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Hi Life Restaurant & Lounge
Categories: Nightlife Bars Restaurants American (Traditional) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Bars, American (Traditional), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1503 2nd Ave(between 78th St & 79th St)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Upper East Side
(212) 628-5433
Announcement
WInter Specials: $6 Winter Vacation Frozen Margaritas,$5 Hot Toddy & Hot Buttered Rum, $3 Hot Cocoa.There is always a Good Deal at Hi-Life!
- Nearest Transit:
-
77 St (4, 6, 6X)
86 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 2 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 4 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
82 reviews for Hi Life Restaurant & Lounge
Review Highlights
"The sushi is half off on Mondays and Tuesdays."
(in 26 reviews)
"I really loved the strawberry butter they serve with their..."
(in 4 reviews)
"...burgers, crab cakes and pad thai, everyone should be able..."
(in 8 reviews)
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82 reviews in English
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Review from Kat C.
Manhattan, NY
11/6/2011
Yummy brunch!
Highlights:
- The basket of bread/muffins was so delicious! The bread is covered with cinnamon sugar and comes with raspberry butter.
- Fun brunch names for dishes. I ordered 'The Paul Bunyon'
- Bacon was crispy and not too salty.
- Big windows were a plus on a sunny morning.
- Service is was good.. didn't have to wait long for the food to arrive. -
Review from Ishan G.
New York, NY
11/16/2011
Brunch - boring.
Very predictable menu. Standard food. Nothing exciting. -
Review from Devin D.
11/6/2011
BRUNCH:
Wound up here after I unexpectedly found out that my brunch of choice doesn't open till 11:30 (*fail*). Standard fare, nothing to write home about... but it was decent. I had the huevos rancheros and my friend had pancakes. They give you a basket of cinnamon toast, muffins, and raspberry butter for each table. The food came out REALLY fast, probably cause the restaurant was empty. Is no one awake yet for 11:00 brunch? @_@ Or does no one come here for brunch? Service was a-okay.
Would I come back here for brunch? Maybe if I lived in the area... but I don't haha -
Review from Isaiah D.
New York, NY
2/4/2012
Went here for drinks on a Friday night. Bartender staff was attentive and welcoming. The decor was fun, but still all and all, nothing too special about the place.
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Review from Martina D.
ROOSEVELT ISL, NY
2/9/2012
I love this place, I believe it's a great spot for a girls night out! Always went there for dinner, Wednesdays they have this deal 3for2 appetizers/sushi rolls, so recenlty we tried the sushi and I have to say, it was yummy! I usually don't get sushi in non-Japanese place since I'm always afraid it's not fresh or doesn't taste good...but this one was amazing! We got two pitchers of beer on top of that and it turned out to be a really great night! There was even a jazz band playing! They have so many choices (from finger food and steaks to sushi rolls and Pad Thai) and it's pretty inexpensive. I'll suggest you to go there with your friends and get some appetizers+lot of drinks...! Great vibe, probably just don't go there if you're looking for a romantic spot...
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Review from Joseph C.
New York, NY
2/9/2012 Seated via OpenTable
sushi special is great. only complaint would be relatively small roll size. service on point and always a nice atmosphere in the back area of the restaurant.
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Review from catherine p.
Oakland, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came for happy hour friday night. I tripped over strollers, and may have been the only woman there who didn't have a kid. There were lots of crying kids. Kids complaining. Kids with skateboards. Kids in general. One bartender said all the screaming was good birth control. The bar's response was to crank up the kind of tunes you rarely hear cranked up. The music was some generic soft rock Pandora channel and they were too cheap to pay the ~$30 annually to get the commercials removed. There were TVs on in every corner of the restaurant to make sure you didn't miss the game.
Half price off some of the sushi rolls was an okay deal, but rolls were very small. The slammin' salmon was the best. The fish in the Gotham roll was tough. The oysters were a good deal for $1.50. My Yelp check in coupon of "buy two appetizers, get one free" was not honored during happy hour even though there was nothing in writing supporting this. Initially it was honored, then they said, "No". I didn't argue because happy hour WAS a good deal. The happy hour wasn't honored as stated in the menu and on the door (i.e. only one beer was on happy hour, not all bottles and drafts) but it was still a good deal, so no quibbles from me.
I felt like I was at a TGI Fridays that also had sushi. I know I won't be back, but I won't discourage others...It's a GREAT bargain, and would be a super place to head if I wanted to take my family out with me on a Friday night, but it just wasn't my kind of place. -
Review from Melly G.
