Hill and Dale

I came here for a birthday and had open bar for 2 hours. The bartenders were quick on getting our drink orders. The place is quite small, but it is definitely a chill place to kick it with some friends.

Some friends and I stopped by for a few drinks on a Saturday night. I ordered the Floozy (adorable and tasty cocktail served with a fresh daisy) and the Copper Donkey. I enjoyed the cocktails and the music, but nothing about the bar made me want to stay longer. There wasn’t anywhere for us to sit/​stand and hang out without being awkward or in the way. We ended up moving on to another bar after 1 – 2 drinks. However, I’d like to come back next time and try their happy hour/​dinner because of the other Unilocal reviews I’ve read.

I need to update this review as I finally had some of their food and it has made me into a 5 star believer! I came back again for a friend’s birthday and again this bar was super fun. The music was fun to dance to and the drinks were super yummy. Their happy hour was from 5 – 8 so I was able to enjoy a lot of ginger whiskeys for $ 6!
After ingesting multiple drinks, food was a must. Overall I found that the pricing of the food was very reasonable. We first got the double fried French fries ($ 5), which honestly just seemed like regular French fries but it was still delicious and plentiful. Crispy on the outside, hot and soft on the inside. Then came the shisito peppers. At $ 9, the amount of peppers given was totally worth it. Then the star of the meal arrived! Their mac and cheese ($ 12)! Man oh man that was some delicious mac and cheese. Super cheesy on the inside and perfectly crunchy from its cheesy crust on the outside. The plate itself was huge, easy to share between three people.
Two thumbs up!

Love this place! The happy hour specials are great and their daisy cocktail is amazing!

Had my birthday here last weekend. We were able to reserve the entire back section with tables and couches for our party, which made things so much easier for all the guests that were coming in and out through the night. They were very accommodating and didn’t require any minimum spending or credit card on file when we made the reservation. The staff was very friendly and helpful to make sure our party was situated and guests taken care of. They have a good selection of cocktails that are delicious and reasonably priced. The place itself has a retro chic décor, with a more grownup vibe than your typical LES spots. Overall great experience. I’d definitely return and highly recommend for drinks or parties.

We only came for a couple of glasses of champagne before a dinner reservation round the corner so I can’t say anything about the cocktails or food but it was perfect for what we wanted. We sat at the bar and the bartender was friendly but not intrusive. There’s a lively fun atmosphere in there and it was very welcoming and cosy on a cold January night. The champagne glasses were also adorable :)

Ja Rule, Ashanti, 50 Cent, Jay Z, Drake, Beyonce, the Biebz … all my favorite people together at one bar!
Okay so maybe they were just on the speakers, not sitting next to me IRL … but still, it made the night that much better. The DJ (not just someone’s Pandora on shuffle) knew how to keep the crowd happy. Thank you, Saturday night DJ, for knowing how to please a crowd.
Other things I enjoyed in addition to the music:
— The bartenders. They were having the time of their life. Shaking up drinks, singing to songs, performing what seemed to be choreographed dance moves with each other. Oh and actually being responsive to their customers! I am really over what seems to be the commonplace «go eff yourself» bartender attitude. These dudes gave me hope that there are some good spirited folks in the industry.
— The drinks. I had the Smokey Joe (mezcal, lime, spicy salt rim) and the Copper Donkey (moscow mule). When it was all said and done, this cost me ~$ 30. I’m not sure how that rings in with other NYC drink prices, but I was happy to pay it given the quality of the drinks and the prompt/​friendly service.
— No line to enter the bar. Extra happy about this one, because it is actually/​finally cold outside
— The ability to sit at the bar/​at a table around 9pm on a Saturday.
— A relatively clean restroom.
I left around 1130, just as the lights dimmed and the music became deafening. So while I can’t report on how TURNT things get, I can definitely say that I will be back.

