Hudson Bar
356 West 58th Street
New York, NY 10079 (212) 554-6500
- Nearest Transit:
59th St-Columbus Circle (1, A, C, B, D)
57th St-7th Ave (N, Q, R, W)
7th Ave-53rd St (B, D, E)
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: DJ
- Best Nights: Wed, Thu, Fri
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
30 Reviews for Hudson Bar
Surprisingly had a great time here, the music was awesome and the decor is indeed unique!
Even though we were on the list, and i rocked up with 5 girls, it took forever to get into this place. The bouncers seemed like some of the biggest wankers i have encountered anywhere in the city. They made it seem as if only hotel guests were allowed into this place.
I was really surprised when I saw all the non-hotel guests lining up for this place! Luckily I was staying there, so my bf and I got to cut to the front of the line. It was surprisingly crowded inside, with what looked like groups of young 20 year old girls in tiny dresses and then random older hotel guests. There was a DJ who was pumping out super loud music, which probably seemed extra loud because the ceiling was really low. The decor itself was modern and bright, too bright for a club. The brightness deterred me from wanting to dance, and instead I just people watched.
The bar was really crowded and I had to elbow my way up to the front to get attention from the bartender. The drinks were REALLY expensive, I'd recommend drinking before you get there. Plus the wait and the crowd to get a drink were ridiculous.
Overall, it was an okay experience. I wouldn't pay or wait in line to get into the bar. I think they need to dim the lights to get more of a club-like experience. It seemed like just another bar/club that young girls go to be seen at.
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Talk about swanky, and on top of that pricey. Like my previous review on The London Bar, I basically explain the fact that all hotel bars are expensive. Its true. I suppose its the hotels own way to remain being super greedy and rip off the tourists. You can obviously set apart the locals from the tourists when you see the random people rush up to Kelly Ripa's escalade outside of Hudson Bar when I was leaving. Its Kelly Ripa, get over it.
The interesting hotel has this yellow lit up escalator. I was a little confused about the entrance, but I guess thats the only one. You go up to see straight ahead the front desk. Walk to your right and there is another desk to which you have the option of going to the left to this other bar, and to the right, which is where I went to.
The interior was apparently another Philip Starck design. Who cares... It was quite cute, but that also makes it "chic" and "expensive" apparently. It was completely random, but still awesome. It was a bit freezing in the bar area, but I was still content. I did enjoy my delicious drink! It was ordered for me by my boyfriend as my first legal alcoholic beverage.
All in all, its quite swanky. I wouldn't mind coming here again although the crowd is undetermined to me, and I can't imagine how many hundreds I'd have to spend to get drunk. I don't recommend this place for patrons with high tolerances.
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I met some of the most wonderful friends here from all over the world! Yes, this place can be overrated, but then isn't it most places in NY? Low ceiling, red brick wall & ultra comfy couches, lighting floor & a few good cocktails...
I heart D. Razo here, have been friend with him when I was living there back in 100 years ago! Arrr.. He's the promoter at the door & always taken good care of us.
If you are not staying at the Hudson, you might have a problem to get in the bar sometimes! Just be nice, respectful & deck it out, you will surely get in ;-)
If you're into guys & gals with accent, you will surely run into lots of European here ;-) But I still think those doormen are a whole lot hotter ;-)
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It's not that we had a terrible time... just don't make the mistake of making this spot a destination.
On my last trip to NYC, a girlfriend and I decided to check out the Hudson on a Sat. night after receiving several lofty recommendations. The hotel itself is gorgeous-- decidedly modern and hip, courtesy of Philippe Starcke's sometimes overdone but always chic hand.
The bar emphasizes an abrupt departure from the sleek and sophisticated theme of the hotel-- unless you consider a Billy Jean-esque lighted disco floor cosmopolitan. Deduct yet another star for the stale, contrived music playlist from an uninspired DJ. We ordered a round of average (in both price and quality) mojitos from the friendly and attentive bartender and made our way to the dance floor.
Ladies, be prepared to get hit on by a swarm of pesky, suburban club king has-beens. I'd liken the experience to a banquet-hall wedding reception circa 1998. Cheesy spread-wing collars and trite attempts at conversation. Luckily, the music was so loud that we were able to use the "I can't hear you" excuse without coming across as being, I don't know, turned off? The highlight of our time spent at the Hudson Bar was meeting the 2 Romanian guys on our way out who spoke a small lick of conversational English.
I'm still unsure if our bland experience was just the result of an "off-night", but I'm not returning to find out. The Hudson Bar failed to meet its hyped reputation. I wish we would've left after the first drink instead of sticking around for another.
