University Club

amazing food, exclusive and a great place to hang out! Happy to be friends w/​so many members.
it is very FORMAL and jacket and tie required. NO DENIM, nothing sloppy. The only bad reviews are people who were not prepared clothing wise. SORRY it is formal and old school. Think of it as fancier than a golf club and much more exclusive

A slice of old New York with tea in the yellow room and cocktails and backgammon in the Tap Room, this place is part of this city that is disappearing. Gentile, understated service and the food’s not bad for club food.

The Quick: gorgeous venue for a cocktail party, dinner, or charity event… Men do not forget your suit and tie it is very formal.
The Details: I spent an evening at the University Club for a charity gala. What an event! It really is such a gorgeous venue with big stone fireplaces, grand dining rooms, and a sophisticated air about the place.
Everyone was dressed to the T. Men have to wear a suit and tie and women dress to impress. I would have to imagine that the food was catered through the University club, in which case it was very good. We had passed hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. Although it was not a sitdown dinner, I very much enjoyed my time here.
The Damage: As it was a charity event we did not pay for the meal rather donated to charity. Don’t have much to comment on the price, sorry.

Nice venue for an event. Came here for a fund raiser and the good and service were good. Don’t forget that men need a tie to go with the jacket. I forgot and they loaned me one (which was not very stylish) which got me in the door. All outerwear must be checked.

Beautiful Private Club for the privileged. Food is good and the place is filled with some interesting history. Where the Ivy League of life come to play and enjoy their time away from the madness. Exclusive membership for the rich & famous. The Club sits on 54 st and 6 avenue. Its decorated for Christmas making your visit that much more enjoyable.

Perfect Wedding Reception. Last month my daughter was married and we held the reception for 125 guests in the main dining room. As father of the bride, I was involved in the «business» side of the planning, and I found working with the catering sales manager, Brian Bennett, a total pleasure. He accomodated our meal and wine requests and he worked well with the florist, photographer, DJ, wedding planner, etc.
Brian and Zahir Ahmed, Banquet Director, pulled off an elegant, memorable event. Our guests (100%) raved about the service, food, and beautiful setting. Most importantly, my daughter was completely enthralled with her big day.
If you know a club member who can sponsor you (my son is an out-​of-​town member) by all means book your wedding at The University Club. The main dining room can handle much bigger events than ours, and it’s a gorgeous venue. The U Club also provides rooms for guests at reasonable prices.
Kudos to the staff at The University Club.

This club is pretty sweet, but it doesn’t have many really convenient places for meetings. Its ranked the from 1^st to 10^th overall exclusive club in NY depending on the source.
The library is really amazing.

I got an invite from a member; me and my fiancé got to experience a very nice Wednesday night dinner at this very prestigious club.
She told us that Wednesday night was seafood buffet night with very delicious lobsters. She was right, the lobster was great. And all the other foods were excellent!
Of course I cannot finish this review without mentioning their great interior. High ceiling, detailed interiors and very prestigious. I felt like I was inside of a castle in the old time.
I’d live to go back if I get another invite from the member. I had such a wonderful time here!

Beautiful! Was here for an engagement party. Every room I walked through was impeccably furnished with high ceilings and beautiful artwork. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the food was amazing!
Even with all this, I still must say my favorite part was being summoned to dinner with a xylophone, well done, University club, well done.

What kind of establishment tells women to leave because they wear clothing that would be acceptable most anywhere else in the city?
Where they tell you to go «put on a nice dress, then come back»?
Bit stunned by the reviews on here, but give me a break. It’s 2013 now. This place belongs in a different era.
Time machine, please.

I was fortunate enough to be a guest of a member for a book signing luncheon and found it a wonderful experience.
Luxury, tradition, great food and the no work policy made it refreshing visit. I won’t go into much detail about the club out of respect for its traditions but I will say if you get the opportunity to attend, TAKE IT!

