Candle Bar

Wow… this bar was a little too divey for me! We stopped in with some friends after an amazing dinner at Red Farm and I quickly realized it was time for bed… this place was going to get a little crazy. When we were leaving, the jello shots were making the rounds… oh my!

THATS ONE TOO MANY STARS.
I went despite a friend’s negative comments-«seedy”-“customers mostly unemployed» etc. First the bartender shortchanged me and then dramatically pulled a $ 10 dollar bill out of the tens in the drawer as «proof» that he hadn’t. COME ON!!!
Unfortunately, I left a bag hanging over the back of my stool. I called the bar’s phone from 11:30 that night until 3:30 the next day. It was out of order. I sent an email to a site claiming to be the Candle Bar’s. No response. I went on line to find out when they opened the next day. It said 3:00p.m.
I arrived at 3 to find a sign on the door saying they’d open at 4. Waited an hour. (A little before 4 p.m. There was somebody inside, but he refused to open the door. 4 young men arrived and waited to get in. They finally gave up and left when the guy inside held up five fingers which they thought meant he wouldn’t open until 5.) I kept yelling through the window trying to explain what I was there for but he couldn’t hear me or didn’t want to. Finally about 4:15, he opened the door and I explained why I was there.
HE BERATED ME FOR LEAVING MY BAG THERE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT!
Charming staff it is not.
If the owner (whom it seems impossible to identify or contact) has any interest, I was there with my friend on Friday, 1÷23÷15 about 8:30 — 9:00 and returned (standing out in the cold, gray, rainy street) Sat.1/24/15 from 3:00 to 4:15
Scott

Wow. I couldn’t believe that this only got a c rating. Clearly this place deserves an in abject failure. But no, the decorative waterfall careening onto my forehead as I attempted to play Beyoncé for 1 dollar per track.
As I walked into the «bar», the deafening silence gave way to terrifying stares from friendly regulars, who clearly were unimpressed with anyone under the age of retirement.
But I must say, my favorite moment was when the «door guy» followed me into the fly infested shitter (literally) to enquire about how many people were joining I. This godforsaken dungeon. When I came back upstairs I was aghast to discover my dear friend ordered a milk based cocktail from a c rated gutter venue. Thankfully we were advised to consider the dreadful condition of the interior and salvage it’s squalor by placing napkins under our sweaty drinks.

Came because I saw the 2 for 1 free drink check — in offer on Unilocal.Showed up and not only was the bar empty but the tender was rude and wouldn’t accept the Unilocal offer. Off to the next.

It gets three stars strictly for being the only gay bar on the Upper West Side. Just go in knowing what to expect — dive bar, complete with pool table, juke box, etc. My one complaint is that, when I went at least, the juke box wasn’t working, and the bartender was playing some really awful music. Otherwise I had a great time. Cash only, but all Bay Area gay bars are cash only, so that doesn’t bother me. :)

My friend and I stumbled across this bar during one of my visits to NY. Upon entering, it seemed a bit lurid and dark. Once the disco music began to play, however, my friend (a straight female) leaned over and said, «I think this is a gay bar…» We stayed for a few drinks and had lots of fun. My only complaint was the guys only came up to ask about me when I was either outside smoking or using the restroom. Will definitely go back… It’s a fun little bar!

This bar could be much better with a bartender with personality. Came here on Super Bowl night and a bartender named Carlos with a terrible attitude/​no personality. He seemed to be bother whenever I was to order a beer.
Needless to say, I will not visit when he’s behind the bar.

A very nice dive bar in the UWS. It’s a gay bar but every open to everyone. We felt it was a comfortable, inviting place with attentive service at the bar and good prices.
Be warned that it is quite divey. The bathrooms in the basement are a little rough. And also, take note the bar is cash only.

Fun little bar right around the corner from the Beacon Theater.
Music is great and the vibe is gay, chill and a bit divey. When that place is at its peak it is PACKED and in some parts it’s a bit of a squish.
But prices are decent and CASH ONLY.
I’d definitely go back.

Thats’ wassup: yo, lets hit up a gay boy bar on the UWS.
Gay boyssss: there’s no gay bars on the UWS, you asian twat.
That’s wassup: yo, rice queens, there is one… Candle Bar.
Gay boyssss: ok, let’s goooooo honey
$ 6 Absolut/​sodas, pool table, Galaga video game, small «dance» area in back.
Quaint, subdued, comfy, chill… yet fun and boisterous. That’s what this spot is.
And hella-​gay.

comfortable place for a drink up by Central Park West

Automatic two stars for being CASH ONLY. So now that that’s out of the way… I was here on a Friday night, the bar was dead. I later realized it was a gay bar, not that that matters to me, just pointing it out if anyone else is interested. The drinks are decently priced. The happy hour deal is only $ 1 taken off the price of the drink… so womp womp on not having good happy hour specials. Maybe Friday night isn’t their good night because there were about 10 people in the bar in total.
Plus: decent music.

Upon entering we did not know that this was a gay bar, we merely saw a sign in the window that said $ 5 well drinks 12am-​2am and it was somewhere around 12:30 so we decided to drink here. There’s a pool table, televisions, and loud music. The bartender was a really nice, heavy handed, guy that got us nice and buzzed for a bargain. The other patrons all seemed to be having a good time, playing pool and a couple were dancing on one side. When we cashed out the bartender made us take shots with him, good times for sure!