This review is for the bar at night, not the restaurant.
Pros:
Layback Vibe
Hip-​Hop Music
Good Drinks
No Cover
No BS Lines
Cons:
Kind of a Sausage Fest
I came here on a Saturday night for a birthday party after Christmas Day. My friend was celebrating her 28^th birthday so we had a large group of friends with us. Usually, it’s pretty hard to find a decent place for a birthday party because certain places get too packed, too many bros, charge cover or play crap music. Thankfully, Hill & Dale is none of the above.
The place wasn’t packed but this was due to the fact, it was the day after Christmas and most «fake New Yorkers» leave the city. The hipster DJ played a predominant mix of contemporary and old school hip-​hop but threw in a couple of blink-​182 and Ace of Base songs just to throw us for a loop.
If you’re looking for a decent drinks spot with good music and can accommodate a large group of friends, I definitely suggest checking this place out.

I came here the other night for the $ 1 oysters. They were pretty good. We ordered 24 (which is the limit).
Service was good as well. There were a few slow moments because the place really filled up.
They had a few decent options for happy hour finger foods, too. I didn’t rally browse the regular menu at all.
My wine was $ 6 for happy hour… average I guess. I didn’t really consider this street super popular, so I thought things would be a tad bit cheaper. But it’s still Manhattan!
I really liked the ambiance of this place. Beautiful and old-​fashioned…
There we a few tables with stools, bar space and plenty of couches! It was great. We sat on a couch and used a coffee table as our table… it was fine for the oysters and wine, but I wouldn’t have wanted to have a real dinner on the couch. The lighting was intimate and dark.
You seat yourself here. Not crazy about it… but there are a lot of seating options, so it makes sense.
Realistically, I don’t know if I’ll be back… but I wouldn’t mind if I did. The ambiance was my favorite part.

Came here for brunch on a Sunday — the place was relatively empty and the service was excellent. A really cute spot, there’s a great booth table up front for a group, booth type tables for 2 – 4 people, a swanky bar area, and then nice couches in the back — where you can eat as well. It’s a very cute and cozy spot.
We did the bottomless brunch for $ 35 which is amazing. I feel like a lot of times places say they’re bottomless, but they ignore you when you’ve finished eating and want to drink more, but our server was awesome, not only was she incredibly on top of refilling our pitchers (yes you get pitchers on your table so you don’t have to wait to drink more), but even after we finished eating and were letting the food settle, she filled us up with one more round.
Bottomless brunch — $ 35
One Entrée served with choice of one side and bottomless bloody marys or mimosas! Amazing deal in my opinion, it’s like $ 20 for food and $ 15 for all you can drink!
Entrées:
Biscuits and Gravy — Fried Organic Chicken, Homemade Biscuits and Buttermilk Sausage Gravy
Fried Chicken was amazing! Generous size piece of meat, delicious biscuit and gravy, seriously, what more can you ask for?
Duck Confit Hash — with Arugula, sunny side up Duck Egg, and Summer Truffle Sauce on Toast — the description tells all, egg was perfect, great flavors. My only complaint if anything was it was a little salty for my taste, but my husband was 100% satisfied!
Sides:
Hash Browns and Apple Butter and Sour Cream — I typically do not like either of those sauces, but my husband loved both, but the hash browns themselves were very good
Overall, I thought this place was awesome, came with a group of 8 and we all really enjoyed ourselves as well as the food and drinks.

I came here for boozy brunch with a group of 8 for their Gilt City deal. The deal ended up being $ 19.50 per person for an entrée, side, and unlimited drinks (original price was $ 35), so it was a great deal! For the unlimited drinks, you could choose between mimosas or bloody marys. They were extremely generous with the alcohol content even though we were all using the deal, and it was even more awesome that they allowed each person to switch between drinks rather than having to stick to their first choice! Our waitress was attentive and refilled the drinks often. Very impressed with the quality of service!
Food was pretty good. For the entrée, I got the Baked Eggs (with creamed spinach, ricotta, slow-​roasted tomatoes, and truffled vinaigrette) which turned out to be a fan favorite. The eggs were well cooked and the flavors blended together well. For the side, I chose the hash browns with apple butter which most of my party ended up getting as well. Till now, I still don’t quite understand how the savory hash browns and sweet apple butter went together so well, but they did!
Great value for money, delicious food, good drinks. So why 4 stars and not 5? It was unfortunate that they did not have proper tables meant for eating that could accommodate our bigger group. My friends and I were seated on soft couches at the back of the restaurant and had to eat our meals on low coffee tables which was not the most comfortable situation. Also, I’m pretty sure that eating from that angle induces hiccups. It was also not ideal as the couches were placed pretty far apart so it was hard for us to chat with our friends on the opposite couch.
Overall, I did enjoy my experience here and will probably come back again but with a smaller group so that we can fit into one of the booths! Either that, or I’d specifically request for a booth when I make the reservation. There are several other things on the menu that I’m dying to try!

