Demi Monde

I don’t quite know what you call a high-​end bar that charges far more for its flat drinks ($ 15) than it lists on its menu and web site ($ 12), but this place is a sad imitation of the original (if unsuccessful) bar.
Here’s the amazing thing: management didn’t seem apologetic that the menu listed inaccurate prices.
Get your $ 15 dollar sodas before they’re gone, everybody!

Held my 30^th birthday party at Demi Monde back in September and the event went flawlessly. We reserved the rope section and ordered up carafes of the establishments homemade sodas, spiked with various alcohols. I love the pineapple coconut egg cream, spiked with rum and the celery soda and vodka was also huge hit. I ordered rounds of appetitzers off of their event menu and the food was high quality and delicious. The servers passed out so many rounds we were all completely stuffed by the time our order was finished. I have a gluten allergy and the chef modified a few of the appetizers to be gluten free (i.e., tuna tar tar was served on cucumbers instead of crackers). We also ordered oysters that were super fresh, tuna hamachi skewers, roasted pineapple skewers and short rib tacos and bacon buns (the last two were not gluten free, but a hit with my guests). The staff was super attentive and all took a shot with me to celebrate my birthday (on the house!). They also gave me a slice of gluten free birthday cake made out of nuts, with a candle, which I thought was going above and beyond.
The décor is sexy with leather, red walls and chandliers. The place was dead at first (around 10:30p), but by midnight it was packed. The DJ played the music we asked him too and we danced the night away on top of the banquettes. The bathroom, as mentioned in previous reviews, is a bit maze like and co-​ed. The door kind of blends into the wall, so it’s almost difficult to find.
I thought Demi Monde was the perfect place to hold a party. I worked with Janelle, who was super helpful and accomodating. The staff was friendly and for all the food/​drinks we ordered it was very reasonably priced. Unlike most places, they do not have a set fee for a reserved section with seating, which is awesome. I had the best 30^th birthday ever thanks to Demi Monde!

Fluorescent cursive sign and abandoned cherry red hostess booth, both belie the hidden gem downstairs, pretty uncharacteristic of the neighborhood. Leather and suede wrapped couches and banquettes are a little swanky. Individual maze-​like bathrooms are fun and a little secretive. Cocktails are pretty tasty, not sure if they’re worth the $ 16 price tag. We were somehow duped into thinking that cocktails were 30% off, which the bartender clearly stated upon my arrival, but my bill proved false. Turns out, it was the food that was discounted… Oh well. I guess they should get their last dollars in before the place becomes death & co… Poor punning, apologies.

Deathwatch? This just in…
After Head Chef Phillip Kirschen-​Clark left this project only a month after opening, now word comes that Alex Day and Dave Kaplan of Death and Company (and their entire staff) have stepped off the project entirely after only 5 months of being open. Also, the owners are being sued by the landlords for unpaid rent.
So in a few months from opening, they lost their entire (celebrated) food and drink team at a place where prices demand there be an amazing food and drink team, and are being sued by their landlord.
Let’s see how they respond, but this can not be good.

