Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Beautiful and intimate venue in Hotel Nikko– they don’t make them like this anymore. We’ve been to four shows and every performer has been excellent.
Food& drinks are on the expensive side, but we see it as a subsidy for the wonderful atmosphere and great service.
A date spot that will impress.

What a gem this place is! An intimate venue where there’s «not a bad seat in the house». My husband and I saw Rita Rudner do her stand-​up comedy act here on July 17, 2015. Rita was wonderful and it was especially nice to be up-​close-​and-​personal with her. The table service was excellent. We’ll be back!

Nice showroom — sleazy practice
I don’t like that the tip is included yet the bill still has a place for the tip. In the dark lighting of a showroom who is going to be able to see on the bill that it is included.

Definitely will be my very last time at Feinsteins. You have to at least carry 2 bills aside from what you paid for your tickets. My husband and I saw Wayne Brady tonight who put on a very short show. We spent $ 100+ at Anzu’s for dinner assuming that we wouldn’t have to pay the $ 20 per person fee at Feinsteins but low and behold they still told us we had to order. I was pissed. And what little did that parking validation… discount my butt, I still had to spend another $ 32.50 there. This place is a rip off and they won’t be getting my business anymore. I’m broke. That $ 32.50 alone I could have used for groceries. You gotta have bank to go to this place. Really pissed right now how many times I had to dip into my wallet tonight! Hopefully, they won’t delete my review, and if so at least I know management knows my feelings.

I had such a blast seeing an old friend perform the other night at Feinstein’s at the Nikko Hotel. This was the first time I had heard of or visited the venue. I would return, but think I would dine elsewhere, rather than in the theater. I was obligated to spend a 20 dollar food and beverage minimum with my ticket purchase, but I should have eaten before the show and just ordered cocktails. The drinks were excellent. The soup and beef entrée were cold, and the portions very small. For one person spending over $ 85, I would expect a bit more in quantity, and in quality. The show was fun. I loved seeing the group perform in an intimate caberet setting. I would definitely return, but would dine elsewhere first. This venue is great for more of a cocktail-​only crowd looking for some entertainment.

The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing in this place. I looked forward to this concert for months. We were given conflicting information repeatedly, and the «manager» couldn’t manage her way out of a paper bag! Save yourself some aggravation and seek entertainment someplace where they have their act together. NEVER AGAIN. What a way to spoil New Years Eve!

I went to see Telly Leung from «Glee» and many other shows at Feinstein’s, and it was most enjoyable! The check-​in guy was super friendly and helpful, and we got nice seats all together in a corner facing the stage. They have a $ 20 food/​drink minimum which is not a problem as they have good food selection (remind me to get the cheesecake next time!) and a nice drink/​wine list as well. I got a small carafe of cab, and that suited me just fine as I sipped and enjoyed throughout the show. Acoustics were good and the size of Feinstein’s is intimate to see and hear your artist of choice. Wonderful job, Telly!

Went here last Friday night to hear Laura Benanti. We’ve been to Feinstein’s many, many times — to hear the man himself as well as countless other entertainers. Love the intimacy of the room and the quality of the acts for the most part is good to great. Think Laura has an amazing voice and a wonderful rapport with the audience but her song choices were just odd. Don’t know another word for it. Still an enjoyable evening but like many others, we were put off by:
— $ 20 minimum/​person ON TOP of the ticket price. A little greedy Feinstein’s. Your best bet is to skip dinner or have a light dinner and enjoy your food here. The food is delicious (though the tables are obviously small) but would much rather order because we want to, not because we’re trying to spend $ 40.
— HUGELY disappointed when Laura said «We’re almost out of time, our hour is about up. .. «. What??? Performances are now limited to just 60 minutes? At these ticket prices? Who made that rule? There’s no second show. There’s no pricing adjustment for such a quick set. Lots of tables were still eating/​drinking when the show was over. In our opinion, that’s the biggest negative.
Unless Billy Porter or Kelli O’Hara or Sutton Foster decide to perform at Feinstein’s, we won’t be coming back. Not worth the premium price for 60 minutes of entertainment.

Bought tixs to see Tim Hockenberry 11÷26÷14. This show was cancelled but was kindly informed that tixs were still available for the Saturday show. We rearranged our schedule & contacted Mitchell who was to be the point of contact per e-​mail. Mitchell was out of the office for 4 days. So we talked to William to change nights. I did ask William to waiver the 2 drink requirement for the time & trouble of rescheduling our other commitments & our dinner reservations there at Hotel Nikko. He said he would ask Mitchell. Seemed strange for such a small request. He later called & said no, Mitchell would not do this. The pettiness really bothered me so I cancelled the show, dinner & hotel reservations (all at Hotel Nikko.) He said he could not cancel hotel res. but would transfer me to that desk. Not surprising he transferred me to the restaurant. Called back & spoke to the very kind front desk manager to cancel hotel res. Sorry forgot her name but she was very nice about getting us a room last minute (& later cancelling.)
I figured we wisely saved ourselves about $ 800. by missing this event. It felt good not to give this establishment our money.
Mr. Hockenberry, we hope to catch you at another venue.

