Solas

9/9/2016

It was a cold February when we drove into New York for NYFW. We parked our car in an over night lot. We stumbled out in the sludge and cold and saw a little sign that read "Margarita's $4.00 Mojito's $4.00 Sangria $4.00" We looked at one another and said... why the fuck not.
We walked in. The place was all but empty. The bartender was busy with side work but immediately greeted us with a big ol' irish hello and a smile. He made our drinks. We chit chat. I say "man I really want to go to Ireland, my family is from there etc etc" he says "my mum owns a B&B there you should look her up!" We continue to talk. A few other patrons straggle in and out. The margaritas are flowing like we're in mexico and it's a warm and sunny day. It's not. It's cold, it's grey, it's windy, it's slushy. He pours us more "these two are on me" he says with a grin. What a great guy!
Having never ever ever been to new york all I ever heard was how rude and awful and expensive EVERYTHING is. Here we are, at a relatively decent priced bar (and I'm from Pittsburgh, LAND OF THE CHEAP). We realize it's getting late and we need to meet our flat mates for the week to get into the flat. We say we need to depart. He suggests we have another drink, we oblige. It would just be plain rude to refuse. I've never felt so immediately at home at a bar. It's open. It's comfortable. It's absolutely fabulous. I just wish I could remember that wonderful bartenders name! I can't wait to get back to New York and hit up this bar again!

1/23/2017 Updated review

My previous review of Solas stands and will stand, alongside the countless remaining negative reviews.
The management here is incredibly rude and unprofessional. They think life is one big joke.  

They make a mistake and then blame their customers instead of owning up to it. My boyfriend opened up a tab at the bar here one Friday night, after the request of the bartender to do instead of pay cash.
Boyfriend mistakenly forgot his card- as this is extremely common at the end of the night in NYC.
Boyfriend was flying out of state next day and needed his card- he lives 2 hours away from this establishment, so we went into place to retrieve his card. We were told NO Card was there. basically told to BEAT IT. called again, told no card was left at bar. Called card and found out 4,000 rung up at Macys. immediately had to cancel card due to fraud. Mind you, this is a HUGE inconvenience cancelling your major credit card- it screwed up many things (as he just bought a house). After calling management to report FRAUD, and receiving a text back fro manager and AGAIN being told they do not have our card, we left a negative review- see previous  review. Meanwhile management is insulting us, taking no responsibility, insulting my friends, and bashing everyone involved instead of just owning the mistake. Next day, surprise surprise-  manager suddenly finds card. I'm sorry but where was card when we showed in person. NO effort was made the first 3-4 times to find his card, just told oh well its not here. but oh yeah we aren't responsible for the fraud.  after, threatening to go to police and yelp reviews---  Card is MIRACOUSLY found the next day. After bf is already out of state- without his card???  had they just put in a little bit of effort to look for his card, he could have flew out with his card, not been inconvenienced, oh and how about not having to cancel his major card that has everything LINKED. oh no... no biggie. again no apology.... instead continuous accusations that this is our fault - meanwhile sending me pictures of his dog as if that makes the situation better. how about just a simple apology and let me look for your card? . Again, manager thinks this is a joke and plays games.  stay far away from this place.. unless of course you want drama and your card to be cloned---- and found, oh then not found, and oh wait found again . Musical f'in chairs with your credit cards, people!

aside from joke management, place is too crowded, and smells like old puke. the music isn't even that good. too packed and crowded to even dance or talk. no food. weak overpriced drinks, and not a good looking soul in the place. no need to come here.

1/15/2017

I had my birthday party here this weekend and reserved room for 20 people. I am giving this place a 1 star due to the fact that after giving this place business and getting my group of friends to come here, one of the bartenders gave someone their card to someone else who was charged over $3000!!  When she called owner about this he was so rude. Also, I was given the wrong tab at end of night as well but luckily I noticed and notified bartender.

1. They never asked for ID with card
2. How can staff not check name and last name of identity
3. Owner is very rude and called my friend 'trash' then posts her phone number on yelp! No apologies!

During the night I was asked to move all of my friends coats because it did not look right being all on the couch. What does it matter?!!! We are paying customers! The sangria drinks for $9, not strong at all! I was drinking juice.

Only good plus about the place is the music and you can dance. I don't know how someone can run a business being so unprofessional and rude to their own customers rather than apologizing and taking the appropriate steps to notify his employees of basic credit card training!  

The rudeness from the owner is unacceptable and unprofessional. His business will not succeed with this kind of behavior!!