I planned a small going away party for a colleague at Demi Monde. I was a bit leery after reading the reviews so created a small vote within the office between Vintry, Demi Monde, and The Full Shilling. The pub was down voted as it promoted a guys only kind of event (I will admit that this answer at first confused me until I remembered that we had held one years ago at Ulysses and I was the only girl who attended). I had also planned a similar event at Vintry 3 years ago and while we all loved it, it was a very tight fit for 15 of us in the front bar area. So Demi Monde, it was!
I dealt primarily with an events coordinator named Bryan, who was timely, responsive, and most of all patient with the barrage of questions I launched at him. I was able to pre-​order the finger foods (I don’t like my party participants to have to think about anything besides what drink to order while they are supposed to be having a good time!) and set a spending cap to the evening.
We had some problems finding the entrance to the lounge (largely because we all thought Stone Street ended at the Goldman building — oops; we learned that it starts again on the other side of the building). But once we made it in, we were surprised to see there were 2 people already having cocktails at the bar at 5:30PM on a Wednesday. We truly thought we’d be the only ones there until 6:30 or so.
We had requested that the food start coming out at 5:45 (we are early birds) but no food until about 6:05 and then a delay on the rest of the dishes until about 6:25. Not so thrilled with the timing but the food was so tasty, it was worth the wait. Fried Avocado is a MUST. Seriously. Try it. Cheese toasts were basically grilled cheese but who doesn’t love grilled cheese? We also tried the bone marrow (slightly deflating but I am a bone marrow snob), fried artichokes (I think I ate a whole plate of these myself), bocadillos, and bacon buns. Most of my colleagues went bonkers for the bacon buns! So the food was all a little on the heavier/​fried side which makes perfect sense (and pairing) with their delicious cocktails.
The majority of us had cocktails and everyone who did LOVED them. The Death & Co., affiliation did not disappoint! I had 2 delicious Counterparts and had a good buzz going when we departed at 7:25. Our server was absent for large periods of time, but it seemed like she was the only one working the floor until just before 7 when there were suddenly 4 of them so we could not fault her. The space had started to fill up around 7, so it was the perfect exit time for us. The only snafu was getting the check. It took a little more than 15 minutes from request to the hand over of the check… unfortunately, my partner who was signing for it needed to catch a train so had to sign and run and was a little grumpy about that, the next morning. However, he perked up after the office all stopped by one-​by-​one to thank him for a wonderful event.
All in all, for an after work event– Demi Monde is fabulous! On my own, I’d love to go back (because the cocktails and food were great!) but I don’t know how much success I’d have in getting my friends to OK a $ 15 cocktail in FiDi. The neighborhood needs a sexy lounge like this but I don’t know if it’s become enough of a destination area to support it, yet. I will do what I can to help, though!

Demi Monde is a very attractive cocktail bar in the financial district.
Unfortunately it plays nothing but rap music and (at least on the Saturday I attended) draws a crowd that reminded me of the less good bars San Jose, California. It was fairly empty too.
I am a fan of their other bar, Death & Company, so I hope they can take what they have learned there and bring it to this location.
Dear Demi Monde, Please get in touch with me when you have changed your business model as I would love to attend your establishment on a regular basis.

Red paneled walls, dark and very very chic. Great representation of high-​end cocktail culture in the heart of the FiDi. Had the Gun Metal and the Lever-​up, both great drinks. The bacon bun was a fatty little delight. The staff was helpful and friendly, especially the sassy redhead up front. Can’t wait to go back!

** 2.5 stars **
The opening of a sophisticated cocktail lounge in staid Financial District with an impressive pedigree by way of owners associated with Death & Co was sufficient cause for a special trip to the area. Its entrance is distinguished from the pale stone monoliths of the area only by the neon scribble of its name … and the doorman standing conspicuously outside an otherwise unremarkable street.
The subterranean space that Demi Monde occupies is sexy and sophisticated, surprisingly cavernous. Long, curving black round booths line the center, low in profile so as not to interrupt the spacious feel. Room dividers of wood and rope separate multiple semi-​private dining areas off on one side, including a curtained VIP lounge. The opposite wall is painted a brilliant red, that shock of color a perfect contrast to the otherwise muted, dark color palette. An effectively lit bar sits by the entrance, fronted by comfortable barstools.
The positives are obvious. Not only is Demi Monde attractive and spacious, the seating nooks can be reserved and the menu has ambitious designs, with a multi-​course chef’s tasting menu available. Their coed restroom facilities, accessible via an almost hidden door on the red wall, are labyrinthine, mirrored, and very cool, if somewhat inexplicably designed for a place where people are bound to be tipsy.
The cocktail menu is long and interesting, a great-​looking house list. Surprisingly, several ingredients were already unavailable before 9 PM on our weekday visit, knocking a few cocktails off the list, but still plenty left to choose from. Alas, quality, that most important of criteria by which to judge a cocktail lounge, fell short. All but one of the four cocktails tasted were only middling; the exception, the Jewel Box, was worth having, well-​balanced. One of the cocktails was a mix of their creative house sodas with a spirit; it tasted like its listed components but didn’t blend.
Based on the cocktails from one visit, Demi Monde disappointed, but in deference to the many positives it does have and what it offers to the area along with its recent opening, its worth a second visit in a few months to see if its found its groove. Wavered on rating, rounded up to 3 because some of the disappointment had to do with expectations.

