Henry, a Liquor Bar

Stop #2 of our slam-bam-thank-ya-ma’am tour of the Hudson Hotel’s offerings.
Ahhh, I see. This is where the frat boys from Hudson Common go when they’ve grown up to become financiers and brogrammers. I saw lots of important-​looking suits and the stilettos that love them at Henry. Drinks were maybe $ 1 more, but they tasted better too. The décor is dark and candlelit, a weird mix of hushed and loud, depending on where you’re sitting/​standing/​dancing. Lots of seating to choose from, but I’d recommend the bar so you get a full view of the room.

I went here for my best friend’s birthday party/​bachelorette party. We booked the party through Birthday Party Booker, a bottle service company. They guaranteed that we would have a free table and a free bottle of champagne or vodka. We originally booked the party at Hudson Common, 1 of the bars in the Hudson Hotel. Little did we know this is where the problems would start.
We arrived on time like we said we were and when we checked in with the concierge, they told us that we weren’t on the list. I showed them the emails between me and Birthday Party Booker. They then told us that we had to wait for a table to open up. At this bar, they have picnic tables seating. Some tables were barely filled but concierge told us that they were «reserved» and the guests would be arriving soon, so we couldn’t sit there. Umm hello we had reservations too but they didn’t want to give us a table. Luckily, I think a manager came over to us and told us that they had at table opened at Henry, their other bar in the Hudson Hotel.
Henry had a different vibe from Hudson Common. Hudson Common was a combination of a sports bar and beer garden. Henry was a loungey, classy bar. Little did I know, it was the complete opposite. We sat down and we told them that we had a bottle service deal where we would get a free bottle of champagne or vodka. They brought out this obscure brand of vodka. It was pretty weak (it tasted as if it were watered down, which I wouldn’t be surprised). My friends and I finished that and were just dancing and having a good time. People were nice and social. We each ordered our own cocktails and either danced or sat at the table. About a half hour into getting the table, the cocktail waitresses moved all of our bags and jackets to the side, so some other group that was ordering bottle service could sit down at our table. Nobody even told us that they were moving our stuff. If we didn’t see them move our stuff, who knows what could have happened to our bags and jackets. That was just another nuisance to the night.
1 of the girls drank too much and got sick, so me and 3 other girls just went to the entrance of «Henry» and just sat down on their bench because the sick girl just needed some air. She also needed to use the bathroom, so I went to help bring her to the bathroom. The bouncer was going to let me back into «Henry» but not the sick girl. I wasn’t just going to leave her, so we decided to walk across the hotel to go to the bathroom near «Hudson Common», the original bar we tried to go but didn’t «have reservations» for. The bathroom was probably 5 yards away from «Hudson Common» and we didn’t have to wait on line when we first got there but the bouncer was a dick and made us wait on a short line. The line wasn’t even for the bathroom. It was for getting into «Hudson Common.» I tried explaining to him that we just had to go to the bathroom and he didn’t care. He still made us go on line behind a few people and checked our ids. When the sick girl just said she had to use the bathroom, that’s when shit hit the fan. The bouncer proceeded to walkie talkie to others that we’re being kicked out. Wtf getting kicked out for what? For a sick girl that just wanted to go to the bathroom but the bouncer wanted to give us a hard time? Mmmhmmm perhaps she should have puked right in front of your lame bars. So as the sick girl and I started to walk back to «Henry» to pick up our jackets/​bags, the bouncer starts to taunt us and continues to tell us that we’re kicked out blah blah blah. I wasn’t going to leave without my bag or my jacket. Then this other manager comes out of nowhere and grabs my arm to push me out. I’m 100% sober and wasn’t being rude or anything. I did nothing to warrant being grabbed, so I told that manager to get his hands off of me. Some of my friends were still at «Henry», so as I was texting them to come out and bring my stuff out, the original dickhead bouncer starting yelling at me and talking shit about my mother. He was so unprofessional and so rude, calling my mother a concubine, etc… Who says concubine anymore? Are we back in imperial China? There’s a reason why he’s a bouncer and not a rocket scientist.
Another incident was when 2 of our friends were at the bar, getting ready to leave. 1 girl was paying with her credit card and it dropped on the floor. The bartender immediately swooped it up and wouldn’t give it back to her, saying that the credit card wasn’t hers, etc… My friend was like «that is my credit card. That’s my name. Here’s my id» blah blah blah. After a 5 minute debacle, the bartender finally gave back her credit card. Why would the bartender do that? Weird.
This whole establishment should get negative stars. «Hudson Common» and «Henry» are trying to keep up with the big boys (1Oak, Avenue, etc…) but unfortunately, they just don’t have their shit together. Train your staff better and treat paying customers better.

