City Winery

City Winery hosted our wedding in March of 2015, and we couldn’t have been happier with the service, food, and space that was provided, or the people that we worked with! I didn’t have to worry about anything as the City Winery staff took care of everything for me — from rearranging the space to accommodate the ceremony, cocktail hour, and then the reception; to helping set up my guest book and place cards. The food was incredible — our friends are still talking about it — and the space was perfect for our live funk band. If you want a hassle-​free, beautiful wedding — look no further!

YAY! Matisyahu!
My husband and I came to the City Winery to watch Matisyahu perform. So first of all we bought «VIP» tickets but were seated at a super small table with four stools around it. While people who paid less money, at least had backs on their chairs. Anyways, small issue because lucky for us the other 2 people at our table didn’t show up till a half hour before the end of the show.
We got some menus and ordered. We waited over 20 minutes for our food but no complaints there, the food was really amazing. We ordered flatbread pizza, burger, artichoke balls and 2 amazing bottles of wine and of course 2 desserts. Pictures below.
Loved everything we ordered, especially the wine. The sommelier really knew the wines and what to suggest.
Now I check to see who’s performing there every few days. They really have some amazing performances and really great prices. It is also extremely intimate which is always nice.

This is a unique place. I came here for brunch with a friend who is like an older sister for me. She chose the place. They make their own wine here and there are barrels, even taps for the barrels of wine, and racks of wine.
I recall walking by this place once before about a year ago on a date and noticing there was live music going on here. The dude was like, let’s go in, but I was like it is in the middle of nowhere and the crowd seemed older. I’m still not sure what the music scene is like here but the location is definitely a deterrent to coming here.
I had the salmon eggs benedict which was good and comes with yummy roasted potatoes, side salad and lovely bread. My friend had an omelette which also came with the potatoes and side salad.
We found service here exceptional. Not only were they prompt, attentive and nice, but they gave us no grief for spending hours talking over brunch which was much appreciated.

STOP! Do not spend your hard earn money here! First, there are no tables only available for two people, you will have to share, and it will be awkward and crammed! There are large poles everywhere which will block your view.
YOUTUBE THE PERFORMERS BEFORE BOOKING! Our performers were not veteran friendly, glorified suicide, and valued Afghan culture.
Food was nothing special, service was just okay. So many great places to visit in this area, and this was just not worth it!

The good: a decent small venue for music, drink/​food service was quick and attentive.
The bad: tables are tiny and very close to each other, they screwed up when seating us which created an awkward situation with the uppity people whose table we were occupying, the food is quite pricey, portions are pathetic ($ 17 for 3 of the smallest tacos I’ve ever seen, for instance), the burgers are almost good, except they are cooked horribly inconsistently (my medium burger was well done, while someone else’s medium was rare), the flatbreads are completely lackluster @ $ 16-​$ 17.
The burger situation really killed the food for me. Not only were they prepared poorly, but they are grossly expensive. $ 17 will get you basically a burger and bun (and fries or small salad). If you want cheese, onions, bacon… Add $ 2-​$ 3 each. Seriously, $ 2 for onions. Give me a break.
Drinks were typically priced I suppose, starting at $ 12 for bourbon (which is all I really cared about).
I’d consider going back for music only — but would be sure to eat before (somewhere else).

I’ve always had excellent experiences at City Winery with nothing to complain about. I have been to several ceremonies and events and always thought the venue did a very nice job.
It is bigger than you might expect! The main area has a nice long bar and a large stage. There is also a private room that looks to seat around 20 in the cellar. They can organize tours of the winery itself and can set up multiple additional bar stations as well as food stations. At one event they also allowed us to set up a photo booth, corn hole, and beer pong.
From awards ceremonies to big company holiday parties, it’s a good spot.

The Quick: Gorgeous venue, great for a party or corporate event. Wine was fantastic (made in house) and the food was very tasty. Overall a wineo’s dream.
The Detail: Who knew this spot was Manhattan’s only winery? They ship grapes from California and barrel the wine in house– worth a try. They offer wine pairings, wine flights, and everything in between. I was there for corporate event and it was a blast. I highly recommend the appetizer tiny tuna tacos (likely named something more sophisticated).
The Damage: I was there for an event, so unclear.

