The Parlour

I feel like this place is overrated. They don’t have too much in the way of beer selection. Their downstairs is fun for games. You can set up tables and play beer pong. Their well drinks are made strong by certain bartenders, some don’t make them strong at all. Their bathrooms get dirty real fast into the night. And in general, it was not the cleanest establishment I’ve been in.

The parlour is a dive bar that tries too hard to not be one. It’s a two level establishment and, for Manhattan standards, is quite large. Prices are reasonable, staff is ok. It’s nothing special and I couldn’t shake the feeling that they are trying to be something they’re not.

This place is a hidden gem on the UWS. A place that you wouldn’t even know was there, though it’s right by a major transportation stop (86^th Stop 1 train, and M86 stop).
I seriously don’t know why this place doesn’t get more traffic on Mondays (Shepherds Pie/​beer special for $ 10), Wednesdays (burgers/​beer for $ 10) and Fridays (Fish and chips/​beer special for $ 10). We can feed both of us for around $ 25. It’s great.
It also seems like a big UFC bar, and not baseball or football. Then again, I’ve never been there on a Sunday. I like this place. I should go more often!

I’ve been to Parlour many times for post sports gatherings and generally have enjoyed, but last night I had a very different experience. My alumni group booked a table for 15 of us for our annual holiday dinner gathering and while the reservation was made only the day before, Parlour told us it wouldn’t be a problem. The service was absolutely abysmal. We initially had one server take orders and then he disappeared for the remainder of the night. We had a couple late joiners and it was like pulling teeth to get anyone to take their order or even allow the rest of the group to order more drinks. When we flagged down the only waitress we saw she acted beyond annoyed that she had to serve us. I am sure she was overwhelmed being the only one working but as a former server myself I expect at least an ounce of politeness, particularly when you are getting a guaranteed 20% gratuity because of the group size (which was NOT at all warranted). Additionally, it took over an hour to get our food and we are not talking gourmet meals.
The food itself was average but it was very overpriced, particularly for the portion size. Most of us stuck around to play trivia since we knew even closing out our check would take forever and while we ended up winning a round of shots we never actually received them. The bartender confirmed our prize with the group and our selection and after 15 more minutes of sitting and watching him chat with people at the bar we realized he was never going to actually bring the shots and we got up and left. The entire experience was quite frustrating and I do not plan to do sit down service there ever again. In fact I am hesitant to return at all.

This was a grand old time had by all. Went with a massive group who booked the downstairs. They make a great martini and great drinks in general and the food they brought out was on point especially the mozzarella sticks. I’d like to come back sometime just on a date.

Great friendly service! Never seems to be busy but both times I’ve been here was during lunch. looks more like a late afternoon happy hour crowd place. Our sandwiches were good, no complaints !

If it wasn’t for the good service, we’d be pissed about the minuscule portions that weren’t like this before. Brunch is great but it isn’t bottomless. You get 5 drinks and a two-​hour time limit. Choices are between mimosas, belinis & bloody Marys. Try to get a seat facing the street on summer/​spring/​warm days; a nice view of Third Ave and zone out people watching after your third mimosa. It’s a little on the chi-​chi side, we sat next to a what looked like blonde triplets from the New York Housewives. It was entertaining to eavesdrop on their convo though. We ordered steaks and eggs and bacon and eggs with q side of potatoes for brunch. Like I said portions are super small now. I know times are hard, but come on. The potatoes were really nice and buttery though. Overall we had a chill Sunday during Labor Day weekend. When the city is probably the least crowded. Staycations rule.

My review is just about the basement where we went to a friend’s party and played mostly beer games and hung out. It’s nice and spacious enough that you don’t bump into other tables while playing beer pong or something else. We did not try the food so can’t comment on that. They did run out of cups at some point but with all the wastage around, you can’t completely blame them for it. If you have a large group and they like to drink and be loud and have fun, the parlour is a good option for you. It’s conveniently location in Upper west side right outside the 1 train station.

Nice local bar if you find yourself on the UWS. It’s pretty large, so you should always be able to find a place to sit. Nothing special about it to make a trip across town, but if you’re an UWSider then its a great place to put on rotation of neighborhood bars. I live on the UES, so it’s a quick M86 ride away from me. I’ve ended the night here a few times after a night of UWS drinking. Friendly bartenders They have a decent menu — I haven’t tried the food, but I’m sure it would do the trick after a long day of drinking.

Prices for the beers aren’t bad. Had a Lindemans Framboise for 10 bucks (which is ²⁄₃ dollars more than I’d pay for at a store, so the markup is OK.) Some of the other beer prices aren’t bad, 6 for Leffe isn’t bad at all.
Had some sliders for a meal because we were in a group. A bit greasy but serviceable. Came with onions. 3 for 10 bucks which is OK but it is New York. Waitress was surly and the bartender was a bit bored but nice. Ketchup was watery which is a bit weird.
Tried the Applebee level chips (which isn’t a bad thing) and dip as well as a fry from someone else’s burger. Fries were the normal. Cheese fries with bacon looked comforting but I didn’t try.
Some nice people in here, two guys came in for 2 dollar pool and both were quite friendly and they seem to frequent the bar, so there is that.
2.4, it’s ehh at it’s most ehhhhhh

For a local bar this place offers decently priced drinks and food. Would definitely come back to watch a game. They have a pool table and beer pong downstairs too.