Pretty funky/​classy bar in the Hudson Hotel. Great cocktail selection. I went for a Moscow Mule that didn’t disappoint.
Ambiance is I think what brings people in here. Furniture and décor is cool and trendy. There is one armchair that is filled with lightbulbs that’s pretty cool. (Even though it’s not that comfortable — one of those, «take the picture and get out things»)
If you’re in the area, or in one of the other bars at the Hudson Hotel, I would definitely pop in and check it out.

There was some great and there was some weird.
Note that this review is not about a late-​night party at Henry, but a weeknight-​datenight evening.
We got a deal at Henry through HowAboutWe for Couples, which was basically a reservation at Henry on a Wednesday night where they have live music. The deal comes with one of their special ‘amuse bouche’ drinks and then a choice of a couple of their signature drinks.
The bar is beautiful. The ceiling, the seating, the bar. Really lovely. The hostess showed us to some cozy seats by the window and a waitress came over right away. I told her we were here from HowAboutWe and she dove right into a monologue about the drinks we were going to get, and pretty much walked away.
Our amuse bouche drinks came, delicious and strong hot liquor drinks in little cups. They were delicious. however, before we could take a sip of them, the cocktails came as well. Um, I’m sorry, are you in a rush? It was a little strange.
That being said, the drinks were really creative and delicious. We shared the Jasmagne Bellini and the Rumtopf Smash as our HowAboutWe cocktails. Since we were sort of rushed through our drinks and we still wanted to enjoy the music (plus, yes, we were sold and intrigued by the menu) we tried the Burnt Boulevardier, which was SO interesting. It had something in it that didnt do it for me but I couldn’t place it. The drinks were creative and interesting, definitely conversation pieces. I think this is a great date place if you want to impress someone on a quiet weeknight.
Minus a star for no prices on the drink menu — We all know they are going to be expensive. But I’m here, aren’t I? Eventually I’m going to have to give you some dollars. Tell me how many!

Recipe for success: fantastic attractive servers, diligent bussers, swanky atmosphere without the pretension, fun/​unique décor, and AMAZING COCKTAILS. Had the bellini, a gin cocktail, a rum cocktail, and the pistachio fizz. Best bellini ever, and by that I mean, very sweet. Can I chug something if it’s in a champagne glass? That’s how yummy it was. Gin cocktail (kama sutra-​sounding name) was strong but I never would’ve known. Pistachio fizz was super interesting. My friend didn’t like but I enjoyed it. It was subtle. The servers were really great at recommending drinks, as she steered me away from the parsnip gin cocktail. The hostess was so, so friendly. There were so many seating areas. It never got too crowded (granted my friends and I came pretty early), so it was great for making conversation. Some of the couches are light shows build into them and there are even neon-​lit chairs changing from the ceiling. I will definitely be coming back here with a large group of friends. Also the journey into the place was an experience in and of itself. Obviously, the Hudson is a great hotel and there are other fantastic bars, namely the Library, a few steps away in the same building.

This place is straight up out to rob you! 6 Jameson on the rocks = $ 115.20. And then add tip on it, you’re looking at close to $ 20 a drink!
The only reason that I would come back is that there’s no cover & the DJ was great. I’ll just have to make sure I drink elsewhere before getting to this spot.

