Employees Only

The food menu is nice, good, great — but not so amazing that I have to go back for the food.
The drinks and atmosphere on the other hand… the drinks are great, balanced, flavorful, and the bartenders definitely know what they’re doing both on and off the menu. The atmosphere when I went was somewhat loud, pretty packed by the bar area, so if you’re not getting a table, don’t be claustrophobic. And if you are getting a table, don’t have old sensitive ears — you may not have to scream for your date to hear you like at a club, but you certainly can’t talk at normal room level or whisper like at a raine’s law room.
And what about that logo — probably the best logo of all the nyc speakeasies.

Amazing, amazing, amazing… the best bartenders (see Steve, try his pisco sour!), a moody and electric interior, otherworldly cocktails… and what service! First time there yet they were so welcoming to the point that I felt like a favorite customer, or an old friend.
I visited Dead Rabbit, Please Don’t Tell, and Death & Co. in the following two days (my liver needs a break), and all I gotta say is… EO knows what it takes to cultivate the superior bar experience. I really wish I could give this place 6 stars. I’m a bartender and am so encouraged by this establishment and their staff… no arrogance, just talent and passion. They are genuinely happy to be there — so, their customers are too. Superb bars do exist.
Do not miss!

Cocktails are out of this world. A little pricey tho.
Everyone is friendly and not pretentious! We had Dinner at The Quarter restaurant next to door and then headed to EO ! Great place as well so definitively recommending both

Review on just the bar:
I had a late dinner planned that night at a different location and wanted to kill time so my friend and I went in on a whim.
The bouncer was very nice and he let us in after checking our IDs, and as soon as we entered we saw 2 seats at the bar, seemed like a miracle because the rest of the place was packed on a Monday (holiday Monday).
The drinks here are deliciously strong. I love to drink and can hold my liquor but a combination of hunger+ strong drink made me happy tipsy after just one drink.
The ginger smash was delicious, exactly what I needed for my soar throat.
I would definitely come back.

We went to Employees Only on whim last night and it was a great call. We were lucky enough to get a seat at the less crowded end of the bar. Dev was our bar tender and he was AWESOME! The drinks were fantastic, there were four of us and we each ordered different drinks and we were all very happy. The food was also excellent. I had the steak tartare, which is the best I have had in the city without question. I also had the brussel sprouts and the cheesecake which were both very good. My crew had the lamb chops, prawns, gnocchi, and potatoes and all the dishes got rave reviews.
The place was really busy for a freezing Wednesday night, but with great drinks, awesome food, a really cool speakeasy vibe and great staff I can understand why. I am counting down until my next visit, and I would definitely recommend the place to friends!!!

Food: Very Good
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent
I have been wanting to come here for a while finally came here after watching sleep no more on a Monday around 10 PM and were seated with in 10 minutes.
The first thing that struck me about this place is how nice the staff is from the people at the door to the hosts and the servers. They were warm welcoming, gracious and attentive.
The space is kind of small and the bar area was very crowded and the dinning area was less crowed even though all tables were full. The crowd was a mix of middle 20’s to 40’s. All decked out and having a good time.
The food was delicious. The marrow poppers are as good as people say. We tried the black bass and the shrimp entrees and they were amazing too full of flavor and perfectly cooked.
I highly recommend this place and will be back.

An amazing place to stop by for a drink and dinner, a bit hidden, but that’s the point I think. Excellent service, the owner greeted us and sat down and talked for a bit. Busy, young crowd in a awesomely boisterous bar. The dining area was off to the side but still part of the hustle and bustle of the place. The cocktails were amazing and the food was delectable. If you can handle it after their generous dinner portions, their mascarpone cheese cake is heaven in your mouth! My boyfriend and I will certainly be returning on our next visit to NYC.

