The Dalloway

This restaurant has definitely solidified New York’s amazing restaurant reputation. Not only was the food delicious, the service was exceptional.
I went with two friends for dinner. We had the oysters, bone marrow, and flatbread. We also had their house wine (recommended by the server, Juliette), which complemented the food very well. The server was patient and knew the menu very well. When I asked about the ingredients in the dishes (I am lactose intolerant), the servers knew immediately which ingredients were in each dish and readily offered dairy free suggestions straight from the menu.
I recommend this restaurant to anyone either living in New York and to anyone visiting New York. I will definitely visit New York again if it means I can dine at this restaurant and more like it again.

A friend had been talking about this place for a bit now. She says its great bar to unwind at and boy was she right. Came here on a Saturday night to celebrate with some drinks. The music was good and just as diverse as the people. It went from EDM, to Latin, Hip Hop, you name it they play it.
The bartenders are wonderful. Attentive and even if they have a few people to take care of before you they let you know they saw you and they will help you as soon as they can.
It is a Lesbian bar but everyone fits in.

I respect this place
Good cocktails, food and events
Check out the art show*!
*curated by yours truly

I highly recommend The Dalloway for brunch. The food was tasty, the service was spectacular and friendly, and the venue was really chill.
I had the Avocado and Grapefruit salad as an appetizer and the Smoked Salmon entrée. Both were divine. The arugula was well seasoned and the avocado and grapefruit added great flavor. The Smoked Salmon with latke was similarly tasty (on par or better than at Essex in the LES). The Smoked Salmon was so fresh and the latkes crispy in their entirety.
My fellow diners had the Beet and Citrus salad, the Huevos Rancheros, and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. All of which received stellar compliments.
I love coffee with my breakfast and the coffee here, which arrived in a French press, was really good.
As a final note, a BIG THANK YOU to Sarah (the manager who was there today). She kept an eye on our table and when the entrees came out before the appetizers she noticed immediately and came by to take care of us. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to go for my birthday brunch.

I was underwhelmed. I felt like the oldest person in the room but the wait for the bartenders attention and then again to close our tab was ridicules. Drinks were expensive but fine and the food looked good, sad we didn’t get to try the food. I would not rush to go back.

The Dalloway is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC.
The prices are not too bad, and the food is always fresh and delicious.
I’ve been here a few times and tried a few things. I love the happy hour’s $ 1 oysters, awesome flat breads, and sliders. The Prosciutto fig flatbread is something I can live off of. The truffle’s fries is also an happy hour item, but I personally can’t tell the difference between regular fries and these. But they’re always made fresh and criss-​pay.
When I had dinner here, I’ve used the Gilt City twice. (I loved it so much the first time that when the offer came up again, I bought it in a heartbeat.) I like that the chef consolidated the menu so it’s not too overwhelming. The first time I was there, they just started a new winter/​fall menu, and it was amazing. My favorite was the Braised Short Rib with corn bread purée. CORN BREAD PUREE. What. It accompanied the fall-​off-​the-​bone-​short-​rib really well, and I can safely say it’s one of the best things I’ve eaten.
I was really sad to see the 3-​type Cauliflower come off the menu. I don’t remember the exact name of it, but it was a small plate with cauliflower prepared 3 ways. One was a salad with balsamic vinaigrette (I think), and another was a cauliflower purée. I don’t recall what the last «way» was, but my mind was blown.
The most recent time I was at the Dalloway for dinner was last week, and their menu hasn’t changed much since winter. They did add a duck that we really wanted to try, but we were told that it went bad. For whatever reason it decided to rebel against its parents and got piercings, tattoos and a college-​dropout girlfriend. So we got the short ribs instead. (Always a fine choice).
The service is always so great at the Dalloway. I’ve been there for their game nights, I’ve been there for dinner, and their staff is always so engaging and awesome. I had Juliette both times as our server (I was kinda hoping it was her, since she was so sweet last time). Last time she didn’t have a dessert menu so we harassed her into charades to describe the menu. This time, we switched it up and did Pictionary. I think she had just as much fun as we did.
I can’t emphasize how underrated The Dalloway is. It’s such good bang for your buck, and the staff is awesome.

