed around. it was very good.
Grilled salmon: pesto stuffed roasted tomato, hummus, arugula (main dish): very good sized portion. all the ingredients mixed very well together. I liked to get a bite of everything on my fork at the same time. Light dish, but I was satisfied afterward.
Great service! The waitress checked up enough to make sure our drinks were always full and we were content.
I wouldn’t come back for a meal, but I’d stop by for cocktail before going out if I want to feel fancy.

I visited ESSC on Saturday night, excited to try it and with high hopes that it would be a yummy new staple in my neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment.
FOOD
Appetizers:
— Truffled Mac & Cheese: This dish confused me. Mac and cheese obviously has 2 main components — pasta and cheese. I have no idea where the macaroni was in this dish. It was a big mush of baked truffled cheese. I ate it, because I love cheese, but mac and cheese it was not.
— Pulpo Siciliano (octopus cooked in red wine tomato sauce): this dish was meh, it didn’t really show off the octopus. Instead there was a strong sausage flavor from the sauce. It was edible, but not outstanding.
Entrees:
— Whole Wheat Pappardelle: Again this dish was also just ok. There wasn’t any flavor or ingredient in the dish that stood out. I wouldn’t recommend this, as I’m sure their other pasta dishes are much more appetizing.
— Lamb Chops: This is written on the menu as «2 double-​cut chops». My husband received 3 single-​cut chops that were sized slightly bigger than baby lamb chops. The chops itself were cooked fine. It came with fries — I wish I took a picture to post but unfortunately did not think of it until it was half eaten. The fries that came with the chops were little ¼″ to ½″ nubs (I’ll give credit for a countable 4 full-​length fries, so we know they do exist), which were probably the last remaining parts of a batch. What happened to quality control? We could barely dip the fries in ketchup without getting the condiment on our fingers.
DRINKS
Drinks were the highlight of our meal, and really the only part that was memorably good. We got a ‘Manhattan’ and an ‘Upper East Side’. They were made very well and the glasses were nicely chilled.
SERVICE/​ATMOSPHERE
Given my experience there, I was surprised, but it was pretty busy on a Sat. night. It had a good vibe and there were several large (6+) groups.
The waitstaff was decent, nothing outstanding. Service was slow for us, but our waitress said they were short-​staffed.
It took 25 minutes for our entrees to come out after our appetizers were cleared. I guess the kitchen was short-​staffed too.
Overall, I may return for some cocktails. I will definitely not return for food. Apparently they recently changed ownership/​management and revamped the menu, but in my opinion the food is still suffering.

The outside isn’t ostentatious, so you’ll be very surprised just when you walk in the place. There is something about the sense of having lowered your expectations, and then shortly thereafter they are heighted!
The style of this place oozes romance, and sexiness. The lighting, the details. Also the service is just superb. The waiters and waitresses are somehow seductive, smiling as they serve. I don’t know if they pay their people well here, or it’s just a nice place to work or what, but you can feel it.
Unilocal introduced me to another great place, so I might endure the altitude sickness I get from being this far north, and make the trek again very soon.

ESSC was the venue for a recent private party, and I loved every inch of it. Great ambiance, sweet bartenders and servers, and warm, cozy décor. if the delicious hors d’œuvre say anything about their regular menu, I can’t wait to come back for a meal.
ESSC would be a great place for a date, an initimate dinner with friends, or a fun, fancy cocktail before a night on the town.

Big fan of the décor and feel. Doesn’t get too crowded (sort of a good and bad thing). Agree wtih others that the bartenders could be a little more friendly… they look the part but something isn’t quite there.
Haven’t tried the food yet despite having had drinks there a handful of times.

Ate here with my girlfriend on 11÷3÷10 for lunch. I ordered a delicious grilled vegetable and goat cheese sandwich. My girlfriend ordered a BLT. She thought the bread was a little too thick/​overwhelming for a BLT. But overall the food was great.
The place was rather empty so the one waitress working was pretty attentive to us. Perhaps even a bit over-​attentive to us. Making repeated visits to fill our water glasses even though we only had one or two sips.
I’ve read other reviews about the service and although I can’t speak for my experience (which had good service) I think I could see this place presenting a problem for you if it were moderately busy.