I’ve never reviewed anything on Unilocal before but had to for the Henry. Since it’s re-​opened, I’ve gone 5 – 6 times on a Saturday night and I consistently have a good time with my friends. There’s never been a cover or list to get in, the DJs are slammin’, the vibe is friendly all-​around, and the crowd is pretty cool, mixed, and, well, attractive. My friends and I start dancing the instant we walk in until we leave, because the DJs know what they’re doing. I recently reserved a big table for my birthday party, and the staff (Aliya, particularly) made it a breeze — walked each of my guests into the venue so they could find me, and she even made sure to book my favorite resident DJ that night. I really wanted to tip her but I was having such a good time that I was lucky to even make it home. And to give you some perspective on the music — my friends are a diverse group of dancers: salseras, breakdancers, hip-​hop heads, and swing dancers… and we ALL danced up a storm. I can’t name a lot of places in the city that can do that!
Yes, the drinks are a little pricey, but no more than any comparable bar and the drinks are pretty strong. This is now my go-​to when I need a really fun night with no hassle. Go there and enjoy!

We waited over 15 minutes before the waitstaff finally came over to ask what we wanted!
My husband really disliked the short-​shorts with tights uniform.
The décor was unique and modern but I wouldn’t come here again unless I was staying at the Hudson.

Good looking spot, but got food poisoning from their ‘pistachio fizz’ drink. Paid $ 18 for one cocktail and 36 hours of misery. If you go, stick to a gin and tonic or something else that can’t spoil.

I do not understand all the negative things people are saying about Henry. I had a blast there.
When I first walked in, I was like, ugh, this place is going to be sooo pretentious. But it turned out to be just the opposite. The space itself is huge — a lot of different tables and seating options (check out the photos posted if you want an idea) — and no table minimum which is a gem. The décor is swanky and modern, but not stuffy or trying to hard. The DJ was SICK — he played an awesome mix of music from MGMT to early 2000s hip hop and some popular current stuff.
I found the cocktail menu very impressive. Just FYI (since they don’t post prices online), it’s $ 16 a cocktail — tax included. This makes Henry comparable to the other lounges and speakeasies in the city and totally reasonable. The menu is seasonal and the winter one they have at the moment is excellent. I was very impressed by the extensive selection and the drinks turned out to be well crafted.
This is a 4.5 star rating rounded up to a 5 because this place is such a gem in the otherwise boring midtown/​clinton/​lincoln center area (for bars). The only downside was there seemed to be one waitress serving the entire room, so while she was sweet and friendly, she was hard to track down.

went here for the Unilocal event, which was really well done (thanks Unilocal team!)
The ambiance is a bit weird… it seems like it was an old dance club from the mid 80s or something, so they have all of these LED lighted segments. the hanging chairs were kinda cool though.
drinks were covered by Unilocal,so can’t comment on the cost (although from the website seems pricey). The rosewater titos vodka drink I did get was premade though, which I’m not sure if this is something that they do normally or if it was just because it was a free event.
definitiely boutique, crafty, odd, swanky all at the same time.
not sure I’ll be back on my own volition, but I’d be happy meeting up with peeps if they picked it.

Hudson Hotel always had great bars going back to Library bar days, but Henry is even a slamdunk for hudson standards. I have to strongly disagree with the negative reviews. Great music, great space, great people, and the always professional and friendly Kimberly in charge makes Henry an awesome place. Go to Henry its the place to be these days.

Has been bar of NYC. Pretentious velvet ropes for a 20% capacity club that is way past it’s peak. We got a drink at the Library Bar (same hotel) and then walked over to the Henry to meet up with friends. Despite being told by one of the Henry door staff that we could bring our drinks into Henry (it is in the same hotel), the snotty woman at the velvet rope would not let us. She told us «Sadly, you were mis-​informed». My reply was «Sadly, we will not go into your half empty bar.» The attitude of the woman host is more than enough to go somewhere else! (She was working night ¹²⁄₂₂). One other negative was the bathrooms. They appear to be the facility of choice for the local homeless. Perhaps the host would be serve the place if she guarded the restrooms.

