Upstairs At the Kimberly

I give this 4.5 stars… This was a wonderful little find while on a short trip to New York City. It’s a very swank, hip, and appropriately cosmopolitan rooftop bar & restaurant, 3 blocks east of Rockefeller Center, a few more blocks from the United Nations and about 7 blocks north of Grand Central Station, and still walk-​able from Times Square, if you don’t mind schlepping it a bit… You know you’re in NYC when you’re at this place for sure.
The views were nice, and in particular, had a good view of the famous Chrysler Building. The food was presented well, and as ordered, matching the ambiance of the sophisticated and rather well dressed «after work» crowd. In fact, it looked to me like half the place was populated by stock brokers, and I haven’t seen that many white button down Oxford shirts in one place since the last Blues Brothers convention!!! But nothing about it was stuffy to me.
I felt somehow more hip and successful just being there! It had an open roof but I have heard they can enclose it with a glass top, and it has indoor heating. The drinks were a bit pricey as was the food, buy hey, it’s NYC, and besides, it was good. I recommend this penthouse bar and restaurant if you don’t mind a bit of a crowd in the evening, though the crowd was quite mild mannered and nothing to fear. It’s a great place to show off as your own little secret in NYC. I’ll be back for sure.
Eric

WARNING! THIS PLACE HAS ILLEGAL PRACTICES!!!
Came here with some work friends and had a not so great experience. The drinks and view was amazing however the service was awful. We had an unattentive waitress named Antoinetta who was so busy eating drink garnishes from the bar that she forgot about us several times. We had to waive her down or get the busboy to grab her. When she engaged with us she acted like she was not happy to be there and not happy to serve us drinks.
We had another table join us and Antoinetta added them to our tab without notice. When we asked her to separate their tab Antoinetta refused then automatically added gratuity to their drinks even though they ordered nothing from her! We deducted the auto gratuity (of the party joining us) from the cash we owed and Antoinetta asked us to pay her. The auto gratuity was 20% which is appalling since the service was one of the worst we’ve had in Manhattan. We refused and left.
This is not the type of treatment I would expect from a place as nice as the Kimberly. Especially on Christmas. I want to like the upstairs and I want to go back but this experience was so awful. I work in the service industry with a high volume of customers at a high end salon in midtown and I was recommended to come here from a client. Now I don’t think I can recommend this place to my customers.
By the way since 2014 AUTOGRATUITY IS ILLEGAL IN NYC. THIS PLACE CAN BE FINED UP TO $ 250 FOR EACH INSTANCE THAT THIS HAPPENS!!!

I went here with some work colleagues after an early Christmas dinner for drinks. We were given by far the WORST service I have ever received. I live in New York City, and am also in the service industry, and cannot believe how poorly we were treated by Antoneta (our waitress). I only know her name because it appeared on my credit card receipt. She never greeted us, or gave us her name, never engaged with us at all, unless we flagged her away from the service bar where she was eating all of the drink garnishes. I understand that working on a holiday can be tough, but this is also an opportunity to give customers outstanding customer service, and because the bar was very slow she had more than enough time to do this.
I work at an upscale high volume salon here in NYC with multiple locations, and I am constantly engaging with people, and I would never treat people with the indifference that Antoneta treated me and my friends. Furthermore, the thousands of clients I interact with monthly at my work are always asking for recommendations for places to get drinks, dinner, etc. I will be sure to tell them all about my experience at the Upstairs bar, and that their money will be better spent elsewhere.
To top it off, Antoneta charged my credit card twice for my tab. I get text alerts on my phone for every purchase made on my card, and Antoneta made the enormous mistake of charging me twice, once for the incorrect amount, and failing to inform me of her error. I will be following up with both my bank, and the management of Upstairs to be sure that my funds are reimbursed on my card.
I am livid about my experience, and hope that management of Upstairs sees this review, takes Antoneta aside and coaches her about her professionalism, and I also hope that someone reaches out to me about my experience.
I am not happy.