I’ve heard lots of good things about Employees Only, so when I finally came here for dinner and drinks, I was pretty excited and expectations were high. I walked away disappointed.
Let’s start with the rude bouncer at the door. It was a week night, early dinner (around 7), yet there was a bouncer stationed outside the door interrogating me about every single detail of my reservation (which I had, by the way). Is this really necessary? It’s a restaurant/​bar, not the meatpacking.
I finally make it inside, wait for my party to arrive, and order a drink at the bar. The bar area is really, really small. Now I know why the wait is so long! The legal capacity of this place is probably 20 people, and the layout feels like a fire hazard.
The drinks I had were fine. But for $ 16 a pop, I was expecting more inventive and exciting options. A lot of the options on the menu seemed fairly simple. Being a big cocktails and speakeasy fan, I feel like this place just cannot compare to true heavyweights like the Dead Rabbit and the original Milk & Honey. $ 16 is probably one of the most expensive cocktails at a bar in the city, and I definitely would not choose to come back, wait in line, get harassed by the bouncer, to pay $ 16 a cocktail here.
The dinner we had was surprisingly good. No one really talks about the food at Employees Only, so I was pleasantly surprised. I will say it felt a bit pricy and portions were small compared to the price ($ 23 cheese plate?!), but overall the meal was enjoyable.
Net net, the experience of coming here is way more trouble than it’s worth.

Employees Only has been on my radar for only forever. I feel like it’s one of the hardest bars to get into because it’s always packed. And rightfully so. We came in right when it opened and within an hour the entire place was stuffed.
It didn’t take long for it to become one of my top 3 favorite cocktail bars as soon as I saw the bartenders. They were all gorgeous and looked like aspiring actors/​models. And hot damn, my bartender looked like a younger Eric Bana. He was so funny and charming and witty and the list goes on. I was basically undressing the fuck out of him with my eyes all night long. And something about the way they all wore their uniforms and poured drinks with one swift hand movement just made me wild.
I drank way too much here… like 4 drinks. But my favorite was their «Maserati,» which was gin, basil, apple liqueur, lemon juice and chamomile. It was FLAWLESS.
I don’t know if I’ll come back here, because it’s always so packed which is why I ran up my tab as much as I could to get the most out of the experience. Excuse me, now I have to go back on riding my cloud 9 with Eric.

A fun little speakeasy located in West village, they don’t take reservations unless you are dining in. This place is pretty tiny and gets pretty packed so cross your fingers when you get in line. However, the hostess that was letting people in was pretty awesome. She took her time explaining the menu, found us a decent spot behind the bar, and even took our coats. A+ for service.
The atmosphere reminded me a lot of a speakeasy I went to to in France… from the décor down to the bartenders. They make some good drinks here which makes the crowd congestion a bit better. However, once you snag a spot at the bar though, you’re golden… just be prepared to fight for it.
4 stars.

Drinks are really good and it’s fun vibe but it does get especially crowded by the bar, to the point where people are bumping into you when they’re squeezing by and it’s hard to here. HOWEVER, there is a seating area in the back (also a bit of a squeeze) but it makes the whole experience way better. People were semi dancing by the tables and you could hear friends and no fighting the bar crowd!

All the cocktails that your heart could dream made by artisan bartenders. Fantastic ambiance. Speakeasy in west village. Absolutely love this place.

I stopped in for a quick drink before dinner. No complaints about the drink or place, I will have to update this after spending more time there.

5s all around. Food, drinks, décor, service, music.
Came here with my boyfriend last night, requested a corner table (they have a lot of those two person date tables) and we were accommodated. Had a 9:45pm reservation got there 9:15pm and were quickly seated. But if you don’t have a dinner reservation the line was pretty long for the bar and the bouncer looks kind of beat on letting anyone in.
Food was so amazing, as well as the drinks and very very knowledgeable waitress.
Absolutely go. There were tables or 4 and 6 but I wouldn’t suggest going with more as it isn’t a huge space. Just make a reservation!

