RARE View Rooftop Chelsea

I thought this place was really chill and relaxing. Music in the background was hip hop and some top 40. Didn’t have many cocktail selections though.

Came here for my boyfriends birthday for drinks before we went to see a show. I was hoping to be seated at the rooftop but unfortunately it was closed at the time we went. So we opted to sit by the bar. We ordered a couple of drink and some fries. Everything came out very quickly. The fries were delicious we really enjoyed the difference sauces that came with them. The bartender was very pleasant and attentive.

Nice cozy space that wasn’t overly crowded which was great for meeting up with some friends. The cocktails and drinks were great and the servers were pretty attentive. Decent view.

Atop the Hilton Fashion District, this rooftop bar and restaurant is a gem! Roomy and airy, this bar has great views of the Empire State building. They run many specials on food and drinks… depending on the night of the week, event (Sports game for example).
They are closed Mondays, but open all year round. The comfy couches, nice table tops and pleasant staff makes this a great spot to enjoy the NYC skyline at night…

Fried Oreo sundae. That’s all you need to know.
Wings, fried calamari, burgers were delicious. Definitely will return!

From the moment we walked in the lobby we were greeted by the nicest people and things just got better from there. Greeted by Joe at the elevator with his great personality and wonderful sense of humor. After walking off the elevator and seeing the magnificent view we were quickly

Overall, not recommended. However, if they have their Happy Hour deals back again, then it might be worth coming in.
The VIEW:
Pretty limiting. However, I speculate that it is not too bad during the winter time, if you sit near the windows.
The SERVICE:
The service wasn’t too great. It was a real challenge and a mission to get hold of our server. She seemed to be the only one taking orders and running around. And at one point, she just disappeared altogether. The bartender was nice, and tried to help us find the server because you know the server kind of disappeared with my credit card. Good thing I wasn’t in a rush, otherwise, I would have been a real grumpy customer.
The SETUP:
A little bit awkward set-​up as the furnitures seem to be randomly scattered (exaggerating here, but you get the idea) in the open rooftop area, so hard to find a good seat. It could definitely be better. Please, improve on this. Near the bar area and in the back, the set-​up is pretty good, actually.
The DRINKS:
Being overpriced is a given, but the drinks did not impress me at all. Not everyone in America wants overly sweet drinks, please. Please! I felt like the cocktail options were pretty limited as everything just seemed too syrup-​y, fruity and sugary flavored. When they used Hendrick’s Gin in Sailor’s Daughter, they didn’t take advantage of the cucumber-​y and rosey flavor of the Hendrick’s at all; just straight up peach everything and overly sweet flavor.
–Skyline: got a nice fizz to it, but wayy too sweet. So if you have a sweet tooth, go for this
–Sailor’s Daughter: «it looks ugly, I guess the sailor’s daughter was ugly… but she is sweet»
–Caribbean Cruiser: it was better than the other two. Pineapples ;)
The MUSIC: didn’t go well with the place at all. I came to chill, but came to EDM playing. If you are going to play EDM, at least provide a dance floor then…
I think there are other better places around, but I will give it another try in the winter time.

Going to the rooftop bar on a hot humid day was probably not the best idea, but my coworkers and I had a great time nonetheless. The views are pretty awesome and while it sucks that there’s no happy hour, the drinks are surprisingly large even if they are $ 15 each.
There were a few private parties going on when we arrived, so it was a little crowded but we managed to find a nook with some seating. Definitely enjoyed the strawberry mojitos and Skyline cocktails and the shots, maybe a little too much. We ordered some sliders to share. At 12 sliders for $ 30, this was quite reasonable for our group of 6. They were pretty good, although a little overcooked.
Service was great. Our server was attentive and funny, he was cracking jokes with us all night. Also, LOVED the DJ that was spinning that night. The music was so awesome. We had ourselves a little dance party going on and didn’t want to stop! Keep doing what you’re doing, Mr. DJ.
It’s not a cheap place to go, especially if you spend as much as we did. But we definitely enjoyed ourselves and will put this in our rotation of after-​work bars.

The reviews here are generally good. I don’t understand. We went up full of anticipation and were totally disappointed. The view is very limited. The waitstaff were terrible.
Contrast that with the staff at Rare bar downstairs. They were awesome. Maurice in particular was great. Good service. Friendly.
So, I’d recommend staying downstairs at rare and finding a different roof top.

I really thought I reviewed this place 5 years ago, but I guess it slipped my mind. RARE is surprisingly unpretentious (you can get a bucket of Corona while you enjoy the beautiful views). The waitresses are nice (and for the most part, extremely attractive). There’s a decent amount of room for groups if you either get there early or make a reservation. Their cocktails are actually surprisingly good, despite being a rooftop bar. They don’t always serve food, which is lame, but Rare downstairs is actually great for steak and burgers.

