The Collective

This place has a great lounge vibe where people get up and dance, and it’s way less pretentious than some Meatpacking District haunts.
But it still has Meatpacking District prices. The drinks were overpriced and somewhat weak the night I was there with a big group in April 2011.
They seem to be good about accommodating groups if you let them know in advance.
Overall, I’d go again.

Going to this place is like getting free modern art. There are tremendous details everywhere. You might be looking at a table, and then suddenly realize it’s made out of something else. I wish I had specifics, but I actually went several months ago and now don’t remember much except that it was cool. I got there early and before my dinner buddy, so I had time to walk around and look at everything. There were some birds above the bar on the end that were made out of license plates, and a chandelier made out of pill bottles. It’s like the divergent thinking brainteasers, «how many uses can you think of for a brick?»
The one thing I didn’t like is that their staff is a bit fratty. By which I mean something else that I don’t quite know how to explain tactfully, yet. It is pretty typical of the meatpacking district/​Highline area, but still I wish they were as creative with their hiring as they are with their décor.

I am reviewing Collective because of the décor. Bouncers are Manhattan Meatpacking District Bouncers — take from that what you will.
Inside Collective is interesting — it is — from part of the roof being decorated with fruit cartons, to a bathtub becoming a bench, a couch made out of denim, a random ancient hairdryer — I want to see what this place looks like in light. One drawback though is that because this place is meant to be viewed in light, patrons are often bumping, bumbling and stumbling into the oddly shaped «furniture» and, falling prey to sharp edges and sneaky «step downs» — giving drunk people’s already failing faculties extra work to do.
I went on a Friday night and the music was clubby dance music and people were dancing. Bar situation is not pretty — a zoo.

Its a cool spot to hit right before a night full of fun filled lip-​syncing and dancing with your girls…
the décor is cool, its comfortable and the music is really good… i love the champagne fruit punch bowl! and glass bottles for cups lol…
havent tried the food, but im interested in doing so

Hands down best music is the Meatpacking District. The DJ was on point all night (well from 7:30 until I left at 10:00). The décor is nice as well. You’d think recycled stuff would make the place look low-​budget, but they actually put everything together is a creative way.
Service here is pretty bad. I was in a group of about 12 people and none of use were attended to in a timely fashion. I ended up going to the packed bar to get a drink because our server was lost in the sauce. Since I used to be a server I’m very conscious of where I sit and get my drinks so that I’m not taking up a section w/​o tipping the right person, but like I said service here was so slow I couldn’t help but go to the bar.

Came to NYC for vacay and wanted to see what the club scene out here was all about. From previous nights’ experiences, my friends and I were not impressed. On a boys’ night out, we hit up the meat packing district to see if NYC could redeem itself.
The Collective was the first and last place on our list!
Compared to anything in LA, this place was a joke. But since we were in NY, we had to give it a shot. No problems at the door, always a plus. Came in, dropped off my coat, grabbed a couple drinks, and hit up the dance floor! I feel like people in NY don’t like to dance or something, so we grabbed some chikas and danced the night away as JLo would say.
The place was decently crowded but it wasn’t hard to get guys that were just standing around to get out of the way. Apparently, girls dancing around them are a bit intimidating. The music here was better than anything other place we’ve been to in NY but they still liked to add in some whack out of theme song into the mix.
We had our fun and even left to see if anything else was worth going to. But at the end of the night, we ended up back at the Collective. Not too shabby of a place, but still no LA.

Once you walk into The Collective you can tell the owners put a ton of effort into making this place stand out amongst all the monotony that the MPD can offer. Glittered with shredded bits of art and debris, the décor makes this place pop. Add the numerous TV screens littering the walls, this place becomes a head trip after your fourth shot of Jameson… soon you’re dancin with some unwilling neighbor and the party is on!
The people here are all beautiful. and they know it… which makes it even more exciting when they finally break out of their normal shell and shake it along with the rest of the heathens of NY! Just like any other bar/​club, the drinks flow normally and their selection is nothing impressive. and lets face it. it costs a pretty penny!!! You ain’t coming to the MPD to save on drinks. so keep that in mind.
I think my biggest issue with this spot was the DJ! I don’t know if he was their resident DJ, or if it was his first time behind the turntable. but hot damn he played more generic music than a Top 40 channel on AM radio. I made a few requests and he looked at me as if I’d spoken another language. What a shame… Beyond that, it was an absolutely great time getting smashed and shakin it at The Collective!

I was here last Saturday with a group of friends and I wasn’t impressed.
There was no space to dance and it was so crowded you could barely get to the bar and get a drink. The place itself is nothing special and the drinks are average (but not the price…)
I have no reason to go back.