When I first saw the video* for «Far Behind» on MTV, I knew I’d immediately be a fan. And then when I got the CD and heard other songs like «You» and «Cover Me», I knew they’d be replacing Skid Row as my favorite pseudo-​grunge band.
Oh wait, that was Candlebox, not Candlebar.
My bad… um, so… Candle Bar. Yeah, went here with some friends after Amsterdam Ale House said we had to drink at the bar (but there was no room) and we couldn’t sit at any of the numerous empty tables in the bar. So we were turned away from the inn… now I know how Joseph and Mary felt. Coincidentally, I was riding a donkey.
Anyway, we came here and the bartender was nice, the music was good (but not so loud that you couldn’t have a conversation), the Olympics were on so that was fun.
Beer selection is weak, but that’s to be expected. Amstel Light was the highlight. Bathrooms are kind of sketchy but they were clean when I was there. Well, I should say before I was there because I have INCREDIBLY bad aim.
In short, this is a decent, laid back place for a couple of drinks with friends. And I still like Candlebox.
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*

I work in Manhattan and I was planning a going away party for myself. I invited my coworkers to Candle Bar in the middle of the afternoon (we are teachers). I thought it might be fun to be in a place where I felt more comfortable as a queer person instead of the usual UWS straight crowd. WRONG! Yes the drinks are cheap and there is a pool table, so that’s cool, but there was a jerk making my friends and I all feel very uncomfortable, yelling obscenities at us and telling us to leave. I tried talking with him, but he continued. I was excited that there was a gay bar near my job, but next time I’ll come back to Brooklyn before I go to Candle Bar. I will NEVER go back there. I feel more comfortable as a queer person in a straight bar. Unless you fit the bill of the typical patron of this place, don’t expect to feel welcome.

«Where everybody knows you’re flame (–ing)»
Honestly, I really don’t mind me some Candle Bar. Will honestly admit, I think most of the attraction is in the Photo Hunt game (erotic version of course). One of the few gay bars with ‘games’ that I would actually play. (Always down for some pinball at Barracuda ;))
The crowd can be a bit… atypical, but always friendly. With is steady flock of regulars the vibe is always welcoming and not at all pretentious. (Think of a gay themed Cheers Episode.)
The staff is always super super friendly and drinks are very reasonable and well made.
The bathrooms leave much to be desired and would benefit from a renovation. Seating in the back by the pool table definitely claims a ‘homemade’ feel and the décor, well, that does too. Touch-​screen juke box lets you control the tunes.
Always open and won’t close early on you. Oh and it’s the only gay bar up this way… so that’s a definite plus.

The only gay bar in the Upper West Side. This, along with Julius and Stonewall Inn, is one of the oldest surviving gay bars in NYC.
It is a dive bar, but the music is low enough that you can have a conversation. Occasionally the place can get over run with hipsters, but the crowd is mostly over 30.
Be careful of the restrooms that are downstairs! The steps can be treacherous, and cleanliness is hit or miss.

My girl friends and I went bar hopping on our first night in NYC and we stumble into Candle Bar. At first, we didn’t know that it was a gay bar or whatever but its okay… because we love this type of setting. Our bartender was great. The drinks were reasonable price since we were drinking shots of Hennessey and well drinks. Would love to come here again!

Ever feel like you just didn’t belong?
I do, every time I walk into Candle Bar. You get the look from everyone at the bar when you walk in, weird. Its a off the beaten path dive spot with low playing music. It’s the type of place that you get an eerie feeling. After an hour of lightly priced drinks and eyes judging my outfit, i realize that their are NO WOMEN in the bar and crowd is young and engaging. Still it was an ok dive to stop by for a drink.

So this place gets 5 stars, because it drastically surpassed my expectations.
First: The music. I hate going to bars (that is bars not clubs) that has the music blaring so loud I feel like I’m in a nightclub instead of a bar. I feel like if your are going to act like a club, then be one. If you are going to be a bar, be one. Bars are about conversation, and candlebar is definitely a place to have a great conversation.
Drinks: The best way to start a conversation is over a good drink, and candlebar delivers! The price seemed a little steep for the location, until I saw what I was getting. For $ 7.00 of my hard earned money I was given a drink that was was well mixed, and was much more liquor than mixer. I found myself ordering several more, and encouraging everyone to do the same.
Ambiance: If candlebar was lacking anything, it might be in this category, but that is only if you prefer your gaybar to have that asian influence clean line look. If you don’t mind your bar being a bar, then candlebar won’t ruffle your feathers. The bar features a long bar with a long range of barstools, a pool table, and a few booths. I have to say it was a little annoying having to get out of peoples way while waiting for a drink, but it invited conversation and mingling. So in a way it’s slightly cramped quarters could be seen as socially inviting.
Experience: What I have to say is that Candlebar is the first gay bar where I felt like staying more than an hour. I didn’t feel rushed, I didn’t feel ignored, I just felt welcome and intoxicated. The people who frequent the bar range from 20 – 40. This means that you’ve got a lot of different people to talk to. The nice thing is… people in Candlebar are not afraid of talking to you. In fact even my shy self found myself talking with strangers and making new friends.