- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
212 Restaurant & Vodka Bar
Categories: Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants American (New) Lounges, American (New) [Edit]
133 E 65th St(between Park Ave & Lexington Ave)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 249-6565
- Nearest Transit:
-
Lexington Av/63 St (F)
68 St - Hunter College (4, 6, 6X)
Lexington Av/59 St (N, Q, R)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
27 reviews for 212 Restaurant & Vodka Bar
Review Highlights
-
"The fresh fruit cocktails win my buzz award." In 3 reviews -
"Great place for breakfast or brunch/lunch." In 10 reviews -
"Maybe the food makes it all worth it, but $12 drinks." In 9 reviews
Loading...
27 reviews in English
-
Review from Liz B.
6/8/2008
So once again yelp has successfully added a new restaurant to my list. I went here solely due to:
a) Yelp's recommendations and
b) So i wouldnt have walk more than 10 minutes in the heat wave for brunch.
I was more impressed than I thought. I'm normally not a swanky brunch-goer. I usually enjoy diners, coffee shops, or places that come with complimentary mimosas for my breakfast. But I wanted to try something different today. We were seated immediately even though the place was packed. It was cozy and cool inside, and very much reminded me of a sky. (Does that sound weird?) It was awhile before a waitress came over to us, by my annoyance was washed away with the lovely bread placed on our table.
Food: Amazing. In my opinion, overpriced. But the portions are great and they somehow found a way to serve traditionally greasy entrees without grease!
Service: Slow. If you wan't something, you'll need to get someones attention and ask for it. Although I was very happy with my hard earned 3 coffee refills.
Extras: They have VAN GOGH vodka. Van Gogh is a top notch vodka that has a variety of infused flavors. Including mango, my fav.
We ordered the pancakes and eggs benedict. Both were delicious. We also got a side of fresh fruit and they forgot to charge us. Yay! -
Review from Megan C.
3/3/2008
Though I never officially made it to the restaurant itself... I used to order delivery from here 2-3 days per week so I have had almost everything on the menu.
The food consistently arrived 30-40 minutes after ordering, the staff was pleasant, and the portion size was favorable. The price is a little excessive in my opinion or I would have given them 5 stars. Glad to see they're still around after all these years.
Date Rating: TBD
Pick up Scale: TBD
Strong Suggestions: Thai beef salad, organic chicken. -
Review from Wendy L.
Sunnyside, NY
2/15/2007
If you like expensive food not drenched in butter, this is the place for you! Its a cute place, I was here for Valentines day, and the waitstaff were extremely nice, contrary to a lot of reviews I'd read about them elsewhere. Food is served extremely quickly, we were done with appetizers, main, and dessert/coffee in 1 hour! But they definitely didn't rush us to leave by the end of the meal.
Very extensive drink menu.. I wanted to try everything on the list! -
Review from Teresa G.
3/1/2009
Aw-FUL!
Things started poorly and only got worse! From the FILTHY slipcovers to the curdled milk served with my coffee, this place was a major disappointment!
Here is my list of disappointments:
-wrong menus (dinner menus at 11?)
-my husband received a menu that was written all over, with the specials list hand written and stuffed inside, it was clearly a server's menu
-the sugar caddy was full of EMPTY packets of sugar! they had literally been used.
-coffee was cold
-staff was clueless
-food was mediocre, at best.
I should have gone to Fig & Olive, honestly, this place was TERRIBLE. -
Review from Anne C.
New York, NY
10/30/2006
The food was tasty and I enjoyed the simple decor, just a few points:
Make sure you get a table at the benches along either side. The tables in the middle feel like small little islands without much privacy and anything you have with you (bags, etc) will be in the way of the waitstaff.
I asked for extra salad instead of french fries with my omelette and the waitress forgot. I probably could have asked them to fix it - but should I have to for a $15 omelette?
The larger booth table under the skylight in the back looks great for a group for brunch. Maybe just not a place for two? -
Review from LC W.
New York, NY
Updated - 3/31/2011
212 has been closed for about a year now, due to a kitchen fire. They claim to be re-opening, but I haven't seen any activity on it in several months.
Listed in: Places I Eat At..., Around 64th and Lex - My…, Where I go to drink...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/19/2008
Food is ok, drinks are ok, but there aren't many bars in the hood, so it is ok. The revolving door… Read more »
-
-
Review from Armin L.
