Angel’s Share — Restaurant in New York

My husband and I joined the outside line around 10:15pm on a Friday night. The hostess took my name, checked IDs, and let us know that there was about a 30-45 min wait. Because I had a service dog, she mentioned that I would be seated at a table and not at the bar. Totally understandable. After about 45 mins, there were still three parties of 2 ahead of us. Strangely, the parties were called in a different order than queued, even though they were the same party size.

Finally after almost an hour, we were called into their small waiting room. Parties that got on the line AFTER us were brought to their tables first. I asked the hostess what was going on and she said that because of my service dog, we had to be seated away from the customers and there were only two designated tables for which we were assigned. I was frustrated as this was not mentioned before. If I had known that we were only allowed to be seated at specifically 2 tables, I would not have waited on line understanding that it might have taken much longer than the initial time estimate.

After hearing this news, I said that these kinds of rules and updates should be communicated. She sort of rolled her eyes, provided no explanation or apology. She later grudgingly told me that the guests sitting at one of the designated tables were being moved to the bar…

I sadly watched additional guests that arrived after us be seated! The hostess then said that the table got their check but they have full drinks to finish. What happened to the other table where the guests moved to the bar? At this point, we’ve waited over an hour and it was approaching 11:30pm. Last call is at 11:50pm. We might not even be seated!

At this point, I asked to speak to the manager. I wanted to express my frustration and lack of communication from the hostess. Her updates had no follow through and her attitude was quite disrespectful. Once I made this request, we got seated right away (without even talking to the manager). Our table was alongside the bar so their requirement that we need to be seated away from other guests flew out the window.

Throughout her entire interaction with guests, it was so apparent the hostess didn’t want to be there. When a party behind us wanted to be removed from the waitlist, she mumbled, “thanks for wasting my time”. I’m sorry but this is your job. You don’t have to be outwardly courteous, although as a hostess it can be expected, but don’t be rude.

Another awkward moment was after being seated, I used my phone’s flashlight to read the menu as the room is very dimly lit. I had my phone about 2 inches above the menu on the table. A server immediately came over and said no flashlights allowed. How am I supposed to read your menu? So silly.

I also had a few sips of my drink left and a server was about to take it away. I said that I was still working on it and she told us that the bar is closing. We still had 10 minutes before closing time.

Throughout the whole experience, I felt like I was an inconvenience. Shouldn’t I feel welcomed and invited as a paying customer/guest?

I’ll only return if/when they replace the hostess and there is no line. The drinks are not worth it otherwise considering the many fabulous cocktail...

A roller coaster of emotions. I’ve been coming to the original location for the past 13 years. It opened my eyes to the culinary art and genius behind a well rounded and unique cocktail; unfortunately, I believe management needs to grossly reconsider who welcomes their clientele into the space.

The new location’s cocktails and physical space still embodies the character Angels Share clientele would be expecting, with a MAJOR miss on the overall customer experience.

My wife and I traveled to NYC to celebrate my birthday with my mom, dad and siblings (grand total of 6). My only bucket list item for the weekend was to experience the long awaited reopening of my favorite cocktail bar.

We showed up 45 mins before opening. Upon opening, the young lady at the door asked us how many in our party.. to which we said there are 6 of us. She immediately responds “yea, no, I can’t seat you, look at the board.. only party’s of four” .. to which we said “okay that’s totally fine; we can sit in a group of 4 and 2.. and we understand the nature of a speakeasy, and agreed we would sit separately and promised to not congregate ———as we understood the ambience they were trying to preserve.

Her response was unpalatable, to say the least. An eye roll followed by “yea those are the rules and we aren’t letting you in.”

We were finally let in, only after speaking with the manager——who understood we were a reasonable group that would respect the guardrails within the speakeasy. This was after waiting approx 10 minutes for the manager to actually address the situation, and course correct her front-line employee’s poor behavior.

We appreciated the cocktails and ambiance, but the overall experience was soured by the way we were greeted, and ultimately has left a very bitter taste for me.

For an establishment that’s been around as long as Angels share, and has fortunately reopened after the pandemic, I encourage the management to PLEASE PLEASE spend some time reassessing how you train your front staff. They are the face of your establishment… they need to be warm welcoming… I understand there are rules that you abide by but teach your staff the reasoning behind them.

The total lack of understanding of the core values of your establishment, especially after we had agreed to adhere to the rules in order to enter.... the persistently rude attitude and inflexible thought process of the initial employee may be enough to spoil all planned future visits to Angels Share.

I cannot say I’ll be recommending Angels Share as a must-go cocktail bar to friends and colleagues any longer.

Curley haired young lady at the front: reassess your attitude.. when someone is respectfully asking you questions .. don’t roll your eyes and be rude … before you show up to your next shift maybe consider taking a free YouTube lesson on communications and...

Venturing into the captivating realm of Angel's Share on a Wednesday evening added a touch of intrigue to our night. Post-indulgence in a classic New York slice at Bleeker St Pizza, we sought out Angel's Share, now nestled in the West Village at 45 Grove Street.

The absence of reservations heightened the sense of exclusivity, creating an air of anticipation. The ambience was undeniably great, albeit snug, especially in the bar area, where the proximity of chairs felt a tad cramped. A recommendation would be to space them out generously, allowing patrons to revel in the intimate atmosphere comfortably.

An observation that struck a chord was the need for additional bathroom facilities. Given the size of the place, accommodating more patrons with an extra restroom would undoubtedly enhance the overall experience. Kudos to the courteous front desk staff who, in the spirit of winter generosity, offered complimentary coat check.

The waiting time, however, was a minor hiccup, clocking in at 19 minutes outside and an additional 14 minutes in the waiting area. In a city brimming with cocktail bars, the wait did prompt fleeting thoughts of exploring alternatives nearby.

Once inside, the ambiance was a fusion of cool decor and dim lighting, perhaps a touch too dim for ease of perusal. A discreet request for a candle was met with promptness, allowing us to decipher the menu without resorting to intrusive phone flashes. The challenge of engaging in conversation persisted, as patrons seemed to engage in a vocal competition over the ambient noise.

Our libation journey unfolded with three drinks in tow. The first, an enigma, delivered an okay experience. The second drink was the “Cheek to Cheek”, emerged as a masterpiece of mixology, featuring Havana Club Añejo Blanco, mixed berries, white cranberry, balsamic honey, Vincotto, yogurt & mascarpone espuma. The third drink : “Painted Paradise” : with fig leaf-infused Iichiko Saiten, honeydew, jasmine, lemon, and pandan milk, left an indelible mark of amazement.

Despite the dimly lit ambience at the bar and the challenges of seating, Angel's Share delivered a memorable evening. A suggestion to enhance the experience would be to introduce a bit more light, reduce bar seating slightly, and expand bathroom facilities. These nuanced adjustments could propel Angel's Share into the echelons of a perfect 5-star...