New York, NY
9/28/2011
I went to this place looking for a fun spot that I could have a casual dinner and drinks with a close friend, and I was not the least bit impressed.
We ordered guacamole to start, which tasted pre-made and artificial. I then got the lemon chicken and my friend ordered the salmon. Unless she did not want to be honest, my friend seemed pleased with her meal. But yelpers, I will be honest- my meal was disgusting. The chicken was rubbery and the creamed spinach that I ordered as a side tasted like paste....it was very sweet too, which was perplexing.
In terms of the atmosphere, the tables were all very dimly lit. That's fine for just a bar, but I do like a little light when I am eating dinner.
The only redeeming grace about this place was this amazing dirty martini with six huge olives. There are so many olives in this drink that they give you half of your martini in a separate carafe that you can later pour into your martini glass. Brilliant! -
Review from Katherine L.
New York, NY
12/18/2011
From the outside looking in, this restaurant looked like a diner. It was for a brunch on Sunday, so I wasn't too keen on going to a diner, but I'm glad that I did. Inside is spacious and bright, with an efficient wait staff who was friendly and attentive. I ordered mimosa and an omelette with salmon and cream cheese. I have to say that the food was surprisingly tasty and fresh. I could compare it to the same omelette from sarabeth, but I haven't been to sarabeth's for a while, so I'll reserve the final comparison until later. The waitress was back to our table often to refill the water and making sure that everything was satisfactory. If I'm in the upper eastside again, I could go back here. It's just too bad about second ave subway construction which is an eyesore outside the windows. But I guess that's out of this restaurant's control. It was overall a pleasant experience.
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Review from Julie J.
8/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I feel like this place is a little confused. Are you a diner or are you a sushi joint? I am not positive how I feel about a place that resembles the Peach Pitt serving me raw fish. I don't think I even saw an Asian person working in there.
Putting all that aside, I had brunch here while awaiting the wrath of Irene. My friend and I decided we needed to begin the last day of our life eating and drinking our faces off and Hi-Life was our first choice (or it was one of the few places actually brave enough, i.e. smart enough, to be open on Saturday).
I had the huevos rancheros and my amiga had the eggs benedict with sausage (it had some snazzy name but I forgot it). Your initial momo or bloody is $2.95 and then they financially sodomize you from there forward. The service was alright, but they started to ease up on the drinks when we clearly were trying to move at a very accelerated pace. I think we had a prime table (a romantical little u-shaped booth in the corner) so they were trying to push us out. -
Review from Aliza C.
Manhattan, NY
12/13/2011
Decent all-around neighborhood diner. I've been here a few times, and the best meal they serve is brunch, when the "bread basket" has nothing in it but cinnamon toast, blueberry muffins, and strawberry butter. They serve the standard breakfast fare, and it's all good.
Dinner is a bit more confusing, with too much variety on the menu. Sushi, pasta bowls, steak, salad, nachos... trying to be all things to all people. The upside is that there's something for everyone, and although none of it is outstanding, everything I've ordered has been good.
The crowd is different depending on the time of day - brunch draws a mix of people, including families with young kids. Dinner/late night is a young professional crowd.
Service is fine, and the atmosphere is casual. -
Review from Jason M.
7/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like this place a lot. The crowd is a bit on the older side, but it's still vibrant.
You cannot beat their margarita specials. $5, all the way around the clock. And their tequila shots are priced reasonably too. $7.50 I think.
Lastly, the staff is awesome. Especially that guy George, with the glasses. He's a riot.
I've been told to avoid the food at this place, so just s subtle hint. -
Review from Jiordan C.
San Francisco, CA
They've got this spaghettini (no, not spaghetti) with turkey meatballs that makes me so happy. Unlike most turkey meatballs, which don't taste like traditional meatballs, these have the perfect ground texture.
The salads are great too - full of nuts, fruits, etc.
Little tip: if you want to sit at the window, it's really nice, but you may be dealing with the bus loading and unloading people pretty frequently (the 2nd Ave. bus stops right in front of Hi Life). -
Review from Caroline B.
Manhattan, NY
10/9/2011
Cute, little UES lounge! I stopped here with my friend Sammy on the way home from a party in the neighborhood last night and had a great experience. He had an Octoberfest, I had an Americano (yeah, no more drinks for me at that point in the night, haha). The beverages satisfied as did the service and the atmosphere. We'll be back again!
