Don't Tell Mama — Restaurant in New York

We entered wanting to see a Piano Bar because my boyfriend is a professional pianist visiting the USA. As we entered, we asked the man at the door (tall, possibly the owner or the host) if they invited guests to play songs. I explained that my boyfriend is a professional pianist. He said yes.

So we sat down and as per the pianist (Danny) asked, we sent our song requests via Venmo. We paid $20 and indicated that my boyfriend would like to play while Danny sang with him.

We waited and waited. Our songs were never played and when we asked, the waitress (blonde with two pigtails) told us that “he doesn’t even check his Venmo until the end of the night.” For us this was shocking. Why would you tell your guests to request songs via Venmo if you won’t even look until after your shift?

So we took the other route and wrote our requests and message on a napkin. After another 30 min, the pianist apologized and acknowledged us and said “sorry, I’m not allowed to let anyone else touch the piano.”

My boyfriend works at a piano bar so this is understandable…but why would the owner/man at the door tell us something else? We stayed for this opportunity. We spent $100+ on drinks waiting for our chance. And worse, why is the pianist asking for requests via Venmo yet the waitress is saying he doesn’t even look at his Venmo until the end of the night? When I asked the tall man/owner why he told me that my boyfriend would be allowed to play, he said “this pianist is new and is not the regular person so he has his own rules.”

How can you possibly claim ownership or even claim that you work at a place if you cannot back up what you told your guests an hour ago?

For us, allowing my boyfriend to play the piano for a song was an opportunity that we were able excited about upon entering “Don’t Tell Mama.” We weren’t expecting it and were happily surprised. He plays every night at a piano bar, so the fact that he didn’t play tonight is not that huge of a deal. For us, the issue is the deception. The lack of communication and deception from the workers of this place is absurd. In addition, the fact that they encourage guests to request songs via Venmo yet do not honor or even review them is ridiculous.

Overall, the drinks and service were fine although my boyfriend ordered 3 drinks and never got the third so we had to ask to remove that...

I am writing to express my disappointment following my recent visit to Don't Tell Mama. As someone who has been coming here for over a decade, I have always held Don't Tell Mama in high regard for its talented staff and welcoming atmosphere. However, the events of last night have left me deeply upset and compelled to share my experience.

In the past, requesting songs on napkins has been a cherished tradition, one that added to the charm and intimacy of the venue. Understandably, I only had a limited amount of cash on me during my visit. Much to my dismay, when I gave Tara my modest donation for a song request, her reaction was nothing short of dismissive. Her response, coupled with the subsequent behavior of the piano player, was nothing short of humiliating.

To have my contribution openly ridiculed and belittled in front of other people was not only embarrassing but also completely contrary to the inclusive and hospitable environment I have come to expect from Don't Tell Mama. It is disheartening to see a place that was once centered around the love of music and camaraderie devolve into a mere transactional space where one's worth is measured by the size of their donation.

I have always believed that donations were optional and given out of goodwill rather than obligation. To be met with such disdain for my contribution, and to have my requested song disregarded, has shattered the fond memories I have cultivated over the years. Regrettably, this experience has tarnished my perception of Don't Tell Mama, and I find myself questioning whether I will ever feel comfortable returning.

It pains me to see a venue that held such sentimental value for me lose sight of its core principles and succumb to a culture driven by financial transactions. The essence of Don't Tell Mama, for me, was never about money, but rather about the shared love of music and the sense of belonging it fostered among patrons.

With a heavy heart, I bid farewell to a place that once brought me immense joy and solace. I hope that in the future, Don't Tell Mama will rediscover the spirit of inclusivity and warmth that endeared it to so many loyal customers,...

It is with a very heavy heart I am writing this review. This was up until this evening my very favorite place in NYC - whenever I would visit nyc or jersey or even Philly I would make a point of coming every night - and tip quite generously cuz the entertainers and the singing wait staff and bartenders work very hard. It was the same this week - we spent a few very happy hours here last night again tipping pretty generously to the point that Elaine hugged me. Today when we arrived they were busy and the host told us so. I waved and said hello to Elaine and she said that they would try and find a place. I was so greatful. After some time the host sat us but in the very back room where I have never sat before. You can not see anything it’s behind the piano player and the wall. There was a different server there and she was very busy - we weren’t served for about 30 mins. Meanwhile I saw that some tables came open in a much better area where you could actually see the performers - at this point we still weren’t served. I asked our waitress whom I went to find at the bar if we could move, the tables were also in her area, but she told me it’s was the host who made these decisions. I then went to ask him if we could move as space had opened up. He told me quite irritated that he has other people to seat and could not move us. I went back to our terrible table where we finally got some drinks. While sitting there he filled a few more tables in the back with patrons. Again I saw more tables clear in the front. The host came and moved the people who he sat half an hour after us to the front. Then 15 mins later he did it again with others - completely ignoring us. At this point I got really angry - we got our bill and walked out. You have lost a very loyal very appreciative long time customer, I reccomended you to everyone and anyone I knew who would be coming out your way. I hope that your host is very proud of himself and how...