Blue Ribbon Beer Garden

Came here for a friend’s bday and we ended up at the rooftop. It was such a gorgeous day which may really skew my review of this place but I just absolutely loved the atmosphere here. I know there is an inside, but since I only was outside at the rooftop i will only speak to that. Outside there are tables with pingpong and board games, just a very chill place to come relax with friends. They have a selection of beers on bottle and sake. They also have frozen beers which is basically like frozen foam but for some reason I liked it and was so refreshing. In terms of food there really isn’t much but overpriced sandwiches so don’t come expecting to eat something good.

Came for my friend’s birthday on a Sunday during the day and had a great time. The weather was nice and we played some jenga and had a few drinks. We were glad to get there on the earlier side to get a table as it got quite crowded as the day went on.
Also, the frozen beer sounds like it would be a cool idea, but it just tasted like foam, I would not recommend it.

stayed at hotel and decided to check out some of their bars. this one was nice with the frozen slushy beer and an outdoor deck with a pingpong table. nice and refreshing on a hot summer day. definitely worth checking out, decent beer selection. we were here at about 6pm and it was very mellow, quiet vibe.

I actually think this place would be a better pick to hangout at during the day than at night; at night there really isn’t much of a view to speak of and it’s just way to crowded for no apparent reason. Seems to attract a mixed bag of people — from over dressed to extremely casual. The main highlight really is the ping pong. This spot could use more structure to how it is set up; everything just seemed kind of haphazardly places out on an elevated platform (not a rooftop exactly). Prices for drinks aren’t so great either; $ 8.00 being the lowest cost for a beer says quite a bit. Other places around here are much better options. And the ‘food’ they have is just simple pre-​packaged snacks that are not worth buying. Left after about fifteen minutes for a better option.

Overall this is a fine establishment. I love going to new places and just comparing different locations. The whole ambience of beer garden is great. Pricing was pretty fair I just didn’t like how stuck up and snobby the security/​bouncers were. I totally understand you have to do your job but a little bit more professionalism would go a LONG way. ⁴⁄₅!

To get to the beer garden you would have to go into the hotel and up the elevator. Upstairs is also a sushi restaurant which looked quite fancy. By the bar area there is a door that leads you straight outside to the beer garden. Plenty of seats. There’s a ping pong table too. Over priced beer. Snacks were expensive as well. $ 4 for a small bag of porkrinds or cookies? NO THANKS. Frozen beer was nothing special. The place gets packed really quickly. Plenty of bars around the area. I would skip this place.

Fun spot to sip on a frozen beer, play some board games and be entertained by the droves of NYC tour busses passing by. I only wish they offered table service/​served food outside. People post up for hours, so if you don’t get there early it’s nearly impossible to get a seat.

Not much to say, since we were only there for wine. But it’s in the back of blue ribbon sushi and it’s such a cute, quaint, rooftop bar garden. They have a bunch of games for you to play like scrabble, Jenga, and ping pong. It was fun and chill. The half bottle of wines were a little pricy but what do you expect. Would come again for the ambiance.

Not a beer garden.
Overpriced canned beers (some bottles).
Food that is sub-​par for the cost and wait.
This place doesn’t even deserve my time for a real review. All I can say is that it’s worth avoiding.

Got here around 6:30 on a Saturday. The crowd was young and sloppyyy (like average age of ²³⁄₂₄) so I didn’t think my crew of ages 27 – 29 would last too long. Let me back up… Blue Ribbon is located basically on the second floor of the Thompson Hotel — you literally walk into the lobby, up the stairs, through the sushi restaurant and there you are. It’s in a great area so if this isn’t your scene there are a TON of other places to go to. Anyway, it was crowded when we got there, but managed to nab a few chairs in the back, that is until it cleared out in about an hour so we managed to get a table AND snag Cards Against Humanity which kept us occupied for a while. In fact, they have a ton of games AND beer pong, which is cool. In terms of the beer, not much for a selection and rather pricey which I guess is par for the course at NYC «beer gardens.» I will say we ended up having a good time and the crowd did seem to get more age-​appropriate as the night went on.

This was our next stop after the Lobster Joint down the street. The place was pretty empty for a Saturday evening. We sat inside at the bar. I had some bourbon cocktail that was pretty strong with a spicy yellow tail roll that was perfection! The bartender was very cool and helpful with drinks. Please come up with a spicy cocktail!
I will be back for their fried chicken soon!

I’m a fan of all things Blue Ribbon, but how this is a «beer garden» is beyond me. Think sweet outdoor space facing the LES, combined with the plush interiors of the lounge and izakaya bar, the venue already wins brownie points for décor alone. The premise during good weather months is simple: drink beer, people watch, and be outside.
It goes without saying, the former could be accomplished in many other places for far less money and for way less pretension. But what folks may fail to realize is that people aren’t coming so much for the drinks, they’re coming for the scene. Not just to see, but to be seen. It’s a young generation’s sanctuary of stuffiness, the drinks are merely the bonus. That said, the weekends can get crowded, unequivocally douchey, and difficult to move around.
On the drink front, I am pleased with the beer floats (though disappointed there is no taps). Sure, it’s just ichiban in a plastic cup, but the «float» is provided via a slush machine that deposits a brilliant ice cream-​esque swirl of beer foam at the top. Instead of diluting the drink, it only keeps things beer-​y, which should be a plus for the beer thirsty hounds. For those not imbibing on the outdoor drinks but want a touch of sophistication, the lounge bar has a good selection of whiskey to choose from. It all comes at a price, fair warning.
Indulge in the beer pong action, or even the limited selection of board games while you drink and mingle. The space closes at 10pm daily, which may be a blow to those looking to pass the midnight torch for outdoor debauchery. Shoot for a low key weeknight for the best experience and be wary of the weekends. At the very least, there are *always* great alternatives nearby.

