The Wooly

The Wooly advertises itself as "Not Open Since 2009" - this Speakeasy-style establishment has no visible entrance - you have to enter through the entrance of the (excellent) coffee shop The Wooly Daily - and does an impressive job recreating the look, decor and feel of that Roaring '20s, Speakeasy vibe.

My wife and I chose the Wooly for a wedding party/celebration, and we could not have been happier from start to finish. From the communication and sincere care the owner, Eric, displayed as we worked on details, to the incredible staff at the party, it was a seamless experience that enabled us to actually enjoy the blur that was our party.

The food selection was varied and the options almost all unique and excellent. The Wooly Burgers were incredible, as were the beet-centric veggie burgers. (The veggie options were particularly impressive to us as well as per the attending vegetarians.). The Gold Smokey Mac n Cheese bites were particularly exceptional.

The mixed drinks (which they allow you to rename/rebrand for your party) were wonderful - in particular a gin-based one with sage flavor and a dash of chartreuse - delish & beautiful. And the coffee from the aforementioned shop was of course incredible.

The layout of the venue is fascinating as well. When you walk in there's a room with a bar, but a couple of other rooms pop up in serpentine fashion. Several of our guests congregated by the bar for quite some time before realizing there were other places to hang. (Or they're all just drunks.) The space allows for exploration as well as places to sit or stand and just mingle. The architecture and layout reminded me of both a French bistro and an old aristocrat's library. And, of course, you're on the ground floor of an historic NYC building - one the owner just might allow you to snap a few super cool photos in if you are super nice.

I never thought I'd get married. And if I did, I never thought I'd enjoy the actual event. But The Wooly helped make that happen. It's an amazing, special place for a private event, but is also open to the public on many nights. You just have to know where to look for it. Now that you know, you should check it out for a unique evening over splendid cocktails.

Though overpriced the venue lends itself to an easy going fun time with good drinks. Dark inside and you can hear each other talk, good for drinks with friends, on a date, catching up, coworkers. knowledgeable bartenders

The Wooly you are really amazing, I had an incredible experience here yesterday. Really pleasant service with a great ambience. Every single thing is just flavorful is all I can say. The staff are really attentive and nice. They're great at giving recommendations. The service was good and I would definitely go back to The Wooly.

Hosted my 31st birthday party and had an awesome time!

Pros:
* Somewhat hidden speakeasy located right by the Chambers ACE stop. The venue is well decorated with eclectic and fun furniture that makes you feel like you're in someone's quirky home.
* Excellent service. Booking the venue was easy, I emailed info@thewooly.com and filled out a form on http://thewooly.com/reservations. David got back to me quickly and was friendly and affable over the phone. The bar staff and coat check lady Stephanie were attentive, sweet, and professional.
* If you want to reserve the entire space for yourself, the minimum spend is $7K and you can order party platters for guests (heard the food was delicious). Because I wasn't confident about meeting that minimum, I shared the venue with other smaller parties and there was no minimum required. However, by sharing the space you cannot order party platters. If your guests do not show, you would pay a contractual deposit (usually $10 a head).
* David did a great job in not overpacking the place. I think there were 2 other much smaller parties, so it felt like we had The Wooly all to ourselves. My party of about 50 was comfortable, weren't shoulder to shoulder, and we had plenty of space to move around.
* They have a DJ playing all night. The tracks were mostly trendy mainstream hits. I'm glad the music wasn't blaring because none of us had to scream to carry a conversation.

Tip:
* Reservations are only made via signed agreements. So make sure to sign and return the deposit form as soon as you can in order to secure a time slot. They are super popular and review many daily booking requests.
* Finding The Wooly: It is a somewhat unmarked door, but there is an address sign and should be a security standing just outside or inside the glass door.

Highly recommend for private or semi-private events!

The Wooly is a well done event space with a solid atmosphere and ambiance that makes me wish this wasn't a private event space. It's a little hidden if you don't know where you're headed, but I suspect if you're coming here it's for a planned event where you'll get directions.

Staff are friendly and the bar is well stocked and staffed.

Of course your mileage will vary depending on the event being held here, but the venue really lends itself to pretty much anything.

I've been here a couple times for happy hours. Half a dozen oysters and choice out of several kinds of draft beers for $15 total always pull me in! Ambiance: great. Service quick. Oysters: Fantastic. Crowd: casual and laidback. Music: Great. Overall happy vibes! Bar is always squeaky clean and food and drinks come out swiftly. Been coming here multiple times and I will definitely come again. : )

I went once quickly before going to an NYU SCP event. I knew I had the right choice when I heard Depeche Mode playing...later artists featured were The Cure. Yes! 80s Flashback!
The hosts and bartender were great. The food was quick, fresh and delicious and the busman was quick and great as well.
I will return.

There was one bartender and two barbacks for a bar of at least 50 people. The service was horrible, at times waiting over 20 minutes for a drink. I can understand being understaffed but the staff was rude! One of the barbacks argued with my guests over a bill the bartender overcharged on. Then the barback caught an attitude with me when I asked him to please separate the bills. NEVER AGAIN!

Can' t remember the last time I went out in FiDi, but if any thing can drag me there it is a free open bar. I HIGHLY recommend this spot for any private parties, birthdays, etc. The staff was incredibly courteous, the open bar included craft beer and top shelf liquor, and the place was DONE UP.

The venue is really interesting, may even qualify as a speak easy? Table service is on these elevated platforms decorated with antique chairs and coffee tables. i loved one of the house cocktails the bartender recommended, champagne and gin with some kind of fruit juice? Hope to get another open bar invite here sometime in the future!

This place is a cute little spot tucked beneath scaffolding. The crowd is very upscale and the drinks are expensive. I paid $14 for a margarita but it was yummy. I forget what the name is but it has jalapeno, grapefruit and lime. Although the bar line was long af the bartenders worked quickly and precisely.

My gripes with the Wooly is 1. Its too narrow which breeds crowding very quickly and 2. The DJ plays techno all night with really cheesy songs here and there (apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur...girl whet?).

Okay place but don't think I would return on my own.