A very fancy lounge that exudes an intimate and romantic atmosphere. Drinks are killer strong. Not too busy on a Friday night. A good place to bring a date.

I’m so happy there is a new lounge in the hood! You walk down the stairs into a dim light sexy room. There are red couches for I’m guessing bottle service? or just ordering drinks. Seems like it could possibly get club like. I always sit at the bar and get trashed off their infused drinks. I love the vodka and grapefruit infused soda. Yum! The bathroom is coed so it’s kinda of strange. It’s an odd crowd of small people though. It’s always been somewhat empty whenever I go, but I really hope this place sticks around!

Went here on a Saturday night at 10:30pm and it was pretty empty. The music wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t hear people talk to you and the inside was really nice looking and quite large.
First drink I ordered was the strawberry soda with rum and it was delicious! The price was slightly different than what was on the menu (menu said $ 12 but was charged $ 14) but still not terrible for NY drink prices.
Second drink I ordered was Mister Sparkle which I didn’t really like. I’m not sure if it was the gin or the sherry I didn’t like, but it had a strange, sort of spicy taste to it? that I don’t really like in drinks. Around 11:30 more people started showing up and the DJ started blasting the music which was a little annoying since it then became hard to hear when people talked and there weren’t even people dancing. Another thing to note is they automatically add 20% gratuity which I was never a fan of… shouldn’t I be able to decide if you deserve a 20% tip or not?

Yeahhhhh… I’m not going to cast a final judgment, but for now I must say I was disappointed with my experience this weekend at Demi Monde. I came here with my friend Chris to try out this «lounge and champagne bar» in the Financial District for some late libations.
I looked to make a reservation and was able to secure a spot at 9:45 pm (which was the earliest OpenTable could provide). I thought wow, it must be really popular… or it doesn’t open up till then. Either way. After finally finding the place (it was around the corner and not on Broad) we found ourselves walking down a flight of stairs into a dimly lit room that was COMPLETELY empty. I think we were the only patrons there… maybe there were 2 others but still… awkward. Maybe this place doesn’t get hopping till midnight? Maybe it’s a weeknight only bar for the starved and repressed Wall Street crowd? Who knows.
After settling down at a table, I glanced at the menu list and was devastated to find no champagne options on it. So much for being listed as a champagne bar on Unilocal.The cocktails seemed like the normal mixologist concoctions. Small, strong, and around $ 15. We asked our waitress to give us bartender’s choice since we couldn’t decide on a specific beverage. I’m sad that we were given the exact same drink as I had expressed different tastes than my amigo. We decided then and there to just have the one drink and bail as the music was weird and being alone in a bar is not a lot of fun.
Side note, the bathroom situation is confusing and/​or amusing. Go and you’ll see what I mean.
Granted, we probably came on the wrong night, but shouldn’t a bar always be good (at least somewhat filled) on a Saturday night in Manhattan? Yeah? I think that’s a valid argument. Maybe I’ll give Demi Monde another chance if I’m in the area but it won’t be anytime soon.