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Review from Jaimee A.
6/3/2011
We tried this place tonight for a quick supper. The spaghetti primavera was very good, but needed a bit more garlic and oil. The sushi was very good - tasted very fresh. The fudge brownie a la mode was delicious. We will definitely revisit this restaurant!!!
The prices were also more than reasonable! -
Review from Dr L.
Manhattan, NY
1/3/2012
Underwhelmed
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Review from Kathleen F.
Somerville, MA
5/22/2011
Came here for drinks and apps the other night. I thought the service was good and the staff was very attentive. I also really liked the atmosphere. We sat near the big open window in the front which is the perfect place to people watch on a nice day.
I got their olive martini, props for creating a drink that involves 6 giant olives, because I prefer my martinis to be brimming with olivey goodness!
For apps we tried the popcorn shrimp and calamari, both were cooked on the extra crispy side--perfect for me because that's what I like but i'd recommend trying something else if you're not into that. Can't wait till my sister moves to this neighborhood so I can come back and haves more olives with a side of vodka and yummy snacks! -
Review from Stephanie C.
New York, NY
4/8/2011
I came here last Thurs night with an old coworker. He chose the place; I was a little skeptical because I'm wary of places that are kind of a burger/American classic joint plus Asian fare (and sushi..sketchaton). But my coworker swore everything was good there.
It might be kind of hard to spot because all the awful construction across the street. I arrived at 7:30 and the place was half, or a quarter full. They sat me as i waited a few minutes for my friend, which was nice. Only issue is they sat us near the door, so we felt a draft come in and out. I could have asked fr another table but that's where they placed most of the two seaters.
Our waitress was super smiley and friendly and immediately brought me a hot water with lemon, per my request. She was always attentive and good about filling up our waters (which came form a Grey Goose body, ha ha). The decor is kind of interesting- kind of like an old diner from the 60s, and arguably it is glorified diner fare. The menu is quite varied; and portions of my neighbors all looked really big. My companion described it as a "value place" (but prices were somewhere in the high teens for unsophisticated food, so I don't know about that). They have burgers, big plates (classic meat and 2 sides deal), pasta, sushi, pad thai and stir fry (Asian stuff white people like)...and also a spring time menu, which including a guiltless Margherita pizza (I was eyeing this).
I ended up getting the bird of paradise, which is grilled chicken (breast and leg- 1/2 chicken) with citrus/garlic juice. Two sides: got the shoestring fries (a guilty pleasure I cannot resist) and creamed spinach. My companion got the pad thai (which he seemed to order at gunpoint). On his dish first: ok, it looks horrible. He seemed to gobble it up fine. But it was NOT authentic at all- no peanuts, really mushy glass noodles, American salad (almost) atop, no bean sprouts- it was really whacky. Can't say I tried it for taste but it didn't look good to me.
As for my dish, the chicken wasn't bad. It wasn't that dry, and some parts were surprisingly juicy (the darker bits), but overall it was pretty standard/average. Your usual char-grilled chicken. The piece was big though. Our waitress warned me upon order it takes about 25 minutes to cook; that was fine. And she kept coming by and telling me "it's on its way"- which was appreciated but I was catching up with my old colleague so I was in no rush and her constant reminders actually were a little unnecessary (but appreciated!).
Ok the sides. Shoestring fries- well hard to fuck that up. The best I had in recent history might have been 5 Napkin Burger (if you read that review, note I said: in recent history). These shoe string were ok- they were kind of my McDonalds size; not really shoe string. They were crispy just fine but didn't have any seasoning and that's what it lacked. The creamed spinach was awful- I could barely eat it and it's sad because I love creamed spinach. Esp. from Boston Market- it's sad when your restaurant does a shittier side than Boston Market. Hi Life's creamed spinach was so gummy, stiff, and waaaaay too sweet. I don' tknow what the hell they put in it- like almond paste? Cream (like whipped cream)? Literally, it was like a dessert- it was that sweet. Pretty nasty; I would not recommend that at all.
Pretty sure both the pad thai and my dish were something in the $17 mark.
Again, decor, ease of access, and service were fine. Food was tolerable but nothing special. I don't think I'd come back given the blah-ness of this kind of place. It does, however, seem good for people looking for weekly food deals (i.e. free app, or 30% something when you order something else, etc), and the drinks. -
Review from Austin A.