Eloise had The Palace. Michael Feinstein has this place.
As outsized as Eloise’s Palace is, Feinstein’s is just the opposite. Tucked away inside the Nikko Hotel, it’s wee in scale (140 seats) with nary a bad seat in the house. I’ve heard some remark that they actually sat too close to the performers on stage and I can see where this might be possible. I sat at a small center table in the second row and could probably have leaned over and fondled Fred Willard’s foot. Who wouldn’t want that?
Tickets to shows at Feinstein’s come with a requirement to spend an additional $ 20 per person for food and drink. Again, this isn’t a bad thing. All of the food comes from the on-​site restaurant ANZU and much of it falls in that sweet $ 15 and under spot. Add a drink (cocktails $ 14, beer $ 6.50) and you easily satisfy the requirement. A Crunchy Asian Garden Salad ($ 10), a shared Margarita Flatbread ($ 12), and a couple small carafes of BR Cohn Silver Label Cab ($ 30 each, about 3 glasses per carafe) were the perfect accompaniment when watching Laraine Newman channel her inner Cher in a performance of Celebrity Autobiography.
Food and drink can be ordered and served throughout the show but out of respect for performers and patrons, best to get the party started early (doors open 90 minutes before showtime).
An added benefit of this intimate venue is the likelihood that the performers might be present in the bar area (just outside the venue) post-​performance. While not guaranteed, interacting and getting photos taken with the performers you came to see is a possible perk that elevates this venue to the top of the heap.
Additional info:
THE VENUE —
* Technically, this is a partnership between the Nikko Hotel and Michael Feinstein.
* THE ACTS —
* Michael Feinstein is a highly regarded singer, Emmy and Grammy nominated, with cabaret origins. Much of what is booked here (though not all) falls into the «cabaret» genre.
* If you’re a pop culture junkie who loves a good laugh don’t miss Celebrity Autobiography, the show I saw here. It plays all over the place; get on their mailing list at
.
* Discounted tickets to performances here can often be found on
.
THE ADDITIONAL $ 20 PER PERSON —
* The $ 20 per person food/​drink requirement isn’t unusual for a nightclub; Yoshi’s has a similar requirement accompanying its ticket purchases.
PARKING —
* There’s a pay parking lot across the street from the hotel which will run you about $ 15.
* A better deal — and not a bad walk — can be had at the Sutter-​Stockton garage. On a Sunday evening my parking bill there was a mere $ 4.
* If you choose to park at the Nikko Hotel, know that ticket holders get 1 free hour of hotel parking.
* Easy accessibility from Bart.

We came here to watch Megan Mullally, love her!!!
We got one of those groupon things so we got seated on the side. Still a good spot.
Food was delish but tiny. Drinks? Can’t even remember them.
Atmosphere was great. It’s very intimate with the performer. We were pretty close. Minus one star for the snooty person using language that offends. He basically said along the lines that we are in the cheap seats and that we weren’t allowed to move.
There are better choice words to let us know this without insulting us.

Came here for my boyfriend’s mom’s birthday. We attended the Sunday 7pm show where Cheyenne Jackson was performing. I had no idea who this guy was, nor was I aware of where it was going to be at… so I had no expectations.
We got there 40 minutes before the show. There was no line, we got seated quickly, and the waitress came to take our order. The issue with this venue is that you are required to spend at least $ 20/​person if you bought the Groupon ticket. There were 4 of us, so that was $ 80 dollars gone right when we walked in the door. I’m very blessed that I didn’t have to pay thanks to my boyfriend’s dad. I’d pays to be aware of that!
But yes, anyways. Where was I? Oh jes, food. They make it easy to spend your $ 20 quota on food and alcohol! Everything is pretty much $ 10 and up for appetizer sized food so don’t come here hungry /​cheap. I ordered the California roll and the rest of our group got the short ribs, Japanese fries (still unsure what was Japanese about them…), and chicken eggrolls. The CA roll was unimpressive, but then again, it was just a CA roll. They give you six pieces. The short ribs order came with 4 ribs and from what I heard (I don’t eat pork), they were delicious, filling, and probably the only thing filling on the menu. I can’t attest to this but I’d believe it. It smelled good. The eggrolls order only came with three measly eggrolls. It seemed kind of ridiculous for the cost, but ohhhhhwelllllllll. I didn’t try them, but I’d imagine it might be hard to mess them up.
To fulfill the rest of my $ 20, I decided to order a drink. My boyfriend’s mom got the pineapple express and I got the strawberry fields. I didn’t try hers, but mine was delicious! It’s probably the only cocktail I’ve actually ever liked in my 2 years of legal drinking (:p). It tasted like a light strawberry lime juice with a background flavor of booze. It was great because it wasn’t too sweet and the alcohol wasn’t overpowering. This drink is a winner. I’d get it again. It’s too bad it doesn’t come in a pitcher size. Just kidding. Kind of.
Now to briefly talk about the venue. I actually really enjoyed it. It was definitely a more intimate setting; we were sitting 4 rows behind, and I think there were only 2 more rows behind us. The sound was good, the lighting was good. I have no complaints about the venue itself. And Cheyenne was great! He seemed like a very personable, funny guy with a great voice. I’m glad I got to hear him even though I had no idea who he is when I walked in there.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience. Watching small shows here isn’t a cheap regular thing to do, but it’s definitely great to attend once in a while or for special occasions. I’d come back!