Really cute bar on the lower Eastside comfortable couches if you go all the way to the back.
They have great drinks and very good service!
You may have to ask them to lower the music sometimes so that you can have conversation– but I really enjoyed our time here!

Do you believe in first impressions?
Unusually reviewing after just one time visiting but considering how Hill and Dale does not fall into your average trendy bar in NYC, I think it is fair to tell you how mine was.
And for the record, I do.
Speaking of records, thats the inspiration on their name and thus their logo, which caught my attention enough to dig about it*. Anyways, it was only when I reached the front door I realized that Hill and Dale is located at the space that once was a wonderful restaurant first**, and a whiskey speakeasy lounge after, where I recall having great experiences in the past. Whether my first impression got bias or not in that instant … well.
We were celebrating my friend’s birthday on a Friday night. When I first heard of the options for a large group gathering I was greatly impressed and I must confess, a bit skeptical. Take a look to their website and tell me what your impression is***. I got there one hour after the starting time, it was pack but rapidly I found someone to help me who brought me to the reserved area for our party, took my cash and gave me a wrist band as a mark to which group I belong to. Unlimited 2h beer and wine ($ 20/​person) was more than enough, included great beers (I dint try the wines) and ordering was a very easy process. Our party space was at the end of the bar, by the couches. You don’t really get your private space but I actually thought thats better. After all, you have your party with enough space for your guest but embebed on the actual bar vibe. I liked it very much. I heard specific details of booking process and be aware that if you reserve there is a cancelation policy and a minimum guest required that you specify while reserving. Honestly, considering how large groups events are handled in nyc, and how stressful the process can be I found this a sweet deal after all. Again, I liked it very much.
And I have to tell you, I actually didn’t try any food. And I wouldn’t expect to be there for a quiet full dinner seating but rather snacking and having a drink. Perhaps a trendy weekend brunch considering how appealing the menu is on the paper.
Additional details include beautiful décor, great service and music. As you can imagine at this point and just for the record, best first impression in a long time.
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Hill and Dale
NY Manhattan LES
11pm Friday 13^th November 2015
Four Stars
Kenia and I stopped by this place for a libation. The place was full but not too crowded. The front area was fairly empty with a couple spots to sit. We made our way to the bar. I ordered a Sazerac $ 13 and the barkeep artfully prepared it. He used crushed ice and Chartreuse to chill the glass. Then he mixed sugar, peychauds, and Sazerac Rye in a separate glass. He composed the cocktail and flambé the Orange Peel.
There was a DJ spin some older feel good hits and Top 40. There was a birthday party by the leather couches in the back, plenty of single 30 something year olds standing around. There was not much dancing. The bartenders seem to look like they were having fun.
I liked the vintage collection of stuff and overall dark atmosphere.
Downside: There are only two single room bathrooms which created a bottleneck in the main thoroughfare.

We had a good ol’ time here for brunch on a lazy Sunday. Two words: «bottomless brunch” — as in drink as many mimosas as you need until you feel better about having to go back to work on Monday. But besides that, the ambiance, service, and of course the food were all top notch.
We had the farmer’s breakfast, biscuits and gravy, and smoked pork and egg sandwich. Not a bad option among the three. We all thoroughly enjoyed the food and the drinks and the casual feel of the place was really appealing.
I think we may have found our go-​to for a boozy brunch…

I really love the relaxed atmosphere of this spot. I came with a group of 8 friends for a birthday celebration and we were seated at the booth in the front. It was great how the seating arrangement allowed all of us to be able to see and talk to each other without having to strain our necks or our voices. I also noticed how the rest of the tables in the bar consists of booths, which I’m a HUGE fan of! As far as the atmosphere goes, this place is great for groups!
The food was just okay, the happy hour $ 1 oysters were very small, which was a disappointment. The drinks weren’t very strong and are a bit on the pricier side considering the lack of alcohol in them. The veal poutine was also very disappointing, the fries sucked :(
I am definitely willing to come back again and give it another go. Maybe the cook just had a really bad day…

