M Bar

Love the location, close to GCT and Bryant park. Love the cozy library feel. It’s a small but cute place to drink, and I will definitely be back, but not for the eats. The popcorn was delicious, but I shared a plate of polenta fries which tasted unsalted and a dismal cheese tray with a friend. In this quaint atmosphere it’s drinks only.

M Bar is a great back-​up if you want to have a proper cocktail in a nice setting, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for the below reasons:
1) Despite their best efforts, it feels very much like a hotel bar due to the enormous side entrance which is connected to the lobby and just a few steps from the front desk. It’s irritating to have to listen to someone check in while you have a cocktail. I would recommend they close the door or manipulate the entryway in some way.
2) They ran out of pinot grigio. You can’t just run out of every bottle of one of the major white wine varietals. That’s just silly.
3) While the waiters were amiable and attentive, the water service was inconsistent, and I had to ask several times.
The negatives aside, there were a number of positives which made for a pleasant experience. As I said, the servers were friendly and vigilant, the Sazerac I had was spot-​on and fairly priced ($ 15), and the décor within the bar was classy and cozy (with the exception of the lobby side door). I also loved the music selection because I’m a sucker for oldies and they played quite a few of my favorites. I admit I chuckled when I walked in and heard «Hey Mickey» playing…

Came here for a corporate event. The place is very cozy. Drinks and food were excellent, the bartenders made the drinks perfectly every time and no one waited.
food was also carried around promptly and was great tasting. The servers made sure everyone was taken care of. There was also a wine bar set aside by the entrance away from the bar with good selection of mostly reds and a few whites.
as for food, everything was great, especially enjoyed the coconut shrimp and bacon wrapped scallops which were my favorites.
The grilled chicken on skewers, burger sliders, spring rolls and beef puffs were also great.
This place would also be ideal for a date spot as its very dark and intimate setting.

(This review is from 1÷26÷2012)
Came here after work for drinks and snacks. They do have a drink menu and a wine list.
Drinks — The first drink I tried was the strawberry champagne cocktail, that was ok. The pear martini was good and very easy to drink and garnished with a slice of pear. The waitress was unable to tell me what made the «seasonal sangria,» seasonal, but it was still tasty and easy to drink.
Food — We tried the chicken spring rolls, the mini pizza, the mini crabcakes, and the truffle popcorn. These were all tasty, especially the truffle popcorn. I did not expect to like it as much as I did.
Décor, etc — This bar is located on the first floor or the Mansfield hotel on the south side of 44^th street. Very easy to locate. It is a smallish room seperated into two areas. The «lounge» area had a limited number of tables, pretty close together with an overall look like a library. These tables have waitress service. There is also the area closer to the bar that has a few high top tables.

Elegant oak bar in midtown. Came here and sat at the bar for a quick drink before meeting people for dinner in Hell’s Kitchen. The elderflower champagne cocktail was scrumptious, but $ 18. This would be a nice, cozy place to sit in a dark corner with a date.

The first thought in my mind walking into M Bar in the Mansfield Hotel was that it reminded my of a few hotel bars I have visited in Spain and France.
Small, intimate, and quiet.
The ambiance of the room is very nice. A narrow smaller room, the bar seats maybe 10 — 12. Above the bar is a beautiful skylight.
The service was great. The bartender was very professional.
My wife ordered a champagne cocktail that was champagne and elderflower liquor. It was fantastic, and I was very pleasantly surprised to see the Blanc de Noirs they chose, it also put the $ 17 price into perspective. It was a very exquisite, simple cocktail, perfectly executed. Just the perfect balance you would like in a champagne cocktail. It tasted like champagne with a hint of elderberry… not champagne with a bunch of crap poured in it.
I had a glass of wine, the list was appropriate.
We also ordered the truffle popcorn, which again, was very well balanced. It was not greasy, didn’t leave your fingers dirty, and had just the faintest aroma of truffle.
Great spot to stop for a cocktail. A little pricey, but it is a hotel bar in Manhattan.

My husband and I have been staying in this (mansfield) hotel for 3 days now and just noticed that they serve breakfast.
We ordered the truffled egg brioche that comes with, poached eggs atop a lightly, buttery brioche bread, with truffle hollandaise sauce. Served with mixed greens, applewood smoked bacon. Absolute deliciousness! The eggs were perfectly cooked!
The mini ham & cheese croissants were good. The only thing missing was a little sauce.

Came here with my wife on a Friday evening. Let me first say that this was probably the most sweltering establishment I’ve ever been in. I’m guessing it was 80 degrees in there, which quickly made things uncomfortable. The décor is nice — fancy wooden tables to go along with hardcover books on the shelves. The music playing was lounge music for the most part, which would have created a relaxing vibe if not for the aforementioned heat situation.
The drinks were expensive — I had an «Old Fashioned» which consisted of bourbon, bitters, and an orange slice. It actually wasn’t bad but not worth the price. The service was atrocious — and the place wasn’t even half full! After the waitress handed us our check, we had to track her down at the bar to pay as she was sitting there drinking wine. Must be nice. We made the decision to reduce her tip due to her stupidity.
This is located in the Mansfield Hotel (where we stayed) so we thought it would be a convenient way to cap off our first night in NY. Unfortunately we were wrong.