1/3/2017

This is my first time writing review ever. I decided to take my time to sign up and write this, because this experience really infuriated me. At first, everything was awesome. Music and atmosphere were good and employees seemed really nice. But then once the last song finished, this tall security started cursing and yelling at everyone to leave. We left our coats at the bar section, so we tried to go across the door that connects the dance floor and bar, but he wouldn't let us use the door. We tried to tell him that we left our coats there, but he wouldn't listen, so we went outside and walked back into the bar using another door. There, we found out that our coats were missing, so we panicked and tried to ask the employees and people around to see if anyone witnessed anyone taking them. That same security saw us, and literally said, "You fucking dumbasses. You lost your coats? Too bad for you. Why did you get in here again. I told you to leave! I don't care if you can't find your coats. LEAVE!" I have never met such asshole as a security in my life. Other security told him to calm down and told us to stay around to see if anyone finds our coat, but this asshole kept cursing at us even when WE DID GO OUT. Seriously, he should get fired to make this bar a bit happier place.

If that security is fired, I would give this place 4.5 stars.

11/3/2016

• 1 check-in

You know that bar that you went to in college that was really high class (by college standards), that had bottled beer instead of tap, had names of the type of wine they had instead of just having it printed as "white or red" and the seats were fabric and didn't have cigarette burn marks on them? Welcome to SOLAS.

I came here the other night as the 3rd stop on my friend's joint birthday party. The music was great! The seating area is great and the lighting is awesome.
There are 2 small-ish rooms to shake your tale in and 2 bars. Fun night and kewl bar.

Bathrooms: They are upstairs and solo bathrooms. Please note is that one happens to have a more voyeur aspect to it. There is a huge window next to the toilet that faces apts. So if you don't might drunk collegiates staring at you glass eyed over...... be my guest!

good times

11/17/2016

Low key bar to have some stiff drinks and do a little bit of dancing.  It is roomier inside than the outside would have you believe.  I dig the music since its a good mix of older hiphop and isn't the same EDM trash played at all the 'chic' places.  Dancing highly encouraged.  I wouldn't use this as a first stop, but it would be a great place to stop on a bar crawl or as an endup.

1/28/2017

My favorite bar in NYC for over a decade.  Love the Irish bartenders and their great sense of humor.  It's what a bar should be.  Minus one star so it doesn't fill with B&T.

6/29/2016

This place is a happy mashup of all the things that make the East Village fun: sandwiched on a block filled with sushi places and cafes, it is loud and turnt and just way too much for any person to handle without copious amounts of alcohol.

I just love the wide open spaces here - it's so rare to find a place that genuinely wants people to dance, and not just sit in booths and awkwardly hover everywhere (cough Pacha RIP). The music was pretty dope, though I could have done without the incessant remixing. And the vibes were good - there was just enough space for everyone to dance around without getting elbowed in the face, and despite the rampant thirstiness I sensed emanating from every dude (and every other gal), there were no absurd shenanigans. Kudos, Solas, for a solid night.

10/23/2016

Visited Solas with some friends to have drinks and dance a bit. You have to keep an eye on your drinks because the staff is notorious for taking away drinks half full when you are not looking. This is a total freakin racket to get you to continue buying drinks. In fact, we called out and stopped one of the staff for doing this, and he literally told us he gets paid to take your glasses, empty or not.

Terrible customer experience. Needless to say, I will not be going back.

12/4/2016

This place is ridiculously racist and lack premise for its  actions. All I know is I won't be giving this place my money.
Dickheads accused me of not paying. Started badgering me about a receipt.  I was saying "The bartender didn't give me one". They didn't believe me cus they're fucking dumb. Then I showed them my bank statement which SHOWED I HAD ALREADY BEEN CHARGED! then the asshole bouncers wanna invite me in... yeah right. I told them I'm not giving them my money. And went home . And to the bitch under me who said I was too drunk. I was only there for 30mins with a $20 purchase. Who's drunk off a $20 purchase at a bar?...NOBODY.  u bitch. Like I said.  SOLAS is filled with bitches. The business is trash, racist and lack reasoning for action. FUCKING TWATS

10/20/2016

• 1 check-in

Pretty Narrow and small. Gets overly crowded but not in a good way. Music and atmosphere doesn't get good until around 11- 11:30 when they dim the lights and play more engagIng music. (Oldschool R&B, Reggae, Hip-hop)

I came here to celebrate my girlfriends birthday and was very disappointed. I reserved a spot roughly two weeks in advanced and the owner was very responsive through text...however when we got there, a couple of details were left out.

