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42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)
Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
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We've come here twice with my company for a networking/mingling outing, and we've been happy both times. Our group was small, but they gave us a nice area that let us have our own conversation without annoying anyone else (or them annoying us, cos come on, how could I ever be annoying??).
The drinks are good, although I usually stick to the wine (lovely Shiraz), and the snacks have gotten better with time! The first time we went, it was a limited offering of chips and salsa and some cheese. Now, they've added a great slider and an even better calamari. I know these seem like simple bar foods, and they are, but Bookmarks has put something in their light and fluffy calamari batter that most places just don't have. Plus, hey, tentacles! Yum!
The main reason for withholding my fifth star? The service can be spotty, and it is awfully annoying to go up and down the back stairs to wait for the one and only one bathroom they have. I know it can't be changed now (barring a major reconstruction, which the place definitely doesn't need), but it's definitely a nuisance.
"Whoops," she says. "This is not where I meant for us to go."
"Leather chairs and greenhouse glass ceilings? Did you mean Bookmarks at the Library Hotel?"
"Ohmygod, yes!!"
After Meredith led us astray, I pulled out my Blackberry and went to my savior: Yelp, you never let me down.
Venue:
Now this is what I'm talking about. Bookmarks is charming, accommodating and relatively unknown (so why the hell are you reviewing it, Aria??). We were there on Memorial Day night, and when we arrived at 8, it was dead quiet. Not joking, we were the loudest things at the bar. We snagged a seat outside and I promptly ordered a Remy Martin VSOP ($15, that was a steal, I'm telling you) because it we all know how I like my cognac at libraries.
Specialty drinks were half off, and a recently divorced man was buying us rounds of vanilla cognac shots. A Raspberry later and we're outside again smoking with Sybil and her gay boyfriend Johnathan. Andy at the bar kept us going all night, and we didn't even get ourselves kicked out.
If I could live at Bookmarks I would. With it's open patios and glass-encased seating, I could fall asleep in those leather chairs and settees. Books and literary references are abound and the sophisticated atmosphere is lost on no one. Candle-light outside and dim lighting inside keep Bookmarks on that list of places where I'll be heading when I when I need to boost my ego by having a man buy me a drink--classily--or when I feel the desire to indulge in my 60-year-old-man-like drinking habit.
Food:
They have a few desserts and cheese platters here. We got two of the cheese selections throughout the night, and with it's 6 different choices and little bread toasties, I was well on my way to drunkenness with some carb and dairy cushioning my fall.
Ya'll stay away now, ya'hear!
I rarely give the nod to bars with pricey drinks, but Bookmarks is the exception to my rule. I admit I was woo'ed over by the concept of a "Bookmarks" bar in a "Library Hotel" -- how charming! Fancy-ish w/o being pretentious, this rooftop bar (w/ atrium indoor area) has good service, creative drinks (although honestly they sounded better than they tasted) w/ literary names. It also has all the nooks you need for your secret plannings. I would totally take someone here with dishonorable intentions. Or for a casual yet intimate rendevous. Or as a lair for illicit mafia schemes. Just don't come with a big group. I wanted to throttle the boisterous guy who sounded like Robert from "Everybody Loves Raymond" (except more obnoxious) ringleading his entourage in the other corner.
Low-key, elegant, and intimate lounge, which is great for all seasons and occasions. Chic cocktail waitresses, trendy Euro patrons, and great drinks menu. Ideal place for drinks for a date or group of friends. Definitely tops the other busy rooftop bars in the city which can be crowded. I simply love the literary theme and touches - I would definitely stay at the Library Hotel if I were visiting NYC!
Locale, setting, drinks - all wonderful and what you would expect from a rooftop bar. If it were not for this last thing, I would give this place a 5. The service is pretty much nonexistent. After feeling ignored, when someone does pay attention to you, it takes forever for your drink to come out.
i liked the place when my friend brought me there first time. bookmarks in library hotel, so cute and lovely. though their creative menu doesn't mean the drinks themselves are good. however, it is really a good place to hang out with friends, peaceful and relax. i like the balcony when it is not so cold outside.
This rooftop bar is a nice place to get an after work drink in the midtown area. It is generally secluded, but gets more crowded as the night goes on, and it's attractive. In summer has an outdoor rooftop area and in the winter has a nice enclosed solarium.
The cocktails aren't particularly exciting (my colleague ordered the pear and ginger cocktail and was disappointed that it tasted like a white wine spritzer) and the wine is on the pricey side, but it's worth the price for one or two drinks. It's probably not where you'd want to go for more than that and definitely not a late night destination.
I love this little hidden gem of a bar. It's on the 14th floor, tucked away from the mad rush of Madison Ave. But once you arrive, it's usually always much quieter with a charming decor. The bar staff is all dressed elegantly and are extremely amicable people. My absolute favorite spot to sit with a friend or two is on the balcony/greenhouse - which in the winter is well-heated and has a partial view of midtown from the windows. The place is full of cozy seating and is the IDEAL place to have some intimate conversation. The wine selection is great, and a really great and sophisticated date spot when you're looking to get away from the crowd, talk, and share some wine.