2.5 stars, I had been looking forward to visiting the Upstairs, but I didn’t really enjoy my time there. Yes, the Kimberly is lovely, the lounge itself if nice, the view from the rooftop bar is impressive. However, it was way too crowded, there were way too many people smoking, and overall, I was bored. Maybe it would have been nicer after dark. I went around 5. Unilocal reviews had described the Upstairs as classy elegant upscale. This was NOT the case. I thought it was too casual.

Gorgeous décor very elegant on the inside and has a lovely warm fireplace for the winter season but only a few seats near them so make sure you get them if you can. The view is gorgeous and of the chrystler building. If youre around I would reccomned it.
Drawbacks are pretty much the timings (closes fairly early like midnightish) and the price, although it is pretty much typical rooftop fare price wise.

Came for drinks after work with a large group of girlfriends and as the evening wore on we kept adding to our table. The staff was so lovely to accommodate us without a reservation and to keep bringing us chairs as out group grew.
Drinks were great and the mac and cheese was on point! Spectacular view and lovely setting. Planning to return sometime to check out brunch

Beautiful space and nice location and views. Great drinks, and they better be for those prices.
Server was very attentive but didn’t «allow» my date to order the drink he wanted. If the 6 ft 230 lb man with the credit card wants a sweet drink just let him have it. Don’t insult him and force something on him he’s not going to like and specifically didn’t order… Weird.
Mixed clientele. Maybe because it was late on a Tuesday (?), but there were a couple rude girls who clearly got drunk at the wrong bar.

This place had an okay view, mainly just of Chrysler. It was recommended quite a few times to me from a colleague. The ambience is definitely a bit more upscale for an evening of drinks and a bit of the mature working crowd. Luckily we were seated immediately, it seems we came at their peak time which is right after work on a Friday and then after sunset it dies down a little.
We ordered one drink each, the drinks were okay — I had the one with the thin piece of watermelon on it and he had the cucumber one on the bottom of the menu (sorry forgot the names). His was better, mine tasted water down — those were about $ 18 each.
We ordered the crab cakes ($ 20) and I wasn’t thrilled when the waitress returned with four bite-​sized crab bites lol. Definitely overpriced in my opinion and it’s not like it’s anything extraordinary, crab bites and maybe some spicy mayo sauce. We also ordered the mac and cheese which in my opinion was a better portion but still overpriced. That too was about $ 16 or so, it was made from Swiss cheese. At least both dishes were tasty — we didn’t have to ask for hot sauce as usual for taste (good sign).
Overall I probably won’t be visiting here anytime soon unless someone gives me a pay raise and I consciously can justify spending that much on food/​drinks that are only worth half the price… That I can easily find elsewhere with a similar view and younger crowd. :-p
Btw — if stopping by after work just know they have a dressy attire and men wearing shorts or any flip flops and hats won’t be admitted. We did look a bit underdressed with the polo and commuter flats :-/