Came here with a deal from Gilt City and was skeptical because of all the mixed reviews. I had a good experience, and my friend and I enjoyed 2 apps (Disco Fries & Calamari), 4 beers and Mac & Cheese. We left the place stuffed. It was a lot of food, and portions were good for 2 people. I have no complaints because my deal was from their «collect 3» menu which is appetizers so I knew what to expect. I wasn’t expecting 5 star fries, its bar food and that’s what you get. The calamari was tasty and I liked the spicy aioli and mango salsa it came with. The staff was meh. the waiter was a bit too «fake» and the hostess never made eye contact and should probably take lessons in enjoying her job. Will I come here again to pay full price… maybe.

I went on a Saturday night while bar hopping in the West Village. We had stopped by because a friend had to use the bathroom. There was no lline in front and it seemed fairly easy to get in.
My other friend and I made our way to the back bar and ordered drinks while we waited. 3 redbull vodkas for $ 45. Ehh — typical city price (on the higher side). The fun part was that they came in jars, It could’ve used a little more vodka, but It wasn’t too bad. They had license plates folded in interesting ways, lit up by this bar. The area seemed like the area to talk and mingle with people.
For a Saturday night, it was pretty empty. Such a shame because the music was decent and all we wanted to do was dance. Once we fnished our drinks, we made our way out to the next spot for the night.

Go with a bunch of friends.
Be drunk before hand.
Enjoy the awesome music.
Enjoy the hot dj.
Laugh at the guys trying way too hard.
Laugh at the girls who got way too drunk and therefore don’t mind the guys trying too hard.
Take pictures utilizing the slot machine wall, and pill bottle chandelier.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.

A place with such an awesome décor usually would lead one to believe that the food would also be to please. Not so, here at The Collective. The interior is extremely funky, which ups the cool factor and would make for a great conversation on a first date. But make sure you order enough drinks or better yet make plans elsewhere afterwards, to compensate for the minimal portions and average food. The Pork Sliders are delicious but are literally hors d’oeuvres size. The night I dined with my girlfriends, it happened to be a Amstel Night promotion and beers were on the house.
Psuedo Echo’s Funkytown from the 80’s, Chumbawumba’s Tubthumping from the 90’s and Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee) from the last decade all made their marks in history and came to pass. Reminiscent of one hit wonders, The Collective’s food is mediocre to please and will be remembered as a one hit wonder based on décor.

I mostly came here to see the interior of this place. It is ‘cool’ but honestly thought it would be more elaborate.
The food was average and some dishes below average. I ordered 5 out of 8 or so appetizers on their menu so it’s fair for me to say their appetizers aren’t so great. The only one I would recommend is the brie platter, it comes with brie, bread and some grapes. Calamari, blue cheese tater tots, disco fries and tempura were average or bad.
Also the pork sliders… WERE SO SMALL (there were appetizer size) and only $ 1 cheaper than the chicken club sandwich, which was well-​portioned. The portions here are completely off… which also tells you about the chefs here. If you go to a fine dining restaurant, portions of different entrees are usually equal… here the proportions of the portions were way off to let it go.
The cocktails were $ 14 a piece. I don’t mind paying that for a good cocktail (and I have in the past) BUT this place serves WEAKKKKK motherfucking cocktails. I tried 3 different ones and they tasted like juice, no joke.
Our waiter also seemed new and not very experienced.
Def. would NOT come here. I mean look at the overall ratings and the food ratings at this place, shit mostly.
Food: 4
Décor: 7
Service: 4.5
*ratings out of 10

This is a fun place with cool décor and amazing food.
The diners can be a little Meatpacking douchy (a girl on the patio was yelling at the top of her lungs and talking to every stranger (male) that walked by to show how fun and awesome she was), but it’s not quite as bad as most scenes in the area.
The servers are generally nicer than you’d expect, and our waiter (guy with the flatop hair) was super friendly.
Try to go during an off-​peak time and get the fried chicken and sweet potato waffles appetizer. It’s probably the best thing on the entire planet. My friend had another chicken dish… i think marsala, and it was also just the freshest, tenderest chicken you’ll ever have. Portions are small, but it’s a great early evening dinner place (and it leaves open the option for a slice from another place when you get hungry at midnight).
The décor is fun and feel more lower east side than Meatpacking. Leggo’s, slot machines, and a ceiling made of styrofoam that looks like the surface of the Deathstar. Sorry, nerd alert!

Not
My scene,
Nice server,
Outdoor seating,
And costly drinks near badly dressed parade.