Hill and Dale was a spur of the moment pit stop for my boyfriend and I. Located at a corner street which you wouldn’t even know unless you turned your head.
The bar was dimly lit, like any bar in NYC. Upon entrance, there are booths to be seated at, the further in your go, the more spacious it gets. The fully stocked bar area was huge; there was also a lounge area which is perfect for a small party or engagement party.
Happy hour is from 5−8pm with various drinks and $ 1 oysters. Service was pretty prompt for a bar. Besides for the happy hour drinks, I ordered the Floozy since it’s pink and served with a daisy flower — couldn’t say no to that.

* Brunch Review *
Hill and Dale doesn’t have the most glamorous of locations especially when compared to some of the other options up the way, but their small but widely appealing brunch menu, reasonable prices, and friendly service make it worth a visit.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
I’ll admit that I was a bit hesitant while standing in front of Hill and Dale’s lower east side entrance. The nearby shops are a bit questionable and it’s likely that you’re surrounded by even more questionable folks. Fear not, because the second you walk in you’re swept into a comfortable atmosphere with fast and friendly service. In a way, the surrounding neighborhood made it even more appealing when all was said and done. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
I was expecting some price pain, but my fears were entirely alleviated after our server explained the pricing structure. Here’s the deal: for $ 35 you can get bottomless drinks, a main, and a side: that’s a good deal. Even if you’re not feeling brunchy boozy? No problem. My order of Chicken Biscuits and Gravy was only $ 14, and that came with a side of sausage patties. Good deal. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
I often go back and forth when it comes to biscuits and gravy, but these were truly excellent. Fluffy biscuit and fried chicken sandwiches were combo’d with excellent peppery gravy, and I honestly wished that I’d ordered more. Others in my party of four were pumped on their orders, and the sides really took the cake with excellent crispy hash browns and other goods. Dual Stars Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
Hill and Dale is worth putting on your checklist of spots in the city, but there are simply too many good comparable options nearby to give preferential treatment here. No Star Granted.

Hill and Dale is really, really, really cool. It was packed on a Friday night, but we were able to snag seats at the bar. It’s actually a pretty big space (booths in the front, couches in the back, and the bar in the middle), but it seemed to be very popular for happy hour. Speaking of HH, I found them on the Oyster Hour app, and they were one of the few in the area who did dollar oysters until 8 (most only did 7).
Their oysters are Blue Point, which is par for the course. Not the greatest, but always reliable. A few of the oysters they gave us were actually gigantic. I took a photo comparing its size to an iPhone. For real.
They also have HH cocktails. A few, but a couple are for sure amazing. The Sao Paulo Special was my favorite of the night. It was made with Leblon cachaca (hence the Brazilian connection), pineapple juice, vanilla sugar, and had a toasted pistachio ring. The pistachio ring MADE the drink. So good and unique. Great balance too.
I also tried the Byciclette, which was on their HH menu. It was made with St. Germain, prosecco and lemon juice. A little too tart for my tastes, but could be a good springtime/​summer drink.
They also had other hot food on the HH menu. We tried the fried risotto balls, which were just okay. Nothing great.
After happy hour ended, the place started to clear out. We stayed for another round off of their main cocktail menu, which was pretty extensive. I had the Bugsy Malone, which I just had to try because it was made with carrot juice. Interesting and worth trying, but probably wouldn’t order again. Also tried the Floozy, which was literally just muddled strawberries, vodka, and a daisy on top. Girly, but strong.
Their bathrooms are also super cool. One has wiring schematics on the wall, and the other has sketches of ladies’ faces. Overall, the vibe of this place is awesome. There are rugs everywhere. The back room has a fireplace with stacked firewood inside. They have a projector, though it wasn’t down when we went. Also a DJ booth in the corner. Do they have dance parties here? If not, they should.
Oh, and also late night ramen! There was a sign that said that they have a Benkei ramen popup on weekends. Super cool.

Came in with a few friends for quick bite and cocktails after a long day. Right before 5pm is the transition time into dinner so keep that in mind.
Service this time around wasn’t the best — but billy made up for it. Food was good– pulled pork sandwich and side of fries.
Will be back– xo billy