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I liked this bar 10 years ago before they changed the decor. It was hip and trendy with the lighting....now it seems dull. They approached our table and decided to have a mandatory coat check after we had been sitting having drinks for 45 minutes....thought that was interesting.....to be perfectly candid, I feel it has lost it's edge.
I know it's Eurotrash, I know that the Hostess/Hosts are ridiculous in their weeding out who gets in and who doesn't...but everytime I've been here (Warm or Cold weather), I've always had a good time.
I mean, how can you not? The cheesy disco floor, the weird mixes from the DJ (never heard the same mixes/music twice) and the incredibly drunk hotel patrons and overdressed wannabe Eurotrash.
I admit, it can get tedious waiting to get into the bar, but once in...if you're there to have fun, you'll have fun.
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Very modern looking bar, nice lighted tile but the bar itself is nothing special. Visited with some friends up from Miami and they had known people that were staying in the hotel. So off we went. The crowd was definitely eclectic - a mix of just about everything. Young, old - straight, bi - swingers, etc. Don't look for much fashion or hipster - it's not really up in here.
We walked in and they were playing Paula Abdul followed by Cyndi Lauper followed by 99 Red Loft Balloons??? WTF - then DJ iPod threw on some Kanye and Jay Z for effect. How does a faux-DJ on a MAC screw up a mix???
Don't go for the music, don't go for the $18 drinks, but the strange old man - Mike, he's worth going for just for maybe the first ten minutes. Then, it's time to make your way elsewhere.
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Spacious with optimal lighting, decor, drinks, crowd. Great atmosphere and no shortage of good looking people. See and be seen here.
Go to this place as an after party if someone else's company is picking up the tab.
Been here three times with different people and always had fun. The DJ can be a bit off but prepare to dance your ass off.
Be sure to keep your belongings near you. The last time I came here, security picked up all of our stuff and took it downstairs "for safe keeping". Buddy, it was a private party where everyone knew everyone and we had doormen at the entrances, no one was going to take anything. We had to go downstairs to the lost and found and guess what, somehow, my friend's iPod had been stolen. We're all still convinced that one of the security guys took it because we all knew each other and no one would take it.
Hudson gets two stars just because of the security sketchiness. C'mon guys, we're supposed to trust you. Don't steal from your patrons more than just on the check.
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Maybe i'm a old bore, but I hated this place. I went to meet friends for a friend's 30th birthday, but the music (interesting, albeit) it was SOOOOOOOOOOOO loud (Monday night) that it was impossible to hear anything except your cellular material breaking up from the ultrasound. At one point I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest, but maybe that was just the ambient vibrations of the music. I'm still not sure.
After they didn't have the first drink I ordered (from the menu) I had 1 glass of white wine and tried a friend's - each was $14 and really terrible, absolute plonk. I've bought better bottles for $7.99, hands down. Total waste of money. The voluptuous waitresses were uptight, unpleasant fun-killers. Bah humbug.
The decor/design was really cool, i must admit. The lit floor gave the impression that the tables were hovering over the floor, and the place was interesting. I liked the exposed brick and the atmosphere was interesting and unusual.
All in all, I felt like I couldn't be myself here. I couldn't relax and have fun because I felt like I was on a roller-coaster, or on the space shuttle, or inside a cyclotron. I don't even know what a cyclotron is, but I'm sure that's what it feels like to be inside of one. If it was a club with music this freaking loud, I would understand, but it seemed like this was just a bar - it didn't seem like there was anywhere to dance, and nobody was doing it. Couldn't talk at all. I left with a splitting headache, and it felt so great to get the hell out of there. I'm never going back!
Ok it looks like 2001 mixed with Versailles and there are celebs and fashionistas lounging about. But $20 for a Bellini?? For reals??
We had three drinks and our bill was over $50. What a racket. If you are staying here or nearby you should def come by for one drink just to check it out. But, unless you have loads of dough, or only value your self worth by how much you can spend on one drink, you should move on to some other great bars in NYC.
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Nowadays it's just a hot mess of frustration why I keep forgetting to Yelp bars I've been to in times past.
This place is TV fantasy insanity in 3 parts: the restaurant outdoor patio which is very nice and also very suburban. The billiard room bar, which I've never been.
And the lounge with the log seat, the plush couches, the clear Xavier's wheelchair in Magneto's plastic cell seats, the marble bar that's just high enough to where if I lean on it my back isn' t very comfortable, the king's throne, and other assorted wacky things, such as the brick pillars, the 14 dollar gimlet, or maybe the crazy crayon/pastel shapes drawn all over the ceiling.
the bartenders here are really friendly and quick, which is surprising probably with the amount of influx of just plain awful people that circulate the place. The waitresses are very attractive as well.