I just checked my bank statement and was charged more than I entered for tip. It wasn’t a huge, glaring deficit. I won’t have to call to have the issue rectified. It’s merely principle. It can be a $ 0.10 overcharge and I get grated the wrong way when restaurants make this error. It was probably just a miss calculation at the end of the evening. But you have to be very careful when you’re dealing with people’s money.

I was really excited to go to East Side Social Club. My midtown neighborhood is filled with restaurants and bars that are reserved for the frat/​penny-​loafer/​yuppie/​after-​work crowd (no disrespect. people love penny loafers) and ESSC looked like a welcome change from some of the norms.
Unfortunately, my trip this past Saturday was beyond disappointing.
FIRST THE GOOD: Waitress was nice enough. Food was edible.
THE BAD PART I: The place was almost empty at 8pm.
THE BAD PART II: PRETTY NO PERSONALITY –While waiting for the rest of the group, a couple of my friends got drinks. The bartender was very, very attractive, but had the personality of cardboard. I don’t expect a bartender to be particularly flirtatious, but a personality or even a smile would be nice. Instead, a Madame Tussuad figure served us poor drinks. (The pretty no personality part also applies to the décor)
THE BAD PART III: WHERE THE BOOZE AT? They didn’t have Citron… They didn’t have Ginger Beer (even though Dark and Stormies are on the drink menu)… They didn’t have a very basic Bacardi Rum… They made a substitution on a few drinks b/​c they were missing ingredients… They didn’t have pineapple juice. IT WAS SATURDAY? Did no one feel like stocking the bar?
THE BAD PART IV: WHERE THE FOOD AT? The menu on their website and menupages was a huge factor in our decision to bring a big group there. It was large, something for everyone, and things sounded wonderful After we sat down and ordered drinks, we got a menu with maybe 4 appetizer and 5 entrée choices. We asked about the full menu and found that they were changing menus and the wonderful sounding menu we were looking for wouldn’t be available until Monday. Gee that would have been nice to know when I made the reservation, or when we were waiting for friends to join for the half an hour we were at the bar…
THE OKAYISH: The Food
Truffle Mac and Cheese — Anyone with some truffle oil could have made this. meh.
The Steak Frites — Again meh, the fries were okay.
The Seafood Pasta — The seafood (clams, squid, mussels, lobster) were cooked well, the pasta sauce tasted canned.
LAST THOUGHTS: Maybe this review is a little harsh as we didn’t’ get to try their full menu, but someone could have let us know we were in for limited options and the limited options would have been fine, if they would have been any good. Unfortunately, I will not be returning to see ESSC in it’s full glory. That bar sitch, sealed the deal.

I just started going to ESSC a few months ago and it has never been anything but a great experience! All the details from the appetizers, entrées, desserts, and drinks are to the point of perfection and have such a fresh taste. The new menu is offers so much and all the staff is knowledgeable and sweet. Everyone from the hostess to bartenders makes you feel welcome.
The whole atmosphere in ESSC is very cozy and romantic. It is a great place for drinks and appetizers to a full 3-​course dinner. I especially would like the recommend the Sherry roasted beet salad. That starts any evening great! Then for drinks — definitely a must has to be the «upper east side.» My girlfriends and I just love this drink. Even my bf would hate to admit he also likes the drink, it’s definitely a summer drink because its very refreshing. And for those who like whiskey but want to try something new, I would suggest the «Betancourt,» it was also a great drink!
Overall this restaurant was a fantastic experience! I would highly recommend it!