New York, NY
3/23/2008
3 stars for now. When I actually eat here I will change it, if the food changes my mind. However I have frequented the bar a couple of times. It's laid back and cozy. Very nice inside, and the bartenders are great and very courteous.
The gripe I have, way too expensive! Maybe the food makes it all worth it, but $12 drinks?
The calamari is great though!! And if you can take the prices, a very good place to unwind with a few friends after work. -
Review from Alex G.
New York, NY
1/16/2009
I'm told this is more of a restaurant, so maybe my visit there wasn't representative. Also, now that I've had 12 hours to relax I am less angry. Wait, am I? No, not really.
I was here for a networking event. All that aside, the service at this place is one of the worst experiences I have ever had. At the bar I ordered three beers and a seltzer with lime. Total: $31.16. What?
Beers: 7$ each. 1 Diet Coke. Who ordered Diet Coke? $4.25. 15% gratuity (for ordering at the bar?) Oh, and tax. Not even a smile.
So not only is this place a ripoff, but the people aren't pleasant.
Fin. -
Review from Hank C.
2/20/2009
For a casual cocktail, definitely a nice place to drop into.
We stopped in with a group of 20 and they opened up the bar and room upstairs for us; we ordered some snacks (they'd do well if they had wings, but we settled for mini pizzettas and fries) and drinks.
The decor is spartan upstairs, better downstairs, and the food seems a bit overpriced, but at least the fries were good and the drinks, albeit expensive for a little place, weren't bad. Coat check was at the entry to the stair (fire hazard?) and the bathroom was a bit tight (unisex, too).
Overall, not a bad place, the main waitstaff and owner were very accommodating, but the food and drinks are virtually nothing to write about. -
Review from K P.
New York, NY
1/4/2009
I always had an issue with Gossip Girl because I would think to myself, 'WHERE are these high schoolers going and getting cocktails? puh-lease.'
Now I know.
They're hanging at 212 -
I went there Friday night and the crowd appeared to be high schoolers. Now I got nothing against kids in high school - I just don't want to drink with them.
The space is fine...sleek bar, very modern inside, loud music, didn't try the food... Veuve $20/glass -
Review from Lindsay W.
New York, NY
5/10/2009
Well color me unsatisfied.
Every year I take my aunt out for a mother's day brunch and decided on 212 for this year's celebration. Big Mistake. It was advertised on their website as well as on http://opentable.com that they would have a special m-day menu, which turned out to be their normal brunch menu + 2 other items. Not exactly what I was expecting. The service was TERRIBLE and the tables were pretty much on top of each other. I had to ask for water 4 times before someone filled my glass. My meal omelet was decent, but not worth $20. I am giving 212 2 stars only because our meal came out pretty quick, and there was an ample amount of brie on my omelet. That being said, I'm never eating there again. -
Review from nate r.
New York, NY
3/2/2009
212 is an amusing little grotto located on an otherwise sleepy, elegant UES side street. An odd stew of sexual tension awaits inside, running the gamut from clearly underage hewitt girls, to older men with girls who may or may not have a few years on said hewitt girls. Proof of age is discouraged by all involved.
Despite the grotesqueness of the whole spectacle, I can't come to fault 212 too harshly. All in all, it's a decent place, with much better than expected food, friendly service and not astronomical prices for its impressively good mojitos. It's best to avoid on Saturday nights, when the whole cast really comes out, overtaking the rear of the space, which becomes a makeshift dancefloor and, at times, a gym. On my last visit some test of physical acumen was held towards the rear of the restaurants, involving Russians, vodka and push-ups.
The best circuit of the lower UES should include a visit to 212 followed by a session at the Subway Inn to truly experience the rather comical nightlife offerings available. -
Review from Elena V.
10/28/2008
Love going here for casual cocktails or quick dinner. The cocktails are great, servers are fun, most of the dishes are really good like the truffled mushroom pizette. Ambience is cool, great eurotrashy vibe!
-
Review from Lester A.
12/11/2007
Great place for breakfast or brunch/lunch. The best french toast I've ever had and the omelettes are pretty good too. the organic chicken was extremely good, whatever sauce they used was amazing. the service was very nice and food came fast.
-
Review from Dorim L.
11/11/2007
I went here for brunch today and I'm so happy I did. I had the lobster roll which came with fries and a salad. The roll was sooooo light with a bit of crunch from the toasted brioche. The french fries had the perfect crisp and the salad had the precise dressing to make it tasty and light. Definitely going back again.
