Libation

I went here for a Christmas party last year and normally I would not give a bad review for just one experience in which I only frequented the bar and didn’t traditionally sit and eat but dang… it must be a job requirement to be a nasty, uninterested person who doesn’t smile to work behind the bar. Like seriously, the rudest bartenders ever. At a Christmas party! Like get over yourselves.

I went for brunch on May 1, 2016. The ambiance is not traditional which is exactly what I like. There is music, dim lights and even dancing. The waiter and bartender were amazing. The unlimited mimosas were creeping up on us. We sang happy birthday to a friend and the DJ was on cue as he played 50 cents «go shorty it’s ya birthday» That was really nice. The place is slightly tight but the food is great. Even with limited space we danced.

Drinks were pretty weak. The music was way too loud, and made talking pretty difficult. The real issue I had was that we were served our food, 1.5 hours into our 2 hour brunch! That as completely absurd. The wait staff was rude and unapologetic when we asked what was taking so long. Will absolutely not be returning or recommending this place to anyone.

Brunch was good. Went for a bday. It’s $ 45 a person. They only use 2 cards towards the bill. SO BRING CASH… Save yourself the headache. They add a service charge along with the gratuity and taxes, which really makes brunch $ 62 a person… You have to choose between bloody Mary’s or mimosas. Drinks were good. The booth they gave us was a bit dirty… I just took a napkin and wiped it down and picked up the dirty straw and bottle cap. They gave us shots with sparklers for my friends birthday which was really nice. Our waitress was really nice and friendly. The fries were really good. Music was okay. It was mostly hot 100 type of music a lot of pop and main stream. The space was pretty small but beautiful. The bathrooms were clean

I’ve heard so much about this place in the past, and I was excited when I was able to participate in the grand turn better known as brunch, this past Sunday, at Libations. Unfortunately, I have to say that the experience fell short of my initial expectations as I was hoping for a 5 star experience.
Ambiance is decent. Libations has a very sports bar feel to it and while lighting is low, you can see the high turn up potential when you walk in. I was with a party of 10 and my first complaint came at the seating arrangement. While being upstairs was pretty dope, the seating felt pretty squeezed together as if somebody said «yea y’all can sit with us we can make room at this table that’s meant for 8».
Waiters were very cool and accommodating, but they were very clear on the strict time limit for brunch as they had another party immediately following us. The bartender that was by our table was dope as well as he made sure our carafe’s bottomless function was fully functioning (there was a brief moment when the bottom was actually visible before he came, but he corrected that immediately).
Now for the food, a key organ of the brunch body. I ordered the chicken & waffles which came with gravy and a Tabasco maple syrup. While the chicken itself was beautiful the rest of the components to the dish weren’t. The waffles were sub-​par, the maple syrup was more sticky Tabasco sauce than maple anything, and the gravy… no thanks. Other dishes that the rest of my party had seemed like it had potential however. I heard great things about the burger and the huevos rancheros looked and smelled amazing. I’ll just chalk it to the fact that maybe this place isn’t meant for chicken and waffles and keep hope alive.
As for the overall turn up, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. The downstairs area was packed with people with carafes of mimosas, and other drinks, partying up a storm. The music was bumping, people were dancing, and i’ll give myself a proud pat on the back for starting an electric slide or two.
All-​in-​all, while the food was disappointing, Libations left enough of an impression on me to not turn my head at it in the future.

Went here for friends birthday brunch.
1. Picnic tables underneath fancy table cloths
2. fold out chairs with padding
3. Dirty mimosa glasses that they insisted were clean
4. 40 $ brunch that was sub par at best
5. DJ was the best part
They need to work on their brunch specials because I do not think I will be going back.

Came here during early night hours, so I avoided the loud music and dancing crowds.
Ordered a mixed drink which came to be extremely strong, I had to ask the girls to dilute with some sugar and water.
The girls that work here are extremely sweet, we bonded over our past broke college life, and funny bar stories.