Very attractive spot. Great layout and cool vibe.
Attended a beer club event here (in the downstairs part) which was very cool as some beer reps were on hand to discuss the beers and give samples.
So why only three stars? At 6:30 they charged $ 8 for a can of beer! So I guess that means no happy hour. I am fine with paying money for beer and if you want to charge me $ 7 for a pint, that is cool. But $ 8 for a 12 oz can of beer from 21^st Amendment (which is a decent brewery but it’s not all that), I have to pass on that.
In defense of the place, it’s clearly and unequivocally not a beer place so I need to manage my expectations better. But $ 8 for a can is ridiculous and I felt like a fool for paying it.

I didn’t realize this was in the old Lani Kai spot (not too much has changed, it’s dark wood paneling in a lounge-​type atmosphere).
I would summarize our visit as a night of surprises (but not in a bad way :) It seemed like every dish we ordered came with some unexpected ingredient not listed on the menu.
The drinks were great, but we were expecting the Night & Day to taste like a Dark & Stormy… and instead it had anise in it so I switched with my friend since she’s not a big licorice fan. The Beerita and Paper Dart were also very good.
For food, we got a bunch of small plates. The brussell sprouts were excellent, but came with quinoa and grapes (unexpected combination). The truffle mac and cheese was amazing. For dessert we got the chocolate souflee, which had a spice to it– which was unusual! Not much of a fan of that one.
As we were finishing up, my friend and I realized we were surrounded by female couples (and had a bachelorette party with two brides behind us). Our last surprise was that apparently the Dalloway is a lesbian bar :)
Overall great place, would come back for the food alone!

I think the Dalloway definitely needs separate reviews for the downstairs and restaurant section.
I go to the Dalloway because I love the atmosphere and it has some great cocktails (although expensive). It’s a really nice departure from other lesbian spots we have here in the city with a completely different feel.
My friend and I finally decided to commit to having dinner upstairs and that was very underwhelming. I understand you have a «small plate» concept (which really isn’t advertised), but we couldn’t help but leave feeling unfulfilled due to the amount of money we paid for the dishes that were tasty, but not spectacular. I’m glad i gave it a shot, but I wouldn’t go back to the Dalloway for a dinner experience.
Drinks and meeting up with friends? Absolutely!

Came here using Gilt voucher and I’m glad I did.
ATMOSPHERE
intimate, semi dim lighting with old school chandelier in the corner reminds me of a nice library.
FOOD
Favorites:
Butternut Squash Flatbread
Roasted Baby Beets
Braised Short Ribs
Truffle Mac and Cheese
Cauliflower Salad
Wouldn’t Try Again:
Seared Scallops
Mushroom Risotto
Buttermilk-​Fried Chicken
ALCOHOL
I wish there bar had more beer selection, their cocktails give me heartburn and from my experience they are made inconsistently. Liked Ramsays Cup, disliked the Captain’s Breakfast and the Mrs. Dalloway cocktail.
SERVICE
Our server Juliett was awesome. She asked us if we wanted to see a dessert menu and when we said «yes» she told us she didn’t have one. So to harass her, we asked her to charade the dessert menu. And she was played along and had just as much fun as we did. This really topped off our Dalloway experience.

Any lesbian restaurant/​bar that uses Edison bulbs throughout and serves good food gets an A in my book!
Great atmosphere, all the lipstick lesbians a gay man could want, and decent cocktails. Don’t expect strong drinks (or women in flannel) here — they’re pretty normal on the pour. The fireplace makes up for it, though.

