Crimson & Rye

This place was a bit confusing at first, but once the reality settled in, we accepted the fact that this bar is in fact the lobby to an office building. Talk about living the American Dream! We had a party of 12 and we were able to get seated pretty quickly at around 11pm on a Saturday night.
The cocktails were excellent as was the service. The background music was nice too. This bar definitely caters to a slightly more upscale but casual crowd. Definitely one of the better bars you can visit in midtown.

I work at 919, the building next door to where Crimson & Rye is. I’ve been several times after work for drinks and a snack, and I always enjoy what I have.
To eat, I usually get the ahi tuna tacos — they are lovely. The shell cracks and they can get messy after one bite, so be prepared going in! The tuna tartare is very zesty and citrusy in an unexpected way; the pulled pork tacos have a bit of spice to them. The wagyu beef hot dog is solid as well.
For cocktails, I stick with darker spirits… the Doctor’s Note is a favorite, and I’ve also enjoyed the namesake Crimson & Rye, and the Man About Town. I think the Seelbach is the only drink I had that I didn’t love.
Obviously expensive because of the location… but surprisingly it’s not only filled with suits! I think all types of people who work in the area come here for a drink after work.

Great place to hang out with friends and have good conversations. Nice atmosphere chill music and great food. Mcson is amazing! He is awesome at mixing drinks and putting on a show while he does it.

Their happy hour is from 8pm until close, which was nice and unexpected for grabbing after-​dinner drinks with friends. This place is good for conversation and they have large, comfortable sofas and chairs to lounge in. The only awkward part is that since the place is in the lobby of an office building, you need to go to the office restroom, which requires you to tell the security guard. Who has to walk you to the bathroom. And wait for you to finish so s/​he can escort you back to the bar!

Awesome looking place, and great concept, who knew that one could pull off setting up a bar inside the lobby of an office building, incredibly stylish and sleek, this is definitely one of the more unique lounges located in midtown.
The interior and fantastic design was a huge draw for me. Not one for obscenely loud pubs/​bars I always look forward to places where I can sit, relax, take in the atmosphere, and enjoy a strong drink or two, this place definitely fits the description. In addition to the décor the drink I ordered here was incredibly strong and the drink menu extensive as well. The alcohol menu carried a HUGE array of drinks and options and was not watered down at all, which is a huge plus since watering down drinks seems to be an industry standard, I ordered from their silver whiskey selection.
The only reason this establishment was not a 5 star in my book was the way the bathroom is set up. What seemed like an extremely cool and intriguing places, quickly loses its appeal when you have to go to an office lobby to get directed to an elevator to be escorted down to the bathroom, it really hits you then, that you’re hanging out in an office lobby, and nobody needs to be reminded of the soul draining setting that is more commonly known as the workplace/​office.
Overall a great place for casual drinks

Nice ambiance, pretty packed tonight. It’s a Friday evening and I’m visiting from Chicago for the first time ever, and «I love NY» too! My friend and I are having a good time. I’m having rose wine, they are having cabernet. We’re enjoying it. We’re at the bar, but there are small tables with comfy leather looking booths set up all around. the music’s pretty good. We’re not ordering any food from the small menu because we are on a mission to Broadway! I’d stop here in Crimson and Rye again while visiting NY. Overall, I can dig it… I like it and I love NY!

Located in the lobby of «The Lipstick Building,» this is the most sophisticated cocktail bar in midtown east. It isn’t trendy or flashy – just a nice place to have a drink after work in midtown. The bartenders are experienced and able to mix requests that are not on their list. Many midtown bartenders only know the recipes for drinks on their cocktail list – not the case here. The well items are also above average. The food items are limited. I usually order the olives, tacos or tuna tartar. It’s hard to describe, but the feel of the place is like something out of the Madmen TV series. Very mid-​50s in terms of décor. It’s definitely worth a visit.

So my buddies and I were having dinner in the area and we wanted to find a cocktail bar to come to after dinner– Crimson & rye was on my list for quite a while so it was the perfect occasion to come check it out.
We arrived close to midnight more and were seated right away. They offer outdoor seating if you’re trying to smoke, and the indoor seating is well designed. The bar itself is in the corner of a building’s lobby, but they make it work.
The drinks here are all of cocktail lounge standards. My buddies and I bounce around mixology/​cocktail lounges which is why we selected to come here rather a typical bar. The bartenders are definitely generous with their drinks and they’ll definitely pack a punch when you start to drink them. My only complaint was that with their whisky sour, they forgot to add the syrup which removes the acidic taste to it. We were able to drink our whisky sour but it had a acidic punch making it a bit more difficult to drink. With that being said, I’m sure it was just an isolated incident and they always include the syrup for that drink. Its definitely worth checking out especially if you’re in the area and want to avoid going downtown where most of the cocktail lounges are.