Meh — this was the first stop on the NYC Whiskey Walk. It was very crowded and there was no where to sit. The music was so loud you couldn’t hear ANYTHING.
It was OK I guess, but I wanted to get out of there pretty quickly. I think we stayed for 15 minutes, tops.

Do you like it loud? It was 95DB on the DecibelMeter app on my iPhone. Friday early evening and they had a DJ spinning current rock. I had an old fashioned — which was fine but who muddles fruit anymore? Bartender was nice enough.
Great for the younger crowd, but too loud for me.

Came to libation to celebrate 2 parties, and I’m a fan!
The lines for Libation move really fast compared to other places in the LES, so for the polar vortex this already made me love the place. The bouncers were nice, not d-​bags, the entrance fee for men was 50 for open bar or 20 without open bar [which is optional] and ladies have no entrance fee if they do not do open bar from 10 – 1. They also pop in randomly inside just to see how the tables are doing, I have never met people as nice as the staff. The dress code in here is not too strict either, you could probably get away with jeans and dressy sneakers, you don’t have to wear slacks and a lot of girls were dressed casual too. As long as you don’t have sweatpants and running shoes on your good.
Once you enter you have to go down the stairs for coat check which is across from the bathroom, and then upstairs is the main floor with a bar and VIP tables for bottle service and the top floor has additional VIP tables with plenty of space. Each floor did not have as much space as I hoped but there was just enough to dance, I never felt squished, but the tables are decent in size so I would rather have more room at the table then the dancefloor.
The open bar deal was a bargain, since they did not let you have straight shots, they would just pour a huge shot into a 16 oz glass with soda or whatever mixed drink you wanted them to make. The male bartender was super friendly and actually poured my lemon drop drink into a martini glass so after 3 of them it really hit me. I also see the bartenders genuinely care for their customers because after my boyfriends bff got wasted he lost of track of how much $$ he was tipping, and the bartender realized he was drunk so she really did not want to accept his 20 dollar tip per drink. Majority of bartenders in NYC are money hungry and don’t care for your integrity really.
Also when people spilled their drinks all over the floor the mess was mopped up right away and our tables were always cleaned, its nice to find a club that doesn’t look like a dump.
The music itself did not have much variety and that’s why I took off one star, top 40s hits and old rap is fine don’t get me wrong, but they could of played some other things like EDM dance tracks and reggaeton. I felt like I got bored with the music at one point. The DJ also didn’t really interact with the crowd too much and not much shout outs were made.
I also don’t like the people themselves here, the women in particular here are prissy, stuck up or just thots. A lot of the men here were pervs that were drunk and high that would literally grind up on anything. Oh and did I mention the bathroom was actually clean with a really friendly bathroom attendant? In the city they usually grill you for a dollar.
The place closes around 4 so you do have plenty of time to party which is most important, I recommend this place for girls nights out or birthdays. I do plan on returning someday for a brunch so stay tuned for my next review :)

The food was great! Bottomless brunch and everyone enjoyed their food. I didn’t get a chance to taste the mimosas since I was on medication. However, everyone in my party seemed pleased with the food and drinks.
I would have given this place 3 stars had it not been for the horrible service. Maybe they were short-​staffed that day or maybe they just don’t care. The busboy kicked out our party of 10 off the table and we had to chase the waitress down for the check.(We also chased her down for coffee, milk, dessert and a spoon.)
We were all well aware of the 2 hour max per table but didn’t have a chance to close out the check at the table. The busboys literally bumped us off our seats and began clearing out full glasses of already paid for drinks. Try closing out the check and handing it to your customers as a reminder that the two hours is up. A little more finesse would go a long way.
I would not recommend this place for parties greater than 4.