I love this bar. Perfect for a date. Nice, quiet, discreet. Lovely room. The blueberry martini is one of my favorite drinks anywhere in Manhattan. The food is also good.

Agree with some of the reviews below.
Not cheap, but not «Blue Bar» expensive. A good choice for the area if you don’t want to go Irish or insanely expensive. They’ve had live music a few times which is a nice touch.
Martinis are solid. Get the truffle popcorn.

Get to the Chase:
Pros:
1) It’s a great in-​between from fancy and laid back
2) Great to pre-​game
3) Nice to have a mixed crowd, and not the standard pretentious, rude staff as well
Cons:
1) Nothing special, and when we got there it was really packed

Original plan was the Algonquin but didn’t realize it was closed — off to Plan B and what a nice surprise!
Lovely, warm room with a library feel to it. We had the table in the center and the wine selection was decent as was the service. Didn’t try any food other than the sinful truffle popcorn!
I’ll definitely make a return trip and part of me doesn’t want to share this wonderful little place in case it starts to get too busy or crowded!

While staying at the Mansfield Hotel, I decided to check out the bar downstairs. The setting is dark, intimate, and reminds me of a library with big couches and wooden tables. They had a good selection of mixed cocktails and beer, as well as a fully stocked bar. I ordered a white grape cocktail, which consisted of Ciroc, champagne, grape juice, and even garnished with real green grapes! It tasted like exactly like Welch’s grape juice… but a better, alcoholic version. My boyfriend opted for a Guinness, and we ordered the pomme frites to snack on. I’m not sure how you could ever mess up fries, but the sauces that it came with definitely made them delicious. One star off because the bartender threw away my first cocktail glass even though there were still grapes in it + it wasn’t completely empty. She was also reading a magazine while standing at the bar, which was kind of awkward… but then again, I realized that we were the only people out of 2 other tables that were inside at the time… perhaps it was just slow because it was a Sunday and also a holiday weekend.
We will definitely stay at the Mansfield again because we had a superb experience there, and I will definitely checkout M Bar again.

OK.

With its tinted windows and hotel location, I passed by it so many times thinking it was a snobby and overpriced locale. Luckily, an after work gathering enticed me to visit, only to find a hidden gem in the city.
The servers are friendly and knowledgeable. The décor a cross between a cozy (not small, just cozy) library study and a laid back jazz bar. The martinis (try the blueberry) are well made and poured at your table.
The place begins to fill up after 6 so go early if you want a table. But don’t let that stop you from popping in for a quick drink — it’ll be worth your time.

The M Bar is a small and intimate room on the lobby level of the hotel. The grand dark wood finishing at the bar brings out the sophisticated and classy vibe of this historic site. I sat at the table next to the window, which overlooked the 44^th street.
The waiter approached me with a smile and greeted me immediately. The breakfast selection on the menu all seemed very tasty and appealing. I decided to order the poached egg brioche with truffle oil, which came with applewood smoked bacon and a side salad. Coffee or tea was also included with the order.
Pictures at
I absolutely loved the truffle essence that instantly transformed the simple egg dish to something exquisite and more appetizing. The smokey bacon was fried to the perfect crispy state. Not to mention, the soft texture of the brioche bread was my favorite. A bite of the half cooked egg and toasty brioche with bacon brought a complex divine taste that would literally bring you to heaven.
Read the full review and pictures at

A super chill bar, warm, cozy, singer songwriter, excellent cocktails, easy conversation, nice service, food good (crab cakes, fried ravioli) — only thing not good: pizza. Ew.

Love the classy and intimate vibe of this bar. Live jazz performances are scheduled several times a week and the menu features signature cocktails, a good wine selection and light fare. The front seating is great for tête-​à-​têtes, while the back area near the bar can be reserved for larger group events.
In addition to the books on the wall shelves, there’s a charming library room a few steps across the hall (exit through the glass doors in the back of the bar) with an even greater collection.

Ok… so it’s been a while since I’ve been to M Bar, but something reminded me of it and I decided better late than never for a review, right?
Anyway. I’ve been a few times. I may have eaten food there but honestly, I can’t remember. Which is both good and bad because clearly it didn’t stand out as being spectacular cuisine, but it also wasn’t awful enough to scar me for life.
So I’m only going to review the Blueberry Martini. It’s amazing. Like an alcoholic blueberry muffin in a martini glass. Fresh blueberries. Ahhh. YES! But I had to take away a star because of the price, which was around $ 15 – 16 per drink. With tax + tip, we’re talking $ 20 per cocktail? Ouch. Which is why I haven’t been back… having to take out a 2^nd mortgage on my house to pay for drinks? No thanks.

Now, I’m not normally a fan of hotel bars, but for some reason this block of 44^th has 3 that I like a lot — the M Bar, the Lobby at the Royalton, and the Blue Bar.
The M Bar is the first you come across as you walk down from 5^th, on the left hand side. It’s charms are not immediately apparent, but like most quality things, they reveal themselves slowly, and require a little work.
The first thing you must do is try and sit ‘up’ in the lounge rather than ‘down’ at the bar. You will be in perfect position for when the charming live band begins to play.
The second thing to do is to ask for the wine list whose existence is not even hinted at. That is a seriously good wine list at very reasonable prices.
Sitting at a corner table smiling at the crooning singer, with a goblet of Pinot in hand, is an unexpected pleasure in this part of town.