Feinstein’s/54 Below

Overpriced, overcrowded and overrated.
Well let’s first mention the positive. The décor is amazing. It’s got that upmarket speak easy feel. {Warning: it’s not well sign posted and the red door is discrete so it’s easy to walk pass and miss, we nearly did}. However the place is crammed. You will feel like a sardine in a can. Your feet will cramp as there’s only one place to put them. Whilst you eat your elbows will collide with your neighbours. None of us were obese. All this despite paying $ 80 for «premium» seating. Expect far tighter conditions if you opt standard seating and/​or you’re seating near a fat person. Best of luck there.
The service was excellent the food. It’s highly priced and dull. A mere lemonade cost $ 9.00 plus tax. I endured a bland, unseasoned guacamole, simply pureed avocado. I never thought a chef could mess that up. The plantain chip were greasy and Flavourless.
The crowd is and enthusiastic. The performance is intimate and friendly. However, despite the high cost you barely get an hour.
Avoid.

The seating has changed since my last visit. There are still 2 long tables but quite a few tables that seat 4, the closest are called «ringside» which is where I sat. Some of the ringside are right up against the stage and I requested not to be in those seats. They honored my requests (you can make a request when you book). You pay the seating price by area with no guarantee on which table and if you have less than 4 in your party you will likely be sharing it. There are also some booths that are around the edges and some are elevated. There is also bar seating. Almost every seat has a pretty good view though. We opted to have dinner there (there is a $ 25.00 minimum any way). Prices are a bit high but the food was excellent. They offer a prix fixe menu for $ 64.00 that has 3 courses. The items on the prix fixe can also be ordered ala carte. I had the scallops which were cooked just right and tasted great. My salad and dessert were also very good. They offer a discount on parking if you are driving. My friend and I saw Lea Salonga who was wonderful. It’s an intimate setting with great talent and great food. It is worth going back again and again. If you go frequently you can become a member for $ 100.00 which will get you discounts and some other perks.

AMAZING!!! Oh and if your into Broadway — this is a great networking spot!
Of course it’s a supper club, it’s pricey, it’s New York! It’s pricey! Just enjoy yourself! And don’t forget to stand up and dance on the last song! You have one night only!!!

I have to say this was a pretty sweet place. Great atmosphere and great food. I got the steak and although I wish it was bigger, it tasted so good with the onion rings and thinly slided potatoes with brussel sprouts. It tasted quite healthy. I wasn’t too fond of the cheesecake but my coworkers all loved it. That’s probably because I don’t like cheesecake to begin with. It was topped with apples and an apple crisp was embedded into the whipped cream. The appetizer was a squash soup which was delicious expecially paired with that awesome bread. Beautiful place and great waitstaff.

Just wasn’t my thing. I’d rather just see the broadway show than watch the performers just sing the songs. Drinks were good.

My friends and I got tickets to see a musical comedy about «Murder, She Wrote.» We bought the ringside seats which are right up against the stage. My only complaint is that I had to stare straight up to see the actors who were close to the edge of the stage. Otherwise, it was obvious that Feinstein’s/54 Below has their thing down to a science.
All our food came out quickly and everything was delicious. I’m not someone who thinks about food being pretty but in addition to tasting great, it also looked great. The performance was so much fun and when it was over, the check was already on our table. I didn’t even see the waitress bring it. It was like magic!
I would totally go see another show at Feinstein’s/54 Below but knowing how cozy the space is, I doubt that I would need to get the seats right at the stage.

Booked a premium table for my wife’s birthday and it was better than I could have hoped.
We saw Michael Feinstein and he was outstanding! Great stories and an excellent voice!
We ate dinner at another restaurant prior so we just had fries and drinks, but it was a great experience and we look forward to coming back!
Thank you to the friendly staff and phenomenal performance!

I’ve been to 54 Below many times, but not since it turned into Feinstein’s.
In the past I’ve preferred this venue over it’s competition because of it location, superior sound and ambiance.
I hope tonight was an exception. First off, the house opened very late because I understand that Michael Feinstiens 7:30 shows always run over. How unprofessional is that? I made a point to be on time and then was forced to wait for an extra 45 minutes due to the owners unprofessional behavior? That is ludicrous.
Actually, I was first in line and first to be seated. Several minutes later after getting my drink i ran to the head and came back to find the lady trying to seat someone in my place. Actually removing my jacket off my chair and moving my menu and drink.
I informed her that I was seated there. She seemed very confused. A few minutes later a guy came by claiming to be the General Manager forced me to move to a seat where the site lines were much worse.
Then in the confusion the waitress «forgot» to take my order. But I «had» to because of their minimum food order requirement. I ordered the Prime (medium) with asparagus.
I got a small piece of charcoal and four small asparagus sprouts. The food has never been great here but this was a new low even for 54 Below.
The Norm Lewis concert was great except for the same woman that I had to give my seat to talked ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CONCERT. And her husband managed to knee my back several times in the concert.
Over all I’m glad I got to see Norm Lewis but I really feel like I should have stopped and spoken my mind to the alleged General Manager.
I’ll only go back if I“m desperate to see a specific performer, but not any other time.

Loved it! Starting with the nicest bouncer I ever met, who brought us hot cider while we waited for our show. Then it was into the beautiful room. Every seat is good, and our waiter was personable and charming. In fact, everyone who worked there was very nice. We really liked the food, and the entertainment is world-​class.
It’s kind of fancy, so dress nice; no blue jeans please. It’s sophisticated NY glamour, and I can’t wait to go back.