Or it could be the underlit floor. The underlit floor that makes all the girls' shoes look sharp unless they are wearing clogs.
Oh the women here. There are lots of them. Just not at the bar area. They are siphoned off into little groups, chit chatting about this and that. Not that I bothered to listen or approach. Not here. It's more of a be happy that you are in a place paying 14 dollars for a basic drink and know that your swank level is a little higher until you get outside.
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Dear Hudson bar,
You're lucky you got 3 outta me.
You have caged me for one week in the tiniest room in the world when I first moved to NYC.
Your big wall mirror didn't make the room look any bigger, I aint tupid.
Your designer-custom-made-lamp didn't make the room any bigger, I aint blind.
3 star - cos you have a bar to escape to from my cage.
it is beautiful, thank you for charging me $27 for one glass of Scotch
Your floor green light almost blinded me
3 star - cos the design of the bar itself is well done. Gaudi-influenced chairs in the loby melted my heart while i went back to the cage from the bar downstairs.
3 star - cos you have a decent bar staff, who mixed drinks professionally.
Otherwise the size of your room is not acceptable even with NY standard or even Tokyo standard. In Tokyo, hotels that size is called "capsule hotel". My 2 year old niece would even bitch about the size.
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The last time I was there I was with several friends and we had quite a bit of fun watching the bar manager interview a dozen girls for a new opening. Of course you couldn't hear what they were saying over the lo fi vibes (excellent dj's, btw), and after I was pulled onto a dancefloor that didn't exist by a young woman that personified the best of fasion week, my friends were too busy laughing at me to care about who was hired.
For drinks, ask your server or tender if there are any specials or featured drinks. I've found that sometimes the prices for drinks are seasonal.
If you're going to stay in Manhattan, you should hit this place up.
I am def not kool enough for this place, but I still keep going back.
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Love the Philippe Starck stuff, but this place has seen better days.
Some things are slightly absurd:
- going through the motions of the velvet rope thing even when there are only 5 people inside the bar
- when the waitress asked me and my friend to move from a table for 2 to a table for 3 to accommodate a couple who asked for a table for 2 (does this make any sense??)
- the playlist
- the Eurotrash
It is, however, still a good last resort if you're in the neighborhood...
Asian guy at the door is sweet. He appears to be a bit stern at first, but he melts eventually and is definitely more approachable than the woman. Once inside, the crowd was OK: there were quite a few drunks, but there were lots of people dancing. Music selection could be better. Overall, an OK place.
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I went here for dinner a few months ago and honestly, I thought it was sceney and nausiating in that way but as long as I was at my table with my companion eating the very tasty salad and bread that I ate, I was very happy. The decor is cool, the glass floor is a little gimmicky but also kind of neat, and the food was good. The service was not fantastic, it isn't cheap, the crowd is not my scene and the bathroom situation was awful considering the single stalls were clearly inadequate for the packed bar/restaurant area yet I still left with a pretty good impression of this place. It seems as though people have a hard time with the rooms here and since I was lucky enough to be staying around the corner at the Mandarin, this was just a fun place with good food for me to come for a late dinner but I enjoyed the experience despite its obvious flaws.
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I went here back in 2002, so its been awhile but daaaammmnnn the drinks are way too pricey. It does have a nice lounge area, patio, and fake library with pool tables, but I don't need all that fancy stuff to have fun! I like to pay $5-9 dollars for a drink tops, unless im somewhere that i really wanna be. Otherwise this was were my cuz took me when I was visiting, so I had to be there. Nice place if you don't mind the price.
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You will like the Light Bar (the name of this place - to distinguish it from the Library Bar on the other side of the lobby) if:
1. You are eurotrash
2. You like to meet hookers (been propositioned twice there, I am not kidding)
3. You are a bridge-n-tunnel barely 21 aspring actress/model looking to meet a sugardaddy
4. You are staying at the hotel upstairs because the rooms are so small it's more fun to hang out in the bar
5. You like a scene
6. You like to dance but don't want to go to a megaclub
7. You like to strut your stuff on glass floors lit from beneath
8. You like to dress trendily and expensively
In other words, it has it's place in the world. I have to admit I have had some fun there from time to time.
However, if you don't like these things, go to the outdoor patio across the lobby instead (open in the summer), where you can have a more laid back experience (no implicit dress code, no bouncer), light up if you choose, and sit on one of the benches under the little trees.
