Fiction Bar/Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Love Fiction and used to live right around the corner! It’s a great spot to work from home during the day—cozy atmosphere and incredible staff.

That being said, BEWARE if you’re planning to host an event here. The owner has shown very poor customer service and a tendency to overbook or change terms at the last minute. We’ve had two disappointing experiences planning events at this venue.

Most recently, a close friend booked a birthday party for 50 guests and received written confirmation via email that we’d have access to the music/DJ setup for three hours. When we arrived, we discovered that the owner had booked a jazz band for a two-hour set that directly overlapped with our event. We even rented out the private room for a fee and the band had all of their equipment in there for storage. Luckily the band was incredibly kind and shared our frustrations. We were able to work it out between the both of us with the help of the bar manager.

The owner was so childish he refused to speak with the event organizer to help mediate and would only speak through his bar manager to us. Although we had confirmed use of the music system weeks prior, the jazz band said they had been booked over three months ago —clearly a conflict the owner was aware of. Seemed like he was using our large group to compensate for the smaller bar bills the jazz crowd brings in. Both the band and bar staff were incredibly kind about the situation. The owner was the only bad apple.

Before this event, another friend of ours was inquiring to rent out the space and the owner changed the pricing at the last minute with no prior notice. When this was pointed out he told us to "do the math" like a condescending prick. They ended up hosting the event at Easy Lover instead which was incredible - great alternative.

Bottom line: it’s a great place for coffee or remote work—as long as you don’t have to deal with the owner. If you're considering hosting an event, proceed...

After recent events, I can no longer recommend Fiction bar/cafe.

I have loved coming to Fiction for years, I love their coffee, breakfast burritos, and the espresso martinis. Because I loved this place so much, I booked an event there for this past weekend to host a sizable crowd of 50-80 people and throw a massive party. I loved the staff as they put in so much effort to fix the error the owner made.

He knowingly booked a jazz band during the same time I had booked a part of their space and a DJ booth. He forced me to pause my event from 9:30-11 pm and made guests listen to jazz while I threw a disco-themed party from 9 pm to midnight. He stole 90 minutes of my party. The bar manager wasn't even aware of all the events that were to take place that night, and worked very hard to smooth things over. The owner refused to speak to me and texted back saying, "I am busy. It's done" as a response to what was happening. He was curt and dismissive, making him and his place of business look unprofessional. I paid a lot of money and spent a lot of time communicating with him to ensure a smooth evening, and he chose either not to be transparent or genuinely made an oversight. However, he never once apologized or offered a solution. I unfortunately can no longer recommend Fiction as the owner is sleazy and does not care for maintaining good customer service. He ruined what was supposed to be a fun and lovely night with his oversight and lack of accountability.

The backroom I rented was also taken over by the jazz band to store their gear DURING the party. So I basically paid him and then did not receive what I asked for and was treated with so much disrespect. Which really sucks because the staff is so kind and amazing but the owner is untrust worthy and money driven with zero regards to...

The venue is EXPLOITING musicians! Two separate friend groups of musicians were not paid their NEGOTIATED rate on two consecutive nights. The first is a group of friends who drove out from HARTFORD, CT for the opportunity to play a gig in the city. They didn’t even recoup the expense of gas after being stiffed by the owner (via the bartender).

The second is a group of seasoned musicians who the venue has been hiring on a WEEKLY basis, who tonight were shorted by 50% their negotiated rate (which was insultingly low to begin with). Again, this was communicated via the bartender, putting the bar staff in the very uncomfortable position of resolving an issue that the owner should be dealing with directly.

Can you imagine being a musician and the amount of money you’re making on this gig is already insultingly low, then they have the audacity to try and pay you HALF of that?! If you as a venue owner can’t afford the terms you agreed to, then try to renegotiate with your musicians - tell them straight up that you can’t afford to continue paying them what you have been, and let them decide to turn down the offer and pass the gig off to less experienced players.

I also learned that other groups don’t even get paid AT ALL for this gig! This venue is continually exploiting musicians and bar staff and it’s pathetic. I will never step foot in this establishment again. If you support the arts, do...