Socialista

08/10/2008 Posted by Elianita

My friends and I went to celebrate my friends 26th birthday. Wish we went elsewhere........When we finally got in the place, it was pretty much empty! They try and make it look as though it is a high end "exclusive" place.....well its not! It is ugly, small and stinks! Wish we would have read the other reviews before going to this trashy "lounge"! Please don't WASTE your time at this place!!! I think is it seriously overated by the owner himself the ex doorman!

07/31/2008 Posted by msk83

Took a friend to Socialista (upstairs) for her birthday - it was a really fun time. Crowd was great and music was really good, dancing was fun - it was an enjoyable place to go, although I wasn't as blown away as I was hoping, what with all the hype. The caipirinhas were good. I wish the bar was open in the day with the daylight in through the windows, i think the decor might even be cooler then. I really liked the Cuban motif. It wasn't cheesy actually i thought it was surprisingly elegant for being a club. All in all I had a great time there - will definitely go back.

06/15/2008 Posted by uwsfls

I would disregard the review of the woman below who is clearly blown away by being let in somewhere. As someone who goes to Socialista and places of that ilk regularly, i'll tell you that it really depends on the night. By that I mean, some nights there will literally be 4 other people upstairs and it can be pretty boring. Other times it is a blast. It's not really the place you plan an evening around, you stop by for a few hours late night, either before or after Bungalow.

Pros: Good drinks, nice crowd, great bathroom attendant

Cons: Sometimes it is empty

04/19/2008 Posted by Moniq77

The waiters were friendly and nice but I cant say the same thing about the service speed. I didn't eat but people around was seemed to enjoy their food. "Socialista" their signature cocktail worths a try but mojito tasted kinda different from the ones I drank before. Nice atmosphere but not great.

Pros: nice atmosphere

Cons: slow service

03/12/2008 Posted by blobina

What, am I the only one that's ever been let in to Socialista? K, so apparently I'm the first reviewer. Let me just say, I LOVE this place. Yes, the door staff is very VERY picky. But other than that, it's one of my favorite places in the city. I went for girls' night with a friend on a Thursday around 10:30 or 11. We were first told that it was reservations only, and not being people to wait on line EVER (I don't do the lame club-line-in-thirty-degrees shiver dance, FORGET IT), we just decided to grab a drink at the restaurant downstairs since there is literally NOTHING else around here. The restaurant is pretty- we didn't eat. The drinks were great, though the bartender refused to give us any insight as to why the door staff is so hard to impress here. Just their thing I guess. We were invited upstairs to have a drink after one round. Yes, we were dressed up and looked very good. I won't lie. It makes a difference. Anyway, EVERYONE here is incredibly NICE. The bouncer was friendly and polite. The bartender was awesome-- he made us this insane red rum drink that was like some sort of culinary concoction with nutmeg and blood-oranges and stuff like that. He bought us a shot that had something to do with Ernest Hemingway ;). The bathroom attendant was a total sweetheart. The crowd was good looking, polite and well-dressed. The DJ was top notch and spun a perfect mix of music. Oh and the place is GORGEOUS. Nice open space, very cool bartop that looks like a relic from part of an old Cuban building (maybe I was drunk?)-- the palm trees were a little much, but to be honest I really felt like I could be in Cuba. Not that I've ever been there. Oh, and the staff wears the best "uniforms" I've ever seen. I think everyone should dress like that all the time. All in all, the hospitality here is great, the vibe is hot-- as long as you can get inside.

Pros: Amazing, friendly staff. Great music, great drinks, hot crowd. Gorgeous space.

Cons: No, the doorman wouldn't be impressed with you. Even if you are Jesus, Madonna, or Paris Hilton. He won't care. Drinks are $12-16. But they're delish and worth it.

02/27/2008 Posted by jessicalg

How many bored doormen does it take to turn away guests from a empty door? Apparently four if you're working at the new lounge Socialista, which has "no connection" to the overpriced mediocre restaurant right below with the same name. Despite advertisments on the website for Cuban music onTuesday nights in the upstairs lounge (strange isn't is considering they're not connected), we were summilarily turned away from a door crowded only with bouncers after eating in the DEAD restaurant next door. Service was poor and the food was nothing outstanding, but the real insult is that no one seems to care that you're there despite spending a pretty penny. Poor old Fidel would be sick just thinking about, even without the Hep A that was potentially served up along with the cocktails last week. Owners should watch out that someone doesn't sneak up and change lettering on door to read "Capitalista."

Pros: Reminder of what's annoying about NYC

Cons: Too many to list

02/21/2008 Posted by rapatalo

I went to a birthday party with over 15 people for dinner, and were under the impression (at least from their website) that we'd have no problem getting into the upstairs lounge. We were treated very rudely by the doorman, and after being told that there was a $15 cover, that we needed to be on the guest list regardless. I can't stand pretentious establishments. Despite the good food and the cool ambiance, I won't go back.

Pros: food, ambiance

Cons: doorman to upstairs lounge, rude service