Affaire

I’m actually pretty sad this place is closed, it was quite a unique spot while it lasted. Won’t go into detail because what’s the point, but it had a sexy atmosphere and was a lot of fun.

Drinks are a bit pricy but the atmosphere was pretty vintage-​like and relaxing.

Came back a few more times. Upstairs is usually chill, but downstairs is usually poppin’. There are several rooms downstairs for dancing in. On Saturdays, most of the rooms are full. On Fridays, maybe one room is full.

Suzanne B. nailed it. Head downstairs and you will feel like you are in the J. Lo «waiting for tonight» video. Note, girls bring a hairtie because this place gets muggy in the summer! There is a bar upstairs and downstairs so you shouldn’t have to wait too long to get a drink — and the vodka sodas will set you back $ 9. Now dance!

This place isn’t too bad. Large area underground for dancing. Drinks are super expensive though. About $ 7 for a Budlight. I suppose it can’t be helped in this city. The décor is cave-​like, similar to a smaller version of La Caverna. If you come here, you will sweat. Other than the obvious gripes I have with clubs and lounges in New York, this place is okay.

Todd and I came here, and it was my second time-​the first being when it first opened as Affaire. We came early at 8 pm on a Friday, and had a
voucher to kill (well, part of one-​I still have a good $ 75 – thanks MIKE!).
We were seated right away in a relatively empty dining room which filled up as the evening went on.
The waiter was super friendly, and honored 2 for 1 happy hour on my Maker’s Mark and Todd’s beers.
We enjoyed escargot and disco fries to start, and then perused the menu for our mains.
I chose the salmon with spinach and Todd ordered the risotto with lobster.
The escargot were really some of the best I have ever had. They were not too garlicky or buttery, and were not salty at all. I am dreaming of them now, sigh.
The disco fries were bona fide decadence, with 3 sauces of goat cheese, an aoii and the last I cannot recall.
We hit them hard, and ate bread while we waited for the mains to appear. Although it took some time, the salmon was perfectly cooked, not overdone or dry. The lobster risotto was more of a lobster with tomato sauce and a lot of rice, but Todd liked it. I thought it was just fine.
We decided to share a chocolate cake which also took a while to come. We didn’t mind, because our waiter was nice and the place was filling up. It was again just ok, but Todd loved it. See a theme emerging here?
Overall, with our $ 25 coupon, the meal was extremely affordable in a gorgeous dining room, amiable servers, and the starters and salmon were excellent. I want to come back for a burlesque show etc.
Keep up the good work!

This place is awful at night. It’s really crowded, and the coat check takes a min of 15 mins standing in line. It was my bday and the place was packed, they gave my reserved table I booked away to some other party, and later argued with us that we should pay for a table with a bottle of grey goose instead. This place is not well managed, I had a terrible experience and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun night of dancing and
Fun.

Pros:
1) Don’t know if it’s every night but great Trance and House music DJ was there Friday 11/​16/​2012! Really killed it with his set
2) Not too packed at all. Upstairs is more low key with a bar and some lounging, while downstairs has 2 separate rooms with small dance floors
3) They aren’t anal or stuck up like most clubs about keeping your jackets on the couches
4) Great crowd, very mixed and well-​balanced
5) No cover fee or anything ridiculous like that
6) 1 bathroom, which is really small and really rank
Cons:
1) I may have just lucked out on a good night
2) It’s nothing swanky or a place to find hot people (it IS a place to go to dance, drink, and chill with friends)

For the second year in a row, my wife I celebrated our engagement anniversary and her birthday at Affaire; on both occaions, we had over 50 of our friends come have drinks and generally have a good time.
We have been to Affaire on several other occasions as well and have always had fun.
On this particular occasion, we got there slightly early and decided to have a meal there before our friends arrived for the party. I ordered the burger (yes, unimaginative — I know) and my wife ordered the beet salad. We split an order of the goat cheese fries.
I ordered my burger with mushrooms and bleu cheese. and I have to say it was EXCELLENT. In every way. its definitely something worth trying. I know its not something you think of ordering in a French restaurant, but for a quick bite, it really is VERY GOOD.
My wife had a similarly high opinion of the beet salad. The goat cheese fries are basically regular fries with goat cheese drizzled on them. Again, VERY tasty. I ordered a small side of their basil aoli as a dip for some fries that weren’t covered in the goat cheese — also very well made.
The dinner menu is very good and has several choices for anyone who wants to have french food. The only reason I would not give the restaurant 5 stars, is the service. The table service could be slightly better.
Next, We went downstairs for our party. I had set everything up with Steve who was very helpful and generally welcoming. Our hostess (forgot her name) took good care of us and made sure we were comfortable. I made sure to tip her well for the good service.
All our friends are also now admirers of this really cool place.
As a really nice gesture, Andrew the Director (?) of the place sent me an email thanking me for bringing life back to Affaire after Hurricane Sandy had done a number on the area. It is small gestures like this that go a long way.
If the restaurant service was a little better, I would give Affaire 5 stars without batting an eye!