Came here on a Thursday evening at around 8pm. Crimson and Rye does their happy hour a little differently, it’s reversed, so it starts at 8pm, and goes until close. I live in the area, so I think this is an awesome idea!
This space is relatively new, and pretty much always packed with people. There is bar seating as well as tables and couch areas for groups. When it’s nice out, the outdoor seating is also awesome. it’s an amazing space but is a little on the noisier side. Because it is located in the lobby of the lipstick building, if you have to use the bathroom, you have to check with the person at the front desk of the lobby, who guides you to the guy in the elevator, who gives you a key to the bathroom. It’s a little bit of an ordeal, but it’s not actually that far which is nice.
We made a reservation for 6 people at 8pm. We showed up a little before 8pm to find people sitting at our table. It took a while for them to clear our table, bring us chairs, take our order for food and drinks. If it were a normal bar/​restaurant, I would say the service was terrible, but because they were so busy, and it was happy hour on a Thursday, it was fine. Everyone that helped us was very nice, you could just tell they were swamped and doing their best.
They have a pretty good mixed drink selection as well as beer. I got the Seelbach which was really tasty and strong! Since we had a bunch of people, we ordered some food to share as well. It was all pretty good and well-​priced for what you got.
The Food:
WARM PRETZEL — beer cheese & bourbon mustard dipping sauces $ 7
It came out hot, and is delicious. The two dipping sauces are great as well. A great appetizer good for sharing.
KETTLE CHIPS — sour cream and garlic confit dip $ 7
This wasn’t anything special. Again, good for groups sharing, but I think I would have rather gotten 2 pretzels. To me, the chips didn’t taste like anything special. The sour cream dip was good, but I’m not a huge sour cream fan.
POPCORN — truffle salt or parmesan cheese $ 7
I’m a huge popcorn fan and this was very tasty! Smelled very much like truffle and was delicious. I would have liked the servicing size of this to be a bit larger, but it was good. Again, good for sharing.
PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA — fresh mozzarella, aged balsamic, evoo $ 14
Was pleasantly pleased with the portion size of this dish. Another great dish for sharing with a group. Prosciutto and fresh Mozzarella was delicious. Would definitely order this again!
We had a great time at Crimson and Rye, great atmosphere, good drinks, awesome space. Would most definitely recommend to others as well as come back again!

I had the great opportunity the other night to visit Crimson & Rye in the Lipstick Building for an Instagramer’s Meet and Greet. My gf, who runs @HungryNYC, brought me along as a +1 to enjoy the festivities. Even before going in, I could tell that the place was gorgeous — the large glass windows that make up half the walls ensures lots of natural sunlight during the day time and at night, gives it a cool, classy modern feel. We were invited by Vicky, who does some of the promotional work regarding the Charlie Palmer franchise including this bar and his various restaurants. She was very warm and friendly, hopping around from guest to guest and making sure everything was alright.
We started the night off with truffle popcorn (holy gawd almighty, you could smell its richness from miles away), ahi tuna tacos, and flatbread. The tuna tacos were delicious! The shells shattered after the first bite, but they were so good I just shoveled the pieces straight off the dish into my mouth (no time for manners when there is food to be eaten). Our table devoured everything within minutes (after half an hour of taking photographs of everything, of course). These dishes were followed up with more servings of the aforementioned foods and some new ones as well, such as a warm pretzel, roast beef sliders, pulled pork sliders, toast with cheese, and a charcuterie (is that spelled right? I have no idea) board. I am usually not a fan of roast beef, but these sliders were amazing! I think the tunas still ranked top of the list.
Drew, our waiter, provided us with the drinks for the night, ranging from the sweet, gin-​ny Lipstick Fizz to the more mellow Crimson & Rye, which had a wonderful flowery taste to it. I also had a Through the Woods, a tequila drink with cinnamon among other ingredients, which was excellent as well. He was very comfortable with us and spent time chatting with us. It was very great all around service! The live jazz in the background was also another MASSIVE plus. They played a lot of covers with a jazzy twist. Excellent music for the dark, classy ambiance of the bar.
To top it all off, we were graced with the presence of Charlie Palmer himself. Admittedly, I had no idea who he was at first, but I did my research after I was scolded thoroughly by my more knowledgeable girlfriend. Having such a reputation, I was quite surprised to find how kind he was. I didn’t get to speak with him much at all (next time!). I hope to be back at Crimson & Rye as well as check out the steak restaurants!

