The Folly

One of the best nights out in the city I’ve had in a long time! Went to The Folly for a birthday party and thought everything about it was great. Ambiance was good– not super crowded– Sat night dj was super fun– staff was really nice and helpful. We even brought in our own cake to celebrate. Would definitely go back!

Have stepped it up with some great food fare and bartenders. Keep it up guys. Tough area to survive in. Your doing great.

Happy hour until 8 $ 6 wines and beers — great vibe inside with robes, wood and stone feels like it’s on a boat with a small menu of seafood inspired dishes …
We tried the shrimp poboy and fries with cod tots. The cod tots were a little disappointing. Maybe because I don’t like cod? Hahahaha should have known better.
The shrimp poboy was just good. There was a lot of bread, the spicy mayo didn’t really have any bite and the shrimp were large but a little bland.
Fries were delicious though. Next time I’ll come for happy hour and go somewhere else for dinner.

BEST Fish tacos ever! Someone in the kitchen knows what they’re doing.
Corn tortillas, generous avocado, perfect sauce, large pieces of fish. Three make a meal!

Great atmosphere: dark, eclectic music, regular folks having a great time. Happy Hour until 8pm and bartender was straightforward and prompt. Didn’t expect to eat dinner here, but grabbed snacks because the small menu was interesting. Not disappointed by the salt cod tots!

Came here for a quick dinner on a Saturday night and was seated immediately. Many other locations in the neighborhood required reservations/​long waits and we were hungry. Our waiter Chase was very nice. Food was good, but the place is quite dim. Would be nice if it was a little brighter. The interior décor is unique — kind of like a ship. It’s a good casual place for happy hour with friends. I’ll be back again!

Went during happy hour on a Saturday. Pretty empty but as soon as I stepped in I had to exclaim how cute the interior was. Happy hour drinks were $ 6 – 7 and we got the Ceviche and Basket of Fries with Sriracha Ketchup and Mayo. Highly suggest the fries but skip the Ceviche, wasn’t good at all. Service was great, super friendly and quick waitress who helped us with anything we needed. Overall had a great time though, definitely will come by again.

I had my birthday party here and it was a hit and a night to remember. I reserved the booth in the front so that my friends had the option to sit or put their coats down. I was able to set up my birthday banner and cupcakes as well. When making the reservation with Aaron, he was able to accommodate all my requests and helpful with answering my questions. I initially wanted to make a reservation at Hill and Dale but this place is unique and I would definitely come back.
Pros: PainKiller Drink is Amazing, Black and White Photobooth, Happy Hour till 8PM, Mix of Top 40 and 90’s music t.

Came here for a holiday party — cute space! We were all the way in the back upstairs in this private area. Got a little hot, but we quickly fixed that by opening the windows.
There was a bit of a mix-​up when we got there with regards to what was included in the open bar… kind of annoying, but I guess in the end they settled on just wine/​beer. The space did start to get a little cramped for the number of people we had, but I think the place has a lot of character :) Would probably be a good place on a regular basis for casual drinks!
The little finger foods they served for our party were pretty good too — I remember seeing some chip dips that were amazingly cheesy, some mini lobster burgers, arancini balls, and some others.

A solid 4-​star experience surprisingly. It’s in the basement of a building, but the staff are super friendly and they have a good crowd that frequents The Folly. They have a great beer list and offer Angry Orchard on tap. The bar food is also amazing. It’s all sea food, but try the shrimp mac and cheese or their fries (some of the best fries I’ve had!). I ordered the shrimp po boy and it was average. I wouldn’t make a special visit here, but if you’re in the area and need a more affordable place to meat, come on it. The staff are also friendly!

So inconsiderate. I made a reservation on November 24^th for a group of 8 for a holiday dinner with my coworkers today (Dec. 16^th). They called me 6 hours before our reservation to tell me that due to a private party, they would not be able to serve us.
They had 3 weeks to let me know they wouldn’t be able to accomedate us so I could make a reservation somewhere else. Not cool.

Happy hour on the weekend?! Say no more.
Stopped in for some drinks because of a quick Unilocal search and sign outside announcing their happy hour.
I stuck with a rum & Coke and my bf got a frozen rum drink. Both were good.
Our waiter was friendly, quick and professional.
It reminded me of a bar in Paris I went to. They had pretty cool seating and it definitely had a nice vibe. It wasn’t too crowded for an early evening on a Saturday.
I would go back!

My hubby and I were actually en route to Botanica when we decided to stop into the Folly. Then in our 36 hours in New York we returned another time with friends, spending at least 11% of the entire trip or20% of our waking hours at this fabulous bar. Yes! I did the calculations.
First of all, it’s a damn shame the lighting is so dim because the décor is very thoughtful. Think gorgeous navy blue + gold wallpaper, outdoor wood floor decking as ceiling tiles, tufted benches, metal drum stools, hella fresh plants.
Note to self: need to get my hands on that wallpaper. None of the employees knew any information on it.
Clearly, the décor alone had me drooling. I typically hate «nautical» themed anything, too!
As for the drinks, I shared quite a few of the cocktails with my husband and friend, but the Painkiller grog (coconut crème /​nutmeg) was the highlight. This is including the other grog option, which honestly tasted like frozen OJ. Paper straws are a tasteful touch.
As if the above weren’t enough (or as if what I’m about to say wouldn’t be enough on it’s own, which it is): the DJ was DOOOOOPE.
What a great new addition to the neighborhood! Well done, Folly.