Summary: Solid casual pick for a rooftop with decent bar food. Nice view/​photo op of the Empire State Building. 3.5, but rounding to 4, because it’s one of the better casual, currently line-​less rooftops to check out.
Atmosphere: One of the more casual of rooftop bars, it has a good mixture of locals and hotel guests at the Hilton. If you were looking for a low-​key place to watch the game while taking in views of the Empire State Building, look on further. I really wish they had used transparent glass so you could get the 360 view. Possibly it’s just into another building and that is why, but it’s unfortunately that you stare at what appears to be greenhouse material as a backdrop. Possibly they will get creative and do something more artistic there in the future, or the plants will grow taller.
The Drinks: A lot of adorable mixology to choose from. I just had a beer, but my friends partook of delightful drinks. If you’re into mixology, you should be fine here.
The Service: I had a very good experience, though I could see this place getting slammed. You are able to order straight from the bar as well, so if you’re not with a large group, that might be the way to go. Seating is first come first serve vs. a reservation. Still, our rather large group was nicely and politely accommodated, with only a couple of one-​off delays for about 15 people. I’m going to count that as pretty good, especially since the server was sincere in her apology for the delay vs. what I’ve seen on other roof top bars. So 4 stars.
The Food: Actually not bad. It comes from the restaurant downstairs. It’s for large groups though. I got the 12 cheeseburger sliders. They don’t really come with toppings, but the burger meat is actually higher grade. I’m sure if you asked they can make them however you want. I also go the buffolo wings. Good flavor, but they are cut in some strange way such that each wing appears to have about ½ the meat. strange. I wish they would add fries and a few other downstairs items. The downstairs menu is at the elevator, which suggests to me you could technically order from it and sit up top (to watch the game?). 4 stars.
I’m a very girly girl, but let’s say my Brother (who is totally the opposite of a girly girl) was to ask me, where to watch the game but still be in the NY vibe, I would consider sending him here. The TV’s were slightly small to my recollection, but still, you have bar food, you have alcohol, you have the Empire State Building behind you.

The view is spectacular, so it is worth the $ 15 cocktail price tag. Draft beers are $ 8.00. It’s nice if you can snag a sofa, but standing by the rail at dusk is better. (Yes, I am a tourist, so it’s novel for me.)
The bar opens at 4pm everyday and you need to be escorted to the rooftop by an elevator operator and also when you leave for the security of the Hilton guests. If you are staying at the Hilton like I was, you still need to go to the lobby and take the specified elevator to the rooftop. 21 and over only (and the majority of the crowd is twenty-​something).

Great rooftop experience at Rare rooftop in Chelsea. Views were nice, atmosphere was fun (lively dance music), but the drinks were what stole the show. I tried 4 cocktails and they were all amazing! The only negative thing was the early closing– they kicked everyone out at 12:15am on a Friday night. Will return!

I came here last night on a Monday with my friend. As far as rooftops in Manhattan go, this place is perfect when considering the view and drink/​menu prices. The space itself is small and there is not much seating but it does the job. I didn’t get a seat for the whole 2 hours I was here though, so coming on a Thursday or Friday night may get pretty crowded.
Wine by the glass is $ 10 and the bartender is super sweet! I believe beer were $ 8 and mixed drinks were $ 12, not bad at all compared to other rooftops around NYC.
The view is beautiful, you can see uptown towards the Empire State Building, MetLife building, new H&M tower and Bank of America buildings. You can see downtown as well, however the main roof faces uptown.
Good place for happy hour with coworkers or to hang out with friends. I’ll definitely be back this summer for more drinks and to try their awesome burger menu!

Came with a group of 20 around 7pm on a Thursday. Poor service, packed like sardines and there is only 1 ac. If you decide to come on a hot/​humid summer night be prepared to sweat. They also do not serve food unless you reserve an area ahead of time.
PASS. There are better rooftops with better views, service and drinks.

Maybe a spring or summer night. Maybe if the Mets, Jets, or RANGERS ever reach the playoffs. But on a cool February night, there was 5 people and 4 of them were my workmates. Not a vibe I like. Went for 2 hours one night out of 5 stays, that should tell you how much I like this place.
Positives:
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Nice view of the city.
Nice menu, although abbreviated.
Negatives:
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Service is minimal.
Sports sound off.
Mild, soft music playing… even though this is a sports bar theme.
(Chaps my hide!)