THEY DON'T HAVE BIRTHDAYS SPECIALS. Such as no shouts out, no little cakes, bottle specials, candles nothing. YOU HAVE TO BRING YOUR OWN STUFF.

If they do...the staff doesn't know.

On the TOP FLOOR... THEY FORCE 20% TIP. There isn't an option, and they don't let you know until after you close your tab. I'm unsure about the bottom floor...it's way to crowded to enjoy yourself down there and there's no room to dance.

11/20/2016

My biggest mistake of 2016? Having my birthday at Solas. Seriously. I've had my birthday at different places in NYC for the past 6 years - and Solas was BY FAR the worst.

I had a private room reserved for 11:30pm - I confirmed with the owner day of to make sure the room would be available. I told my party of 20 that we had a room at 11:30 - we didn't get into the room until 12:30am and it was a FIGHT to get the room. There was NO security guard at the door and literally anyone could walk in. The "security man" yelled at me when I told him there were a ton of people in the room that weren't with my party. My friends had to act as security guards (bless their hearts).  The waitress only came to the room ONCE to check on us. Half my party left because they were so annoyed with the set up. The owner was rude to my friends. I spent more than half of my birthday in tears because the owner kept arguing with us saying we were in the wrong when, when I confirmed the plans three times before I even arrived... the entire night was a mess. The only thing that saved the night is my awesome friends! We stayed until 3am (with no thanks to the bar) DO NOT HAVE YOUR BIRTHDAY AT SOLAS. One of my biggest regrets.

(Oh and there is only one toilet for all the girls in the entire bar)

2/16/2016

• 2 check-ins

This place is so great! One night, a friend of mine rented out the room (free of charge) for his birthday and it included $5 drinks which is so great. It was a great environment and the DJ was amazing and played so much fun music! I'll definitely be coming back here more often and definitely recommend it for parties!

I ended up here another night and it was packed but so fun! Once again in the dance floor room, the dj was playing great music.

There is a coat check in the basement as well for $3

12/1/2015

Ready for a sloppy night? Then Solas may be the right place. First, there are 2 levels: the first level has a bar plus a sizeable dance floor. Upstairs has another bar plus a smaller room for dancing. I had a great night one time having a dance party in the smaller room upstairs, and another good time in the larger dance room downstairs.

The bar tenders are also very chill, and are looking to help you out, which is always a great thing.

12/4/2016

Drinks were good, the DJ was awesome; the music will literally have you dancing the entire night away. It's empty earlier in the evening but around 11/midnight it starts to get crowded. If you want a good night of dancing this is your spot!

9/6/2016

• 1 check-in

Cheap drinks and in the heart of the NYU area. It's actually a fun place to sit down for a few drinks and actually want to hear the sound of your own voice.

It managed to not be too crowded too even though I arrived around 11 PM.

6/12/2016

• 1 check-in

Always so fun!! We went here for my friend's birthday, my suggestion, and the music, drinks and atmosphere did not disappoint.

9/27/2015

• 1 check-in

It is what it is! Dance, drink and have fun!
I was really in the mood to go dancing not and my friends and I got so lucky when we passed by this place. The bouncer was pretty nice, too.
First of all, it's pretty big. When you walk in, there is a bar/lounge area that has a long bar. We didn't have trouble finding a seat after doing th stanly leg on be dance floor lol.
Wow it was such a good time! We had ample room to dance, even though it felt crowded. People were friendly and everyone was busting a move. No drama, no one being obnoxious. Just young, good looking people having a good time.
Definitely a college - early 30's crowd. Drinks aren't cheap, but bartenders are fast and friendly.
I definitely enjoyed myself too much here...

9/29/2015

• 1 check-in

Solas is a good spot for Happy Hour!! :)

The bartenders make the drinks pretty good at a decent price and are super sweet. The ambiance is cozy, dark, and intimate. The music here is pretty good, and the night I came it wasn't too crowded here.

Satisfy your thirst here and get you drink on in East Village.~

4/13/2016

This is what you call the hidden gem. Most times it is somewhere that gets overlooked due to being a street before St. Marks line of food and bars.  But give this place a shot; It is an easy meeting spot for events and they try their best to accommodate their customers.

I came here twice for the the Play All Gaming event and both times I was pleased with the service. Johnny is an amazing Bartender that can hold a great conversation. Additionally he is also very good at making his drinks without the fuss of skimming on the liquor.

I suggest the Honey Sidecar; but ask him what his specialty is. He might be able to whip up a storm of a good time for you.