Mandarin

Mandarin was lame as fuuuuck. An utter waste of time and money. Don’t go you’ll waste a good Friday or Saturday night on lame people and asshole bouncers.

My friends and I just went here for New Years Eve and I have to be honest: It was the BEST New Years bar/​club I’ve been to. Floors, bars, trash, and especially bathrooms were spotless all through the night. They have a gang of hard working men and women working consistently to maintain the amazing décor. The DJ was unreal as well with music videos as well as real time photos on other TVs from the photographer walking around and taking pictures. Very cool. Back to the bathroom, there is a sink with a 1 – 2 foot gap under the mirror where you put your hands and water falls down all around the top. Best part: it’s the same sink as the women’s/ men’s room. Sound perverted? Kind of Im essence but there is no way to see anyone using the restroom and it makes it really fun if you know someone from the opposite sex in the bathroom as well so you can talk and joke around.
VIP booths looked really cool but not necessary unless you need somewhere to sit. I did not wait longer than 30 seconds to get a drink from the nicest/​least bitter bartenders in saint Louis. This is like no other place in St. Louis. They make sure everyone is of age and may look closely at your ID (strange for STL right?!) but no underage people throwing up on your nice clothes.
Again thanks to everyone who works there for making the NY start off right. Also, there is a coat check for $ 2!!! Are you joking? Plus I never sweat once because it was almost cool in there and perfect when at peak hours. Never expected an stl bar for such a NYE price to be so clean and welcoming and make you feel as if you were at a high end New York club, while not being too crowded (yet enough people so that you didn’t feel as if you were missing out somewhere else. There were a lot of people but no need to punch someone to get to the other side of the room or to the bars).
Thanks everyone who works there! You guys/​girls are hard workers and I’ll be back next year!

If I could rate more than five stars I would!
Last weekend, I planned a company party at Mandarin. This was for about 100 people and I cannot tell you enough at how wonderful every single person was. Jamie Brooks is AMAZING to work with. I will never plan another event without her. The bartenders were extremely accommodating and will to play a part in our theme party! The security (Spenser) was extremely helpful with literally, EVERYTHING. From handling everyone at the door, to helping us put up decorations. I couldn’t have asked for a better staff and venue to put together such an unforgettable night! I cannot wait to plan another event just so I can work with them again.
AMAZING JOB!!! :)

Staff really not friendly. Almost like they feel annoyed by you being there. Plenty of better choices in the central west end.

Some bouncer wouldn’t let my friend in because he was wearing an improper sweatshirt. However, guys wearing very similar sweatshirts were let in. If you want to be an exclusive club, be consistent. This place is my last choice in the CWE. Terrible service, bouncers, and bartenders. I will never go back and I’ll tell everyone I know to not go as well. I will also make sure my school never hosts an event there again. I hope that sweatshirt was worth it guy, you just lost a ton of customers.

As someone who consults on nightlife, I have to say, hands down the most luxurious feel/​atmosphere and best video DJ’s in town. Beautiful people, staff, and great cocktails. This is a must visit place May-​October in St. Louis… it’s a rooftop lounge.

The hubster and I went out on a Wednesday night and the place had a nice amount of people in there. No cover. I had the Blue Motherfu@ker drink and it gave me a nice buzz. The music was ok. It reminded me of Pandora music however. We stayed for an hour or so before hopping to another club. I wish the place stayed open later than 1:30. The set up was nice. There were quiet and dimly lit areas where I could see private lap dances occuring. (Note to self.) Classy looking décor. There isnt a dance floor per se, but plenty of places to dance. There was a flat screen playing videos unrelated to the music playing. Place had a Zen-​esque feel to it with Buddahs. The men and women bathroom was a bit wierd with the sink that connected the two. You can put your hand under the sink’s waterfall and literally touch the person’s hands in the adjoining bathroom. Patio was very scenic and offered a nice view of the CWE. Plenty of seats. Sexy place for sexy beasts… like us. Lol! We shall return…

I was pleasantly surprised by this rooftop bar in Central West End. It was an actual dance club. With a lounge area and a separate outside bar, this place has something for everyone. It doesn’t really have a defined dance floor, but it has ample space to. I like that it is a more nicely dressed crowd and that the drinks are not too expensive. I don’t think that you need a table to have a good time. The lounge area outside is great for conversation or just catching some fresh air. It was a fun night and I am sure that I will be back.