We visited here as part of a speakeasy tour and got to hear a bit about the history of this place and the number of awards for their drinks and bartender, including «World’s Best Bar» a few years back. Disguised by a red ‘psychic’ sign, you’ll pass through a curtain to the beautiful, long bar with a dining area up the few stairs in the back. We were only here for drinks so I can’t speak to the food (which looked to be delicious), but the drinks were excellent. We opted for the bellini (a favorite cocktail of mine) and the billionaire cocktail. Both were excellent and made with care. At $ 15/​each, we found the price to be expected for such a bar. The drink menu is extensive and you’d have a tough time finding something that didn’t tickle your fancy. Major downside here is the crowds — it’s a decent sized place but very popular.
A must-​try for cocktail lovers or people looking for a cool NYC experience!

This place is THAT good that I had to immediately write a review. A friend of mine had recommended this place and decided to check it out. Place has a really nice ambiance to it. Has a very French/​modern feel. We sat at the bar and bartenders are very professional and friendly.
I had ordered a cocktail called lazy lover, which is a Levon cachaça and jalapeño infused green chartreuse shaken with Benedictine fresh lime juice and agave nectar. It tastes amazing as it sounds. It also gave me a good buzz so extra kudos.
We also ordered two tapas, one was called ricotta gnocchi with oyster mushrooms parsnips and madiera. The other one was called bone marrow poppers which is bone marrow on pastry shells and bordelaise. Both very delicious but my favorite has got to be the bone marrow poppers. I swear, the first time I put one in my mouth I heard angels singing. Such a tiny dish but has so much flavors in it. I wish I didn’t share. I wanted more!
Their appetizers impressed me beyond comprehension, I wish I was able to try their entrées, but wasn’t hungry enough for a big dish at that time. If their appetizers was THAT good, I’m sure their main dishes would be even better. It may be a bit pricey. But it is worth it. Will definitely come back here and try out the rest of items on the menu. HIIIIGHLLYYY recommend going here. DOOO ITTT!!!

Employees Only was a pleasant surprise for me. I didn’t have an opportunity to dine and mt group and i were relegated to some far corner of the bar. The place was packed; overflowing with 30 something (the new twenty something) emerging financiers and their hipster-​chic clad men.
I ordered a Cosmopolitan the others ordered something else. Despite my white cosmo being overly sour I gave them a pass on the basis the quality of the crowed that assembled – at least on the evening that I attended – at EO and the friendly staff that served them. I’ll be back…

Disappointing! I was expecting more from this place.
The good:
— Inside the coatcheck ladies were really cool about asking if we would like to check our coats and bags. Also asked if we wanted to use a table currently unoccupied but we were waiting for another friend so we declined.
— Drinks are ok– enjoyed mine (although I have had better.) Bartenders are fast enough.
These two points explain the stars I gave this place.
The bad:
— Get ready to pretend you’re trying to get into a club. They got a bouncer and everything. I thought I was just getting a cocktail!
— The place is majorly crowded. Crowd leans more towards pretentious and Murray Hill (when here I thought I was in the West Village…)
— When I buy a cocktail Im not really trying to stand around and balance everything. They need more areas for people to stand and place their cocktails. Too much of a hassle.
Plenty of other cocktail spots in the city without the hassle. Thanks but no thanks.

Yuck yuck yuck.
From the pretentious lady at the door, to all the rude people throughout the place… never again.
The place was absolutely packed so they treated it as if you were getting into a club (minus the line-I’m assuming they just sent people away). My friend put his name down before I made it to that part of town. Two of my friends went inside before I got there. When I arrived to the door I immediate got snooty vibes (saying it politely) from the woman at the door. I told her the name of my friend who was inside and she goes ‘oh they’ve been waiting for you’ (maybe she was trying to be friendly but it came across as anything but). I go inside and the bar is packed and there are small tables with people eating dinner directly next to it. I’m walking by and my butt is just about grazing people’s steaks. They also have a fireplace going that will literally burn you as you walk past. Ehh.
So we finally find some space and order our $ 16 drinks. Now I was skeptical about this because drinks are rarely worth $ 16 in my opinion. However, my drink was actual good. Only reason this place got 2 stars. Shoutout to the bartender!
As we are enjoying our drinks 2 girls move away from the bar. My friend goes to sit down and some boy says ‘you can’t sit there’. Where in the heck are people’s manners?! How about ‘my friend stepped away for a moment and I am saving her seat’ or ‘my friend is coming back, when she comes back do you mind giving it back to her’. Idk there were a million ways to be polite about this situation and he couldn’t find one. Then when the friend came back she was rude as well. Maybe I shouldn’t judge the entire place on 3 or 4 people but I am going to.
I have no desire to go back! #rude #snooty #yuck