Maybe worth five stars, but based on my recent visit at least good for four. Classy looking place, modern décor. Large oval bar plus come tables along the walls. Bartender was very professional. Music was something current. I did not notice any flatscreens.
Cocktail and spirits menu is pages and pages long. Prices are moderate. A must-​try if you are in the area.

Came for my friend’s friend’s Lipstick Wall party & have to say it’s one of the most unique bars I’ve ever been to (I’ve been living in NYC for 8 years)! It’s located in the Lipstick building (building is literally shaped like a lipstick) and is centered in the lobby but surrounded by ½ walls which was cool.
We had the Lipstick Fizz drink served to us in a punch bowl and sipped it out of teacups which was the cutest thing ever. The drink was amazing (unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try anything else, but my friends did and it looked/​smelled AWESOME). Seems like a great place for fancy small plates & nice cocktails. Also heard that there is live jazz music from 8 – 11 on Wednesdays which I am definitely coming to.
Would like to come back & try the food & other cocktails!

Crimson & Rye is in the north half of the lobby floor of the Lipstick Building.
Spacious, large cocktail/​beer/​wine menu. Indoor and outdoor seating.
The service can be slow and the food/​drinks are a bit pricey, but you can’t beat the atmosphere, both inside and out.
And the staff is very friendly — they even helped us arrange our seating (several times) so our large party could fit together.
My top drink pick: The Picked and Dirty (dirty martini +pickle juice). Tastes just the way it sounds.
Check out $ 1 oyster happy hour and drink specials every Monday, as well as late night happy hour every day from 8 pm to close (½ off draft beer and wine)!

This is definitely one of my places if I’m aiming for an upscale drink night. I’ve been here twice, once alone during the afternoon and once after work with some coworkers for a birthday, and both times, I had great service.
The bar is set up in a horse-​shoe-​like shape with the bar in the center/​back and other tables and seating around fanning out from that. I believe it’s attached to an office building of some sort, giving the place a really nice vibe — the only downside here being that the bathrooms take some work to get to, as you have to get an access card to get into that building’s elevator to go downstairs for the bathroom.
Drink-​wise, they have some good ones! A favorite of mine is the Queen Bee, a honey whiskey concoction. Friends of mine enjoyed a variety of cocktails, all of which are pricey but pack a punch.
Food-​wise, I really liked it! They have a pretzel with beer cheese that’s to die for (though it’s one big pretzel, not pretzel bites as we were expecting). The charcuterie board wasn’t much to speak of, and the truffle popcorn was good but nothing amazing.
Also, happy hour is M-​F after 8pm, so it’s a great place for a late drink on a work week if you want something more upscale. I haven’t heard much about their food, but the beer cheese that comes with the pretzel is worth ordering.

C ool place to hang out and enjoy some drinks
R eally liked their seating… so eclectic and comfy!
I nteresting décor, made it feel fun to be there: D
M enu is fairly small, with plenty of smaller bites
S uper ordinary though, nothing stood out much
O rdered a few drinks at the bar that were alright
N ot amazed in general by the food/​drink here
& don’t expect to be wowed by the bar service: P
R eally, come here for the neat space to chill!
Y ou can play Jenga and Cards Against Humanity
E njoy the ambiance and couches with friends ^^

–AMBIENCE–
Horse-​shoe shaped bar with large floor to ceiling windows with a glimpse into Midtown. We took some selfies at the bar and got a great pic of ourselves, of course, and the view of Midtown chrome and steel buildings in the background.
Also a plus is that because the bar is horse-​shoe shaped, there is a lot of bar seating available. It is a whole lot easier to post up at the bar to grab the bartender’s attention when you don’t need to push and squirm past hundreds of other people that are just hanging out by the bar.
–DRINKS–
Super strong and ultra delicious cocktails. I had the following
* Revenge of the CCC — MY FAVE! I think it was also a hit with the rest of the crowd because I saw a bunch of people ordering this drink
* Par for the Course — Delicious, more on the tangier side and stronger than Revenge of the CCC
* Crimson & Rye — their namesake is a definite heavy hitter. This one will take you for a ride just after a few sips. Very strong and potent.
–FOOD–
I was at a sampling event so I didn’t get a chance to try out any of their full meals but their snacks were scrumptious. We had the truffled popcorn — I’m sorry but anything with truffles is fantastic in my book — with pure shaved cheese clearly visible on the popcorn. There was fava bean flatbreads — it may sound unappetizing but I would argue that it was one of the best things there. And my fave which was the meat and cheese charcuterie. There was great variety in the cheese from sweet to spunky (blue /​gorgonzola type cheese).

