Socialista

Socialista was closed on Sunday, December 21 following an inspection that found several critical violations, including a sewage backup in the establishment’s kitchen while servers were preparing food, a non-​functioning hand washing sink in a food preparation area, and mice droppings in two areas, including a bar.
Yum…

A little out of the way but a quick walk from the West Village. Funky décor (mismatched overstuffed chairs, old fashioned fixtures), eclectic music and a decent amount of seating on the lower level. Upstairs, there’s a jumpin’ dancefloor with noticeably high ceilings that give it an airy feel (unlike a lot of LES/​Village bars, you don’t feel like you’re stuffed in a basement… they get an extra start for that). The night I went there was a $ 20 cover but it was free svedka vodka drinks till 11pm — we definitely feel like we got our money’s worth.

OVERALL — For me, the upstairs lounge is one of those «special purpose» type places. I like to go to the lounge early, and only for an hour or so to relax and have a great drink and conversation in a very comfortable setting. Granted, the few times I’ve been here the crowd was very light, but that was because it was like 10:30. I loved it.
THE DOOR — In terms of getting in, well, from my experience your company (girlfriend/​date) and overall attitude seem to be very important for getting inside (or being excluded from) very exclusive doors. If you show up with a bunch of guys fresh from a beer-​pong tournament your chances are slim at best unless you guys know someone connected to the place. My guess is that a group of beautiful women would not have as much of a problem but in fact I have seen many pretty women summarily turned away. I found the doormen (Anthony and Fernando) neither particularly friendly nor disrespectful to me, but quite polite to my girlfriend which is really all I ask. I felt less comfortable speaking with Jeffrey. If you get shot down, don’t throw a tantrum or hissy fit because you will have effectively ruined your chances of ever getting in. On a safety note, be careful (ladies especially if wearing crazy heels) of the stairs (metal industrial type) leading up to the lounge. Also, if you go when it’s crazy and crowded watch out for any spills on the marble floor because any moisture whatsoever will make the floor as slippery as ice (I have a similar floor in part of my house).
THE VIBE — My advice is not to go drunk, but not stone cold sober either. Just loose and relaxed and let the place do the rest. These bartenders are very good and very consistent. The Blood Orange Mojito is awesome. The dress code seemed very bi-​polar in that 50% was shabby chic and the other 50% was designer high-​end. The lighting was very dark but sensual. The décor is really fantastic by my taste. I would think that watching sunsets through those shutters would be spectacular.
The music — Again, since I was there early every time I’ve been to Socialista, the DJ was playing pretty mellow music, however, I noticed a gradual, skilled crescendo in the energy of the non-​mainstream original music.
THE TAB — Over an hour and a half or so I downed 2 Blood Red Mojitos, a Stoli Martini, and my girlfriend’s untouched Sprite. The bill was about $ 50 bucks. Add that to a $ 40 tip for great service, a great atrmosphere plus an impressed girlfriend and I was quite happy.

Way harsh, Ty! Perhaps on the average night this place doesn’t treat you well if you’re not Demi and/​or Ashton, but I’m definitely a fan of the Sunday night shin-​dig that has become all the range among the gays in recent months. Minus a star for overpriced drinks — I mean, I’d expect to pay $ 13 for a martini in this place, but when I switch to a vodka tonic, I expect the price to go down at least $ 2. It didn’t. I ended up switching to Coronas ($ 7) just so I’d have cab-​fare home.
But with a chic, airy atmosphere — very obviously Cuban in feel as everyone has noted — a rockin’ DJ, and a hot crowd I’ll definitely be back for Sundays to come — especially now that Hiro has become a little too popular for its own good. I also randomly ran into 27 people I hadn’t seen in years, like I was on some strange episode of This is Your (night)Life.

What I’m about to describe could have been completely avoided if Socialista would remember they are in the service industry. We had a larger group than the original 6 and yes we were late by a half hour, but we dutifully called AND the place wasn’t even near crowded. Pretty unreal considering it was a Saturday night. Could these reviews really be hurting them — sweet!
I’m only giving a star because of the great bartender who kindly served up original hot toddies for me the old fashioned way while we waited the hour and half for our EMPTY table. Luckily we were in good spirits and with good company to pass the time. Until we got naturally hungry so we ordered some appetizers. Apps were so small we ordered two orders of the same thing. Then when we were seated, they sat us at the table right by the door when they had extra tables away from the freezing cold. Yes, we asked for that table and they moved us. Again, they could have been considerate and gave us that table in the first place.
They forgot to give us place settings and so we just grabbed the extra utensils at the neighboring EMPTY seats near us. Even our waitress gruffed that her staff wasn’t helping her out. How funny I don’t remember the food at all and good thing, otherwise I probably would have gotten sick from it.
Socialista thanks for letting me write my first negative review!

Ummm… When did «has-​been doorman» become resume material for a new lounge.
AND REALLY… Cuban?
Come on people. I suppose I should open up a heritage meets western European roots lounge that accepts reservations in advance. I think Ill call it it Kilbasa since the heartburn will be familliar to most Village revelers.
Stopped by late for drinks for my birthday and laughed all the way back to a cab.
If you plan your evening from a Sheckys than this is the place for you. If you would rather have a little class with your splash than I recommend passing on the velvet.
Puke…

C’mon you dancin’ fools!
I had NO IDEA that this was a restaurant or that they had food until I signed onto Unilocal to write this review! Not sure exactly what they’re trying to be a restaurant, or a club or what they really are… but the group I was with thought it was a lounge so for a few hours we enjoyed our table, several bottles of vodka, and had a blast dancing in between the tables! Then off to the next spot for the evening and we were happy to be on our way.
I guess you could say that we left while we were having fun and didn’t try to overdo something that definitely should not be overdone.
The atmosphere was nice, staff was friendly, and everyone in our group seemed well on their way prior to arrival so who knows if this place is really good or not. *angelic smile*
So Rockstars! If you’re thinking about coming to this here make sue you bring your own group, get a bottle, lounge at your table, and drink all of your alcohol as fast as humanly possible! If you follow these instructions it won’t matter if you’re lounging at your table or dancing in between the tables you’re going to have a great time!
Date Rating: 3
Pick up Scale: 7 (depends on the night)
Strong Suggestions: Know someone at the door, or bring someone who does.

I’d call this more of a bar/​restaurant than a club. Socialista is the invention of B8 doorman Armin Amiri and it takes the best of Bungalow and mixes it with a cool West Village ambiance.
My one issue with this place is the lighting — too bright. I mean — we’re all beautiful but lighting makes the mood and when I’m out at night I prefer the lights to be dimmed. Other than that Socialista rocks — good music (some of it live) and a nice, sexy crowd. Great wine and champagne list.