Packed even at 3 am. This place definitely has a good vibe and I can see why it draws such a crowd. The crowd is mostly early/​mid-​20s. There’s slightly dancy music so you see some people casually busting out some moves but it seems that most people are sitting at tables or by the bar.
We ordered the Thunder in Paradise and the Maserati. Both were high quality cocktails. The former was very sweet and tropical. The latter was more tart and packed slightly more of a punch. I’m not sure if the mixology here beats out some of the other cocktail bars I’ve been too, but I definitely really liked the drinks. Together with the ambience, I’m a fan of this place. Seems pretty difficult to get in normally though, so glad I tried it!

My fiancée found this bar on the Top 50 Best Bars list and boy was it awesome.
You won’t see a sign out front, just a red «psychic reading» neon sign in the window. We got there and hour early so headed to another bar until they opened. When we came back there was line to get in. We waited for over 30 minutes before getting in, but I’d say it was worth it.
The ambiance had a 1930’s feel to it with black and white photos on the walls. The music was good and the vibe was trendy. The cocktails were fresh and superb. I can’t wait to back and try the food.

This «speakeasy» has had its 15 minutes, and now the baton has passed to other bars in the area (Little Branch). A cocktail bar should be judged on 2 qualities: 1) quality and ability to «craft» a cocktail, and 2) intimacy of space. Employees only won the best bar in NY award a couple of years ago, but now they just make cocktails off of a list instead of crafting them. Additionally, this bar is such a scene. There is loud club music playing, and people are yelling and dancing.
It feels much more like Meatpacking than West Village. Some people might like that though.
2 stars is a strongly negative review, but I will not be back. There are so many better cocktail bars in the city.

The Quiet Storm is essentially my dream cocktail. And it goes down so easy. Bourbon and rooibos? Yes. SIGN ME UP. The cocktails are well made and strong. It definitely a spot that you should check out if you’re into the speakeasy scene. It’s the $ 16 NYC standard for a good cocktail.
The food was okay. I’m a huge fan of bone marrow but the bone marrow poppers were pretty meh. Also, finding space to put a place down at the bar can be a bit of a struggle.
The crowd is interesting. It has a hipster trust fund baby kind of crowd to it. It adds a weird layer of bougie but if you can get a seat at the bar or a reservation, it’s a speakeasy that’s worth checking out. But if there’s an intense line out the door, you wouldn’t be missing out on too much if you went somewhere else.

IS it a speakeasy? Or is it just a regular bar/​restaurant? But why would it be a ‘regular’ bar/​restaurant anyway? It’s extraordinarily lovely with well-​mixed drinks equipped with an incredible staff. Employees Only offers only their very best.
Tip: Get there early as a group of people will already be by its door, antsy to barge in. I’m one of them, thank you very much.

Burlesque dancer comes out and disrobes on sundays only.
The cheesecake is OMG. So is the brownie/​pudding.
The skate (fish) is amazing.
I wish I could write more but this is one of the restaurants I go where I don’t talk. I just eat and hope everyone else has nothing to say to me.

I would give it a 4.5 if I had the option!
A girlfriend and I came on a stormy Friday night and the place was still packed! We came relatively early (around 9) and got in without trouble. When we left just before 10, there was already a line and people needed to wait to get in.
We ran into someone who used to bartend there and got some great recommendations. I got a Manhattan, up. While I prefer whiskey drinks I’m usually not a huge fan of the Manhattan since it could be quite strong. However, I was told that EO is the place in New York to get the drink, so I had to try it — and I’m glad I did! It was strangely smooth, still strong but nice to sip on.
The bartenders all seemed really friendly, and put on a show as they made the drinks. They’re attentive, and got each customer sitting at the bar a glass of water before they asked.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this bar for anyone looking for a cool place to hang out in West Village. Also would be a cute place for a date.
The reasons for not giving it 5 stars — (1) limited restrooms (only 2 in total), (2) drinks on the pricier side, (3) my friend got the Amelia and while she enjoyed the drink while having it, didn’t sit well with her after.

