Monarch Rooftop

Amazing Venue! I work here and all the best nightclubs and lounges in New York City. For guest list, express entry and the best deals on bottle service, text me at 917−670−3532. Also, text me for free bottle service and entry for birthday and bachelorette groups of 15 or more.

I had a fairly positive experience at Monarch but that’s because 1) I arrived early, 2) I was on the guest list, 3) dranks were free, and 4) no line
But I can see how people can get annoyed at this place especially on weekends. So let me start with the positives…
** Great DJ = Great music
** spacious enough to dance or just chill in a corner and sip on drinks
** nice views of ESB (not as high as my apartment, but it’ll do)
Now with the downsides: on weekends there can be a line and if you get there late, forget it. If you’re not on the list, I am sure you have to pay, and they can get kind of pretentious (like any other fancy, schmancy rooftop bar).

Monarch Rooftop can control my mind at any time. Look for the butterfly wing «M» labeled elevator and press R to begin the journey.
I respect a rooftop bar that remains open during the depths of winter, when exposure to sun is minimal, misery rises and the need to imbibe increases. Look at Iceland and the levels of Scandinavian intoxication as proof. Thanks to the burning of fossil fuels, a rooftop can be heated and the party can continue. Isn’t civilization great?
On a Monday night, the place wasn’t exactly buzzing with activity and that’s quite fine if your purpose is to actually converse. Or work on your laptop as an odd number of people were drinking and typing. Service was the friendly female type, dressed smartly without descending into debauchery or frat boy hijinks. I suppose the place exudes class instead of being crass.
Cocktails are $ 16 a pop with monthly specials listed on each table. Layout consists of a large bar and various nooks of chairs for groups to assemble and socialize. Once again, I’m sure during peak heat this place is jammed but during off-​peak, it’s a most pleasant interior with plenty of breathing room.
The drinks certainly created a respectable buzz, with options including a variation on the classic old fashioned, mint julep and other standards. One minor gripe was the need to ask for tap water several times and not be offered any at the start of the drinking extravaganza. I also observed that the glasses just seemed smaller than what I’m used to and the ice cubes larger. Maybe my eye sight is deteriorating as I age but something didn’t add up.
That didn’t stop me from trying a large selection of cocktails and enjoying every single one.
What stands out besides the view was the quality of the edibles. A flatbread margherita pizza that was not glorified cardboard with ketchup and shredded cheese was my favorite of the two dishes ordered. An order of dumplings could have been prepared boiled or fried. We opted for fried and were not disappointed.
The view is the major draw, of course and you’ll feel as if you can reach out and touch the Empire State Building. It’s an ideal location for photos, photos of drinks and whatever else the young people take pictures of these days.
Lounge like an absolute monarch at Monarch…

Probably I need to go back there in the summer :) Right now I thought the prices were a bit on the higher end and the coatcheck is 3 $ plus tip.
On my side I had one of the cheapest beers which was at 8 $ plus tip and I didn’t see any specials for happy hour

Located on the corner of 35^th street, the Monarch was a delightful surprise. Taking the elevator embossed with their logo up to the 18^th floor penthouse, we were greeted with intimate lighting and holiday cheer. Large star shaped lanterns adorned the ceilings with occasional holiday lights illuminating the walls. Views of the nighttime skyline fill your senses. Flavorful menu, ordered the Painkiller cause I wanted something creamy. It was good, so good I had two and the nutmeg was just right. Friendly barstaff. I was impressed when I got a call back from here after I called to confirm they were opened and no one had answered. Thats service. Stepping outside, there are fantastic views of the empire state building wearing her holiday colors. The heat lanterns keep you warm while you enjoy the winter views. Inside are flatscreen TVs so you don’t miss the game. Light music plays in the background and the array of large velour seats make you feel like royalty, only thing missing is a snow and a fireplace. This wintery vibe atmosphere makes you forget you’re in NYC. Will definitely be back.

Great place! I came here for my birthday party in November. We arrived around 11 pm and it wasn’t too packed yet. There was a nice crowd going and the music was bumpin’. We had a table reserved for us, so we were seated almost immediately. The waitress was very attentive even when it was crowded towards later in the night. In addition, the dance floor was nice and spacious and the DJ was really good. Mostly played top 40, but he mixed it very well. Drink prices are pretty standard for NYC. I’d come back here again when it’s warmer and they don’t have a tent over the rooftop.

Ridiculously crowded – fire hazard. RUDE bartenders. We tried to redeem our free champagne coupon but the bartender simply refused it with a «no».
Would not give customers water even though they were serving alcoholic drinks.
What is wrong with this place?