I attended an event here and I truly enjoyed myself… it was a nice ambiance.
So quick history — this is in the lipstick building. Some people have never heard of it but for others you know its where Mr. Bernie Madoff himself was caught.
SETUP:
It has a very long wrap around bar that makes it a little easier to stand around on crowded nights — it was easy to cut in and out of people and order drinks and get some of the goodies on the bar. There are a variety of tables and booths and more comfortable chairs at different sections in the restaurant. Now, the space itself is not that large but they definitely utilized it well.
DRINKS:
I mostly drank wine, I like my chardonnay but the drinks definitely were good and all of the varieties seemed to be a hit with the other guests– the bar is a full bar so they should be able to make any drink you can think of.
FOOD:
We had audervs and if it is any indication of their full menu it was delicious. we had pulled pork sliders, and I myself do not like pork much but it was really enjoyable. There was tuna tarte with guacamole, veggie flatbread, and buffalo chicken hotdogs [which are really spicy]! My favorite was the «milk» and cookies. Its like baileys but 10x stronger and a delicious cookie– I was in LOVE.
SERVICE:
It was a good and different variety. There are a lot of workers so unlike many restaurants you will definitely be able to grab someones attention. Management is also extremely polite and made the trip worth it.
OTHER:
Bathroom is in a weird location, kind of have to go through the lobby of the hotel and get the key, but no fret! still a great place.
I would definitely recommend this place and come back to explore their menu.

This was my first Unilocal event! Thank you so much to Manhattan Unilocal crew! When entering the establishment you automatically get a sense of classy dark tone vibe! The seat are classic letter paired with wooden modern tables. The bar has an oval shape which steals the show. Although I recently cut out dairy from my diet, my plus one spoked highly of the delicate strong tasting cheeses. Bartenders made me bow down status *beyonce reference* they were kind, funny, and magicians in preparing everyone’s drinks!
I uploaded a drink menu that was present! The rye drinks was very strong but I have not drank in a while! For my whiskey lovers you would LOVE this. Then there is the CCC which a perfect summer drink because of its grapefruit taste and almost sunset looking color.
last but certainly not the least, guys… They had milk and cookie shots! The shots has vodka and kahula paired with a cookie! Yassss
Love this place and the name itself.
A big Thank you to the staff!

$ 1 oysters in Monday’s!!! Love this. Easily can put down 25 oysters & cocktail and feel like it’s a productive night.
Cocktails: the doctors note tasted like plastic band aids (it’s the Scotch), the Seelbach tastes like holiday potpourri, the captains cabbie is super well balanced and tastes like an Arnold Palmer with a bitty kick and the gentleman’s jacket takes like ginger ale.
The popcorn is yummy. The Caesar is standard (it’s called the obligatory — it’s a good size for 2)
Oysters and cocktails for the win. Monday party here. Show up.
The extent of the liquor shelf is deep. Many many bottles.

I don’t normally find myself in Midtown East, but I heard about a new place that just opened up, so, I had to check it out. I was off to Crimson & Rye.
Upon entering, you get the feel of walking into a grand, hotel lobby bar. The space is open, and spread out, allowing you to decompress and relax without feeling breathed on by tables on top of one another. They have bar seating, wrapping around the bar, rustically mis-​matched plush leather seats and couches spread out around the restaurant, and some large, inviting booths as well.
They’re on the bandwagon movement of bringing wine barrels/​kegs into play, and they offer a happy hour on those beers and wines, so, I went for a glass of Pinot Grigio from the keg. I really liked it, it was crisp, not too sweet, not too dry, with a light taste.
For dinner, I ordered the Niçoise Salad (seared tuna, green beans, olives, baby tomato, crispy shallot, eight minute egg, confit potato, white anchovy, meyer lemon vinaigrette). This was a really delicious salad. The crisp, fresh greens are lightly dressed in this slightly citrusy vinaigrette, adding a nice balance from some of the starchy and saltier components. I especially loved the seared tuna, crusted in a pepper rub and perfectly rare.