230 Fifth Rooftop Bar — Restaurant in undefined

vibes/environment: this comes first bc honestly that’s why this spot is popular - the vibes and views. good views of the empire state building. nice sunset if you manage to see it over everyone’s phones trying to capture the moment. very busy and crowded though. it’s though to find a table that’s empty, clean, and not sitting basically on top of another group. it felt almost chaotic. also it’s sit yourself down and go order at the “bar” type of thing. then you stand there waiting for your food and drinks or they give you a buzzer for when you can pick it up. lines can get long too which was so annoying. i am not a fan of this set up bc you have to hunt someone down to ask if they could clear a table that you found bc otherwise they just think it’s yours. they also have heating for outdoors so if you’re sitting near heaters it’s kinda warm. but for us a negative point was that although we were near a heater, a large group came and basically started scooting closer and closer to me, so virtually pushing me to the corner of the bench and out of the heated area. it’s just crammed up there so it was overwhelming and annoying in that aspect. oh and we are so close to people, some people literally listen to your business… bathrooms are available and plentiful. you have to show your ID to enter so bring it with you.

drinks: pretty good. expensive even for happy hour and basically no real service. we had some (fruit?) fly in one of our drink so had to return and get changed. they didn’t trouble us but had to stand in line again for a bit tho. they were pretty good but i wouldn’t say mind blowing.

food: we only got nachos bc the selection seemed slim for vegetarians. but nachos were really yummy!!! but as someone who wanted to have a proper meal with drinks and a view, i was kinda disappointed. but still what we got, we liked it.

prices: kinda high so for me, not worth it (esp w self service, lack of vegetarian options, and crammed environment).

overall, i’m glad i got to experience it. i wouldn’t be opposed to going again just for drinks if my party wanted to but otherwise, i wouldn’t actively choose to go.

thank you for...

We visited this rooftop bar in New York in December after seeing numerous glowing reviews on Instagram, TikTok, and Google. The bar was hyped as one of the best in the city, and the photos looked very promising. Our goal was to enjoy the sunset, but unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations.

The rooftop bar certainly has some appeal, boasting a modern and stylish design. Visiting in December meant it was quite cold outside, but blankets were provided, which we appreciated.

The drink and Food menu was underwhelming, with a surprisingly limited selection that didn’t stand out in terms of creativity or taste. The cocktails we tried were average at best, and at over $15 each, they felt overpriced. We also ordered a hot chocolate, which cost $12—a price that seemed excessive for something so simple. To make matters worse, several drinks were sold out, and we had to go back and reorder, which gave the impression of poor organization.

A major reason we chose this bar was the promise of great views of the city and a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, the location of the bar does not offer a good vantage point for sunsets. The view itself was underwhelming and far from the spectacular cityscapes you can find at other rooftop bars in New York. This was a big disappointment considering the high expectations we had based on the reviews.

The service was another letdown. The staff were neither friendly nor attentive, and they were barely present. Customers had to place their orders themselves and pick up the drinks at the counter. For a bar that charges such high prices, we expected at least a basic level of service, but this was not provided.

In summary, our visit to this rooftop bar was “okay” but far from extraordinary. The steep prices, limited drink options, and mediocre views do not live up to the hype. There are plenty of other rooftop bars in New York that offer a better overall experience. While the bar might be worth a quick visit, we wouldn’t go out of our way to recommend it. A rating of 3.5 stars might be generous, but due to the issues mentioned, we are...

If I can give this place zero stars I would. This place was an extreme disappointment, and it’s crazy that it was highly recommended to us. From the very beginning of the night the staff was nothing but rude and off putting. A worker shoved me on purpose and didn’t even apologize. The rooftop was too packed so we had to go downstairs to the indoor seating. We went to the bar to order our first round of drinks and the second the drinks were handed to us the bartender told us “if you’re not gonna tip, go upstairs” That is extremely unprofessional and rude. Then, the second time we went up to the bar, we asked to open a tab, the female bartender stated we couldn’t do that, and then the male bartender said we could. The whole night was filled with contradictions and ordering drinks shouldn’t have been that complicated and stressful. Not to mention the food was subpar.

Later on in the night, we went to the bar again for some water and were talking. The female bartender told us that if we weren’t ordering anything we had to leave the bar or she would call security. Since when are you not allowed to hang around the bar area and talk? Towards the ending of the night we went to the bar to settle the tab, and they were giving us a hard time. I saw the female bartender talking to the manager and then 2 seconds later he comes up to us, tries shoving me away from the bar and tells us we needed to leave. So I asked what the issue was and he refused to give me an answer.

Come to find out they closed our tab without asking us first. The entire night felt like our group was singled out and discriminated against. The customer service we experienced was absolutely disgusting and unprofessional. I would never go back here and I would never recommend this horrible establishment to anyone. Take your money and go somewhere else.

As for the establishment, I suggest you re-train your staff on proper customer service. People go out to have a good time, not to feel discriminated against and harassed. You can’t expect a tip when your customer...