For the past several years the alumni board at my alma mater has hosted events at various clubs around the city.
The University Club is by far the most regal club we’ve been to.
Sure there is a door man out front, but where in this neighborhood do you not get that? It’s once you step inside that you know you are not in another tourist trap along 5^th Ave anymore.
The University Club is grand. And handsome. And magnificent in its décor and attention to detail. I honestly have no idea what the flooring or walls looked like because I spent my entire time in the lobby looking up at the ceiling, which is stunning. Lucky for me I was able to make it to the elevators without bumping into anything, looking up at the ceiling and all. :-)
Our event was held up on the 7^th floor (there are a total of ten floors) and had lovely views of 5^th Ave, but more spectacular than that were the walls & ceiling of the room, which hosts the same details as seen in the lobby. If you are appreciative of wood paneling (the nice kind, not the grandparents-​basement kind), intricate carvings and paintings that mimic the ceilings found throughout Rome than the University Club is your place.
Other floors offer up racquetball courts, a library and guest rooms.
Sadly I have no photos of the club because rules state that cameras and phones are not allowed in public spaces. :-(Cell phones can only be used in the telephone booths located throughout the Club.
And as the same in most of these swanky clubs there is a dress code: Male members and guests are wear jackets, dress shirts and ties for the fellas & similar options for women. Jeans, shorts, sneakers, «casual sportswear» are not permitted.
I took away one star because the hors’devours left much to be desired. However I’m sure if I were ever invited back for dinner or brunch the meal would be fantastic.

The club is a nice building, ok events, and great location. If you don’t mind a very strict dress code, formal and strict policies; along with a stiff old crowd (Avg age is 55 or 60+). There are many clubs in NYC that are private, have much more modern facilities and great events too. I went to a couple of performances, most of them the members only complained about them. I attended liquor tastings, it was just subpar liquors that was not a true tasting – a couple of tables and a bunch of people crowded around them and a sommelier.
This is a great club if you need a place to take people to but as long as they are not business related because you cant hand out business cards, travel a lot because the reciprocity are great, want to play squash, have a tiny gym and a pool where men swim nude. A lot of the activities and way of behaving inside, seems like the 30s or 50s.

Okay… I should first say, I have no idea how much the seafood dinner buffet costs. I was taken out here by a friend who’s a member, so he took care of the tab.
With that out of the way, wow, the shrimp, the oysters, the crab legs, how can you not love this spot? The raw fish, the lobsters that are already cracked open for you, I was seriously in heaven. Unfortunately I didn’t want to embarrass myself or my friend, so I «limited» myself to three trips to that buffet line, but I could’ve easily doubled that. The dessert selection was also really solid, great banana bread pudding, crème brulees, etc., they definitely didn’t ignore the quality of desserts. Yeah it’s a little formal in there and is definitely a good ol’ boys club (I think I was the only non-​white person in there), but hey, if you can get in, why not?
If it wasn’t limited to having to go with a member, I’m pretty sure I’d be happy to go there and pay whatever it is they’re asking for. Best buffet in NYC I’ve been to for sure… but I guess that’s not saying too much huh?

Awesome place with consistent great service every time I have been… and amazing interior design… perhaps the best social club in NYC.