It’s located in the heart of K town where everyone’s hustling and bustling! I went on a late summer thursday evening, it was nice and chill, mostly post work crowds and some tourists. Bartender was very friendly, views were stunning, plenty of couches/​lounge seats, I love the fact there’s 365 degree views openly, as opposed to some rooftops’ got blocked views. The air was breezy and we chilled w beer and cocktails as we should happy hour ;)

As much as I am an advocate for Unilocal and love to turn to this lovely app on my smart phone religiously to find good eats and new watering holes, sometimes it misguides me. First Dong Chun Hong, then Jongro BBQ (which I believe is now finally 4 stars as deserved), and now here… all highly underrated. I constantly have to remind myself the demographic that reviews a particular spot, which can potentially change a general consensus instantly. Quite frankly, based on reading several of the reviews, I believe most people who’ve come to this spot do not truly understand or appreciate how venues like these are ran.
Food and drink prices are high? Remember, you aren’t paying for a vodka soda. You are paying to be on a rooftop in Midtown in which quite frankly, the prices are way more reasonable than most spots in the Meatpacking or other rooftop venues. Plus here, you’re getting fresh food (not frozen) and craft cocktails and beer. An old fashioned (my personal favorite classic cocktail) is made properly and instead of the usual Coors Light and Michelob Ultra garbage, they have a quality beer selection, ALL domestic, ALL craft!
The staff is super friendly and genuinely wants to make sure you’re taken care of. Let’s be honest, most spots with a staff consisting of beautiful women lack in this area. There is none of that pretentious vibe that I can’t stand in sophisticated venues. This has to be one of the most approachable yet classy lounges I’ve been to in a long time.
The view is spectacular. This is the perfect spot for me to entertain my friends from out of town. In fact, I’ve taken several of my local friends here and they were loving it like tourists, taking plenty of selfies and hilariously cliché photographs.
Honestly, as a Brooklynite, I normally avoid «Midtown Hell» at all costs; however, I can have a great time at this spot without being judged at the door or shoved around in torment inside. *Here’s another heavenly plus: 3 blocks away is Koreatown with a handful of amazing restaurants open ²⁴⁄₇. As a Korean, I cannot ask for a better post-​drinking scenario. :)
*Cons:
–If you’re getting old like me, don’t go on a Friday or Saturday night after 11:30pm-ish. The crowd becomes much younger (21 – 25, I am guessing based on observation).
–Also during those hours, the restroom situation (like any other busy venue during weekends) is pretty much hopeless.

One of my party promoter buddies told me about the great Halloween Party that this place hosts… so we bought a few tickets and we showed up around midnight. Their line management is very organized and the folks downstairs were pretty friendly. Hopped in to the elevator to the roof top and we were blown away! You won’t notice the empire state building view immediately but you will once you sit down.
Coat check is $ 3.
There are two sections to this place. The first area is well lit and the music is not quite as loud there… so if you want to spit some game, this is where to do it. The other section is dark, the DJ is propped up in the corner and you’ll see lots of folks busting out a few moves here. It’s not a big space but their crowd control here is one of the best I’ve ever seen for this type of venue.
The view is awesome, drinks are poured well, music is more or less top 40, the women are BEAUTIFUL and service is excellent.
I would totally recommend this place to a group of people trying to celebrate something/​hang out/​etc.

Came here to celebrate halloween with my buddies, we found out about this place through a promoter of ours. Line management outside is very well organized and smooth. Once you’re in, the elevator shoots you straight up and you’ll notice how dope it is on top. You wont notice the empire state building until you sit down or go outside.
The lounge itself is split, a more traditional lounge area where you can sit and chat with buddies and then the otherside with a decent sized dancefloor (both areas have full bar). Drinks are well made here, not halfassed typical club drinks which you’d expect.
Definitely worth coming to with a group of buddies!!!

The view of the city is incredible up here and the venue itself is very tasteful but the staff could use some lessons in congeniality & charm. I came here for a friend’s party a few nights ago and when my escort & I sat down on a cold evening on the uncovered part of the rooftop (where you will see breathtaking views of the city, including the nearby Empire State building), a server promptly tells us we must be buying drinks to sit in that section (marked «Reserved»). She could have been far more polite in her tone & offended my escort in that process. Let me also note that almost no one was sitting in this area so not sure if they were leaving this for the invisible ghosts drinking invisible drinks paying invisible tips & bills. Not sure how far invisible money ever got the staff or if they tried paying rent with it.
Also, don’t bother with taking professional pictures here. We were a party of models and beautiful people with a high contingent of women (two demographics these places love to have patronize them: beautiful women and «beautiful» fashion types). I’d been off talking to my escort but during that time the rest of this part were trying to take pictures and the staff apparently told them they had to leave. When we left, I happened to see one of my friends who’d told me they got kicked out b/​c of trying to take professional pictures.
Did these people inform the person having a birthday here about such a policy ahead of time? I presume they didn’t or he wouldn’t have bothered coming here. We are also talking of a small crowd of maybe 4 – 5 models, not 30 – 40 girls taking up tons of space away from other customers. I also didn’t notice my guests being rowdy, intoxicated drunks or throwing up or doing other obnoxious things your average nightlife venue wouldn’t want to deal with.