I’ve been here a few times after work for drinks but this specific review is for their bone marrow poppers.
I have yet to ever come to this bar where there are seats available. It’s a very popular kinda hidden place that everyone seems to be at. I ordered my normal old fashioned (great by the way) and I wanted to always try this poppers. First of all, I love bone marrow. If it’s on the menu, I order them. These peppers were so good. You get three per order, and I wish it was ten. The pastry is cooked perfectly and it literally melts in your mouth. If you’re contemplating these poppers, stop thinking and just order. You won’t regret it.

Was happy to finally be able to check this place out after seeing it for years. I think I first heard of it when I watched the Netflix documentary «Hey Bartender.» Oddly enough on the Sunday night I went in, the same guy from the documentary was at the bar.
There is no sign out front, just a sign that says «Psychic» in neon letters in the window. So you have to look for the address, or you can simply look for the large bouncer standing outfront guarding the place, who was very nice.
We went in around 6:30p with a reservation after reading the reviews on how busy the place could get, at 6:30p on a Sunday night though it wasn’t too busy at all and we ended up sitting at the bar instead of a table. All of the drinks were great, they have a menu selection but also were willing to make non-​menu drinks. I had one drink, I think he called it a «yankee notion» — that was amazing (bourbon and mezcal).
As good as the drinks were, the food itself was pretty amazing as well. After an appetizer and a salad I had the Orecchiette (w/​Spicy Pork Sausage, Tomato, & Arugula) for dinner. Even if you don’t drink, it would be worth going to this place just to have another plate of that.
All in all it was great, not cheap, but well worth it. Two people, six drinks, 3 appetizers and two entrees was about $ 250. Next time I may skip the appetizers and just try to eat one of those giant steaks I see pictures of.

I visited this restaurant last year and it definitely made an impression on me because it was so expensive. My friend and I were there for dinner and after looking through the menu I wondered why we didn’t wait until restaurant week to visit. LOL. Don’t get me wrong, we had a great time and the food was good but just too pricey. I am not a big drinker so when my drink cost almost the amount of an entrée I get nervous.
We started with cocktails and I had the «Amelia– Aylesbury Duck Vodka & St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur Shaken with Puréed Blackberries & Fresh Lemon Juice» which was good but not uhmmm I need to get another one, especially for the price. For my dinner entrée I had the duck confit salad and the bacon wrapped lamb chops Duck Confit with the Orecchiette which was uhm uhmm yummy. It was definitely a great combination but anything with bacon is tasty for us pork eaters. LOL. For dessert I had the Caramel & Fudge Brownie chocolate pudding which was layered with the flavors of hazelnut, caramel and fudge and it was scrumptious.
The staff were real cool and accommodating. The bar area got packed real quickly with the after work crowd. I am not sure if they had happy hour. This is a spot I would check out again during restaurant week just to save some coins.

The environment is great! Good for close friends to meet and good for date. Drinks are quite unique, I ordered Ginger Squash, it tastes nice! If you like ginger ale. This could be a perfect choice. The food is good on average. My friends’ bass is wonderful cooked. I ordered whole wheat Spaghetti, it was totally tasteless. I felt it was like a diet dish. So don’t recommend it all. The bone marrow was the best I have ever had! Also tata is strongly recommended! Dessert is amazing! We ordered pudding and cheesecake, very surprisingly tasteful.

Employees Only né se voit pas, pas d’enseigne (il faut demander aux gens du quartier) n’y allez pas avant 6 pm, ça ouvre pille à l’heure même si plusieurs personnes attendent dans la rue, mais une fois à l’intérieur vous avez l’impression de faire un voyage dans le temps. L’ambiance est extra, le service irréprochable et les cocktails délicieux. A faire et à refaire.