The fruit and cheese (mostly Brie, Swiss, Green Apples, Grapes, etc) plate was good but some dressing (??) was just weird. It tasted like… gas station? @_@
The bread and spreads plate (hummus, sun-​dried tomatoes, feta) was pretty awesome (although $ 10 was pretty high price), the atmosphere and the nice weather we had today with really low humidity, I give props.
I brought my cousins here today for an afternoon drink and afternoon snack. The server was nice but what was weird is that I asked if they had wine and they said they don’t sell by the glass today and only by bottle and he brought us a menu with full bottle prices (ranging from $ 250‑3000) wtf we asked another waiter and he brought us the «menu» we were looking for with cocktails, champagnes, wines by the glass. Hmm, dunno if the first server was trying to trick us thinking we’re tourists. But I am a New Yorker living in Midtown and know how things work around here.

Oh man am I pissed. Guess the waiter thought it was okay to turn my «10» into a «16» on the tip line and increase his tip by $ 6. Really? When you take over 20 minutes to get a drink AND you forget one of the drinks AND you tell me that you can’t split tabs AND you tell me that gratuity is not included — I really don’t even think that’s deserving of any tip, let alone a $ 10 tip on 5 drinks. And then you go and change it to $ 16?!? Yup, that’s illegal. Good thing I still have the receipt and can dispute this charge.
Oh, and the glass of champagne that the waiter delivered was ¾ full and $ 19. I had to ask him to take it back and actually fill it up to the top. Why anyone would even deliver a drink that was ¾ is beyond me. And, when I brought it to his attention he said, «Oh that’s because of the bubbles.» Good God you shouldn’t be working in the service industry.
Beware of this place for you’ll be overcharged and treated poorly.
*** Okay, I will give credit where credit is due… the manager was extremely helpful in researching the overcharge. She was completely apologetic and understanding. That being said, if you can avoid the mess that happened to me, the place is funky and eclectic and a good spot for friends to meet. I really found the décor to be fun and interesting and there were tons of places to sit and chill out with friends. And they have an amazing marshmallow dessert!

3 stars for the food, 5 for the décor.
The décor is intensely creative, I mean plastic cups and empty orange medicine bottles made into awesome lamps! and that’s just the start.
The light fixtures are the most interesting pieces, all are unique. The walls, the Chairs– I felt so comfortable as I enjoyed that restaurants eye candy.
The food was Good. Not Bad by any means.
The Seared Tuna was mixed with an amazing dressing, avocado, sliced radish, FRESH BASIL. Yum. This was light and so well done.
I ordered the Grilled Watermelon Salad– The watermelon was rich, and the dish was excellent– not incredible, but worth the price tag.
My favorite cocktail was the Credible Hulk. A bit of a peppery after taste and it really hit the spot– The Blueberry Collins smelled like crushed blueberries, Great!
My friends ordered the pasta and the burger, traditionally done.

**MEH BLOOD MARYS**
GORGEOUS people, but so-​so drinks with an uninteresting weekend brunch menu.
Absolutely love the eye-​candy staff and this place does attract the pretentious and snobs, but so what.
I care about the drinks.
Bloody Mary was NOT impressive.
That’s my deal breaker and my heart breaker.
Boo.

WOW. WOW!!!
This place is AMAZING… the décor is so unique! I heard most of the stuff were from flea markets that they restored or something. All the chairs are different… none are the same. My favorite one is the one that’s made of «Don’t Walk» traffic signs that does light up!
So on to the amazing stuff I ordered:
Disco Fries — It’s fries in a gravy sauce and some cheese on it. This was soo flavorful and delish. I def. recommend this.
Chicken and waffles — I thought this was okay… i mean it’s just fried chicken and waffles haha… nothing that special to me? But my friends loved it.
crab cake — loved it… crispy and great sauce.
We also got the walk of shame cocktail, which was a concoction of some alcohol i can’t remember served in a big punch bowl. they serve it to you in these little teacups so it’s more than enough for our table of 6. It’s not that strong and has a good fruity sweet taste.
For sides, I got the blue cheese tater tots and asparagus with truffle hollandaise. I’d skip the asparagus but def. get the blue cheese tater tots… soo crispy with blue cheese filling inside of it.
For my entrée — Cluck Monsieur sandwich. I have to say this left me a bit disappointed. It just didn’t have that great of a taste for me. For some odd reason, it just tasted like a ham sandwich to me. I couldn’t taste much of the fried chicken and the bread was burnt. This is really my only complaint for this place. I liked the steak and fries a lot more… steak was cooked to perfection and I usually never like steak from restaurants.
And the dessert, we got the ding dong something… omg…it is THE best dessert I HAVE EVER HAD. The marshmallow is so gooey and the inside has these crunchy cookie things… makes my eyes roll back to the back of my head. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend!
man i need to go back here asap.