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When I stayed at the Hudson, I liked the bar a little more than I liked the hotel as a whole. My drink, despite being like, seventeen bucks, was very tasty. And I've enjoyed the idea of a lit-up floor ever since the Billie Jean video. I went during happy-hour time, so probably a different experience if you go late at night.
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I have been here plenty of times, being a Fordham MBA student a couple of us often wander over after or in the middle of our typical happy hour at a manky bar. And to date I have little to complain about except the high price tag on the drinks, but as always that is something you can get over with easily...
Until now I have not decided to write a review because my experience has not been positive or negative - most of the time we would come over to play pool in the Library and then wander into the bar afterwards.
On this one occasion, however the bouncer made it impossible for a group of us to get in, and it wasn't this which pissed me off it was the tone and what he said that made me never want to recommend this bar again! I walked up to the doorman and said hello, introduced myself as I normally do and said some friends were inside waiting for us (fair enough we were a mid-size group). He then said we were not allowed to get in for no apparent reason, so when he let in another group of people I asked my friend "I wonder why they had no problem", the doorman promptly gave me a poor reason and said that he did not have to explain himself to me... I never asked for an explanation.
Basically, we waited for our friends to come to the door and then the bouncer turned on them. Apparently, the doorman found it necessary to enter a wage war with my friend and state what we could and could not afford. This on slaughter of wage call outs and cockiness was only brought about by the simple question of "Can my friend join us?"
In the end we left for a less rude bar, not before talking to management. All the time I would like to stress out that we were not being unreasonable, and management decided that we were right and permitted a formal complaint to be made. Apparently we were not the first bunch to complain of Mr. Grumpy at the door.
I read some of the reviews posted by other Yelpers... although I myself hate the lack of space in the rooms @ the Hudson,one's gotta understand.....hey this NYC!!!!! I did not expect a 400 sqft room....however, what I really liked is the mordenistic way they have not only designed the reception desk, entry area, the bar(s), but also their rooms.... very unique..... Had it been any other place, I would have cursed them for enclosing me in a cell!!!!!!!! for $100+ a night nah uh!!!
I hung out @ the outdoor bar as well as the Library bar, infact even my friends who were locals, liked the bars and they did visit that place again after I left....
I must say, I can't stop raving about how uniquely and beautifully (in a modern way) this entire place is designed....
It's bang opposite the subway, a block from Central Park and the amazingly cool, huge shopping complex.....
Having said all this, I definitely explore other options to stay at when in NYC just for the sake of space, but other than that, no complaints at all.......
oh, btw, don't go from the way it looks on the outside, not that it looks bad, but you could easily miss it :) pass by it several times and not even know it exists.
This place is a little too SOMETHING for me. I'm not sure what. I've never stayed here for more than an hour. And have only bought drinks once. But when I'm in the mood for a little drunk dancing inbetween bar hopping in the area - it suits me juuuuuust fine.
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A little physics can go a long way to understanding this indoor bar in winter: the patrons are dressed in dark clothes (for this is NYC) and the light shines from the floor. This means not much ambient reflection. Not only does light from below highlight one's worst facial features, but also years of exposure to Western imagery in art, movies and television help us associate such a lighting style with, um, hell, Lucifer, el diablo -- you get the fiery picture. You could shout "Hail Satan!" with your heavy metal voice here; but it isn't going to score you any points with Mister Eternal Damnation, since your voice will carry only an inch or two. The squareness of the room and its low flat ceiling insure that the music reverberates back and forth, up and down. This makes it very difficult to say "I'm sorry, what was that you said?...Did you say I look well?...or did you say I look like hell?"
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Come for the intriguing and fabulous decor. (Isn't that why we pay for $12+ for a cocktail in this town?) If you're in this part of town, you can start your night here and move on down. It does get 'sceney' later in the evening and the Hamptons wannabe crowd may wear your patience.
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Ian Schragger is a genius. I love the decor and style of this bar! Glass floor, quirky furniture and a painted ceiling add to the style. Definintely one of my favorite places to pre-party. The place closes at 2 am, so this place gets packed by 11:30 pm. Drinks are on the expensive side but the music (hip hop and pop) and the crowd are excellent.
good for a chill hangout with great decor. also rooftop with heaters to keep warm. i yet havent seen much dancing going on, unfortunately, as i prefer a place with more dancing. but for a bar, its nice. so if you want atmosphere, trendy sophisticated crowd, and dont mind expensive drinks, here ya go. i say its worth checking out.
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tries a little too hard, at least that was the case the only time i went there when they first opened. trendy hipsters galore, whatever, i can deal with that, it was the brawl that broke out that i found kind of odd. i shan't return...
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Faaaabulous
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