I went to City Winery for the first time last night to see John Waters’ Christmas Show. The venue itself is spectacular. The stage is small and similar to what you might find in a middle school cafetorium.
I was seated in front of the stage — and YIKES — talk about a tight squeeze! I attend cabaret shows all around the city but have never had so much trouble getting to /​in /​out of my seat.
The service was TERRIBLE. Our party arrived an hour early so that we could eat and order drinks. The waitress didn’t take our order until a minute or two before the show was about to begin. The wait staff also completely ignored our table, not even replacing the water bottles on the table (all the other tables were served and taken care of.) When the order did arrive, they were all incorrect — the waitress was extremely disruptive. Long story short, out of the four people who ordered, only one drink was served and no one received their food /​drinks.
She was even more so when attempting to give us the check (literally going through a stack of checks, «Is this one yours? Is this one yours?») Finally, we told her she was bothering us and she went away. This was literally just a few feet away from John Waters, who somehow managed to keep focus and perform.
Would I go back? Sure. I don’t think this was their usual service, but it didn’t make a very good first impression.
One other note (sorry, I should entitle this review the City Whinery) the restrooms are extremely nice — ridiculously so. The men’s room has a urinal that looks like a modern art sculpture, with a wall water feature and widescreen television that plays an image of a bubbling brook. They in no way accommodate the number of people packed into the place. The line for the women’s restroom was VERY LONG.
So, word of advice: eat a bite before you get there (just in case), arrive early, and pee before the show starts.
John Waters was brilliant and the rating does not reflect his show at all.

I can pretty much reiterate what everyone else has said here. City Winery is another one of those terrible venues in NYC that unfortunately, every so often books that act you really want to see. The Blue Note is the jazz equivalent, but City Winery books mostly pop acts — grey-​hairs, but not quite nostalgia because they’re still fairly legit, and honestly, pretty good acts that despite the fact that they had their heyday back in the 70’s or 80’s heck, you’re still somehow curious to see them again and maybe you even respect what they can do and… well, you know, you get sucked in. And chances are the performers are even pretty good. But the venue? Awful.
The problems: You’re crammed in so tight — honestly, this is NYC and I’ve seen tight venues, but this is ridiculous — laughable. They put 4 people at 2 person tables, so every dish is essentially falling off the table top and then they cram the tiny table right up against the front of the stage so it’s too tight to so much as turn your chair, and you’re stuck craning your neck for an hour and a half. Unpleasant.
The food is awful and absurdly over-​priced. The wine, bizarrely, despite the whole «winery» theme, is nothing special, and that’s even over-​priced, too.
This place must earn the owner a lot of money, and maybe they do well by the artists (I hope so.) A lot of the long in the tooth acts who play here can no longer fill a larger venue. But I’d think hard about how badly I want to see a given performer before signing up for another night of being crammed into City Winery — and it goes without saying you’d be strongly-​advised to eat before you arrive. The service was, whatever, fine — I felt sorry for the waiters having to navigate their way between all those crowded, tiny tables. The bottom line is that I’d much prefer to see an aging pop act somewhere, maybe anywhere, else.

Michael Dorf has done a fantastic job with this new place after moving on from the iconic Knitting Factory. There’s really a lot going on here including live music, private parties, fine dining, and of course great wine.

We came here for a friends birthday to watch a burlesque show. The show itself was amazing. It was funny, entertaining, and kept our attention the entire time. The performers were gorgeous and talented. Prices of the wines were kind of pricey. The cheapest bottle of wine was $ 40 for an ehhh type of wine.
Service was ok which is why i took one star away and the doorman was quite rude.
If you are coming here for a show, you will probably enjoy yourself

One star for the world’s shittiest service, high prices, and criminally small portions. Extra negs for crammed 4 chairs on a 2 top to the increase ticket sales. I love the artist I came to see tonight and hate the rest.
Was roundly ignored by staff after being seated. I called over to THREE PEOPLE and they merely nodded. Staff then seemed ignorant of pours.
Cheese plate is pathetic and tiny, and the most filling-​sounding dish was appetizer-​sized and entrée priced. My last drink order and my waiter seem to have vanished.
No way in hell am I coming back. I must have dropped well over $ 100 on this show above and beyond the tickets. PS – I tried the much-​vaunted «house wine.» IT SUCKS. I mean, really bad. The crap that they sell in 5-​gallon jugs and use for sangria tastes better. The reds that I tried were flat, unexciting, and had a faint metallic ring to them – improper storage?
Seriously, get tix to the show you like but plan on eating before or after. Order whatever minimum may be on that night drink-​wise but spare yourself anything on the menu.

