Aliya Cocktail Den — Restaurant in New York

Coming from the hotel lobby to Aliya is like being transported to a different universe. The hotel is very bright, and one may even say corporate, but the moment you step out of the elevator, you are met with brown and earthy-toned realness accompanied by old-school R&B music, though the music does change and touch almost all genres like afro-beats, rap, pop, and more. The low-lit space is definitely curated to encourage conversation, with couch seating set up in a circle, followed by the bar area and general seating for dining. One note I do want to make is that there is no host waiting for you at the front to seat you. There is one downstairs (they check in coats for free) before you go into the elevator but no host stand or anything once you are upstairs. You have to get someone's attention and restate your reservation information. I did that, and I saw a few other parties do the same.

Once we were seated, we ordered still water (for which they charge), but it took quite some time to get drinks. I think that may be attributed to the fact that there was only one person taking care of the entire floor, which is totally understandable. There were other people as well. We had an early reservation, so Aliya was not at capacity just yet, but this continued most of the night. It did not break my experience, but it is worth noting that this was my experience, so please keep in mind that yours may be different.

For cocktails, I started with the Rose of Alexandria. If you are a fan of white rum and a sweeter drink (but not too sweet), this is your drink. I then had the Ja Ja, which is a few notches sweeter than the Rose of Alexandria but still a delightful drink. I ended the night with The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Gin, and it is definitely a gin-forward drink. Unlike the other drinks I had, where the rum was an undertone, now the gin was definitely there, which I did not like, but that is my preference. The price point for cocktails is on par with the area, ranging from $18 to $20 per cocktail.

For entrees, we only got two. We ordered the Lambshank Pot Pie and the Oxtail Fried Rice. The Lambshank Pot Pie had an amazing vegetable broth (carrots, celery, etc.). Even though I was expecting more of a creamy broth, I was pleasantly surprised with the one we got, especially since lamb can be very heavy. This was a perfect balance. The dish came with one flavorful lamb shank, and the broth portion could not have been more than what you get from one serving of cup-o-noodles (maybe a bit more). Again, this worked for us because we were also getting rice.

Later came the Oxtail Fried Rice, a fusion of Caribbean-prepared oxtail and your Chinese American fried rice. For that reason, I do believe it is a must-have for folks who may not have ever had oxtail (this would be a perfect introduction before taking them to a full-on Caribbean spot), but I would recommend prioritizing the Lambshank Pot Pie or the Tamarind Wings.

Aliya does not have a pre-fixed dessert menu; you would have to ask what they have available. We had a raspberry chocolate sort of mousse. It was divine because after the pot pie and fried rice, we did want something sweet but light. This was the perfect ending to our evening. In total, we spent around $192 (including a few beers), and a 20% tip (it might be 22% if I am not mistaken) is already included in your final receipt.

All in all, I would recommend Aliya for celebratory dinners, catch-up sessions with your girls, and an intimate dinner date with your...

As a young Black professional, it’s not always easy to find leisure spaces where you feel fully welcomed—where people look like you, and where you can relax without being second-guessed or looked at with suspicion. That’s why I intentionally booked a lounge chair experience at Aliya Rooftop through ResortPass during the Fourth of July weekend but boyyy was I in for a treat! I wanted to support a Black-owned establishment and enjoy my time off in a space where I feel welcome. Sadly, what I experienced left me feeling hurt, out of place, and ultimately turned off from ever returning.

Upon arrival, I checked in, received my wristband, and went up to the rooftop. When arriving there, the hostess acknowledged my wristband and asked me to wait while she “scanned the area” for available seating. I noticed that not all guests had wristbands. A White woman nearby, who did not have one, was briefly questioned and responded that she was with a friend who did and that sufficed for her. Mind you, it’s costed over $200 to book a lounge chair. The hostess accepted that without further verifying and allowed her to stay. Meanwhile, I was escorted to a lounge chair that was clearly occupied—someone’s sneakers were tucked underneath it.

A little while later, a man approached me to let me know, respectfully, that it was his seat. He told me it was fine for me to remain there but that he would let staff know so that they could right their wrong. It was a small but meaningful gesture—he handled the situation more thoughtfully than the staff had….

Shortly thereafter, another staff member approached me and asked whether I had a ResortPass—even though I was clearly wearing the wristband I was given at check-in. That moment was especially upsetting as the wristband is a clear, visible indicator that someone has booked a lounge chair…. There was no reason to question me beyond simply looking. As one of the few dark-skinned Black women on the rooftop with a chair, I felt singled out, embarrassed, and unwelcome. I became emotional and ultimately cried.

The bar manager offered me a couple of complimentary drinks and a pass to return, I reluctantly accepted a drink and appetizer. I couldn’t even bring myself to accept any more than that, as I was so embarrassed and not in the mood honestly... I’m not an overly confrontational person and just wanted to enjoy the day and what I paid for. But after a brief moment of reflection, I didn’t feel comfortable or respected enough to come back and instead asked for a refund.

What made this more painful is that I went out of my way to support a Black-owned space on a holiday weekend—and this is what I experienced! I’m sharing this so that other Black guests, particularly Black people, know what they might encounter when choosing to come to this establishment. I sincerely hope Aliya Rooftop reflects on how these moments—whether intentional or not—can shape someone’s entire experience. If Aliya wants to be a place where Black people can feel welcome, something needs to be done ASAP with training there staff members on what is and isn’t...

I wanted to like this place because it's Black owned, but alas I digress. Once my friend and I exited the elevator, we just stood there for what felt like close to 5 mins before she flagged a waiter down to ask, if we would be greated by a host/hostess to be seated. About a minute or so after, we were seated. While all the diners were beautiful in their attire and appeared to be enjoying themselves, I couldn't get over how incredibly loud the music was, resulting in a lot of patrons speaking and practically yelling at each other. It took about 15-20mins before we were approached to place orders. We strategically ordered everything at once since the staff appeared to be overwhelmed. The cocktail came first and it was absolutely delish. The waitress then returned to inform me that they no longer had anymore dumplings (huh)? This is an item on your menu...so I resorted to ordering the oxtail fried rice, which came out in record time. However, when we unwrapped the utensils to eat...they were obviously dirty with stains and smudges. We had to hail down a waiter to get new and clean utensils, this took another 5mins. As we ate the fried rice, we started to realize that the other food items had not been brought out. We waited an additional 15-20mins then gently asked for the bill. The waitress and manager both acknowledged the restaurant's short comings and the fact that it was incredibly hectic. They comped the 2 drinks and 2 apps and we left. We were so hungry. Editor's Note- I'm told this restaurant is relatively new and they're still trying to find their footing. I've seen other ppl post rave reviews so, perhaps it simply wasn't our night. All in all, I wish them the best and...