I was unfamiliar with Bookmarks at the Library Hotel until I was invited to attend a friend's birthday party there; apparently a friend of a friend of his is the manager, and so we had a small area in the glassed-in greenhouse area where all of us were able to gather.
I tried two of the signature cocktails (the "Blood Orange" sparkling wine and the "Johnny Appleseed"), neither of which was really phenomenal, so I just asked for a Manhattan, which was quite good. The bartender was very personable as well--I actually found him more interesting to talk to than most of the other partygoers.
I could see this place being fairly crowded on a warm night, but it was chilly on Friday when I was there, and relatively empty save for our group. It's a fairly attractive and comfortable space, and would be a nice spot for a quiet drink with a friend during the week, especially.
The fresh air and views from the top of the Library Hotel made this a remarkable spot for work drinks. I had the Hemingway, a well mixed drink of rum, champagne, lime juice, and mint.
Amusingly next to us was a stereotypical group of "ladies who lunch". A gaggle of well maintained Mrs. Robinsons gossiping away about their men, children, and wonderful (or not so wonderful) lives. It fit the scene quite well as the atmosphere felt somewhat society NY (read: stuffy).
But before you attention deficit disordered young-ens out there write off Bookmarks as too staid, know the decked out cocktail waitresses with both their youth and attire can and will keep even the most soporific male patron from dosing.
I suppose we're all guilty of falling in love with an idea over the reality. And of course, the penalty of this is the bitter taste of disillusionment.
The thing is... I just didn't expect disillusionment to taste like tequila.
The idea of Bookends is very alluring--a quiet bar within the Library Hotel (a charming hotel with different literary themes for each suite) that was designed to provide imbibers with an intimate space to discuss writers and books while viewing the gorgeous cityscape of New York. Unfortunately, the reality of Bookends is not quite as romantic.
Bookends is just another posh but characterless hotel bar with expensive drinks. The very few literary allusions found within the bar seem more tacked on as an explicit attempt at a theme, rather than anything actually carefully thought out.
The bar is located on the 14th floor of the hotel. Getting off the elevator, one is immediately met with the bar itself. A sleek black countertop stretches across the room. Two bartenders dressed in spiffy white tuxedos stand attentively behind the counter. Bottles line up against the walls in tiers. There are some elements of 40's charm to it all, but it is lost in the garish blue-ish light shining from under the bottles that give the bar a cheap Sunset Boulevard feel.
On each side of the bar are two rooms, each with a veranda with a view of Midtown. My friend and I were led to the room on the left. A spacious room with large sleek sofas, the room had an upscale men's lounge feel to it; it might have been the masculine 1940s aesthetics or the Californian blonde cocktail waitresses with vacant expressions or a large flat screen television playing ESPN or a combination of those three Oh. And there were very few books around. The room on the right looked a bit more appealing as it has more of a secret garden feeling with wicker furniture and some flowers.
In fact, the only thing really "literary" about Bookends were the name of the drinks. Though some of the titles were clever puns, they seem nothing more than that. Sure, Tequila Mockingbird is a very clever name, but I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels tequila is a little incongruent with Harper Lee's work. Some other names of drinks included the Ernest Hemmingway (a mojito type) and A Bridge Over the River Chai.
And the drinks weren't worth the money--pretentious name or not. All the drinks were in the $12 to $15 range, but weren't very good. Maybe it was the fact that the waitress poured the drink so limply and carelessly from the shaker, but the drink itself was also limp and careless. But, it was strong. Tequila Mockingbird? Nah, it's more like Tequila Liver.
The view was nice but nothing absolutely spectacular. And though the empty skyscrapers are hauntingly gorgeous on a calm cool night, the beauty of it all is offset by the tourists and businessmen crowd.
In short, don't bother to bookmark Bookends. And if you want a literary-themed drink, go make yourself a Virginia Woolf--gin... drowned... on the rocks! [goes and dies in the corner for making such an awful joke]
We had drinks here as we were walking home in the evening. It is a very nice place and the atrium was beautiful if a bit crowded.
The drinks were nothing special and the service was OK. Although for a guy the dresses they wore were....distracting.
Go for a nice view other than that I'm sure there are cooler places around.
Bookmarks are meant for us to put away and try out when the time is right. Well I had saved this most appealing of places for months, and thus came here expecting this writers eagle's nest in the middle of midtown, but alas, it was not what I had envisioned it to be.
Granted that it is tucked away on the 14th floor, the layout is too narrow and feels constricted; I thought that we were going to be seated in a sparse area with awesome vistas, but the people at the Library Hotel had incorrectly allocated bushy plants at the edges which curtailed the view; furthermore, the glass sections were built in a way that you felt more inside a botanical garden, than in an outside seating area. So yeah, even ME Bar felt more sparse.
The cocktails promised to be interesting; named after writers right? Well my Hemingway was actually a Mojito screaming for originality, with only a slight taste of ginger to answer for it. Sienna's drink was better, but we clearly decided that perhaps, Bookmarks should have stayed on the Bookmarks section, or at least until the summer.