This review is long overdue, but I would feel remiss for not writing it. Back in June of this year, I faced the challenge of picking a place to celebrate my 21^st. I wanted somewhere that was fun, sexy, and sophisticated. Affaire definitely delivered.
Affaire offers a sumptuous experience in that you feel in walking through its dark interiors that you are entering the private boudoir of an elegant madame. It was a fantastic atmosphere for my party of 11. I have to give major credit to the establishment’s wonderful event organizer, Carrie, who was very efficient and prompt in responding to all my inquiries and requests. She was absolutely delightful and made sure that the night was really about me. This was especially evident in the fact that we basically had the entire downstairs lounge to ourselves with our own private bartender and my personal playlist jamming.
For my party, I ordered the pre-​fixe menu with open bar option. I highly recommend doing this as Affaire has great table options. The food was tasty and the portions large by NYC standards. The drinks were also great and the bartender made sure to keep them coming.
After my dinner was over, we stayed for the club portion of the night where the DJ spun some great house and hip-​hop tracks for the night. The place gets packed as the evening goes on and we were lucky to be able to snag one of the amazingly comfortable bed/​tables to relax from the dancing.
Affaire made sure to make my 21^st a really great birthday and I can’t thank it enough.

Awesome bartender! Thanks for making my drink extra sweet & strong!
Stopped by Affaire for a birthday bash. There wasn’t even a line, so I was able to cruise on in. The main floor was pretty empty, but never did I realize there were lower levels FULL of people!
I appreciated my bartender who made my drink extra sweet & strong. I didn’t enjoy the music at all (all house stuff. eek), but kudos to my bartender who made my experience fun.

I wasn’t expecting much out of this place when my friend suggested to visit it over the weekend. We walked in little past midnight and there was no cover to get in. This place is spread across multiple levels with first floor having a bar and downstairs catering to dance club/​lounge audience.
The level downstairs is also split up into two parts. The part right next to the stairs is more of like a dancefloor and the other part looked like a lounge to me. The music was good and Dj played little bit of everything. When we walked in downstairs it was quite packed. The drinks were strong and I will be back again to try some food next time.

Came here with a fairly large group for post-​dinner festivities on a Saturday night. My friend had reserved two tables downstairs in the back for us, so they let us right in despite the line… that was really nice.
I didn’t stay very long but ordered a drink, thought the music was pretty good, and the table we had gotten was nicely off to the side.

ummm… China one. is that you?
Affaire with an –e ?
French Bistro on Ave B ?
no cover… DJ spins till 3?
So apparently the former China one decided to go French… bouncers told me its the same owner and they’ve been around for 11 years. club business for 11 years is like a century in the real world so i’m sure they have a formula of success that keeps bringing people back
came for a birthday and seems like alot of people have birthdays here.
That being said, 2 stars for being such a sausagefest. at the end of the day its quality not quantity right?
good for you, China 1, good for you.

Prices are super reasonable for the quality of food you get. The atmosphere and music was so relaxing for a Sunday brunch. Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, Prince and Janet Jackson who could ask for more. To top the whole experience off the lobster eggs benedict were amazing! And service to match — The Manager Motrya and the bartender /​waiter Lawrence we’re not only easy on the eyes (wink, wink) but were very friendly and helpful with picking out our selections. for dessert we had the creeps with nutela and vanilla ice cream and the crème brûlée. Deelish!
What a great way to end the weekend.
–DeeAri

I came here for a DJ event that, overall, was really great. The house music really got everyone dancing in the basement-​front room. I like the dim lights and simple chandeliers plus ample dancing space.
The lines for the bathroom are a bit rough, and some of the patrons are dicks. I won’t go into details, but there are some pretty rude and disrespectful people here. They do not deserve the space I’ve just used to mention them.
Otherwise, it was a good time. Sound is pretty good, and the lines to get a drink — especially upstairs — aren’t too bad.