I had seen some articles that Morgans Hotel Group (which owns and operates the Hudson Hotel, which this bar is located in) had redone their restaurant/​bar offerings here, and so had been meaning to check this out.
Bottom line: this is a typical, overpriced boutique hotel bar. It’s fine if you’re staying in the hotel, but otherwise I’d take my drinking dollars elsewhere.
We stopped here on a Saturday night. It wasn’t crowded; we were greeted and given a cocktail list which had some silly story about how the bar was named after Henry Hudson and they had come up with special cocktails accordingly.
The service was mediocre, the bar was sticky and the drinks were on the small side. At $ 15 a pop for a jack & soda plus tax and tip, there’s better values to be had in the neighborhood, and better service too.

F read an article about this bar — a renowned London mixologist crafted all the cocktails… He uses out of the ordinary ingredients like eggplant and celery… Chairs hang upside down from the ceiling… Whaaaat? SOLD!
So it was on a chilly Wednesday night that I met up with F and her friend D at Henry Bar which is located on the second floor of the Hudson Hotel. They were well into their first drink by the time I arrived; I took a sip of F’s ‘Living Cocktail’ — miso caramel, house made carrot vinegar, tequila — and found it to be syrupy sweet… and flat; no depth, no layers of flavor from the different components of the drink, nothing. I ordered the ‘Celery Fizz’ — house distilled celery root spirit, vodka, pineapple gastrique, versus and soda — … which was also syrupy sweet and flat. It turns out that all the cocktails are pre-​made; the mixture is kept in clear glass bottles labeled with one of those handheld sticker labelling machines. The bartenders add the alcohol, shake it and then put the concoction through a strainer. Insta-​cocktail!
F had a second: ‘Gold Fashioned’ — tequila, laird ‘s bonded applejack, house bitters, chili maplewood with rhubarb bacon — sounds promising, right? … Hence, sweet and flat. The 3 of us discussed and have concluded that all the pre-​made mixtures must have simple syrup in it hence the syrupy, cloyingly sweetness. And since all the ingredients are pre-​mixed, all the flavors fell flat instead of having the depth that a good cocktail would have. We also observed that most people seemed to be getting plain drinks like gin and tonic or jack and coke. (Those guys already knew what we were just finding out that night, I’m sure.)
Needless to say, we parted ways with Henry soon after. As for that article with its glowing reviews of the place? Maybe the hotel offered him/​her a free room for the weekend.

Disappointed in this place. The acoustics are poor as loud bands result in a cacophony of sounds as the bounce off the walls. As such, it tends to get really loud and difficult to have a conversation.
Drinks are pricey and quality of them is not on par with other options in the market.
The vibe is chill and it can be a great spot if a softer band is playing.

As a hotel bar, I don’t have anything holding against this place. Beside the fact it’s hard to find, I enjoy the night with friends and new companies on a Unilocal event. To find this place, up the escalator and to the right.
Price is pretty reasonable for hotel bar standard while drink down by time square can go up to $ 20 a drink or more. The place is loud and modern. I love it however it doesn’t really have a good view of the city. I wish it’s a bit up instead of being on the second floor.
Wonder time with a bunch of friends or go and meet people.

What a swanky place! Lots of bright lights, an unpside down hanging chair, a tree-​trunk turned chair and live jazz on Wednesdays. I had to leave a little early, so missed the loud jazz but that definitely would have enhanced the experience from the club-​feel music they were playing when I arrived. I’m not normally one who frequents such trendy places so it was a freshing venue change for me. Take the time to admire the picture on the ceiling of the fish and the woman fighting over an engagement ring, totally crazy!
The drinks look amazing (watched a bartender add sour apple, cinnamon, vodka and some other delicious add-​ins) but are expensive (plan on $ 16 a drink). Not some place I would go everynight, but it was fun for a change. It was a little too modern and loungy for my taste, but I definitely see the appeal and it fits perfectly for the part of town it’s located in.

This is an awesome new date spot! They have live jazz music, which is perfect for unwinding after work, and their cocktails are absolutely wonderful and employ seasonal ingredients. I’d highly suggest going before it becomes a popular new cocktail spot!