Helpful and fun crew! Enjoyed a lot my time there!

Good local spot for a quick drink– came here with a friend for some Stellas and Jamesons. The bar is kinda a hole in the wall, but good for your typical average night with a few brews.

Food was very bland and overpriced. Burger was flavorless and overcooked. The service was okay. They forgot part of our order, which came out 20 minutes late and we were still charged. The bar is sort of a dump. Won’t be back.

Great place to go when you have to wait a half an hour for your three prescriptions to fill at Duane Reade because you’re suffering your second cold of the season. Had a coupla Lagunitas IPAs. It was pretty chill here during the early evening hours, mostly men solo or in pairs drowning in suds. Like me. Didn’t get a chance to try any of the food, but it looked like standard bar food. There are two bar rooms, and a dining area. Not a ton of bars nearby off Broadway, so a nice spot if you are too lazy to walk alllll the wayyyyy to Amsterdam.

Don’t.
It’s that simple– Do Not Go Here.
Worst service ever. I’ve been 4 times and I won’t ever go back. The waitresses are SO rude and absolutely ignore you at a pretty empty bar, even when you ASK if you can order a drink (this happened on three different occasions). No one here cares about your patronage in the least, or cares that you brought 15 people here 4 months in a row. It also kind of sucks that they don’t look at their reservation book. Our group showed up last night with no where to go, they had no clue we booked the back room, didn’t apologize once for their oversight and didn’t keep us updated on what was happening. Only when we asked did we get updated, which was «the manager is coming in shortly». In the meantime, its 30 minutes past our reservation and 10 of us are standing here, empty handed, looking for another place to go because weren’t sure if we were goign to get a spot. Rude, horrible, not a way to run a business. They’ll just give you attitude like its your fault.
I hate this place with all of my soul.

This place fascinates me. I’ve never seen more than 20 people in it, and half of them all seem to be regulars who know the bartenders or know the cheap Corona happy hours. I originally found it because I needed an ADA-​accessible venue space for a ton of students — which it is — but I’ve come here a couple more times on non-​business just to try and figure it out. They generally have some kind of soccer on, with a big projector screen at the end, and most fun, they have some beers you don’t usually seen on tap! Newcastle Cabbie Black Ale (lesser known cousin of the Newcastle Brown Ale) and Boddington’s! Beers aren’t cheap, although they’re not as expensive as they could be for imported stuff. Happy hour is more or less cheap domestics.
Food: Meh. Better than frat bars, but skip it unless you’re really hungry. The steak nachos were passable, the chili absolutely tasteless, the bangers and mash all right. Food comes out in a decent time at a decent temperature, but that’s about all I can say for it.
Service: Nice, solid service. Like I said, there are a good bunch of regulars, which is generally a good sign. Bartenders are attentive don’t feel the need to make conversation with you constantly.

This place is great if you’re looking for:
1. A quiet, unpretentious, not-​too-​crowded bar
2. Close to the 1 train
3. Youngish but not too-​young clientele
4. Friendly and attentive staff
The Parlour is a decent bar on the UWS– not sure if I’ll be back, but a perfectly fine place to grab a drink without any fuss.

The Parlour has two doors — the one near stairs that go up, and a basement looking black hole that may or may not have a door (or a parallel universe) lurking at the other end.
Guess which door i’ve never used?
Yeah, so the downstairs area is our Kickball post-​game hangout locale. Fully set up for beer pong and flip cup, we splurge on cheap pitchers and decent food.
I have walked out of here having owned the pong table with a slight buzz, excited to grab the 1 downtown to Penn for a slice at Rose’s and a lovely trip home on the PATH.
I have walked out of here having played several rounds of pong, a 37-​person game of flip cup with no buzz at all, as it was far too crowded to get here early. I went home and made dinner. So responsible.
I have walked out of here somewhat slanted, having downed pitcher after pitcher all in the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie, willing the 1 train to come so I could get 2 or 3 slices at Rose’s. The PATH will wait for ME.
I have been part of the first group in, last group out scene, artfully swaying in a variety of directions, exclaiming and shouting proverbial nonsense to anyone that might be interested. I don’t remember making it to pizza. Somehow I got home. The PATH seemed to be violent.
That said — your night in the basement is what you make of it. The drink specials are great, the pong balls are new, and the party seems to end whenever you want it to.
Drink up.

Warning: Review completely based on atmosphere and experience, not the food.
My school has happy hour every Wednesday night at Parlour and I haven’t been disappointed by this place yet. In short, the basement of Parlour will bring you back to college fraternity parties: flip cup tables, beer pong tables, you name it.
I always have a great time partying at Parlour but I do have a bias on it just because all my great friends are here and we’re all ready for some competitive flip cup games. Either way, I’m grateful a basement like Parlour’s exists.