Demi Monde is easily the coolest spot in the Financial District.
The first time that I tried to get into Demi Monde the staff was dealing with a busted water pipe. This is notable because of the way they dealt with the situation. When I arrived, I was met at the door by a lovely woman who turned out to be the manager. She was standing there to explain why they couldn’t honor reservations that night, giving patrons her card and asking them to try and visit again when things were under control. There are a lot of ways DM could have handled that. I appreciate their choice.
Most places downtown cater to a corporate crowd. That makes sense considering Wall Street is the center of the corporate universe, but Demi feels more like a LES/​SoHo spot. It has the dark leather furniture and low lighting of a romantic lounge and the trappings of a craft cocktail bar. The staff is cute, the drinks are small but very potent and the vibe is relaxed. There is a level of class here that is a welcomed alternative to the cold, staid venues on Wall or the crowded meat markets on Stone Street.
If you don’t spend much time downtown, coming to Demi Monde is going to be a trek. Since I pass it every night on my way home from work, I’m planning to go back… often.
Have fun.
G

Getting lost in NYC is inevitable. One minute you think you’re on the local train, only to find out it’s an express train, so now you’re about 40 blocks away from where you’re supposed to be. At first, it’s overwhelming and you sort of panic and feel foolish walking up and down the streets, looking for street signs. Now, I relish it. Every time, I get lost, I end up finding the most awesome place to see or hang out at.
Demi Monde is one of them. I normally don’t go out in FiDi (Financial District), the nightlife is dead during the week, and with so many happening spots in W. and E. Village, TriBeCa, Nolita, etc… why the heck would I want to spend a Wednesday night all the way downtown.
Well…this place is a gem. First of all, it’s located downstairs next to the building, and when you open the door, the lounge is gorgeous! I mean, beautiful lighting, fabulous bar, fantastic music. I was delightfully surprised. The bartender also made me the most refreshing cocktail. I usually get a greyhound, but instead of grape fruit juice, she used a grape fruit seltzer or something, which made the taste all bright and shiny!
The people that night were mostly bankers, lawyers et al. who work in FiDi. It’s a great late night spot– had a blast. ;) Woot!

Cocktail fans finally have a place worth going to downtown. A beautiful space inside with seating for at least 100 people, you can feel safe bringing a group here after work. I have no idea if the bar staff can actually sling drinks quickly enough if this place is full, but I’ve never heard about it even being half full so for the moment that isn’t a problem.
Lots of interesting house made sodas that they use to spice up otherwise simple or traditional cocktails. For the moment the food menu is a little weak compared to other bars of this caliber but hopefully that will be changing soon.
This is definitely the new go-​to place downtown for cocktails and I look forward to seeing how both the food and drink menus evolve.

When my coworkers discovered a Death & Co project would be opening soon in our office building, we were surprised given the Financial District is a ghost town after happy hour. Demi Monde has a very unsuspecting side entrance that will lead you down a few flights of stairs in what was once a China Chalet. It was weird but maybe I feel that way because I work at 90 Broad.
The small plates are to die for (avocado tempura, fries with scotch ketchup = ahhh). There were about 20 of us so we sampled a lot of each others’ drinks. Check Your Head was the runaway winner. Their schtick is bubbles: champagne homemade spiked sodas.
They’re still working on the identity and drawing a crowd. And hopefully adding cell service.
NY Mag called this neighborhood the final nightlife frontier of Manhattan; I’m interested to see how they do. We went for a work happy hour so and it was at maybe 30% capacity I’d be interested to see what the vibe is like after hours. I have a big crush on the FiDi — more so than anyone I know (even people I went to Pace with when it was our neighborhood) but I don’t think a ton of people will go out of the way for what is already done well further north. A happy hour menu wouldn’t hurt given the pricey drinks and barren location.

