Botanica Bar — Restaurant in New York

Went here with a couple friends for a quick drink and paid with cash. Left a tip when we ordered drinks. Ordered a pizza for with a $20 and paid paid and took the $2 back. Went back up after and ordered a frozen margarita and was given an attitude so I didn’t feel the need to tip. When I sat back down with my friends moments later the girl that didn’t serve me came over to our table and started yelling at us for not tipping throughout the night. She wanted us to know that they don’t get paid at all at the establishment (which totally can’t be true) and that they relied on tips. She said since we are young she wanted us to know we are being rude and should tip. She also said she wasn’t going to serve us anymore. I don’t remember much else of what she said because I kinda blacked out but she went on for a while and it was totally uncalled for. I can’t fathom the logic that went through her mind thinking that if she belittled us it would make us give her money. Like what??? The rest of the time we were there the two bartenders kept giving us dirty looks because we did not tip them the $3 “we owed them.” I have never experienced anything like it in my life. I am appalled. The girl that yelled at us had short black chopped hair, heavy makeup and a bandana. The thing is, she came up to the table and yelled at me and my two friends, who happen to be Asian and Latino, after I ordered. But I didn’t even order from her!!! After reading multiple reviews on this establishment, it doesn’t seem uncommon to be bullied into tipping. I am absolutely disgusted and will not be patronizing this...

Some of the comparisons made in other reviews seem disrespectful. Forum di Yelp is free and I enjoy that aspect of it the most. My opinion is that reviews should be holistic and comparisons should be made to comparable venues. Comparing happy hour in a small low-cost neighborhood watering hole to a happy hour experience in a non-similar distant venue isn't fair to any of us. It doesn't tell us that this is or isn't the go-to in the area for what it is offering. Tell me why I would want to come here and why I wouldn't want to come here.

Here is my take:

Come here if you want: To see and meet attractive people A friendly crowd on both sides of the bar If your music tastes shade GenXial If you like dark and intimate spaces If you aren't feeling as cool as normal and want to feel cooler If you want to do some drinking on a budget

Don't come here if you: Are looking for some contrived downtown scene worthy of a milquetoast 'gram account Want to frown, be unhappy and unfriendly Don't see this place as a preserved New York treasure Want to watch sports Want to talk politics Are critical...

BEWARE! This place is so FILTHY and SKETCHY I walked in with my friend at 2 a.m to get a beer before going home after a night out and there was dirty cups all over the tables, the bar had spilked liquor all of it! An employee wiped the bar counter down after 15 minutes and the place was empty! Old south rap...and no lights where you can easily get robbed. For a second, i was nervous to sit at the seating area with the pillows because I kept thinking would if a bug pops up! Their cliental is Sketchy! Guys following us, and creepy people were going downstairs to the lower level...just a strange place in such a nice area. Btw, their garbage was filled to the top, spilling all over the floor..just horrible. My friend and I ran out and had to catch a cab across the street because of all the sketchy people loitering around following us. I couldn't even relax to drink a damn beer, we ran out so fast. Please avoid this place unless you want to be around a sketchy crowd. Hopefully a new owner or management will take over. I also took photo's of the dirty place but can't figure how...