Don’t be fooled by the unassuming exterior — step insider The Folly to find a magical, nautical hideaway that feels like it’s been there for years (in the best of all possible ways). Nifty memorabilia lines the walls to make you feel like you’re inside some kind of cross between Captain Ahab’s ship quarters and Ariel’s mermaid grotto. The ever so slightly underground locale just adds to the vibe.
The neon sign out front doesn’t lie. There are rum drinks to be had here– and tasty ones at that. And friendly folks serving them. Come unleash your inner Jack Sparrow for an evening.

I went to the city on a Monday night for drinks and food. I had a nice buzz and was feeling good. And I looked on Unilocal for another place to try. The Folly had 4.5 starts and good reviews so I decided to check it out.
When you walk it was dead but I expected that on a Monday night and was welcomed by newly hired bartender Olivia, who was great she is the reason I didn’t give the Folly 1 star. She was very welcoming and felt like family.
It was a nice low lite intimate place where everything was going good and I thought it was gunna be a good dining experience.
There was quite a long wait for drinks and food. Being that there was only one couple besides me in there. Way too long.
And then the food came out. I ordered fish tacos and they brought out pork tacos. it’s so dark in there I didn’t know until I bit the pork taco and knew it wasn’t fish. And that bite was terrible anyway the pork was dry and I had to spit it out. So I ate some of the lobster mac and cheese. It’s was ok but wasn’t much lobster. The fish tacos finally came out and they weren’t that great either. I have had way better fish tacos at other places.
I was very disappointed on how slow service was as well as getting my order wrong. The bartender was very apologetic but the damaging mental imprint of the Folly has been imbedded in my head. I probably would never go back there again. There are too many other places in NYC that you can try for better service and food.
I’m not one to bash service but this was beyond bad. It was slow, the cooks in the kitchen made the wrong food and the food wasn’t even that great. Maybe it was the bad service flavor that was still in my mouth that tainted the whole dining experience.
P. S. I’m talking about the food service not Olivia’s service. She was great.

Food: Really Good
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Really Good
Stopped here by chance to grab lunch between meetings. I had salted cod tater tots and the shrimp poboy. The tots were really good even though they were a bit salty for but they did have salted cod in them so what else would I expect.
The poboy was tangy deliciousness.
There is a really cool laid back vibe here and the décor is really unique and inviting.
The server helping us was just on top of everything.
I also tried Q cola here and all I can say why has no one told me about it, I highly recommend it if you are in a mood for a less sweet coke.
Will be back

I checked out the Folly for a quick dinner during the week. I sat at the bar and ordered a soda with lime and the fried seafood meal.
The food was a bit salty — over salted. Maybe the batter had an accident in the kitchen. The tartar sauce was good and homemade — you could see fresh dill in it.
It was kinda meh. It was ok — but he bar was very sterile and quiet. I was looking for some more life and scene. Maybe I’ll try again on a busier night.

Definitely would recommend the lobster mac and cheese! It was delicious.

I’d really like to pump up The Folly both because it deserves plaudits and because it’s a welcome neighborhood bar that’s neither dive nor ritzy. Funny, because the first once or twice I tried to sell my gf on it, she was turned off by the loud noise and heavy presence of twentysomethings, but I suspect it was just weekend night pandemonium.
Probably my favorite thing about The Folly is the creative ambiance that actually works great functionally. When you first enter, descending into a castle dungeon or a ship’s hull (also, the space formerly occupied by Zirzamin), and as soon as you enter the room, it’s like a cool breeze blows past you. The modern bar area is to your left, with friendly bartenders, and to the right are nautically themed nooks and crannies for all sorts of second/​third-​date canoodling. Further down, an alley of bar stools and a group seating corner. Upstairs, a private little hideaway with couches, ottomans, and those wicker chairs that look like stripped bongo drums.
On Cinco de Mayo, when the rest of the world was busy downing margaritas at mediocre nearby traps like Panchitos and Bamboleo, The Folly was a wonderful respite from the outside world. I came in just before 6, as a happy hour work group was clearing out. They were light-​staffed and it took the waitress a few minutes to get upstairs, but we were soon off on our happy hour drinking. (HH is noon-​8 pm btw, very generous). Windows to the adjoining garden were open, allowing us to enjoy the springtime weather while safely in the confines of our maritime lounge.
Since it WAS technically 5/​5, we did partake of a few margaritas, but this is definitely not the specialty of the house. You’ll want to stick with beers or try out a few of the cocktails, or even a grog. The food menu is pretty short, but it packs in some good stuff. My Shrimp Po’ Boy with spicy mayo and red onion served on a baguette, was five-​star material. The grilled octopus skewers are small but well priced at $ 6, and pretty good. Also on offer are lobster mac and cheese and fish fry options, as well as chicken meatball skewers, burgers, and other bar-​friendly bites.
Final verdict: The Folly is a well-​appointed and unpretentious bar that classes up the street (it’s what Rogue and Canon wanted to be, and better). Come off-​peak after work, when it really shines, or for a weeknight date.

If The Folly were truly eponymous then by golly, this fool erected the most delightful sly-​grog shop east of the Hudson.
A dimly lit interior leads the way to a wooden bar, lined with stools, across from which are several wooden booths, lying in wait for libations that are to come. The drink menu, simple yet satisfying, consists of a few handcrafted cocktails, wines, and beers.
If one is willing to venture deeper into the landscape one will find another, shorter bar, at which one can stand or sit and sip, and finally a set of stairs, leading to a loft-​like lounge.
Sometimes, a lack of good sense is all it takes.
By golly, what a great folly.