Nice new addition to the barren wasteland of FiDi. This subterranean bar feels like it belongs in a fancy hotel. Spacious, luxurious, and dimly-​lit. The servers are more than attentive (2 to 3 different servers asked us if we wanted waters, order drinks, order another round, etc). You’d never know what time it is outside or what the weather was when you are down here, almost like they don’t want you to leave.
And then there’s the bathroom —- they REALLY don’t want you to leave (you’ll have to stop by to see it for yourself).
There are several seating areas, the large wooden bar, the chef’s table, the main couch /​booth area, two separate dark rooms with tables on the side, and then an open back section. Good place to gather a few friends /​co-​workers and have some space for your own group.
Now to the main attraction, they have a huge bar, and a large selection of cocktails on the menu. They make their own soda (and sparkling water here is also complimentary) that you can mix with your choice of liquor (I enjoyed the celery + vodka combination, the pineapple coconut egg cream + rum is like a piña colada). However the winning drink of the outing was the wolf tone (pisco, grappa, elderdflower, eucalyptus, bitters). We didn’t try the food.
This is a quality cocktail bar, so expect pricey drinks. But the drinks are strong so you may not have to order your usual 4 to feel the buzz ;) The sound system is pretty good, there’s space to do a little dancing although I didn’t stay late enough to find out. I’ll go back here again considering how close it is to my office, but I wish I worked closer to the Tippler instead.

I confess to having zero interest in the following: vintage champagne, caviar service, chef’s tasting table in the middle of a bar, tri-​sided full-​length mirrors to check out one’s outfit, and VIP areas. Therefore I’m not really the target demographic.
But I do think Death & Co. is indisputably one of, if not THE the greatest drinking joint on the planet, so you knew the drinks here would hold up. And I can report that they do indeed deliver on that front. They obviously didn’t hire slouches behind the bar and the recipes are both innovative and delicious.
And yet in this setting I just don’t care. It feels like a platform for an old-​school 80s-​era arms race to see who can rack up the biggest tab, and that’s just not cool unless you’re a rapper or NBA star. I’m sorry but I also can’t remotely comprehend the reports of this space being «beautiful». To me it feels like the height of fake opulence with zero character to speak of. Almost like a set for a soap opera lounge scene.
Maybe it’s better to think of it as the best godawful club in existence. I don’t doubt that it will do well, and bringing world-​class drinks to a wider audience is, overall, a good thing. But the vision here is, for me at least, too confused. Trying to be all things to all people (people with huge disposable income levels, that is) seldom works when there are so many other more focused, more authentic places.

Yay! Finally! A good cocktail joint in FiDi! Wait no… not just a good cocktail joint, a fantasmically delicious and sexy cocktail joint.
From the same dudes as Death&Co and Franklin Mortgage Co (what’s with the Co’s?) — Demi Monde has the same sultry aura, complete with suspender-​wearing bartenders and dangerously delectable cocktails. DM is much larger than the other two though, and feels a bit more like a lounge/​club than a specialty cocktail lounge. But then again, FiDi needs one of THOSE desperately as well. Drinks, check. Food, check. Music… got my dancing stilettos on!
Must do’s:
The Heads-​Up cocktail — so refreshing, perfect for summer!
Check Your Head — a bit more punch, and oh does it tickle!
Tofu skins — sounds too healthy, but believe me — they’re not. And they’re delish!
(oh, and check out the bathroom if possible)

Demi Monde is a worthwhile cocktail bar for the FiDi area. It’s posh, and it’s a smart business move to cater to the neighborhood clientele.
Upon entering and descending the stairs, the red, white and black classic color scheme is texturally rich, with leather, velvet, rice paper, wood, and lucite. This continues upon sitting and being presented with a menu. Richly printed with a subtly seductive (and non-​repeating) pattern on silk paper, the feel of the menu tells you this place is for money before you even look at the prices.
And really, the ambiance is better than some other cocktail bars that charge equitable prices. Fortunately, the drinks are worthy of the price tag (not that anyone was too worried with the pedigree of the ownership).
The drink menu is heavy on the bubbles, which is perfect for summer as well as being perfectly on trend. I opted for 2 stirred drinks– both which were well-​though and layered but still manged to go down quite easily.
Some of the food prices were out of my price range… but I don’t often indulge in caviar! I’m not sure it’s a destination bar, but it will definitely be my FiDi go-​to.