I came here for drinks on a Saturday afternoon and had a very nice experience. Monarch has a modern look and features some unique artwork and lighting features. There is one indoor bar and a smaller outdoor bar. The comfy lounge furniture makes you want to stay awhile.
I enjoyed the sangria and the beer selection was good. Our bartender was very personable. The waitress was also attentive. I’d recommend making a reservation in case it gets busy.

Visiting again and this place is an excellent spot to see the city, great drinks as the bartenders know exactly what they are doing. No fakes here. Tonight we had Genese she was super special, very pleasant, very friendly and can make and excellent drink. You can see she understands how to put a drink together the right way. You don’t find that talent often in bar industry. Thanks again for a great night.

I heard some negative comments about this place before coming, but I really enjoyed my experience here!
The view is amazing! It gives the establishment a more classy vibe. Good song selection too (hip hop, R&B). There’s not much more I can comment on so if you want to be sure you have a good time, just come with the right people.

Came here on a Wednesday for happy hour.
View
Truly amazing, you feel like you’re next to the empire state building.
Ambience: As soon as you walk out of the elevators you get a sense of fun energy. The décor is trendy and modern. They have seats in and outside. The crowd was young professionals. Music was a mixture of top 40 with some old school songs here and there.
Drinks: Expensive, yes, just like most rooftop (why is that)? My friends had food which I did not taste but they seemed to really enjoy it.
Service: Everyone was polite. Sometimes it was difficult to get a hold of our waitress.
Overall, very cool spot if you’re looking for a nice view.

Awesome rooftop/​club with an amazing view of the Empire State Building (it’s literally one block away).
Came here on a Friday night (11?) with three other girls friends and we waited in line for ¹⁵⁄₂₀ mins. There was an event but we got in no problem — the bouncer was really nice (like wow).
We made it up to the rooftop in no time. It’s not that big but the ambiance was great. I would almost compare to the setting of PHD rooftop in Chelsea. The music was lively, the crowd very very diverse but not obnoxious. The drinks were relatively cheap for midtown as well –11 for a well drink. But it can be a hit or miss.
The music was quite good (top 40s) but the crowd wasn’t really a dance crowd that night.
Will definitely bring more people around!

Le Monarch serait-​il victime de son succès?
Résident au Courtyard Marriott, il fallait absolument que je teste son roodtop bar perché au dessus de Manhattan.
Le Courtyard est un bel hotel mais avec une classification 3 étoiles, on peut craindre de la qualité de son rooftop. Le concierge m’explique que le rooftop est exploité par une société extérieure, il n’est donc pas lié à l’hotel.
On le voit rapidement: accueil très sec à l’entrée de l’ascenseur, longue file d’attente (qu’on a le droit de couper lorsqu’on est résident de l’hotel).
Ambiance très hype de sortie de bureau. C’est l’endroit pour voir et se faire voir dans un lieu super festif: musique à fond, cocktails haut de gamme et un monde fou, ce qui rend l’accès à une table quasiment impossible.
La vue est superbe, l’ambiance est là mais peut être un peu trop m’as-tu vu à mon gout.

Went on a random NYC adventure night and I ended up at this place ! It was around 3am and they were not letting more people up but since my friend and I were only a party of 2 then he let us up.
Very nice layout !! Everything is so open ! There is a section in the back where you can have privacy if you have a group of people. The bathroom lines were super long though, so tinkle at the place before or after this one if you’re here late. Or just hold it ! Bartenders are nice and easy to get their attention. I didn’t have to wait long to order drinks. Dance floor is very inviting. The way they let people out of this place is really hectic though. You just have to shove your way to the elevator and when the doors open push through.
I like this place though, I would come back! I need to start here a little earlier in the night to see what it is like at full capacity.

I love the center platform here. It’s a wide area for people to stand around and get together for a good time. It can also be used as a dance floor too! The view of the Empire State Building is breath taking from here.
Joey, the manager, showed me and my boy some love. He took the time to get to know us a little and he even recommended certain places to go to. This was a great experience.

The Marriott hotel in midtown Manhattan might be an unexpected place for a gay rooftop party on a Sunday, but indeed this is a full on spring break rainbow confetti piñata pop.
A group of talkative queens in tank tops in front of me out of the subway signaled that the gay oriented roof bar party was in full swing again this year.
A fierce drag queen dressed in a black gown and jeweled headwrap ala Gloria Swanson from Sunset Boulevard ushered groups into the elevator from 35 street with the assistance of a Marriott muscly security guard.
Uptop — the small bar and tight crammed patio, with fresh 18^th floor views of the Manhattan skyline was uncomfortably packed with young happy queens in tank tops.
The dense crowds made it almost impossible to move and improbable to sit. Drinks were around $ 8 – 12, and the ambiance had that one dimensional vibe of bacchanalia with a subtext of alcoholism and lust.
You will have very little personal space, and I felt a little claustrophobic and cheap. Luckily my drink got knocked into so many times that I finished it before the fuse of my mind blew from all the cheese and crackers.
Figure in a 10 minute wait for the elevator upon your exit.
No cover. Themed parties occasionally so check the website if you wanna do costume.