I love the University Club. I remember the first time I came to the establishment, when I was just a wee lad, and marveling at the grandiosity of the place. Normally, when I return to places from my youth, I am strongly underwhelmed, usually mentioning that «I remember it being much bigger/​nicer/​more wonderous», but at the U. Club, no such problems arise.
I am thinking of a movie that could be the exact corollary, maybe the Royal Tenenbaums’ homestead, but regardless, it reminds me strongly of the clubs I frequented around my childhood home in Georgetown, D.C. Large carved handrail posts, framed oil canvas paintings of universities and presidents, beautiful old crystal chandeliers — all are apparent and done with distinction.
Yes, as others have mentioned, you have to wear a blazer and tie (at the very least), but I am always up for the opportunity to dress to the nines, and since you have to be a member or a member’s guest to enter, it is really just a classic formality than the actual sabre of classism. I generally like to go a little old-​school with the look, maybe throw in a deconstructed tie or my grandfather’s collar bar — little eccentricities that would go unnoticed anywhere else.
Dinner is always a treat. I don’t care who you are, the kind of upscale heartiness that is on-​menu at places of this caliber is always a welcome and delectable surprise. Obviously I don’t do this immediately after playing squash (my main reason for attending, usually), but sometimes after unwinding with a drink and having a shower (and a moment to realize how damnably hungry I am), it can be a wonderful reward of sorts.
I most enjoy meeting the professors that come through here. Many are rich first, and educators second, thus posses a kind of high-​minded intellect that meshes very nicely with their ostentatious pretention. I had one of my most engaging conversations of all time with an American history professor, wherein we argued (heatedly) over William Hearst’s role in the Yellow Journalism and the Spanish-​American War, in a bar setting no less. Where else but here?

The son of my Vietnam war radio operator is a member, along with his attorney wife and they invited me to breakfast here.
It is formal and if guys do not have a coat and tie, and I don’t mean a parka, you will not be admitted. Also, you must be accompanied by the member to enter.
A beautiful place and the food is simply excellent with great variety and formal service. Bloddy Marys, Ramess Fizz’, mamosas are the norm at breakfast and you will be making repeat trips to a super buffet in three parts.
Lot so salad stuff, eggs to order and omlettes and then desserts! This is a two hour affair and you will, regretfully, leave, but leave sated and happy.
Ask you member friend to give you a tour of this 11 story facility that was founded as a general «university graduate» facility v. the university specific Princeton, Cornell, Harvard, etc. clubs. Some very bright people realized that it would be beneficial to have a club for university members and so it became.
The library is stunning, there are rooms for members who need a place to stay, tennis and other «courts» are on the roof and there are a ton of meeting and eating rooms. Quite a show.
I hope to be invited back. You will be honored and very happy to be invited.

Had to attend a work event, expected similar experience as the Yacht Club, and no surprise same feeling as I entered.
Tie and jacket required, guard look up and down to make sure you are up to thier standard, etc.
Interior was just as attractive as exterior itself, you get the feeling of all the history that this place hosted in the past.
Now, here comes the reality. They have a wall dedicating to those whom lost at foreign war. I looked, and the last member who died was Korean War, or should I say 50 years ago. I guess if you can be a member, you never have to serve or sacrifice because they are too important to make money. Nice.
No cellphone or «PDA» (Does anyone still use PDA?) Funny, everyone was hiding inside of the phone booth to make a call from cell.
Overall it’s very nice place.

Met my friend here after work. He took me to the second floor for backgammon night. Unfortunately, he screwed up the dates and backgammon night wasn’t until the next day. The second floor’s Tap Room is very nice. It was pretty crowded and unfortunately couldn’t seat us.
The seventh floor holds the more spacious and expensive Main Dining Room. It’s large and beautiful. The whole club is well decorated, adorned with portraits of past presidents, images of various universities, and pieces of casual artwork.
«Seafood Night» dinner was phenomenal. All-​you-​can eat lobster, oysters, crab, fish… the list goes on and on. Every item was cracked and opened for the lazy man (or at least the man who wants to keep his suit clean) so that you could just stick a fork in it and eat it. The service was also fantastic; they even offered to cook a steak in case we didn’t want seafood.
The library is quite large and feels very comfortable. The billiards room is very nice and has ample tables.
Overall, it is a very impressive club. My only disappointment was the «UC» logo, which looks far too casual. Also, the atmosphere was too inviting and didn’t have as much pretense as I expected or desired.

I was fortunate enough to go to a few work events here. A good friend of mine is a member.
The staff is very helpful and efficient. The place screams old money, which is not a bad thing. :) The bathrooms are very cozy and plush. The food is well made and the space we held our events in were clean, posh and well decorated. Whenever we requested certain items, we were quickly appeased. Great club. if your lucky enough to be or know a member.