Feels like you travelled to another era in here! Came to hear my friend sing. Really good acoustics. Staff is super nice. Cute place for a date or a good place to take your mom, which is what I did.

Saw Melissa Manchester here last night. Haven’t been at Studio 54 for 30 yrs. Great throwback experience. Beautiful venue; clubby nightclub feel; good menu; attentive service. She brought down the house, forgot how many great songs she has in her songbook and who she collaborated with. Will definitely return for another concert at this venue.

LOVED LOVED LOVED this place! Bought tickets on travelzoo and emailed the company for reservations to the show for Carter Calvert. She was an amazing talent and the food was awesome! The lighting and décor was astounding and the sounds were elite! Only drawbacks: The red-​head hostess tried to give us a problem on the way in citing that we’d have to buy extra tickets for admission since we made reservations only 3 & 1 day in advance rather than 5, but we were told over the phone that this would be no problem. The manager okayed our presence and provided us with a bottle of the house wine to make up for it. The truffle mac & cheese was to die for.

I could write for days about the fabulous cabarets here — I’ve seen so many! But I really just want to rave about their mac n cheese! I am OBSESSED with their mac n cheese. I’m not sure at this point if I go for the entertainment or the mac n cheese! YUM!
Also, I’ve tried several of their cocktails. Light and refreshing. Their bar tender is great.
Because the mac n cheese and cocktails are so yummy, I never feel inconvenienced by the food drink minimum.
But really, it’s just a great evening out. Every show I’ve seen there has been great. Staff always upbeat and helpful and respectful and smiling. It’s everything you want in a cabaret/​dining experience.

This is an upscale, intimate location with some top-​notch performances and some excellent food — but it’s certainly not a cheap venue. The cover/​tickets for the shows I’ve been to have averaged about $ 40… About $ 20 for your average appetizer… $ 30 or so for an entrée. $ 15 for a dessert. I mean, it’s not absurd or anything… just not gentle on the wallet. But it’s great for a date!
Additionally, the staff was absolutely lovely.

Intimate, and classy place to watch some top rated performers sing. Manhattan’s own supper club. I like this venue. Decorated with archival pictures from the 20’s, it feels more like classic night club tucked away. Hence the name, 54 Below.
I get the feeling when a singer performs here, it will catapult him/​her into a larger spotlight. The setting feels a bit small, and some may say it feels a bit cramped. But it allows you to talk with others around you.
The acoustics sound great. It allows the performer to interact directly with the audience. The food tasted good. I ordered the king salmon. It melted in my mouth! Loved the taste!

I had a great experience going here. A cabaret below the iconic Studio 54, as you descend down the steps it’s like entering another era. Ever detail from the wall paper to the molding to the art around the place takes me back in history to images of speakeasies and supper clubs I’ve only seen in movies. The room was well organized with a central stage and pretty good views all around.
The performance obviously makes the show. We saw Carole Bufford’s show Heart of Gold: A Portrait of the World’s Oldest Profession. Amazing! The numbers she sung, arrangements transitions, the show featured songs over the last century regarding Women of the night, trial and tribulations, infatuation, etc.
The food was great. I had an espresso marinated steak and my wife had grilled salmon. We didn’t drink but the drinks looked good too. There’s a
Minimum charge with each performance that was $ 25 per person. Great place. Highly recommend. Check out my pics.

54 Below is a slightly more upscale version of Joe’s Pub (which is still my favorite spot in Manhattan.) The space is absolutely gorgeous and the food is great. Here you can get a Hanger Steak rather than a Hamburger. Of course, it will cost you ($ 25 minimum.)
There is not a bad seat in the house. All of the seats are no more than 24 feet from the stage. The sound and lighting is also top notch.
Bottom line, if you are a fan of Broadway or cabaret entertainment, this is the place for you. If you are looking for a classy place to take a date, this is for you. If you are just tired of sitting in your apartment eating Chinese take-​out for the third time in a week and have the need to go out and feel fancy-​shmancy, this is the place for you.
Go ahead, treat yourself.

Pretty cool spot that hosts tons of live shows and events. I came here to see the preview of Comfort Women: A New Musical, and it was great! It’ll be coming out off-​Broadway this July!
And yes, you do have a $ 20 minimum food/​drink order per person, and that food comes out fast! I had their bacon mac ‘n cheese, yucca fries, plantains with guacamole… and our friends had their burgers. They were all pretty decent!

On my list of places to go next time I’m in NYC!
My mom and I happened upon 54 Below looking for a pre-​theater drink. If we hadn’t had tickets to see the amazing Caberet upstairs… we’d have stayed here! In fact, we almost went back after Caberet to see the late show.
The music at the live show was amazing, and — as another Unilocaler wrote — you get to see Broadway names up close! I can’t wait to go back!

This is a excellent intimate live music venue. Acoustics are very good, and there is a pretty good lighting system as well.
The majority of the seating is at long tables pointed toward the stage, so some seats tend to be faced away from the performer, and those seated in the first few slots (and I do mean slots) may find the lighting in their eyes. A few booths along the back provide the most comfortable seating.
Food is adequate. The french fries were excellent, and the Caesar salad was fresh. The ratatouille shepherd’s pie was a bit disappointing. There’s a nice selection of moderately priced wines.
Service is friendly and unobtrusive.