As we were leaving, we noticed, however, that there was a totally different section at the right of the bar. This opened a whole different view and perception of the place, which promised to be much better than the crammed section were we had been allocated. So yes, I'll come to bookmarks once more to finish the tale, until then, 3 stars it is.
How many glasses of chardonnay can we drink during one sitting? We found out Friday night at Bookmarks when a group of colleagues decided to march over to the sunny rooftop only 1 block from our office. outside was completely crowded so we sat to the left of the bar under the greenhouse type room. Perfect for our group of 6 loud and proud PR folks looking to relax after a long week. 2 hours and 5 rounds later being served by our great waitress, we were well on our way (to a hot dog restaurant of course). Probably one of the best happy hours I've been too in a while as it's not as packed as a normal rooftop full of the snotty midtown crowd. That said, pricey pricey! Don't come expecting 5$ beers or pitchers. Opt for wine or martinis, sit back, and enjoy!
Though located near Grand Central, Bookmarks is a quiet and secluded spot. While it lacks the buzz of other rooftop bars, it offers a more relaxing atmosphere, making it a great place to chat with friends. The service is friendly. I went to Bookmarks one night after work and found it casual, if not a bit too boring. I was not blown away by the drink menu or wine list. It is a decent place to grab A drink, but definitely not a place to go for an entire evening.
The view is very decent. It can get crowded which means it can take a while to get seated (assuming you get seated). The music was way too loud, so my group had a lot of trouble talking. The service wasn't very professional.
here's the deal....this place is smack dab in the middle of ridiculous midtown - a crowded mess of professionals that i hope never to work amongst again - however, this is a jewel in a sea of blah.
apologies for my cynical tone but this is the bar i visited approximately 7.2 minutes after being laid off ---- which ended up being the best thing ever so THANK YOU bookmarks for putting me on the right path.
the service here can be a little, eh, so-so...and the outfits certainly are questionable but they have a solid wine by the glass and beer list and their blood orange champagne cocktail is to die for (after 3 of these i was readily embracing unemployment).
Great spot for after work but get there early because it can fill up and you don't want to sit inside.
outstanding low key, not crowded, trendy, or annoying rooftop bar. great place to come after work on a nice night and grab a drink in a civilized setting. drinks could be better, but, the place is just so cool
most obnoxious, charmless and pushy waitresses ever... representing all that is the worst of manhattan today!
epic fail.
went there last week with some coworkers...
the decor is very nice, lots of comfy couches and banquettes and alot of plant life.... the music is eh...ok.
the drink menu is a lot of specialty drinks, aptly named after literary classics.
i went with a classic margarita (on the rocks, no salt) and it was great. a little strong, but good.
the specialty drinks were apparently "very sweet", and most of my group then switched over to wine. there were also like, 3 options for appetizers, which is sorta weird.
one thing i didn't understand were the waitresses outfits -- black dresses + pearls = cute... but the push-up bra + cleavage = trashy. why turn a classic outfit into something so trashy? might as well had lycra booty shorts a la hooters.......
Okay, by reviewing this place I am for sure I'm going to draw fire from some big names in New York City. i was quite surprised I had never heard of it and upon finding it understood why one would want to keep it a secret. But my allegiance to my fellow Yelpers (yes...you) goes beyond any regard for my own life. Only about 100 people in the whole city know about this hideaway.
It is hidden on the roof level of the exquisite Library Hotel. This place looks like the roof where Superman came to visit Louis Lane to then fly off from. It's amazing! There is an inside part to it when you walk out the elevator. It's like a beautiful reading room where you can have the most exquisite of drinks. Their drinks, by the way, are named after literary figures and/or references such as the "Ernest Hemingway" (my personal favorite). The view of downtown is beautiful. You honestly feel as if you've flown atop an eagle and you're looking down at the chaos from a peaceful space in the heavenlies. You'll find a handful of exec types with their laptops and blackberries making multi-million dollar deals just as easily as you'll find young, laid-back regular professionals who just want to breath in some smog-free air along with a smooth, lemony, minty, cold mojito! It's a haven amidst city madness. And for the fellas, the ladies who serve the drinks seem to go through the same selection process for the Rockettes. 'Nuf said. Be sure to check it out. Personally, I am going to propose to my future wife on that damn roof!
Really cool place with expensive, yet yummy, drinks. I think the cheapest thing on the menu was a glass of wine for $11, but most cocktails were $13.50 or $15. I asked the waitress for help choosing between two different drinks and she recommended her favorite and most popular cocktail instead, cranberry spice or something. I don't like cranberry juice but I really liked the drink so I was glad I went with her recommendation. For $15 it seemed a tad small, but I suppose you're paying for the ambience as well. Although not listed on the menu, we asked the waitress and she said they carry about 3 beers. The waitstaff (hostess, waitress, everyone) was very very friendly and helpful. They asked us to switch tables mid-way through which was a tad annoying/surprising, but not a big deal. I went in January so the patio was enclosed (try to sit by the fireplace, it's much warmer there). Although a bit expensive for my taste, I'll probably come back in the summer just to check out the outdoor area.
Actually, this place is pretty decent for an after work date.
A little on the expensive side, and you have to know where to sit (don't let them sit you!)
Definitely a hidden gem, much better than the Gansevoort.
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