Brooklyn, NY
5/30/2011
Great prices and great food. Very fun atmosphere.
I ate here several times over the last 3 years and they're always on their game. Steak was cooked just right, salads are flavorful and all the othe entrees feature something special. I never tried their sushi but by word of mouth, it's pretty good. -
Review from Brett W.
Manhattan, NY
12/16/2010 ROTD 5/26/2011
Liz Lemon will tell you that all anyone ever wants in life is a sandwich.
I find this to be true.
Brett W will tell you that all anyone ever wants in life is a delicious martini.
This is also true.
The Six-Olive Martini is $10.95 and gives you, as its name suggests, six olives. That means that you have three on a spear and three soaking at the bottom. You get to snack . . . and then snack some more!
Pair it with a burger or a chicken sandwich and you can stay under $30 total.
And yet leave feeling GREAT. (Read: Drunk.)Listed in: Upper Beast Side
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Review from Ryan F.
2/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Four of us came to Hi Life some drinks and dinner last Friday, and we all left satisfied. For starters, the menu offers a bit of everything; From lobster bisque and steak tartare all the way to burgers, crab cakes and pad thai, everyone should be able to find something they like (we all did). Service was excellent and extremely friendly despite being busy.
As we finished out food and lingered over some drinks, the DJ was setting up, and passed around pieces of paper allowing patrons to request songs while he was getting "warmed up" He quickly entertained our Pearl Jam, Beck, and other 90s requests before flipping to some more dance-friendly beats.
One thing that irks me here is the pricing disparity between menu items. An iceberg lettuce-based salad (no chicken or anything "pricey") costs $8.50, yet you can get a burger with the works or an order of clams/oysters for $10.50. While most of the food items were reasonable, my friend ordered up a single-malt scotch that he says usually goes for $9-$11 elsewhere...here it was $13.50.
Aside from that, I'd still recommend to anyone looking for a place to sit, chat, and eat in a nice down-to-earth atmosphere with great service. -
Review from Heather R.
New York, NY
2/12/2011
I stopped in here for a quick bite at lunch.
The cheeseburger & fries were great! Service was great and it's a clean place that has a little sense of being a cool lounge place to meet for drinks.. I'll try that next time. -
Review from Jacob V.
FOREST HILLS, NY
12/10/2011
I have a serious complaint about the attentiveness and care of both the waiting staff and kitchen at Hi Life with regard to allergies. I have a very serious allergy to milk-dairy products (i.e. cheese, butter, cream, yogurt, etc.) and made it explicitly clear to the waiting staff when ordering a Turkey Club Sandwich. I was told that the sandwich comes with turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a whole wheat and white bread, and asked to hold the mayo (not due to allergies, but a personal preference). I also clarified that I have a serious, potentially fatal, milk-dairy allergy and asked if there was cheese on the sandwich, and the staff said cheese is not part of a turkey club. I had flipped through the sandwich to check for mayo, however I did not notice that there was cheese next to the turkey, especially considering that the staff told me that cheese is NOT a part of this menu item. Due to the dimmed-red lighting in the restaurant (which is actually quite pleasant), the fine distinction between cheese and turkey on a club is rather unnoticeable, and after taking a bite of the sandwich, I realized there was in fact swiss cheese in it. The waiting staff told me that this was a mistake on behalf of the kitchen and that they would bring out a new sandwich with no cheese. After bringing out a new "cheese less" sandwich, there was no follow up on the waiting staff. With all due respect, this is completely unacceptable for a restaurant, let alone a restaurant on the Upper West Side in New York City. Having dealt with this situation all my life, I can attest that this was one of the single most poorly-handled allergy-related restaurant experience of my life. This experience was a pure display of ignorance on behalf of Hi Life and reflects poorly on the waiting staff, kitchen, and modus operandi of this restaurant.
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Review from S T.
New York, NY
7/25/2010 1 photo
Dammit. How is there so many bad restaurants on the upper east side??
I finally tried this place, and wow was I disappointed. My boyfriend and I are new to the 'hood and are looking for a good place for brunch. Hi-Life is definitely not it. We ordered eggs benedict and a pancake plate. SO BAD.
Our visit started off on a good note, we really thought the place was cute and cozy. As soon as the bread basket arrived we knew we were in for a surprise...
BREAD BASKET: Shitty dry toast, dry muffins, and some weird orange greasy paste in a cup. They really went the extra mile by putting some cinnamon on the toast, but it was still basically stale bread. Nice try.