Affaire is like a sexy English muffin, full of nooks and crannies, and perfect for a little snogging.
Multiple levels and rooms make it easy to lose friends you might not want to be seen with, and multiple bars make it simple to meet new ones. The downstairs lounge can get full fast, so don’t be surprised if there’s a wait. (Sit by the window upstairs for best results.)
Shout out to Yuki for the outstanding bartendering. If you’re toting a credit card, your soul is in danger — or your liver, anyway.

Coming here for Radford’s et al birthday shindigs, I had no clue what to expect. All I knew is that it was French and it was a basement lounge. Ooo la la!
Entering Affaire, you have to cut across the dining/​bar area to find the stairs to do go down. Pardon my French but this lounge is tres tres sexy — dimly lit, lots of cushioned alcoves (hello cuddling) but surprisingly also quite spacious. Although it’s hard to spot, there is a full service bar right next to the DJ booth! Looking at it, it’s just a table but then when you look to the side — aha, il y a d’alcool!
I stuck to their St Germaine & Champagne cocktail ($ 12), one of my favorite concoctions. Mon dieu, c’etait bon! I had a sip of Aruna’s and Sally’s martini and woaaah, it was strong!
DJ Travisty was spinning some hot beats that got us shaking our booty. J’aime dancer avec mes Unilocal amis!
As I was leaving, I noticed the other «rooms», each playing a different type of music. Looks like they can cater to everyone’s taste.
If I ever find myself in this part of Ave B, I will definitely hit this spot again. Among all the bars (Idle Hands, Mama’s Bar — all I love) in the area, there is a sexy lounge, should I need to impress a boy with my French…

This might as well have been a Unilocal event minus the community managers. Hey, where were you guys? (Jane, Peter and Jando)
Radford, Athena and Ed were throwing an all-​star birthday bash here. You see they all have birthdays in September.
I walked in and the place is a good size, not too many people sitting in on the main floor. The bartender was extremely cute and Asian.
I chat for a few minutes with Sean and Co. and then we head dwonstairs. Now here is where the action is. It is a bit like a dungeon (which I like). There is also an alcove with a seat and lots of cushions. D and I make jokes and we call it the «boom boom room.» There is a bar in the back and also a DJ booth. The lower level is spacious and has some crazy lit wall art that reminds me of Rorschach blots. I like anything that triggers that side of my brain. They played many old school favorites and I found myself grooving and shaking it.
Radford — Happy Birthday! The party aint over yet.
Ed –Happy Birthday and nice to meet you!
Athena — Happy Birthday and finally I get to meet the TAP and Unilocal ambassador.
Sean — You don’t know what you were missing…
Rich W — So nice to see you. Let’s have lunch sometime.
Sally W — We didn’t get to chat much, but how about we go get highlights?
Rich W — SLK FTW ;-)
Jenn C — So nice to see you after so many months. Highline Rollerskating or bust!
Jimmy C — Always nice to see you. Shooting range eh?
David H — FINALLY WE MEET! Let’s hang soon!
Janeen B — Dekalb Market FTW
Amy S — See you hopefully at Astor Room
Julia — Hey we met x 2
Amal — I think you are famous…
The drinks were good. I first had a French 75 and then moved on to a Negroni. Both strong and packed a good punch.
Man, I have never seen so many Asian people in one room. Well, I think maybe on my Trans-​Pacific flights… but hot diggity damn. I got back to my roots tonight!

Nightlife review:
You are a young boy named Link from the land of Hyrule. Your journey across time has led you to the dungeon known as Affaire. You fight your way through the top level, guarded by modestly dressed women engaging in local song and dance. The first level boss, a large woman standing guard waiting to use the bathroom, is no match for your cunning skill and wit («excuse me, I need to get through please»).
Content, you spiral down the stairs to the next level. You reach a dimly lit bar, packed with nightgoers and the eerie thump of a monster within (or the bass from the techno). You approach the marketplace and reach in your sack for a handful of rupees, and purchase a bottle of beverage.
You eventually get to the final room; a brightly lit dance floor in sweltering heat. You fight your way courageously through the mob of people, engaging some of the females in dance along the way. You get to the end of the room, expecting to find a grand prize, a final boss, anything really.
«Our princess is in another castle»
Wait, I thought we were playing Zelda?
—
Summary
Pros:
Good music
Nice décor
No cover
Cons:
Super crowded
Super hot
The layout reminded me of a dungeon rather than a club
No cell phone reception anywhere except right by the front door