Ok I had to take a breather and let a few days pass before writing this review, to ensure I was as objective as possible. Because the staff deserves 4 stars and the owner 1. This is why:
I had this place bookmarked for a while as ‘To Try’, as the pictures looked amazing and who doesn’t like a good rooftop right?
So I planned a brunch with a few girlfriends and we had a great time! The waitresses were friendly. A bit busy at times which resulted in longer wait times, but they were packed as it was Sunday brunch and it was gorgeous out, so this was not an issue.
The food was good, they had a great variety of offerings, so it truly has all the makings of an amazing brunch place.
Then our experience took a 180 real quick…
One of my girlfriends boyfriend came to join us and we were getting ready to order another bottle of wine. At this point settled in, comfortable and happy customers. 5 minutes later we get a phone call. They would not let him up to the roof! Well why is that Bree you might wonder?!
Well he was not allowed to go to the roof because he was wearing sneakers. I understand a dress code, and understand you don’t want people in a tracksuit and sneakers in a nice establishment.
HOWEVER. Our friend was dressed lovely in kaki pants, a shirt and a blazer, finished stylishly with sneakers. I mean this is 2015 and EVERYONE wears sneakers. They refused and we had to pack up our stuff and leave to not leave our friend standing on the sidewalk for too long.
We spoke to the manager who explained his hands were tied. Poor poor guy! He must have numorous people yell at him all day every day because of this ridiculous rule.
Turns out the owner who is 90+ years old invented the rule and sticks with it.
Well Mr. Owner if you are ever on Unilocal,I hope you get to read this. Your staff is getting buldozered by unhappy guest because of this rule, it is bordering abuse. I witnessed a good 10 – 15 people get turned away at the elevator as we were getting ready to leave.
Your staff clearly does not agree with you, yet they are left no choice but to enforce this insane rule or else their job is at risk. You should consider lifting this rule and allowing people to enjoy the lovely restaurant that you own. The rule is a HUGE turnoff to a lot of people.
So this rating is for the staff. Because they try and they are powerless in enforcing this stupid rule. I am so sorry you guys have to deal with this.
I probably won’t be back, because everyone I know owns sneakers and I refuse to tell people what to wear when we go out.
Best of luck to you!

Lovely place for after work drinks. Nice modern décor with a chilled, fun vibe. Didn’t have any food but it looked nice. Nice views of the Empire State Building. Went on Friday after work — arrived about 530pm and there wasa line to get in, but it cleared up by about 9pm. I believe there’s a DJ afterwards although we had moved on by then.

Rooftop bar on the penthouse floor of the Kimberly hotel!
unfortunately the day i came the glass ceiling wasn’t open since it was chilly but the view and sunlight was still welcoming!
drinks are pricey but what do you expect at a rooftop bar? they also serve food if you’re looking to eat & drink
it wasn’t too crowded when we came on a Saturday so seating was easy to find!
NOTE: sneakers and flip flops aren’t allowed, although i did see another guy wearing dark tennis shoes

Great cocktails and atmosphere! Wasn’t too crowded in May and was a perfect night for the rooftop. Nice bartenders, quick service, was able to grab a seat after a little while since seats are first come first serve.
Drinks were about $ 16−17/drink which isn’t terrible.
Don’t enter through main hotel door, enter through the door to the left of it.

If you find yourself working in midtown Manhattan, you’ve probably investigated the local happy hour/​after work scene. Upstairs at the Kimberly is definitely one of those spots you want to check out.
Let me begin by saying that the drinks can be pricey. However, the penthouse has an amazing view of the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan. The music is your typical hipster laidback electro music with some top-​40s sprinkled throughout.
Great place to take a date or grab drinks with friends after work.

One of the best views I’ve seen in NY! The bar has exciting cocktails and the staff is friendly. The customers trendy and hip…
The food is interesting but not but not really dinner material…

Brunch for our buddies B-​Day
W hotel got us reservations table for 6.
Welcoming friendly environment and staff. Great service.
View is awesome. Roof top opened.
Quiet chill spot. Bloody Mary and Chrystler drinks awesome. Eggs Benedict delicious.
Overall fantastic experience!
Recommended!

*** Intimate Date Night, Trendy, Good Service ***
Very trendy atmosphere. Drinks are expensive, but that’s not surprising being in the city. I’ve been here on a low-​key night so service was good. You really come here for the extremely breathtaking view. Would probably come here again if I had the opportunity!

Ziemlich schön, aber es hat nicht den besten Blick — man kann das Chrysler Building sehen, aber nicht so viel mehr. Der Kellner war ok, nicht besonders nett, und meine Freundin hat einen Manhattan on the rocks bestellt. Sie meinte es war sehr stark aber das ist ein gutes Ding!

This cocktail rooftop bar is right near my work and I have been wanting to come here for a while. I finally had an occasion to celebrate, so my colleague and I went here for drinks around 6:30pm on a Friday.
We got seated immediately and had our pick of tables. For drinks, we each had the Chrysler, which was a deliciously light champagne drink. I thought the view was great and loved the comfortable seating. Our waitress was sweet and attentive, and the drinks are pricey but not out of the norm for NYC rooftops.