The orange paste was some kind of cream cheese butter combo = nasty.
EGGS BENEDICT: by far the worst benedict I've ever eaten, I couldn't even finish it. The sauce tasted like it had mustard in it (that doesn't belong in classic benedict sauce) It was dumped all over the plate - see photo. Really thick and very acidic. The home fries were very very mushy and soggy.
PANCAKES: Not sure how you can mess up pancakes buy Hi-Life has proven it possible! The batter was just gross, and even the bacon was flavorless - BACON!??
It wasn't like we just had a bad item... everything was terrible. If you like food, this isn't the place for you. Also if you dislike paying $30 for really bad quality food when you could pay the same elsewhere for much better food(this is new york)...you might not want to eat here. I'm just sayin' Think about it for a minute or two. Yeah... that's right.
Also, I love that it's called "Hi-Life" hahaha. Irony. Guess we'll be leaving the neighborhood for good food and bars. -
Review from Kyle R.
Salisbury, MD
Just came in for drinks on St. Patty's Day.
Overall decent atmosphere and drink prices weren't too bad. -
Review from LISA N.
6/15/2010
I had the Sunday brunch here and it was pleasing. A nice host who ended up being our waitress, she was a sweetheart and couldve been a model too. They brought out the toast n muffins with thei delicious butter that I couldn't figure out what it was until I yelped this review, but I kept eating it anyways. My niece had the crabcake and on top of that was egg benedict with delicious hollandaise sauce. The crab was real crab not that imitation stuff. I had their blt with avocado which you can mess up very easily with soggy bread greasy bacon but it was crispy with good balance between the l and t and mayo on the side. Oh and their fries are amazing (I swear they mustve stole them from mcdonalds)
And I saw their regular menu which still looks amazing, I will definitely come back and try their other items!
Oh n I love how they have huge open windows. It was a nice day out that day n they left all the front windows open for some fresh air. -
Review from Logan F.
Martinsville, NJ
1/9/2011
Your standard nice diner.
They had good burgers and french fries; my belly was happy.
I enjoy living the hi life. -
Review from Cris M.
Port Jefferson Station, NY
11/5/2011
Excellent deals! One of the few affordable places, that also has a good vibe for practically anyone. I came by myself for a post work snack and cocktail, and it was perfect. Nowhere else could you get two sushi rolls (nothing fancy, but solid basic rolls) and two glasses of wine for $17. I'll be back at least once a week. I could also comfortably come back with friends, dates or family. This place definitely has its share of regulars for a reason.
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Review from elizabeth b.
New York, NY
8/19/2010
More like a 2.5 rounded up. I rounded up because I'd return for another shot.
Went here for happy hour drinks and snacks. My margarita was syrupy and artificial tasting, but inexpensive. My friend's champagne cocktail was probably the better bet.
Bar snacks ran the gamut - the quesadilla was surprisingly good and filling, the sesame skewers tasted good, but were tiny and perhaps oversauced, and the pigs in a blanket burnt and flat tasting.
But, for a relatively quiet place with food and drink deals and turning into an impromptu early dinnerish scene, it wasn't all bad. I'm not in the area often, but I can see how one would wind up here frequently. -
Review from Dos T.
New York, NY
6/16/2010
I had a work lunch here because the variety covered everyone. As a vegetarian, I had the portobello mushroom burger, which was okay but a little heavy on the balsamic vinegar. The fries were great.
Coworkers enjoyed a chicken salad, a club sandwich (high praise), a turkey burger, a hamburger, and a salad/sandwich combo. No complaints around the table. Dessert was gelato, brownies and ice cream, and pecan pie. There wasn't a crumb left on a plate, so I'm assuming those were all enjoyed as well.
The variety is great. At night they have sushi (can't say how it is) and the daytime menu covers all of the above, and some Thai dishes like curry and pad thai. I'm always a bit sketched out by Thai at non-Thai restaurants, but the option is there.
The aesthetic is spot on: padded walls and ceilings, ace playing card lamps, giant curvy booths, and a real old-school lounge feel. The windows open directly to Second Avenue, which was nice for the weather but awful for the construction - the subway work is right outside of the Hi Life right now, so the ESPN and CNN on the flat screen TVs were muffled by the hum of tractors and diggers.