Great place for outdoor day drinking in the summer. There is a small outdoor bar that has a few cans and bottles, and wine. There is a full indoor bar im sure you can order at, and bring outside. You can order food inside and they will bring it out to you as well, as at the outdoor bar it’s just snack food.
There is also ping pong and board games, so again a perfect day drinking spot.

Great outdoor bar. Can’t wait to come here in the summer when it gets warmer out
They have a bunch of board games and picnic style tables for everyone to hang out and play at. Also include ping pong table for beer pong or ping pong
Great finger foods: boiled peanuts and fried pork chips (?)

Blue Ribbon Beer Garden is definitely a pretty space. The lanterns that are dangling from the ceiling and strings of lights definitely gives it that added warm atmosphere. I love coming here with a group of friends on a brisk night to kick it back with a few beers and school everyone in some tipsy ping pong later in the night.
The only thing about this place is that it’s not exactly an HH spot. For LES, the drinks are pricey and so are the beers. They also don’t have anything on tap! — last time I was here, they only had Sapporo. So if you’re looking for an enjoyable outdoor space downtown with non HH prices, come here!

I’m torn on this one. It’s great in a lot of ways, but really lacking in others.
Pros:
–Great outdoor space. It’s on the second floor and overlooks Allen St. Low story outdoor spaces are always fun for people watching on the street.
–Nice beer selection. 25+ offerings. A varied selection, ranging from average/​everywhere beers (Sapporo, Heineken), to some more unusual but really good offerings (Evil Twin Yin Stout and Ryan & The Beaster Bunny, Stillwater Cellar Door and Folklore Dark Ale, Hitachina White Ale and Classic Ale, Elysian Immortal IPA).
–Fun. Communal tables, open spaces, games (board games, ping pong).
Cons:
–It’s not a beer garden. It’s a nice outdoor space/​roofdeck. It’s nowhere near a true beer garden, and it’s not even attempting to be. Anyone rolling up here with expectations based solely on the name will be disappointed. (See next comment).
–No beers on tap.
–Good beers are wasted: there is no glassware, only plastic cups. Drinking some of these better beers either from the bottle or the plastic cups is a total waste.
Overall, in good weather it’s definitely worth a trip if you’re looking for a relaxing and fun outdoor space. They have portable heaters, so it can also be enjoyable in borderline weather. Because of it’s communal tables, open areas and games, it’s also great for large groups. If you’re looking for a true beer garden (or anything resembling one), or prefer to drink your beers out of proper glassware (or any glassware for that matter), it’s not for you.

Decent place to kick it with a group of friends!
It’s a nice spot with cute decorations overlooking Allen Street. It gets a bit noisy due to the traffic below, but nontheless a chill spot. There are a ton of board games and ping pong tables to help waste away your day or evening drinking and lots of food options nearby!

I do not consider this place a beer garden. Just because it’s outdoor and they offer beer doesn’t give it the right to be labeled a true beer garden.
First of all, everything they offer is either a can or bottle. They don’t even have proper glassware, which is essential for some of the expensive, quality beers they offer. You should NOT be drinking a duvel out of the bottle and a plastic cup is ridiculous for this type of beer.
Secondly, their pricing system is unfair. Why the hell would I want to spent $ 7 for a can of Brooklyn lager, which is at most worth $ 4, when I could get the Sixpoint Sweet Action that is significantly larger in size for the same price?
And then the bottle pricing at $ 12 should be criminal. The Schneider Weisse is worth about $ 7 — $ 9 at most at any bar. If you want to spend $ 12 on a bottle of duvel, knock your socks off, you’re being ripped off big time.
I think its laughable that they have a beer pong table. To play, you’re going to have to spend about $ 30 just to fill up your damn cups which are then going to be gross from the ping pong ball jumping around everywhere.
The space is okay. It’s nice to be outside and they offer games and there is plenty of room to sit down and hang out with large groups. But the pricing is a huge turn off and they close at 10pm. Lame!
I’ll happily go elsewhere for a REAL beer garden experience. This place is a joke.

This is a nice little rooftop bar spot. I came here with a large-​ish (a dozen?) group early on a Friday evening and space was at a premium. There are large, long tables with chairs in the center, but they weren’t allotted very well — such that there were many free chairs, but not in any sort of space that would allow anyone to use them.
Beers and wines are available there on the terrace area in cans or mini bottles. Cocktails or sodas require going into the adjacent Japanese restaurant/​bar. A few nibbles options exist along with a small hot food menu.
It felt a bit cramped, but the atmosphere and location was nice.

I dig this place. Order your drinks and snack at the front (from a guy that is SO FRIENDLY) and have a seat in the sun. One ping pong table for either table tennis or beer pong. Wine is a steal at $ 10 per carafe. The chocolate chips cookies are tasty as are the olives.