This place is truly amazing experience. They have given it a nice Buddha feel with red and Buddha statues all over. There are a lot of tables and sufficient place to dance.
The prices are a little on the higher end like a Grey Goose would cost $ 175. But still a good bang for the buck.
The security and rules seem tight and the servers are very courteous.
I would definitely recommend to get a table since the bar area is quite restricted.
Also, something I haven’t seen before in any club: VIP list and table people get to use the elevator. However, regular person uses the stairs!

Attended Mandarin last night for a bachelorette party and was pleasantly surprised. When you enter Mandarin you go up like a million flights of stairs and then enter this amazing little dance club. The lighting is very mood-​setting and the music is your typical bumping DJ dance music. If dancing isn’t your style, you can head out to their rooftop which has an excellent view and is a great place to catch a cool summer breeze and great conversation. There are two bars, which means getting a drink is quick and easy. The bartenders were really nice and all smiles. (There is nothing worse than getting a drink from someone who looks like they hate their life).
My only «minor» gripe about this place is the sink in the bathroom. It is a long mirror that has a long row of water trickling down like rain. To the right and left there are automatic soap dispensers that you stick your hand under. At first glance this is very cool, but wait. I reached my hand under the soap dispenser and realized it isn’t working. I get about eye level and realize that under the mirror and through my magical rain is a full view into the men’s urinal. So basically, I got a full view the back of mens legs and their shoes while they are standing there going to the bathroom. WHAT?! I seriously wanted to take a picture of this, but feared I would end up on some type of registry. If Mandarin makes one improvement, this is what it needs to be. Also can these guys see me? I’m assuming so.
The crowd had decent age ranges, from mid 20s to late 30s, meaning I actually didn’t feel like the oldest person in the room. EVERYONE was dancing and great times were had by all. If you are out with a group or just looking for an upscale dance party, this is a solid choice.

I never really liked this place. The music was mediocre, the crowd was a bit creepy, and the drinks were overpriced. Plus, the bathroom sink that was shared between the men’s and women’s room was really unappealing.
As the closest club to where I lived I accepted that this is where I might occasionally end up, until tonight. Even though I don’t have to pay a cover, gracing this place with my beautiful face is more than it deserves.
Mainly I’m upset because I knew tonight was one of those nights I would end up at Mandarin because it was the closest club. I called ahead to make sure all the guys were dressed up to par: no hats, tennis shoes, cargo shorts, baggy tees, or flip flops. All my guy friends amped up their outfits with polos, shorts without side pockets and nicer shoes. The definition of tennis shoes is a bit ambiguous, but they chose nice clean lace up shoes. At the door the two boys I entered with were still turned away. I went up without them and saw boys in outfits identical to theirs as well as plenty of flip flops. Without the friends I came with to serve as buffers from all the creeps there, I quickly left.
I really hope I don’t have to deal with going to Mandarin again. There are plenty of other crappy clubs with slightly better music and nicer bouncers I rather give my money to (even if I can get in free here).

My experiences at Mandarin have been a mixed bag. I’m not much of a clubber anymore in general, having had my heyday on Wash Ave about a decade ago. I do occasionally still like to hit the dance floor and shake it with my friends, though! In the CWE, there aren’t too many options to get your groove on, so that’s automatically a point in their favor. The great location right on Maryland Plaza is nice as well, but parking can be tough. We had a table reserved last Saturday for a big group. Most of my friends got up the elevator into the club right away using the party name, but a couple of stragglers from our group were held downstairs for no apparent reason. They gave the party name and were told by the two bouncers that it didn’t matter, they had to get in line. ??? Hmmm… this is not exactly Vegas or South Beach, and even if it were, that treatment is not cool when you have made reservations and are paying a pretty penny for bottle service. I’m glad that I wasn’t the one to suffer through a bouncer ego trip, but we quickly spoke with the manager and had them brought up.
It also took about a half hour for a cocktail waitress to show up at the table. We later got 8 free shots in return for our trouble– though we had 12 in our party.
The table areas are very nice. Not only is there generous seating room, there is also a little area in front of the seating for the group to stand, dance, and mingle. Once you step down and hit the dance floor, it is crazy packed. There was a small floor by our booth, and the DJ was rocking some good dance tunes. Little too much rap music, maybe, but fun. Playing the accompanying video on screens around the dance floor now seems to be the trend. The main room was also crowded, and drunk couples dirty dancing abounded. This is always a little annoying until they inevitably fall down, and then it’s just funny. There’s also the prerequisite drunk barefoot girl, stumbling around and crying because she lost her friends, had a fight with her boyfriend, or other tragedy.
The bathrooms are nice and I like the shared sink that divides the men’s and women’s rooms. Subtle, unique, and a sexy touch. You can see just enough to piqué your curiosity.
Remember, bottle service is the way to go here– when it is executed correctly, that is! Yes, it’s expensive, but you get a table, plus don’t have to pay cover.