Loved this place! I am from out of town and I stumbled across this gem because of the live band playing. I wanted to see the band live, but that was a private event, they did have them playing on a television as we ate. I loved my waiter/​bartender his name is Mario, so far the best service since I have in the city (and I have been to nicer more expensive restaurants). He was very friendly, sweet and attentive the whole evening. We started with a glass of red wine and the cheese board the cheese was perfect. For dinner I ordered the filet mignon special and honestly, I have had better cuts of filet, but the topping was great. I could have done without the carrots but the asparagus and potatoes were both really tasty. Over all the experience was great, I think Mario had a huge hand in that. Thank you for showing me some place in NY can have great service!

I am very conflicted about this place! Came here on a Monday night with 4 acts presenting.
THE BAD: Holy crap, is this place cramped! We had «great» tickets — and I say «great» because… we were a few tables from center stage and it almost felt TOO close. But more importantly, we got there a bit after the first act started, and as a result we were left with cramming into our seats that were sandwiched between tables on every side. I couldn’t move my chair an inch without hitting someone else’s. I couldn’t whisper something in my friend’s ear or even pour myself a glass of water without receiving glares from others for being «too loud». I mean, we paid a lot for these seats, I didn’t realize we would have only a box to sit in.
Additionally, the acoustics were a bit off the night we went (¹⁰⁄₁₉). If you’re sitting too close to the stage, it doesn’t sound that great. Also when the last artist came on to play, something funky was going on with the cords and there was static being heard during his act. It was clear that the musician was getting frustrated. Granted, I get the sound guy probably just had an off night — we all do, I understand.
THE GOOD: Well, it’s a winery! It’s got gorgeous décor inside, and it IS actually quite spacious — I just wish they would make better use of the space! The service was pretty normal and the bathrooms were clean. The wines on tap are decent (cheapest bottle is a SB for $ 40). Aside from the bad acoustics /​sound difficulties, all the musicians were really great. This is a great place for a group and is just such a nice, intimate space with fantastic lighting. Big open windows lining the street. Avg. price for wine is $ 14 – 15, for an appetizer ~$ 12, and a dish ~$ 17. Honestly, my family is coming into town and honestly, given the location and space of this place, I would like to take them here. Likely so, but I hope we won’t have super cramped seats!

Last night was the first time I’d been to City Winery. We were there, a group of six of us, to see Shemekia Copeland. She was amazing but this review is not about her.
As a venue, City Winery was pretty good. Large space, decently roomy, though where we sat we were sort of in the middle of the aisle so patrons and staff kept crossing in front of us and we had to move out of their way each time. There seemed to be good sightlines throughout, and the sound was good, if a little bit loud.
The staff, however, left something to be desired.
Our server, Alisa, spent more time outside smoking than she did paying attention to our drinks. I had to flag her down to get a refill on my wine and more water. And when I did, she reeked of cigarette smoke. If you’re going to take a break and smoke, at least wash your hands or spray yourself with something.
After the show we were by the front door waiting for our car to arrive. I asked a young white man sitting behind the desk how many people were at the show and he said about 220, to which I responded, yes and only 12 or so people of color. (Three people of color were in our party of 6.) I was merely remarking about how white the crowd was for this black blues singer, which I and my friends found interesting. This guy replies, «Well, it’s an expensive venue.» I took that to mean that he felt like people of color couldn’t afford the tickets. Whoa.
I said, «You know, that was a really inappropriate comment.»
He said, «I realized when I said it but I don’t want to explain myself to you right now.»
He won’t have to because I’m not going back.