Impressed with this venue — intimate, good acoustics, and you can reach out and touch the performers, they are that close. Seating is not cramped with good sight lines for all seats from what I could tell. Actually, I think the seats in the very front are too close.
Service was fine except waited for almost an hour for a coffee and cup of tea that finally came 5 minutes before showtime.
I’m not giving it 5 stars because it’s pricey. The $ 20 food/​drink minimum is too high for the choices and portion size, then add 18% and cost of tickets and you’re looking at a lot of money for only an hour-​15 minute show.
The highlight definitely, was the fabulous Paula West! And the musicians!
I’d say come here for a very special performer but not for a regular night out.

Very nice venue… you can sit anywhere and be fine, so don’t think you have to pay for the «front of house» tickets.
While I’m not a fan of imposed drink/​food minimums, I get it… and I will say that the drink I was having was not horribly priced… the coffee with two kinds of alcohol. Very enjoyable and I think $ 7. So I could have 3 and fulfill my minimum :-)

I went here to see Tony DeSare back in October, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the venue. It was small and intimate, and the seats were all arranged for a good view of the stage. Seating was first-​come, first-​served (unless you ate at the restaurant upstairs, which allowed you to reserve a seat earlier), but arriving when the doors opened (about an hour before the show) allowed us to get a great seat right in front. It was a great view of Tony DeSare’s impressive piano technique (which involved reaching inside the piano at times). I can honestly say I’ve never been to a serious concert venue that made it so easy to be so close.
The food and drinks were great, with very reasonable prices and a surprising amount of selection given that it was mostly just appetizers and desserts. There were at least 4 – 5 options on the menu that were suitable for vegetarians, and I think one of the dishes was either vegan or very close to it. If that’s important to you, definitely call ahead to verify.
The staff was friendly, and I didn’t feel like there were any surprises in terms of fees/​food minimums. It was made very clear on the ticketing website that there was a $ 20 minimum per person, which is reasonable even if you don’t drink alcohol.
In terms of sound, Feinstein’s was perfect. There were curtains and low ceilings and you didn’t get that annoying echo some places have. It was cozy, intimate, and everything was performed at the perfect volume. I would definitely go back if someone else I wanted to see was performing there.

Such a small space, used to be the Rrazz Room, great venue. We’ve been here twice since rebranding, last night Christine Ebersole, a great performer. Service is haphazard, drinks a little light, desserts a little heavy.
Under no circumstance should you let them seat you at Table 49. This is the worst table in the room. You will have lights glaring in your eyes, and a lousy view.
Come for the show.
Enjoy!

This is one of my newest favorite places. The place totally is very relaxing with the warm atmosphere that they have to offer. Great drinks and most of all the service was excellent.
This is a return place for me and it may be sooner than planned .
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I love this place. It’s a rare treat in the city to be able to have such an intimate setting for a show. I saw modern day TorchSinger Spencer Day there a few months ago, and it was a great performance. Literally not a bad seat in the house.
They have a wide variety of acts coming in, with a specific focus on Broadway performers, contemporary musicians and fans of the Great American Songbook.
The service was really attentive, and I really enjoyed my dinner from the upstairs restaurant, Anzu. The ceviche was some of the best I’ve had, my only complaint is that there wasn’t more of it on my plate. Before the show we sat in their lounge area called and had some delicious happy hour food. The wings are delicious. Really.
For me, being able to see musicians and performers in an intimate, classy setting– is well worth the extra loot spent.
I’ll be back!

Excellent venue with first class performances. Perfect social spaces, amazing for date nights and celebrations.
Good to go.

Cozy venue, I don’t think there are any bad seats in the house. It’s not cheap, but with acts like Sutton Foster I didn’t expect it to be a discount show. They have a wide selection of drinks and reduced menu from the restaurant Anzu upstairs, many of the portions aren’t very large but they are satisfying. Service tries to keep quite during the performance and do a good job. The seats are fairly comfortable, that’s am important thing to me.
I like the piano bar just outside, it gives you a great place to hang out when you wait. If you go for good seats be sure to check in at 5:30~5:45p (for the 8pm show) and reserve a table.
I’ve added myself to their mailing list, I’m going to keep an eye on upcoming shows. If the right act comes back, I’ll be there.