This place is hip, trendy and knows their drinks.
Location of this place is actually kind of hard to find, also it’s sort of creepy getting there, you have to go into this side alley.
It reminded me of TAO in Vegas with the elevator to get upstairs and the décor too, or I might have had one too many drinks before I got there. The music was a good mix of old and new and you were able to dance to it, but no designated dance floor, so make the whole place your dance floor! Their music was more on the techno-​y/​house/​dubstep when I went. It was smaller venue, from what my inebriated self could tell. It seemed like a really chill place, considering a LOT of us were there, and I’m sure we were really loud and obnoxious at times. But the bartender seemed to be able to keep the drinks flowing and gave everyone their orders in a timely manner.
My friends and I had a great time discovering the bathroom sink, you can peek into the men’s bathroom! Thankfully most of us there was our group.
With the atmosphere and the drinks I would come here again. Maybe next time without beer goggle eyes so I can really tell you what I think.

So I’m old.
Decided to go to a club to cap off my 20’s. It was actually my very first time at a club in St. Louis and heard good things about Mandarin so decided to go with that.
Got a table at Mandarin and I’m going to have to say that prices were pretty reasonable and arguably more economical if you get bottle service (includes free cover for your guests) than going in with cover and paying for individual drinks.
Regardless there seemed to be plenty of places to sit at anyway and TVs to watch the NCAA tourney (we got there around 10:30pm or so).
What odd thing that I didn’t know about the CWE was that things close at 1. For any place where you need to wait until about 11 – 11:30 for things to pick up, it’s kind of lame if you don’t want to come when the place is pretty dead and just spend a single hour at one place.
For me, it didn’t matter since all the people I cared about were there at an earlier time. Service was great (given a cell number to txt requests).
It actually ended up being a very good thing for me as, as I mentioned, I’m freaking old and crotchety and 1am was a very good time to call it a night.

Worship Wednesday are free entry. Cheap industry night prices and two of the best dj’s in the Stl spinning on the 1 and 2s/
dp

Nice place to have a drink and have a decent conversation… especially out on patio. It feels like a maze getting to there (when they are using the stairwell), otherwise they allow you access through elevator.
It’s not a large place but they have 2 bars (indoor and outdoor). The music is ok. Men have to pay to get in and women are free (which is no surprise).
I rather enjoy the restroom (not an entirely clean place) but men and women share the same sink. YES! Obviously, there will be some drunk women who are going to lean down to look over to see what is going on over in the men’s restroom. All you get to see (if you’re lucky) is the back side of a man peeing. I don’t know about you but that is not my forte but I did notice some women heckle over some men. Funny site to see.

Just not a fan. Maybe its the atmosphere? Maybe its the repetitive top 40 mix of music all night? Maybe it is the crowd? Maybe its because I have to pay $ 5 because I have a penis to enter. Yeah folks, the Dick tax is definitely in effect here.
Either way, the people I was with Saturday night wanted to go somewhere and get their dance and drink on so I tagged along. I’ve been here before and wasn’t crazy about it at all.
The only saving grace to the place was the bartender who was serving me was on top of her game so I could easily get a drink at the bar when I needed it. Also, I have to say the security staff does an excellent job if someone drops a glass. They were on top of their game also. Service I have to say was awesome but I guess the atmosphere and amount of people crammed into this place is really what turned me off.
I don’t think I’ll be back if I can avoid it.

I went to Mandarin for a private party. I didn’t get the whole experience, but the one that I did made me wanting to go back to check it out.
I say that because I hate trying new clubs! As far as standards for Mandarin, I wanted to compliment the bartenders, and atmosphere, and bathroom!
The bartenders were super fast and friendly, that could be because we had a smaller group maybe than what they normally see. Our party was probably 50 people.
The bathroom, clean, and I have seen this before, but I love it, the sink is open to the men’s bathroom and th water just falls from the wall into the sink. Love it!
The atmosphere was very, sophisticated, not a place I would normally go. I loved the balcony and the variety of seating/​tables. There were pub tables along with alcoves for a little privacy and also more open couches. My favorite was the balcony over looking the fountain.