-
Review from Von L.
New York, NY
4/12/2009
The space was simple but cute, and the brunch food was average. A little but on the pricey side, considering that not even drinks or coffee were included. The waitstaff was very nice, but service was a little spotty though I do feel like they tried. Appears like it could be a very trendy cocktail lounge for nighttime.
-
Review from Kelly K.
2/14/2008
Good for breakfast, lunch and dinner...Yummy food, excellent coffee drinks and fresh fruit cocktails...lively bar scene!
-
Review from T N.
Darien, CT
12/18/2006
Classy Euro atmosphere that provides a great place for drinks and a sexy dinner.....very Mod, staff isn't as cool as they think they are, but who cares..... great for the UES.
-
Review from David J.
New York, NY
7/27/2009
Underwhelming experience. The place needs a makeover--the slipcovers are indeed quite dirty, and my napkin was stained. Not a promising start. As I do when I'm wary of a place, I ordered safe--the sirloin burger and fries, which was good. $17 is what you expect to pay for a place in this neighborhood for this kind of thing, but it was not exceptional. Friends had the tuna niçoise salad at $24, again adequate. The ice cream sundae was way too sweet and strangely doused with liquor (not my idea to order it, btw). The creme brulee was ok.
I had an incident that I think indicates the general flavor of the place--I left an item at my table, and called from the theater to see if they could locate it for me--they said they looked and that it wasn't there. The restaurant was nearly empty on a very slow Sunday night--and when I returned the item was precisely where I had left it. I could see it from the front of the restaurant when I walked in. Now, admittedly, this is not the kind of service I expect from a restaurant, necessarily--but it is the kind of service you expect from a friendly neighborhood joint where they should be attentive to cultivating the good will of a dining public that won't come here for the food alone. -
Review from c e.
San Francisco, CA
8/24/2007
perfect start for a girls night out... & perfect way to end a vacation
great food & flirty waiter
seared tuna appetizer was quite memorable, wasnt too impressed with the thai beef salad
great atmosphere, relaxing, felt upscale without too big of a bill
enjoyed full 3 course meal for about $50 a person -
Review from Anna R.
Los Angeles, CA
7/2/2009
What an awesome place to get out of the tourist traps of the normal NYC 'hot spots'... Great food, awesome drinks. Love this place!
-
Review from Tom S.
Astoria, NY
2/25/2009
Great liitle restaurant hidden away in the middle of the block. I have been here a couple of times and have not been disappointed. Even had a celebrity sighting. Had 007's Daniel Craig sitting next to me. The menu is simple but good and the place is small but cozy. Drinks are expensive but my wife loves their french and watermelon martini's.
-
Review from Amanda L.
New York, NY
5/18/2009
I liked this place, but my mother did not. (She did not tell me why...) The fresh fruit cocktails win my buzz award. They are great for brunch, but I've also hopped in for late-night drinks and aperitivo. Dinner was delicious and they have an extensive vodka menu. Service can be very slow though.
-
Review from William C.
Manhattan, NY
1/7/2011
Used to come to this spot a lot. Some of the staff was pleasant, some of them were obnoxious. Generally had a great bar going- no complaints there. This was my go to spot for business and a place to kick back and knock down a few drinks.
-
Review from Amanda R.
New York, NY
7/20/2009
Love the brunch and it feels like a true neighborhood joint in an increasingly touristy 'hood. They also go out of the way to accommodate kids.
-
Review from Lori M.
New York, NY
3/26/2006
Very attractive space if you're looking for a downtown scene on the upper east side. The food has always been consistenly good even when I've ordered in. Very decent brunch menu...you can even order a newspaper if you forget to bring one! They have a couple of tables outside for when the weather's warm.
-
Review from Ronny W.
New York, NY
2/5/2008
The manager has an attitude for no reason. I went here with my wife and a couple of friends on a Saturday night with reservations. We arrived on time and we were told our table would be ready soon. This was surprising, because the place was completely empty and only the bar was busy. It was obvious that they were trying to create a bar scene. The bar was nice so we had a drink. After we had our drink, we asked the hostess for our table and she said our table would be ready soon. We waited another 30 minutes and we thought that that this was ridiculous because the place was empty. After waiting 45 minutes, we finally left, but not before my wife confronted the manger. Instead of apologizing, the manager became hostile and said, that soon the place would be full and that he will give us the best table. This made absolutely no sense. This place could be very cool, but it needs a competent manager.