Overall, there's something for everyone, good for small groups (we had 7), good for kids (kids menu), there's a weekend brunch that looks good, and it is cheap - seven of us had food and dessert for under $125. -
Review from Jess L.
5/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
I came here with my boyfriend because we were in the area and had a card from the NYC Diner's Deck. Overall, we enjoyed our experience here. The cocktails are a bit small for the price - or at least in a restaurant like this, in my opinion. However, it's easy enough to pick the best day to come, for they have tons of drink and food deals.
The skewer sampler appetizer - which includes lamb, chicken, and meatballs - was definitely tasty but a bit over priced ($14). The burger was quite good, and the [Second Avenue] sushi was also surprisingly good.
Our waitress was very kind and all smiles.
Overall, it was definitely a good experience. I'd definitely recommend checking out their daily deals before spontaneously coming, though. -
Review from Meredith M.
Salem, MA
7/31/2010
I went here with a friend for happy hour.
The 5$ margaritas were our second choice since Blockheads down the street (3$ margs) was packed. The place was pretty empty but filled up by 7pm for dinner with lots of families and crying babies.
The margaritas were good, small but well formulated. I had the classic and the strawberry. My advice is to stick with the classic, the strawberry tasted very sweet, more like a strawberry icey than a margarita.
The service was good, attentiive but not pushy.
The bathrooms are small but clean.
Overall, I have to agree that this is an average place and if you are in the area, it couldn't hurt to stop in! -
Review from Chris L.
7/29/2010
I live down the block from this place, and avoided coming here for my first few months in the area out of principle (the delivery guys, with their Hi Life shirts and bicycles, constantly harass my girlfriend on the street, which makes her really uncomfortable. They are the shadiest thing about our little UES bubble).
At some point, we ended up here. It was less diner/bar and more like dining in a subway station that had been painted black. The food was greasy (and generally gross), the servers were kind of rude (they gave us a hard time because we wanted to be seated while waiting for 2 more people to show up, and it's not like they were crowded at this point). Even the beer didn't taste fresh.
It's pretty safe to say that we won't be back. -
Review from Hector S.
New York, NY
6/19/2011
Ordered a hamburger and fries & a pizza... Pizza tasted like it was a cheap frozen pizza
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Review from Gretchen W.
New York, NY
3/25/2009
I have been to Hi-Life several times for brunch, and have been very pleased with my meal each time. There is a slight downside to brunch at Hi-Life, which is that it's loud and full of young children with their families. Now, I love children, but not when they are bouncing on their booth seats and screaming.
However, there is also an upside to Hi-Life brunch, which is the AMAZING basket of mini blueberry muffins and cinnamon toast with strawberry butter that is given to every table (and refilled if requested.) SERIOUS YUM! Who cares about the rest of your meal once you've devoured all the bread?
The main courses are also really yummy, ranging from typical brunchy eggs to cobb salads and burgers. Overall, I really do enjoy a good weekend brunch at Hi-Life, and recommend it to anyone on the UES looking for a yummy meal.Listed in: Brunch Time
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Review from Ro N.
New York, NY
3/2/2009
I love Brunch and I could eat breakfast any time of the day.
So when A and I saw their menu, we decided on this place for brunch.
I was in between the crab cake or the smoked salmon benedict. I asked our waiter which one was better, since I noted the fact I am pretty picky when it comes to crab cakes.
He advised the smoked salmon and A got egg white with swiss, onion, and spinach.
He brought along a bread basket filled with cinnamon toast and blueberry muffin. It came with a strawberry spread that was quite delicious.
Everything seem fine until the waiter brought me my smoked salmon.
OMG my smoked salmon was COOKED!
WDF!
It looked like cat food! It looked scary!
I had to call the waiter back because I was not going to eat that nasty cooked salmon.
He ended up saying, so crab cake then?
Since they can't get SMOKED salmon right, I am not going to trust them on their crab cake.
I ended up getting egg whites with spinach and tomato.
It was okay along with the home fries!
So disappointed!
Not to mention the service sucks here!
A couldn't even get her coffee refilled! -
Review from Marlo G.
11/14/2007 3 Check-ins Here
I was soooo excited when Hi Life reopened on the Upper East Side. This one is larger than its UWS counterpart and a bit more upscale. While the West Side location feels a bit like a dive-y bar and a little bit from days gone by, the new Hi Life is warmly lit and decorated in mahogany with chocolate and creme accents that feels a bit like a cigar bar in a hotel.