If you are looking for a venue for a group of your friends and you to hang out for a late night but not too late, come here. Mandarin is a 1am bar/​club/​lounge that has an Asian-​fused ambiance with a great patio, a few reserved tables, 2 fully loaded bars, and dance floor space.
Mandarin is kind of hidden off the rest of the Maryland Ave. path. It is on the rooftop overlooking the fountain in the Central West End. With boasting rights of being located there for its fifth year now, Mandarin continues to grow strong and brings in a decent crowd every Friday and Saturday night. These are the only times I’ve ever been, and it is never boring. As for the rest of the week, I can’t review for that.
Earlier last week I had contacted the manager Scott to make reservations to reserve a table for a group of about 15 people I had coming for a night out. He was very accommodating. Though he couldn’t reserve it since we didn’t have bottle service which is $ 150, he did give my whole group free admission. Usually it is $ 5 cover, but never more than that. Plus he said we could sit there until the next group got there. They didn’t get the for an hour and a half, and by that point my group had already gotten up for dancing, and made their way out to the patio since it was a little warm in the venue.
The patio was covered when we went. I am not sure if they covered it because it was raining that night or because it was still cool outside, but either way it remains functioning with a little area where smokers can go out and smoke. Another thing that just crossed my mind is that it is possible that they have covered the patio permanently because of the new smoking ban. If they keep the patio covered, that gives patrons more room to enjoy the non-​smoking environment. Personally, as a non-​smoker, I enjoyed the open patio where I could enjoy the night sky, but I can see from both views.
We were there from 10:30 until closing. The music I think has a 2 hour rotation because we were there long enough for it to repeat itself once over. Music is top 40s with a few throws of 1990s. All of it is dance music with a lot of fun with the floors being packed.
Drinks are decent. They are the typical prices you would expect at an upscale establishment. With its New York style meets St. Louis prices, I think they are fair to charge $ 8 for a martini especially when they are strong. What I don’t agree with is how crowded and congested the bars get. There really isn’t a set line of who gets what first. It’s a flip of a coin really on how long you will be standing there. Prep yourself for up to at least 5 — 10 minutes. I got stuck there for about 10 minutes while I was there. She saw me, but it seemed as if she kept going to the next customer who held out the cash versus the credit card. Once again, that’s to be expected when there is a ton of people in this place.
Dress code and people types: Dress to impress. Mandarin is a classy place who want classy people. Young professional types aging from 25 – 40. Not very many college aged types which I am grateful for. Women were there with jeans on and a cute top or cocktail dress attire with heels. Guys were dressed in slacks and nice button downs. I didn’t really see many guys with jeans there, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t wear them, obviously.
Overall, I enjoy this place. It is a nice venue that I hopes to remain open awhile. Check it out.

I’m been here several times. The first time I was here, I can’t remember 80% of it but you can make your own assumptions as to why.
I think my best story at this place was meeting a couple of players on the Rams.
Likes:
1. Balcony
2. Typically young professional crowd
3. Mixed crowd
4. Decently priced drinks compared to venue
5. TVs which can keep a DD well entertained
Dislikes:
1. You have an elevator and you have stairs, why do you have to rarely allow people access to the elevators, especially the women. Come on you know they’re wearing 4 – 6 inch heels, why make them climb up the flight of stairs when they’re having a hard time standing up without wincing in pain.
2. Bathroom sink is shared, but in the middle of the bathroom. Kinda cool I guess since I do like to see nice hands, but it’s a little awkward for a sober person to be peeing at a urinal, knowing that you’re pretty much giving a potential show to all the women washing their hands on the other side of the sink.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT, this is the cool place. Large open patio with a 3 story view over a fountain and into CWE. The bar wrapping around the rooftop patio is highend Asian theme. The VJ (yeah video) was mixing some great retro (those synapses have been snapped –WTF– I do not remember these videos!) and dance mix «I am on a boat» to South Park video mix, you gotta love it.
Ok, I do admit they had a Grand Marnier special so I might be partial. «$ 3 Domestic Beers (16 OZ) $ 5 Grand Marnier Shots $ 4 Bombs $ 3 Rails $ 3 Pear Vodka Drinks» plus NO cover to a upscale place is something I am willing to visit.
Since this is an actual Lounge there were hotties in tight outfits running around. The crowd on Wednesday was laid-​back and out to have fun.
I almost missed the place since I had to find the small pedestrian alleyway by Scape and then go inside a unmanned door… Then up an elevator!
Of course the new thing on Unilocal is about the Loo…
Well this men’s NICE Loo is lockable with your own sink… OR use the motion controlled waterfall shared with the women’s room.