My friends and I blindly chose Libation for New Year’s Eve this year and were so glad we did. This was one of the more reasonably priced parties at the time that we purchased. It included 5 hour premium open bar and hors d’oeuvres. We got there early, around 8:30 because we were afraid of a line. We got right in and went all the way upstairs where there was music, some NYE party favors and a few VIP tables. We hung around until 9:00 for the open bar and enjoyed mini crab cakes which were awesome, Mac and cheese balls, chicken skewers and meatballs. Everything was great. The bartender, Ryan was so attentive and we did not have to fight our way to get a drink at any point in the night. He was also very nice and relaxed which is a standout trait for a bartender on NYE. Ryan also came to my aid when bouncers kicked out a crazy guy for throwing a drink on me. (So random, still a fun time). The drinks were great for it being an open bar, the space was really nice. (I think the Dj might’ve been downstairs because we had 2013 hits playing upstairs) and the location was free of any Times Square madness. I should also mention that the ladies room bathroom attendant was one of the most patient people I’ve ever seen in action. Overall, noticeably nice staff, great service and the best value on NYE.

The night I came, only one floor was open, but the music was excellent — remixed top 40! The drinks are on the steep side and the people here were kind of pretentious. It’s a younger crowd than expected, like early to mid 20s (at least it seemed that way). Lots of fratty looking guys and sorority girls. No true dance floor that I saw on the floor I was on.
The narrow hallways that leads you up the stairs to the bar area can get congested, especially since the coat check is also here!

After doing some bar hoping in the area we wanted to find some place that at least had some music playing funny enough a lot of the bars in the area don’t seem to have music going on.
We ended up here after a few people we came across suggested this place since they said it did play music once we arrived we decided to hang around for a little bit.
Drinks we had some Vodka cranberry & Jack & coke, drinks were not bad. My vodka & cranberry was a little weak but since this wasn’t our first stop of the night it was alright.
Nice size place big enough to dance & hang out out loved the «It is what it is» light sign I wanted to take it home lol.
We had a few drinks & danced for a little bit but for a Friday night there didn’t seem to be a lot going on since there wasn’t much of a crowd.
Prices were decent, service at the bar was not bad music was ok.
We enjoyed our selves for the time we were there It was not bad to hang out for a bit.

Went here for my birthday last weekend (⁶⁄₂₀) for the first time and I had a great time! I came in on a Saturday for brunch for my girls and I. We got seated in the corner and the round of mimosas started.
The DJ is great. He plays an awesome mix of music that will suit EVERYONE in the group that you’re with. No matter what each person may like, they will all jam to the music at some point. I thoroughly enjoyed the food. I had the french toast with fruit on top (the fruit was fresh which was awesome) and I also had a side of bacon mac and cheese. MAN. The BMC is delicious. I was trying to take some home for later on that day but I just couldn’t help myself and finished it all. The rest of the girls in my party also enjoyed their food. I tasted my sister’s breakfast burrito and home fries and they were yummy! Towards the end, I had received happy birthday sparklers and a round of shots for everyone (cheesecake for me). But, I know you’re wondering why this place only got 3 stars right? Well, let me explain.
I didn’t enjoy the mimosas. I liked that the pitchers kept coming but I had about 7 of them and I wasn’t even drunk, which meanssss the mimosas are watered down pitchers of something. Now, if we’re playing $ 39+ per each person, you gotta come with stronger drinks than that.
At the end of our bottomless brunch fun, the bill arrives and it was WAY more than what we expected (like in the $ 300 range for 5 people). Now, thank God we all have good jobs so we didn’t mind paying this bill. But what we later realized was, there were two fat charges on our bill: one charge of $ 51 for gratuity and one charge of $ 51 for service. So then we thought… aren’t these along the lines of the same thing? Why were we charged twice? Unfortunately we couldn’t question this because we were long gone…
So I say all of this to say, this place is a good time, but be aware!

Came to catch a Warriors game on a Thursday night andddd it was exactly what I expected from a typical bar. The table littered with the occasional used lime, seats covered in some questionable stickiness, etc. Loved how they had at least 6 screens playing different games so you will be able to see something from any part of the bar. The night I went, it wasn’t too crowded but it seemed like it attracted a younger college crowd.
Some points worth mentioning:
— $ 20 minimum to use card. I normally carry cash on me but I didn’t have any at the time. So I just paid for my friend’s beer. Even though my tab didn’t even add up to $ 20 in the end, the bartender just let me go and let me use my card.
— they have a beer pong table. Not sure when’s out, but that particular night, I saw a few guys messing around with that.
— Their beer selection included more mainstream selections like Corona and craft beer selections like Sweet Action (my personal fav).