I came here for dinner before temple with my family and will never be back. I knew things wouldn’t be great when my cousin ask the waitress what the marjoram tart was and the waitress didn’t know (this is a standard item on the menu, not a special) — I had to explain to her that marjoram was an herb, the waitress didn’t even know this. I never expected it to be such an epic fail.
My dad told her when we first sat down we had to be out in a little under an hour and a half for services and she assured us it would be okay. 20 minutes after taking our order the salads still weren’t there and our waitress hanging out by the kitchen chatting with some other staff. Finally my dad went over and reminded her and within 30 seconds we had our salads. I had the goat cheese and arugula which was nothing special, my cousin and grandma shared the croquettes — also nothing special. The aioli was bland and had no flavor, it could have been Miracle Whip with food coloring.
About 20 minutes later our food came, well almost. Everyone was served but my father. After patiently waiting close to 10 minutes for his food he flagged down the waitress (who was again socializing by the kitchen) to ask where his food was and she assured him it would be right out. 10 minutes later, still no branzino. My cousin also had to wait 10 minutes for ketchup for her kobe burger after asking 2 waitresses and 2 bus boys — nothing. During this time I had also had sent my food back, waited, and gotten it again. I ordered the Sunday sauce which was eh but the biggest disappointment was the bland, raw, tiny, meatball. When I got my food back, meatball cooked, it was barely even warm.
Eventually the manager came by to see what all the commotion at our table was about. He finally told us the waitress had forgotten to put my dad’s order in. I mentioned to him that my meatball was raw inside and started to argue me that it was impossible and it looked raw because it was made of pork, veal, and beef (keep in mind the waitress agreed with me the meatball was raw when I showed her). Now I’m not a professional chef but I know what raw meat looks like — in fact, I made pork, veal, and beef meatballs 2 nights ago and mine were not bright pink inside. All he had to do was apologize or at least acknowledge the mistake and I wouldn’t have even mentioned it in the review.
So after all this, the manager gave us a free tartufo. $ 175 bill later and we left with a bad taste in our mouth and the restaurant lost the business of 6 customers who frequent the shul across the street and used to get dinner at the French restaurant that was there before ESCC whenever we went to temple.

Bottom line = awful customer service. Went for friend’s birthday dinner and called the place early in the day to ask about bringing the birthday boy’s favorite cake in. They said it was not a problem at all. Little did we know they would charge us $ 30 dollars to do this. Sure, this may be typical for «nicer» restaurants in NYC (the manager made that clear) but the fact that this charge wasn’t even mentioned is ridiculous. When we asked the manager to remove the $ 30 charge from our $ 400+ bill he was stubborn and refused. his only excuse was that this is typical and they charge to cut the cake. Yeah, we actually cut the cake ourselves…
We told the manager that we enjoyed the dinner/​food and liked the atmosphere but if he didnt remove the charge he’d be losing future business.
He lost it…

