Meridian 23

I love this place))Music is always surprise! !!!love those Bands and atmosphere of the evening plus always some new events.
DRINKS ARE SUPER) plus always something new and interesting. I would definitely recommend this place .
Delicious drinks and great mood will will have a good time for sure.

Great bar/​lounge to hang and dance. Good selection of liquor. Nice small dance floor on back by dj booth. Freddy Bastone played some great music. Staff is friendly and courteous. Will definitely be back!

Wow, what an interesting night I had here. On Friday night the bar hosted a tango event in the back. Early in the evening there was a small band in front playing for happy hour. The people are an eclectic bunch as is normal for 23^rd street.
If you’re looking for a bar that gives a unique experience in a chain dominant neighborhood, then check Meridian out.

Bedbug !!! I had two bedbug bites while sitting at the couch area on the left hand side in front of the stage. My fiend also got one bite at the same night. Be careful going there while you might bring nightmares home.

If you wanna chill at a venue where there is a varied mix of ethnicities, this is the spot.
Latin beats pumpin early, then live bands later.
African-​influenced décor, dimly-​lit, sexy vibe, friendly bartenders… you really can’t go wrong.
Crazy happy hour: 4 — 8pm, $ 6 vodka sodas. Damn, son.

I went to one of most unbelievable live music performances of the year this past weekend at Meridian 23.
Who was it?
Sly Fifth Ave and the Club Casa Orchestra. Conductor Sly Fifth Ave (Sylvester Onyejiaka) is known as a prodigal instrumentalist. He led his 21 piece band/​orchestra through various covers and original songs that included latin jazz/​afrobeat/​conga drums… womyn on the french horn, tuba and trumpet. It was UNBELIEVABLE. Chills.
We were at the event because DJ Center was having an anniversary event for his Roots and Soul nights. We know DJ Center because he spun at our Brooklyn wedding!!! (i.e. songs like Electric Slide, Macarena, YMCA, Celebrate, etc… were on the no play death list).
The cocktails from their menu were not great (have not tried the food). I would suggest wine or anything straight-​up. BUT that doesn’t matter. because you go for the music.
This clandestine spot in Chelsea continually hosts great events (my friends host The Refresh on Mondays), with good peoples and great vibes. AND blow your mind live music such as Sly Fifth Ave.
I *trust* this spot and I will be back.

Good location, good vibe, good selection of events, good music, good drinks. The food menu is a lacking, but this place deserves a lot more love than it is currently getting.

New York’s new best kept secret!

Good Peoples!
Friendly, efficient Bartenders!
Bouncy Music!
Extra points: ¹⁄₃ block frm train — busy enuf thoroughfare to catch a cab!

Best Food and Music. Try the GUMBO

This past weekend I decided to give this establishment a try after not going to a Tea Dance party for nearly a year. It took me a while to find because the building is inconspicuous. I was pleasantly surprised by how warm and friendly most people were that evening. This is rarity with most urban social meeting places. The music was fabulous and the sound system is excellent. The prices at the bar are average for Manhattan. The bartenders are friendly, patient and mix cocktails well. The restroom is clean and well lit. Overall, I was impressed. I will consider visiting again.

NYC is a city of extremes. Sometime you just want to chill, listen to some solid beats in a douche and hassle free zone without out being in a dive.
The Good:
The location works out really well for me and overall it is centrally located.
The venue is solid and decently designed. The tones are rich, the tribal mask offer a nice aesthetic.
The bar has solid offering of cocktail, bourbon and scotch options, which again works well for me.
The talent, the music and the overall vibe is dead on. Finding a decent place to hear real music with solid DJ’s and musical line ups is a hard to find in NYC.
There is a dance floor, decent stage area and people actually dance.
The Bad:
The cover was on par with most club venues. I generally do not pay covers, however I did have decent time and I do realize you have to keep the doors open. Let’s just keep that door cover reasonable and do not look thirsty when collecting my funds.
The drink prices are on the higher side. Did I come here to dance? Did I come here to drink or did I come here to do a combo of both? This isn’t a cocktail bar it’s more of a lounge and based on the cover and vibe of this location I think the drinks should be in line with this in mind. Cover plus a few drinks could put me into the (I might as well have went to one of the higher end weekend douche bag clubs category.) Well if I did the aforementioned I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the talent that this place offers.

Caught up with an old friend here on a Friday nite and it was a nice chill spot.
Live music was going on by an artist I was not familiar with, but she was pretty good. Kind of dark in here and the music gets very loud so we found ourselves screaming at each other.

We arrived at 955 and were told they weren’t ready yet. We arrived the second time and were told we could get in but it was $ 20 a person. We said no thanks and left. I wanted to hear live music and buy drinks and they ruined it. Love NY don’t love this place.

I was invited here by a friend who knew one of the guys in the band that was playing as she entered. It was his birthday. And rather than it being a closed event, it was a public celebration. I was invited here, so I didn’t check the reviews before I came. But it would seem that my fellow Unilocalers would agree, public celebration is a theme for this place. And yeah, keeping it that way would sadly mean keeping it a secret.
The bartenders are really friendly. Really friendly. Like take a minute to breathe and say hi friendly, but still manage not to leave a drunkard hanging. You gotta respect that level of professionalism. And I really enjoy the feng shui of the place. Seating feels communal with the artist rather than the usual division between performer and listeners.

+++
— This place is gonna be a problem (in a good way) when the public starts discovering it
— Sooooo much fun on a Friday night. A Brazilian band played a show ($ 10) they had the place JAMMIN. An African band came on afterwards, they absolutely killed it!!!
++
— Specialty cocktails, while expensive (~$ 14) are very good and well made. You really cant go wrong, but the Meridian, Caiprinha, and Nino were my drinks of choice
+
— Decent happy hour specials from 5 – 8
— Shrimp ceviche was good, but small
-
— Food options are very small, don’t order the food if you’re hungry
— Specialty cocktails arent available for happy hour
TIPS:
— If you’re hungry, find another neighborhood option. There are plenty.

The idea behind Meridian 23 is connection– just as meridians connect geographies together, Meridian 23 is to connect energies, music, and people from different cultures. Classy and understated at first glance– the bar area is dimly lit with a reddish tinge, and invites you to sit and have a chat over some cocktails, wine, or tapas.
As you walk toward the back, Meridian 23 opens up into a spacious dance lounge area with comfortable seating surrounding the dance floor. A stage hugs the dance floor at the back wall, and that’s where the magic begins.
I attended Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra’s «sambaloosa» — a great mashup of salsa, samba, boogaloo. There was a $ 5 cover charge at the door for the whole evening. The crowd was intimate yet lively, and people didn’t hesitate to get up and dance. I loved the casual yet hip atmosphere. So chill– you can choose to dance or not dance, drink or not drink, dress up or dress down. In a city where everyone’s trying to make you buy something or pay more, Meridian 23 offers low-​pressure way to enjoy some really awesome live music.

Meridian 23 is not a «bar» or a «club». It is a state of mind. Beautiful space. Friendly staff and customers. Great drinks and music. I went to the African night on Friday, 25 April 2014 and loved it.
Great job, Peekoo & friends. Gracias, Ferdinand & Co.