Who knew? Lesbians + flipcup = fun?
No, but really. This place is awesome. Want the ultimate throwback to your college beer game days? This is your place. Skip the upstairs and check out the lounge downstairs. Line em’ up for beerpong or flipcup. They also have a fireplace, so if you just like looking sophisticated, you can sit next to that too.
I made the mistake of ordering a mixed drink. Either the bartender was trying to roofie me or was new and did not know her drink proportions yet… because after that one drink… I should have stopped.
Anywho, my friend said that the food here is also on point. The scene seems like mid-​twenties to early-​thirties ladies. Like it or leave it.
Lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of spilled beer.
This place is fun. Whether you’re a lesbian or not!

Food was super delicious. Small plates, American style tapas. Really very tasty — especially the risotto and the steak. Great beers too.
Atmosphere is also great — very comfortable lesbian bar that serves all types but feels trendy without being pretentious.
Love the design and layout as well — great art, colors, lights, tables, etc. very cool scene and will definitely go back a lot.

This review is for the downstairs area, I have yet to eat here, but from the price/​quantity ratio I don’t think I would… I will also premise this by saying how skeptical I was of the Dalloway, I thought it was more so a «femme» scene and thought I might feel out of place in here, I was also not big on the idea of an all-​lesbian bar in lower Manhattan… Why you ask? 1. I thought it would be an OkCupid shark tank in there 2. I’m not big in to a bar that I assume I will make me feel like I’m in a pack of sardines.
I went in anways, I got stamped with «imagine» on my way in the door and met some friends downstairs. As you walk down the stairs, walk carefully and confidently because EVERYONE is staring at you. I kid you not and I didn’t know how to react to this, like do I wave, do they want me to strut down the stairs? I have been a couple times now, and it is just something to expect.
After finding your pals, grab a drink, they range from 7.00 for a beer-15.00 for a specialty cocktail… If you are expecting a strong rum and coke or vodka soda, don’t. They measure precisely here, but the specialty drinks are good, creative, and strong. The bartenders are usually busy, but friendly and good at what they do and keeping order. (There is always a crowd at the bar so squeeze in and wait)
So with all this said, why am I giving this place four stars? It could easily be three, but what I love is the atmosphere, the crazy range of music they play, the comfort zone you get in to in here, and the amount of people who come here not to hook up but just to meet people… It’s like a melting pot of Manhattan/​Brooklyn LGBTQI. I have had questions about what the «type» is there. There isn’t just one, you have older couples, younger hipsters, confused/​experimenting NYUers, and any label of the Lesbian/​Bi/​Trans/​Queer spectrum.
Go, don’t judge, have fun, dance, mingle, and pre-​game before so you can maybe buy that pretty girl across the bar a drink of her choice.

Are you queer or about to head out on the town with someone who is?
Do you like exposed lightbulbs?
Have you always thought to yourself that a suicidal pioneer of modernist literature would make a great restaurant theme?
Do you like your nightlife dark, Art-​Deco-​ey, and featuring one or more pretty lesbians?
If you answered «yes» to any of the above questions, the Dalloway is an excellent place to check out. It’s a little expensive – with $ 14 cocktails and $ 10-​$ 15 small plates that you really need 3 of to feel full – but for the price, you get chic, friendly company, cool ambiance, and assurance that no, you are not the only one who yearns to turn her English degree into profitable foodstuffs.*
*“Sylvia’s Oven”-brand cupcakes: coming by the bell jar to a distasteful retailer near you… some day

I was very excited to go to The Dalloway because I’m a writer and a huge Virginia Woolf fan. Mrs. Dalloway is my all-​time favorite novel, so I was thrilled by a restaurant paying tribute to it. The space is great. The dinning area is beautiful and spacious. The staff was very attentive.
I began my dinner with the Mrs. Dalloway specialty cocktail and it was quite possibly the worst cocktail I’ve ever tasted. I then switched to a gin and tonic with their house gin, which was great.
As a vegetarian, there weren’t as many options as I would have liked. The concept of the restaurant is that they do small-​plates and they recommend that you purchase four to five per person to fill you up. The portions are small (they aren’t joking), but ordering four to fiver per person quickly becomes very pricy. I didn’t find the quality of the food to necessarily match the price.
My partner and I each ordered three plates. The flatbreads left much to be desired (seemed like something I could easily throw together at home and it would taste better). The mushroom risotto, however, was wonderful.
Overall, it was a fine experience. It’s a great space. Good staff. Food could use some work. The specialty cocktails need some help and the prices could be a little more acceptable for what they are offering.
I might come back and just head to the bar downstairs and check it out.