This is place is, to me, meant for after work drinks. Drinks and vibe trump the food, but the food is classically good comfort dishes. Visited long ago before the menu was revamped, and the décor was still that familia Italiano look with checkered tablecloths (with a juke box!- I actually miss that, ha). Now, the décor is different. More of that old boy’s club feel– think The Breslin or Schillers’ in the LES. ESCC is part of the Employees Only (me likeee) and Maccao (me looooove) family. You can see the crossover. The atmosphere is different as well. I saw a lot more less corporate, downtown folk– the host notably and the upgrade in trendy cocktails. Had a sip of the «Upper East Sider” — what a cute name. It was such a beautiful cocktail, and so light and summery. It had a powerful punch, albeit without being too sweet. The other cocktail we were eyeing was the Mint Julep– I just love the trip down memory lane.
Came here with my girl and fellow Unilocaler Buo Z. When I arrived at 7:30 it was pretty quiet, and we had some flexbility in seating– which was nice. The host, a character, was albeit not the most organized person but this place is pretty lax with I’d say classically good comfort food. They have great classic American-​Italian dishes, with a few off the beaten path items. We started with some fantastic foccacia (bread fiend talking here), that was fresh, and not super oily with a slight of parmasean ontop. Wish they gave us more EVOO.
Apps– we shared the octopus and the foie gras. The foie gras was all my friend; they were sure to serve it with bread, which I understand is the way you eat it! They gave a generous portion as well. The marmalade that came with it was tasty… only bad thing was that a fruit fly emerged from the lettuce.
I wish the octopus was bigger in size because it was so delicious. Zesty! I love me some grilled octopus and this was grilled to perfection. The relish that came with it, was sweet, and tangy. Only con was the potatoes– those didn’t do much for me and tasted pickled from the relish. I wish there was more octopus instead!
Mains: we shared 2 half-​sized pastas. SO glad they came half size– helps the waistline ;). The great thing about ESCC is that the menu has a lot of variety. Fortunately, we got the inside’s top picks. My girl wasn’t that hungry so we opted for 2 pastas, but I was wishing we had a main! A little birdie said: Pork Chop, Branzino (which I’ve always felt was a plain fish, heard this was indeed a purist flavor), and the NY Strip Poivre (unique!) are the star dishes. We were also recommended to try to the meatballs (from the apps) but sadly I don’t eat meatballs…(I know, bad foodie)
We DID eat: the mushroom ravoli, and the lobster fra diavolo. The mushroom rav was my favorite– such a unique taste with the marsala, and just cheesy enough without being overkill. The only con was that you could taste the outside edges which were a little hard from being frozen most likely– not a big deal. The marsala I think is what made the dish really tasty. Loved the black trumpets drizzled on top too. The Lobster diavolo was interesting; it was actually not a pasta dish I see often. Think of your spaghetti and meatballs classic and sub the meatballs for lobster. Lobster’s not something I frequent because I don’t love it, but I was in the mood. It was flavorful, albeit I wish chopped and immersed within the dish a bit more. As in the case with most pastas, it was the red marinara sauce that did the trick here– as well as the chilis! I appreciate a little flare to my tastebuds. There wasn’t a whole lot of sauce– just the right amount to give the pasta a good coat. Would have preferred a bit more al-​dente, but then again I am one of those extreme fans of hard pasta. I want to come back to try some mains. Dishes could work on presentation but maybe that’s not the style here.
Good options for dessert. My favorite dessert is pannacotta– but since I have this all the time, we skipped this for the goat cheese cheese cake. Strangely, I love goat cheese but hate cheese cake but our server made it a point to mention it was light. It was good! (and I don’t like cheesecake!!!), it was as light as possible– at least for cheesecake but more importantly had a great goat cheese flavor. I’ve had goat cheese in desserts before when it’s been nauseating (Dessert Truck, anyone?). This was balanced– nice crunch of caramel on top and drizzled on the side. We tried a scoop of the berry sorbet and frozen greek yogurt. OMG the yogurt was SO good– ESCC, play this up! So underated but amazing just by itself. Had the great sour-​ish froyo taste but so fresh and mildly sweet. Arguably the best item we had all night and memorable.
Service– for a more cas place, service is good. Our waitress was honest and sweet and not overbearing. The bartenders are charming and pretty cute. A cocktail «club», for sure. 3.5−4 stars.

My co-​worker and I decided to frequent East Side Social Club after a particularly hard day at work. We wanted something in our neck of the woods in terms of proximity to our office, but something that would be just beyond the reach of where our co-​workers would frequent… we had personal things (read our love lives) to discuss.
I had been to the East Side Social Club with a friend a while back, and being the retro-​aholic I am, was thoroughly impressed with the vintage vibe it gives off. Also, a key nugget of information I recalled from my previous visit was that the bartenders were extremely easy on the eyes. Always a good reason to frequent an establishment multiple times.
My co-​worker and I were really given the royal treatment here when we went last Wednesday night. We had a few cocktails each (I had a slew of margaritas, my friend had a cocktail that the bartender whipped up on the spot and some wine). We ordered potato croquettes to share, and the wonderful bartenders gave us a free cheese plate as well as a round of drinks. Oh yes, and these bartenders were extremely handsome. Free food, booze and flirting?! East Side Social Club is our new favorite after work drinks destination for sure.

It was great experience at East Side Social Club.
My bf and I arrived this place with a reservation, no problem of getting in, host, staff and waiter was very friendly. The place is a little bit hidden, right next to a hotel. you need to pay a little bit attention to find it.
The décor is classic, a good place for business lunch, dinner and happy hour. The place is spacious as well. plenty room for large group. First section of the restaurant is the bar/​lounge area. a good place to hangout after work.
My bf and I ordered market green salad, octopus (amazing) and spaghetti meatball. they were all very tasty. We also both got a «Upper East Side» cocktail. It was very summerish drink. 5 stars for the drink itself. We ordered ice-​cream (forgot the name) but according to the waiter it’s their newest item on the menu. it was few different layer of ice cream favors mixed together. I have to say it was excellent.
My bf and I left the place with a big «food baby». It was a good dinner and good time at East Side Social !