Ohmergawd I had the most fantastic fully lubricated Brunch E V E R my first time at Libation! My niece/​daughter (depending on my mood) had been here and highly recommended it… it was BEYOND my expectations
Staff:
We had the best waitress ever Mo who was attentive but not annoying and kept the Mimosa pitchers coming at a clip… the DJ was on FIYAH… I danced like it was 1985 (my best year!). The entire staff from bouncers to busboys are awesome
Ambiance:
It’s dark but it fit with the club vibe and a nice clean bathroom. I know not the best description but I was dranking!
Drinks:
Mimosas were just the right blend of champagne to orange juice and not watery. I had Jameson and rose and Jack Daniels as well… yeah it was an epic in bed by 9pm Brunch!!!
The Food:
I can attest that the food was great and huge portions even I with my elephant like appetite couldn’t finish my Huevous Antonio (chef’s name is Antonio). My friends had the Chicken Sandwich, Texas (French) Toast and egg breakfast and we got a salad and Mac n cheese to share and thumbs up all around!
I am definitely going back to Libation again because you get your money’s worth!
Brunch Booze and Friends… gotta love #NYC

Compared to all the brunches I have been to in NYC, Libations is simply one I do not recommend. You can choose their all you can drink for two hours option ($ 40) which includes mimosas or Bloody Mary’s. I went today and chose the mimosas and because it was disgustingly watered down I then opted to upgrade to well drinks (+$ 20). This too was not worth it at all. The only plus was the very nice bartender Thais (love that name). She made sure my table was taken care of and even poured in more alcohol when we asked.
If you are however into watered down drinks they seem like a great option for large groups. This place was just not for me.

This review is for the club only.
I have been here more than a handful of times. Last night’s drinking venture my girlfriend and I decided to pop into this place. Surprisingly the LINE was non existent. I thought since it took us like 5 minutes to get in the place would be dead. Sure enough as we got inside the place was packed from back to back. We managed to weave our way to the bar grab a few drinks /​shots. Super sweet bartender btw!
This place has been consistently fun and never an issue minus the nuisance of desperate guys trying to start a conversation with you in the club. Yet you can’t and don’t hear a damn thing due to excessive loud crowd and music. & all you want to do is just dance, dance, dance!

MEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Food: 2.5÷5
Ambience: ³⁄₅
Service: ²⁄₅
I came here with a large group of 15 people for my friend’s bottomless birthday brunch. She had asked to be seated downstairs to avoid the crowd of bros coming to watch the basketball game. Where do we get seated? Upstairs, next to the speakers, so we can’t hear anything other than what’s blasting out of them. We weren’t happy but whatever, we were dealing with it. Just as we started to get comfortable, drinks were flowing, and food was ordered, a manager came up to us and told us we can move downstairs… to a table the was open since we got there. FAIL. When we were upstairs we were complaining it was cold in there, then they sat us BY THE DOOR… in December. FAIL NUMBER 2. But again, we’re good sports so we dealt.
I ordered the soho sandwich (which is really a wrap) and it was between mediocre and bad. Tasteless, not enough cheese or avocado, a measly portion of home fries, and forgettable to say the least. Other entrees looked better, especially the mac and cheese. A few girls also didn’t get the sourdough bread that was supposed to come with their crab cakes but the waitress brought a platter of bread after they told her. The staff was also accommodating and brought a round of Fireball shots for the table because of the birthday, as well as cheesecake for the birthday girl.
Is it worth $ 39/​person for bottomless? Not really. I mean, the music is fun and the place has a lot of potential, but for what you get it’s relatively expensive. The drinks weren’t strong and I ended up having something like five bloodies, but barely even felt them. In the end I guess all that matters is that the birthday girl was happy, which she was.