I’ve enjoyed drinks and appetizers on the rooftop, and outdoor patio in good weather here but never brunch. It’s really a nice place to relax and enjoy the scene, with plenty of room and not really that crowded… I came here with a group of 12 for my bestie’s birthday. It was one of the few places that could accommodate large parties last minute. Brunch is really not bad at all– complimentary mimosa, or bloody mary as one would expect in this nabe :). I didn’t get a coffee but plenty of people did and it seemed ok. I didn’t think they did freshly squeezed OJ so I went for a bloody mary which was strong and tall– enjoyed the sizzly tomato juice flavor.
Service was fine– a little slow but always available considering the place was so small we could flag her down easily. (Brunch went on for a while and they were kind enough not to kick us out. The crowd is beautiful and sceney with a bit of families/​old money types mixed in. Pretty sure our waitress was a model she was tall and skinny. My one complaint was that they tried to seat 12 of us in two little small lounge booths (with small round tables) which could barely fit 6 let alone 13. fortunately we moved once the entire party arrived to vacant tables on the side which we just pushed together.
Now, onto the food: I had the kobe beef burger ($ 18) which seemed like one of the best items to get– not overly big, juicy, cooked perfectly medium rare, with good white cheddar and avocado. I wasn’t a fan of the soggy bun (well the burger was just greasy) and I felt the onions were a bit flyaway but overall I think it was the best choice. Bf got the same. Mostly everywhere else got some kind of omelette or some variety of eggs benedict (they had the usual– with salmon, with veggies, regular, etc). My birthday girl got a fluffy goat cheese and asparagus omelet. Only one person got French Toast which honestly looked a bit sad. Everything savory came with really good crispy fries and there were not that many.
When it came time to pay, we were surprised that tip was not included. They also specified they could only take a max of 5 credit cards which is annoying. for people — fyi. Glad we had cash. Came to $ 31 pp total.
I wouldn’t come as a brunch destination but would recommend if in the area for sure and didn’t want to deal with a crowd.

I’ve been Upstairs several times now. The staff has always been pleasant and helpful. Although the drinks can be a little pricey they are made with quality ingredient and look fancy. The really make it a point to add that extra special touch that really makes coming here worthwhile. The entire property is impeccably clean, even the bathrooms.
This place maintains a classy vibe while still being fun. During the spring through summer the dj events are awesome and it feels very open. During the colder parts of the season it’s more enclosed but it still does not take away from the overall ambiance.
The mixed drinks are really tasty and so far I’ve tried the stuffed mushrooms, truffle mac and cheese, and the crab cakes. All were delicious, freshly made, and creatively garnished.
The view is great even if slightly obstucted by other tall buildings. The crowd is hip, trendy, and well dressed. Parking and traffic aren’t so great but you can usually find a spot within a 3 – 4 block vicinity depending on the time. It is the city afterall so that can be excused.
I look forward to returning for brunch next spring. Special mention to Sylvia who always ensures we have an amazing time there. Thank you Sylvia.

Super cool venue for a rooftop event. Obviously, I didn’t pay for drinks or food, or I’d be singing a different tune. At the beginning of the night, the bartender didn’t know we were on a tab and wanted to charge us $ 15 for a glass of wine. Fifteen. Dollars. I guess it’s a hotel rooftop bar, but damn.
Anyway, the views are great. You get a pretty straight shot of the Chrysler building.
The hors d’oeuvres are amazing. If you’re hosting a party here and want to make your guests happy, get the duck cigars, mini burgers, and the ham and cheese.

Hier trifft sich die Yuppies von NYC zum Absender oder Afterwork.
Es ist laut und eher eng.
Die Cocktail-​Karte hat 6 Drinks. Dazu eine Liste harter Alkoholika, wie Wodka oder Single Malt Whiskeys.