There's a bit of an Art Deco feel with the front of the building all large windows like the ones on the side of the UWS locale (skylights are cut into the ceiling above). We sat in the window area and while there's plenty to see, it was a bit chilly (and the windows were closed)...the table behind us asked to be moved, they were so cold.
This restaurant is handicapped accessible with ramps to get to the booths and table area set away from the windows. While the restroom is larger than the other location, a wheelchair would be difficult to fit in the restroom, let alone the stall--no handicapped stalls though. Yes, the ladies room here has 2 stalls unlike the UWS location which is just a restroom.
We were there around 5:30 and lots of families were there for dinner. Actually, there was a sign on the entrance which asked patrons to fold their strollers..."Only on the UES," I thought. You would never be able to fit a stroller in the UWS location!
While I love the penne dish as well as the chinese dumplings, I tried the "Power Noodles". Apparently this is a new addition to the menu and I was the first to try it. Well, I hope I'm the last or they change it. They claimed it would be soba noodles with broccoli, tofu, basil, peppers, and a spicy peanut sauce. The noodles weren't soba...and maybe I have my noodles wrong but they weren't thick and fluffy like the soba noodles I've had. They were rather thin and perhaps they were buckwheat. This dish was very salty...perhaps it's because they salted the noodles so they wouldn't stick or the chef isn't expert at vegetarian cooking. Maybe it was the "spicy peanut sauce" which wasn't spicy or peanutty.
Don't get me wrong. Hi Life is great--the food is fresh and tasty, the atmosphere comfortable, and they have great hours as well as drink and dinner specials. My fear is the Hi Life being poisoned by mommies, daddies, and babies which will be great for the owner, but for those of us who like a place to dine and have a conversation, I don't think it'll be a possibility. And as Hi Life has a great brunch, I'm sure all the families and their strollers will be parking themselves there for Sundays to come.
12/27 Tonight I returned to Hi Life and was greeted with a bit of 'tude as they weren't seating for 15 minutes. "Is that okay?" the hostess asked. What are we going to say? No? So we left and came back and on our return, were greeted by the hostess as if she'd never seen us. Then I said, "We're back." "Oh, it's you." Nice--I felt welcomed. Then after making such a to do again about it not being time to sit customers, she walked to a table with menus, not having told us to follow her, so we stood there confused...until she came back to get us.
Once again, I tried the "Power Noodles"--what an improvement! I guess in the month or so since they premiered the dish, they figured it out! Nice peanutty flavor with a hint of heat, though they did go heavy on the sauce.
I asked the waitress how a wheelchair would get into the restaurant since the entrance is a step up with 2 small doors. She said she didn't know, that it's never been needed. I suggested perhaps the entrance would be on the side of the restaurant as there's a door right off the "cafe" (what they call the area of the restaurant under glass). Lo and behold, a wheelchair bound customer rolled right in that very door not 20 minutes later. The waitress's remark was "See, told you!" Told me? I think it was I who told her!Listed in: Upper East Side
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Review from Ahja B.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 6/26/2011
My friend also loves their sushi, and they will make it any way he wants. I have no idea what else to say because I don't eat sushi, but he likes it. So when he orders there, I now like the lemon chicken and mashed potatoes too! Only take out though, still haven't been back to eat there.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/29/2011
I liked it! After walking by a few times I had no idea what to expect but it was cool!
I went during… Read more »
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Review from Colleen B.
North Waltham, MA
9/28/2008
After 5+hours in the car from Boston to NYC and you might eat just about anything because you're so hungry. Good thing we were visiting people on the East side and they suggested Hi Life.
The food was an eclectic feast--my husband could get a burger and I could get sushi--genius! Dining harmony! We even split pigs in a blanket with our table of friends....yummmm. Who knew you could have all your fav's in one restaurant.
The sushi rolls were a little smaller than the waitress led me to believe, but the jamaica roll with mango hit the spot. The waitress was right on top of things--even with the upsell on the 3 scoops of sorbet which was almost too much, but still refreshing.
Drinks were generous in portion and a bailey's on the rocks made for a nice nightcap! -
Review from Lee V.
New York, NY
7/4/2011
Always solid food (love the brunch, the cobb salad, the sushi, the apps), always reasonable prices, always good service, and except for when the place is overrun with baby strollers and fussy tots (5-7 PM on weekends and brunch is stroller city too) - always a great vibe. Definitely a fan.
