LEI Restaurant and Lounge

Sliders are phenomenal and i don’t even like tofu. Roti also amazing. Scallion pancake meh. Bartenders can’t be beat. Do whatever they tell you to do.

Came here with my friends who are regulars and had an awesome time. The food was good, specially the scallion pancake! We stayed there for hours just drinking and talking about life. The staff was really nice and I also got to meet the owner. Can’t wait to go back!

A couple of my friends organized a Valentine’s Day happy hour here so my girlfriends and I came in for the event plus dinner. The dim sums are overpriced (I’m used to Chinatown prices) and very dry and bland. The main dishes are good and served in large, heaping proportions. The wait staff and bartenders were exceptional – friendly, helpful, and patient. It also didn’t hurt that they kept pouring us rounds of free shots.

Lei is a fantastic space with great bartenders and great food, and of course, a great atmosphere. I’ve come here a few times, and Julie and Danny (two of the bartenders) have never let us down. We’ve had some good times here, and spent New Year’s Eve 2010 here as a result. it was probably the best NYE party I’ve had out in NYC in a long time. The drinks were flowing, the music and crowd was fantastic, the food was delicious, and everyone had a great time.
I like the setup, with a long bar and small tables along the other side of the room, which makes it easy to mix and mingle or hide in a corner, depending on what you prefer. The menu is simple but delicious, which is all I can ask of any spot. The staff is consistently friendly, on spot, and overall awesome (thanks Jeff, Alvin, etc). The folks at the bar are a good mix of locals/​regulars and folks like me and my friends (not locals, but willing to travel cos we like this place).
It’s also a great spot to host an event, as it fits just enough people, and they have some good deals you can work out for open bar parties and other fun stuff, especially given that it’s Manhattan!
My one big fear is everyone will find out about Lei and then it will be crowded all the time. So please, folks, stagger your visits, I don’t want to get stuck waiting for you to leave so I can sit at the bar.

I am almost reluctant to promote a place that I like to regard as one of my little New York ‘secret’ awesome places– but the folks at Lei deserve it. The food is excellent. The owner makes her own family recipe of Tofu. I have always hated tofu. This dish is amazing. She totally turned me around on it– and you gotta try it.
The folks at Lei are super nice and you’ll feel like family in no time. They are welcoming in a way that is almost never found in NYC. Highly recommended.

At first I thought LEI was part of AcQua, but the two are not associated. LEI has a very nice, new interior with a modern look, but… there’s pretty much a dive bar crowd. Super nice bartender (Karen I think) that made super strong drinks, including a free shot.
There a small seating area to the right when you walk in, than a long bar along the east wall. Across from the bar are lower tables for dining. Along that same west wall there is a large projection TV, but otherwise I would suggest that LEI is not really the place to watch sports. Real clean bathrooms.

Hmm, wouldn’t recommend this place. Compared to other places in the area the place is over-​priced for the quality of the food… Was highly disappointed…

Came in on a regular weekday Happy Hour
Also my friend was Planning a Fundraising event at this location.
It’s pretty small but enough to bring people and enjoy in a private space.
The AC was pretty strong since the HOT weather (about 90 degree) was killing us.
Staff is pretty quick, a bit confusing.
Foodwise, I order a sliced tuna steak and it was fresh and delish.
My girlfriend Ordered a Pad Thai and she wasn’t satisfied at all (it was too blendd and there was more noodles than meat and veggies) Pretty filling tho, not just a small portion.
She recommend Samosa’s and other appetizers there.
Shrimp fried rice was plain also.
Drinks were O.K. Average price (about $ 10 for a regular cranberry vodka)
Bathrooms were spascious and clean.
Overall, it was just a typical lounge, nothing special. Décor was not bad, High ceilings (makes you feel comfy).

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!!! A huge WATER BUG came out to munch on my cucumber that fell on the floor. For anyone not familiar, a water bug resembles a REALLY big roach. When the bartender asked someone from the back to come out to find/​dispose of it he said «well, you are by the seaport, by the water» and then offered to take a mere 10% off the bill. He never even apologized or reacted at all surprised. Completely not acceptable in my opinion! I will NEVER go there again and would not recommend anyone else. Where there’s one water bug there are many more. Who’s to say they aren’t crawling all over the food in the back where the customers can’t see. I SAW ONE AND I’M DONE!

I came here recently with a group of girlfriends. It’s a bar/​lounge so we had dinner drinks and a few appetizers. The PAD THAI was delicious, one of the best I’ve had and the spring rolls were great. The bar is fully stocked and drink prices are pretty reasonable. The bartender even gave us free rounds after staying for over two hours. Definitely a hidden gem.

Came here with my co-​workers for happy hour and was very pleased with their service, food, and drinks. Their sangria is definitely worth checking out! This place just opened a few months ago and could use more business! Nice ambiance, good drinks and food = my go to place for happy hour in the Financial District.