The happy hour wine deals are quite good. Their house wines are always good and the atmosphere and service are great. I especially enjoy the outdoor patio.
This is a great place to go for a quiet happy hour with co-​workers. They also have a quality lineup of musical performers. Their food while pretty standard is good. I enjoyed the hummus

The 5 stars is for the music venue. This is a great small space with good sound where lots of really different types of musicians perform, and tickets prices are very reasonable. Wine selection is great and much of it is made there. You can’t beat sitting down with a glass of pretty decent wine or beer and food and listen to live music. I am however completely astonished that people come here simply to eat. The food is decent and some of it is quite good, but it is pricey — $ 17 for a burger and you still have to pay $ 2 for every topping, even onions. There are far better places to eat in the area. 2 – 3 stars at best for the food. But you casino go wrong coming here for a show.

It’s difficult to rate City Winery because there are aspects that are four stars or so and others that are two stars or less.
The good: Great performers, stylish space, and the food is better than average, particularly for a performance venue.
The bad: Concerts here tend to be more expensive than a lot of other venues featuring similar styles of performers (such as Joe’s Pub, Subculture, Rockwood, etc.)
The awful: Considering the premium pricing of most shows, the uncomfortable, crowded seating is inexcusable. The tiny tables aren’t even wide enough to accommodate the two chairs on each side, and then they line up tables into narrow rows until there isn’t enough room for people to sit and eat, much less swivel chairs to watch the show. On top of that, the HVAC seems to be lacking, as tonight’s show (the second I’ve seen at City Winery) was sweltering hot (even though the temps were in the mid 40s.) Plus, the servers were loud in the kitchen (which competed with the performance) and kept bumping into the chairs (I guess that may be unavoidable given the density of seating). It all makes for a significantly unpleasant concert experience.
Tonight, as my thigh was smashed against a stranger’s and I was sweating through my clothes and my back was hurting because my legs, shoulders and neck were at three different angles trying to see the stage and I wanted to visit the restroom but realized I couldn’t without asking six people to move, I decided I would rather see the performer at any other spot in NYC than The City Winery.
Five-​star performers; four-​star food; one-​star comfort.

I went there with a group of 8 to see David Wilcox and was pretty impressed by the venue. The stage was large and acoustics were great. I don’t think there was a bad seat in the house. You felt very connected to the artists.
We only got appetizers … scallops (delicious), buffalo cheese burrata, tuna carpaccio, avocado and feta toast, hummus, duck tacos, margherita pizza … all dishes were very good. There was a lot of wine at the table and while I am not a wine drinker, everyone else loved the selections. Service was great! I give them a lot of credit for navigating the room during the show and being very attentive to drink and food needs, even in darkness.
Pricing is pretty steep but everyone needs to splurge now and then. I am interested to see who else plays here because it is a great music venue. There is also a huge wine closet that I would love to get a tour of as well.

This is such a nice place, for dining, for drinking, or for doing both during a live show. We were greeted as soon as we stepped in the door, name checked off the list, and led to our table. My friend and I got tickets to see Art Alexakis’s solo acoustic show and we were 3 tables (4 tops) away from the stage. Great atmosphere, friendly people, good food, and wonderful show. We ordered a salad each (my Black Kale and her Little Gems were fabulous), and shared the Buffalo Mozzarella Flatbread and the French Fries with aioli (really good). I had a glass of Malbec, and I like that they leave wine bottles of room temp water on each table.
The best part was being able to meet Art after the show. He told the audience he would be at the t-​shirt & poster sale table by the door and he was, where he happily chatted and posed for pictures with his fans. This was handled very nicely by the staff; there was a civilized line that moved fairly quickly.
A few misses:
We were told by the server we could move our chairs around to get a better view of the stage without straining our necks. We were not able to do this because there wasn’t enough space. There was a larger man on my left so I had to sit at an angle in order to see Art. My friend on my right couldn’t see without doing the same. The people at the table to her right, the same. Fortunately, the couple across the table from us left 30 minutes into the show, so we moved into their seats and got a great view, so it worked out for all.
The Buffalo Mozzarella flatbread wasn’t as good as it sounded and was oliy.
I would still absolutely come back for a show; if you check out their website you can see they book some great acts.