Bin hier heute mit Freund hin, da an der 230 5^th eine riesen Schlange war. Super Alternative mit tollem Ausblick. Zwar sind Bilder nicht so einfach zu machen, da die Beleuchtung in den Scheiben spiegelt, aber dennoch sehenswert. Die Cocktails sind mit $ 15 meines Erachtens und meiner Erfahrung nach für NYC etwas overpriced. Auf Unilocal stand, die Bar wäre bis 1:00 nachts geöffnet. Wir waren um 22:20 Uhr da und um 23 Uhr wurde die recht laute, aber dennoch gute, Musik ausgeschaltet und die grellen Lichter angeschaltet. Das war nicht unbedingt die feine Art… trotzdem wert, hier mal hinzugehen.

Since I was staying at the Hilton New York Fashion District, there was no question I would have to check out RARE View Rooftop bar there. As soon as I threw my bag down into my room, up the side elevator from the lobby I went (you can’t get there from any other of the elevators, FYI).
This place has a GREAT view, got to like that view of the Empire State Building from this place while enjoying your drinks. There is plenty of different types of places to sit and enjoy yourself… at the bar itself, tables with high stools, nice comfortable sofas and sitting areas, etc. There was great music playing from a DJ that really selected great songs to keep it upbeat and fun without going too clubby. For those items, RARE Rooftop is 5 stars. Expect prices you’d think you’d encounter for a hotel like this one in Manhattan for a cocktail, it’s not cheap but it’s good. There didn’t seem to be table service going on, however, a bit disappointing. I did go and walk up to the bar to get my drinks. My bartender however was less than positive and upbeat, one of my few minor disappointments with RARE Rooftop. If there was table service that night with a more upbeat persona from my bartender then this place would have been 5 star territory.
Bottom line: Definitely come by RARE View Rooftop if you get the opportunity to enjoy a pretty sweet view of the city and a great venue to enjoy some cocktails. Nicely put together and a good vibe, I dig it. A few minor points noted above, but I will definitely visit these guys again if I can when in NYC.

Well-​made cocktails and a view, this place really has it all going on… almost.
We came on a Monday; Birthday celebrations + slight drinking problem = fancy drinks with a fancy view. From what I’ve read about /​heard about this place (and its sister location on the east side), they get very (very) packed, which makes sense. It’s a cool place to hang out, and the drink prices are not outrageous, especially when you consider where you are and the sights you are taking in. We walked into the hotel where we found a chic modern lobby, the rooftop bouncer, a small place to queue, and the best thing of all — no line. After the obligatory ID check, we were whisked up the boutique sized elevator to the roof top. Stepping off, you get a panoramic view of lower Manhattan that is not shabby at all. I’m a little surprised that they don’t have a few more seats set up on this side of the rooftop — we didn’t make it past sunset, but when those lights fire up it must be breathtaking. We made our way to the main section up front (great view of Midtown), and had a seat on the super comfortable outdoor couches they have set up. It looked a bit overcast, but we weren’t particularly worried, as they have a retractable roof, which looked like it would be super handy if the sky opened up.
Our server came over (wish I could remember her name, she was really nice), and gave us a rundown of the drink menu. I ordered up their version of a hard lemonade, and asked if they had bar bites — they do not, which is kind of a bummer. It was especially lame because we could smell the burgers downstairs being made (I assume the vent for the hotel restaurant was on the roof top just above us), which of course made us wish we could get something even more… I’m not sure why the owner of the business put a picture of a burger up on the Unilocal page… lies I tell you, lies. Anyway, c’est la vie; we tried a few more of their cocktails (the Swing Du Paris was particularly good — spicy and well made), had a beer and a glass of wine. Getting back to their pricing set up, you really can’t get hurt too badly here — the craft cocktails are 15 $, well drinks are 12 $, wine is 10 $ a glass, and beer is 8 $. Cheap, if you compare to some other rooftops that can charge more than 20 $ for a mixed drink. They have recently discontinued their happy hour, which I hear was pretty good — the place was not super packed, they may want to consider bringing it back (maybe limit it Sun — Wen or something).
All in all it was a good experience; the staff is extremely pleasant, the drinks are not insanely expensive (strong to boot), and the view is awesome. Add a food menu, and this place would gain a star in my book…5 stars for the view, 3 for lack of food, 4 for service.

It’s funny to me this place is atop a random hilton is Chelsea. It’s surprisingly great!!!
Roof view— 5 stars.
Seating —- 5 stars. Lots of it. Comfy couches and tables and everyone has a great view.
Problem is that I don’t think there was table service and you have to go to bar to get drinks. Saturday evening around 9 it was an eclectic crowd– since it’s a hotel you get some tourists and stuff.

Don’t take the 3 stars literal. It was cool but nothing to wow. There is a happy hour but the waitresses conveniently don’t promote it. ASK. Why not get a buzz for a couple bucks cheaper.
The crowd is mostly middle aged «suits» looking to unwind after work. I would suggest coming early to grab a table for you and your peeps. No one wants to share space here and I am unsure on reservations.