The drinks were adequate and the bartender was charming. However, any enjoyment was exterminated when multiple roaches were spotted in the bar service area — one particularly large and energetic specimen seen scrabbling around the drying rack where clean glasses are to be stored, and another scurried behind a bottle of top shelf liquor.
Nearby, the restaurant manager drank a glass red wine, blissfully unaware (or apathetic?) of the presence of cockroaches and thoroughly ruffled soon to be ex-​customers.
The drinks were uncompensated, the management was unconcerned, and we left completely unimpressed.

3.5
This place wasn’t so bad. The ambiance was on point, however, the food and service left much to be desired.
The décor is definitely that of a classic New York italian joint from the days gone by. Booth seating, wooden furnishings, crystal chandeliers, even the forks looked art deco. I loved it. They were also playing an awesome selection of music– from Lynyrd Skynyrd to the Doors– to more current stuff. Not too shabby. I am a fan of eclectic musical taste at upscale dining establishments rather than that loungy– electro– house bullshit.
The drink list was interesting but not amazing. I got a grapefruit caiparinha which tasted like tape with a hint of citrus. Yes, I said tape.
For appetizers, we got the foie gras and potato croquettes. The Foie Gras was to dieeeee for. There was some sort of sweet jam to add a dynamic taste to the richness of the duck liver. NEVER order potato croquettes at any dine in restaurant as they’re always a rip off… they were just big ol’ tater tots is all.
My seared salmon was pretty tasty, but not jizz worthy. I would’ve opted for something else on the menu if I had known that the consumption of $ 19 wouldn’t amaze me. I would suggest going with the chicken or do it big with the tri-​tip and lobsta.
My friends got pasta, the mushroom ravioli was way too aldente– or simply put: uncooked.
We dined late– at about 9pm on a Thursday night. The restaurant was not busy at all but our server was a total spazz. Could be moody from not having eaten anything all day because she was looking like a twig. It’s weird eating in front of a server who looks a bit malnourished. That’s New York for ya!
Would I go here again? Maybe for some cocktails, but as a planned dinner outing? Nah.

Another great cocktail lounge from the team that brought Employees Only, plus the added bonus of a larger Italian restaurant.
Trekked in from the post tree viewing in Midtown last evening with my fiancé in the snow storm. The host staff was very welcoming and eager to take our coats. We wound up just sitting at the bar for cocktails and dinner. The odd thing was they didn’t serve pasta dishes at the bar? What Italian spot doesn’t serve pasta at the bar? The food was decent. We had the escarole caesar salad, the crispy sweetbreads and the roasted cod. All portions for the money were on average to smaller side.
I had the bartender make up a bourbon cocktail to warm me up from the snow, it was delicious, but I didn’t get the name. The fiancé had the IL DIAVOLO, basically tequila and ginger beer with some other fancy items added.
We enjoyed our little date night at this ‘old skool’ looking Italian restaurant that is only a few months old. The place is open from 6:45 AM until 4:00 AM, why closed for an hour and 45 mins, we shall never know. But atleast in the city that never sleeps, there is decent food that you can get at almost any hour.

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!
The atmosphere is perfect and the food devine. Italian provincial with style and class.
Discovered by accident online, close to where I was staying in New York. Seemed worth the try. I couldn’t have lucked it any better.
I was seated immediately, offered a drink, and the specials explained in detail. The menu is a variety of the classic (fresh seafood pasta) through to tastes to intrigue the discerning (swordfish and sea urchin).
If you’re after a burger and fries this is not your kind of place. The meals here are to delight and tantelise.
The wine list is not overwhelming and long. It’s simple but varied, including imported and domestic wines.
My meal was served within minutes (it seemed) of ordering. It was fresh, crisp and quite frankly, to die for. I can HIGHLY recommend the swordfish, and the polenta (on the side) is an ideal accompaniment.
The deserts range from the rich and decadent for those with room left to fill, through to the light and refreshing for those just after a sweet taste to finish the meal. All are made on site; gelato, sorbet, panna cotta, tarts etc.
I had no problem getting a table at 7:45pm without a reservation; however, as word gets out about this little gem I suspect it will be wise to book in advance.
The staff were attentive, knowledgable and pleasant. I never once felt neglected, nor smothered.
If you are in Midtown/​Eastside then this is the place for you. I will be back over and over again.