When I initially posted this review about a month ago, I cut two stars from this new lesbian bar because the cocktails were weak and the service less than stellar on my first visit. However, the owner reached out personally after reading my review, and so I decided to give The Dalloway another chance.
While I haven’t had the cocktails since to attest to whether they’ve gotten better (though I’ve been told that prices have gone down and quality has been reassessed among management), I can definitely affirm that The Dalloway is a really fun, busy, and colorful, new safe space for women in the city.
A friend visiting from San Francisco and I had a fantastic time there last Tuesday, which seems to be the bar’s busiest night of the week. It’s singles night, and I have to say, the staff has come up with a pretty ingenious color-​coded bracelet system for signaling who’s single and who’s not, which accommodates everyone present pretty excellently. Single women can at least diminish fears of rejection by being able to identify each other pretty easily, and partnered women who, like me, just want to be left alone with their bottle of wine and their nascent alcoholism can flaunt their red-​letter status all they like.
The wine is high quality, especially for the happy hour price, and the oysters are still great. We also ate at the restaurant upstairs for the first time, and I thought the «New American» portion sizes were pretty generous for tapas. I’ll definitely come back here whenever I’m looking for a place to chill out downtown.

The night of my birthday. A fun and very interesting evening.
Ended at The Dalloway.
First and foremost, I am not gay. There’s nothing wrong with being gay, and most of my friends are, used to be, want to be gay. Not me though.
That said, when i walked in to the party at the The Dalloway, it seemed a large proportion of people were gay. Then someone explained to me that it was a predominantly gay bar. And I understood.
The bartender was friendly, the drinks were great, there were lots of drinking games going on, and we stayed a long while.
Overall, I highly recommend The Dalloway for a night out-​gay or not.

UPDATED
I’m definitely without a doubt a fan.
Food Menu:
Oysters, Truffle Fries, Flat Breads, Grilled Cheese, Sliders, Caramelized Brussel Sprouts, Seared Scallops, Braised Short Ribs… It’s all pretty delicious if you ask me. The portions are tapas style pretty much. Order a few plates for yourself or a lot for the table, and share.
The Brunch Menu is just as good, if not better. From the french toast, to the egg in a hole and the chicken and waffles. You can’t really go wrong.
DRINKS:
Beer selection is pretty good. Don’t come here expecting a Bud Light. Walk up the block to a pub.
Artisanal cocktails rock my socks. Favorites: Adeline, Clarissa & Mary, Paperdart, Michelada (brunch), pickleback cocktail (forgot the name)…and almost anything else I’ve tried.
The ambiance STILL kicks ass. I love the rustic theme going on.
I have yet to try any drinks with the exception of my go to, the Adeline. If you’re a fan of tequila, spice and tangy all in one, get one.
The hostesses, waitresses, bartenders (upstairs and down), as well as the bar-​backs are all super friendly and helpful.
Best bartenders, hands down, Anne and Kristi. There’s one or two bartenders there that aren’t as friendly or attentive but not everyone can be so good. It’s a bar at the end of the day, just like anywhere else in this Big Manzana.
The managers are just as nice from my experience. If you have an issue, they’ll be happy to address it. You always see them walking around and checking in on both bars, upstairs, and down.
I wish they’d play a bit more of a variety of music but it is what it is.
I’ve become a bit of a regular and I have no problem saying that. The Dalloway is great. The end.

Finally a classy lesbian restaurant and bar/​lounge.
Staff is nice and attractive. Restaurant upstairs is very cozy, hip! Great for groups or dates.
Bar downstairs has a nice gas fireplace and people actually mingle and have a good time.