Midnight Blue — Restaurant in New York

I came here with a table reservation for 8:30pm, knowing that a performance would start at 8:45. I was really looking forward to seeing the musicians do their thing. When we arrived promptly at 8:30, we were told to stand and wait at the entry until they could service us. We waited for 15 minutes, and the hostess came out to explain an issue with our table. She asked if we’d be ok with sitting at the bar to start, and that she would move us to the table when it was freed up. She also said that our cover charge ($10 per person) would be waived. We say okay, I figure we’ll spend 30 minutes tops waiting at the bar.

We ended up being seated at the bar seats furthest from the stage. Again, I don’t mind since they promised to move us asap. One of the staff gives each of us a glass of champagne as an apology, which is appreciated at the time.

Music had already started by this time, but we were so far from the front that we couldn’t see even a sliver of the stage without leaning all the way forwards or backwards in our seats. Sure, we can still hear them over the chatter but a lot of the fun in jazz is about watching them play (for me at least). We ordered a couple of drinks to start, with the plan of ordering food once we were at the table. After 20 minutes, there was no sign of us getting moved so we went ahead and ordered a few plates.

Before we knew it, 45 minutes had passed and the 8:45-9:30 set was over. During this set, we saw multiple parties get seated at closer bar seats and even tables. After the set ended, the hostess came over to ask if we’d be interested in moving to that table she promised earlier. Mind you, we’ve been here for over an hour already, and the next set would start in another 30 minutes. We declined and got the check, which was a little over $50 each pre-tip.

We were able to have a good time in the beginning because the staff seemed very sincere, and we believed that we would be moved to a table soon. If this was a regular bar, this situation would’ve been fine. But we came here more for the performance and less for the food/drinks. The drinks were good but food was nothing special. I just felt that I could have had a better experience for the same amount of money at countless other places in the city. I also felt that the staff could have handled this situation better by moving us to the next available seat closer to the stage. At the least, they could’ve communicated clearly in the beginning that we could be waiting an hour for a table.

tldr - staff fell short in handling their reservation mishap, bar seats are a gamble if you’re hoping to actually watch the performance, drinks are good (not very strong but good),...

Check your bill and confirm the price you paid. We found the practices here deceptive and unethical.

This was an unfortunate experience at a place we were predisposed to enjoy. We just wanted to have a drink and see some jazz.

3 strikes:

1. there's a drink minimum on top of the cover charge. Thats fine, it was communicated upfront. Not fine is that it must be a "menu" drink. One member of our party doesn’t drink alcohol, so after ordering 3 not-cheap menu drinks, we were harrangue'd to buy the 4th drink, with no option for food or a large bottle of sparkling water or whatever. This is 4 people on a 2 top in an empty bar. We weren't preventing the bar from earning a higher cover by turning the table. We eventually got a $17 mocktail we didn't want, so they'd let us continue enjoying the music.

2. one member of our party loves mezcal. She has 30+ bottles of top shelf mezcal at her home. I just attended a mezcal tasting dinner there. She ordered a $23 pour of mezcal, very clearly stating the brand and cultivar (tobala), pointing to it on the menu; the waiter repeats the brand and agave. When we receive the bill, they charged us for the other tobala on the menu, at $48. This did not taste like a $48 pour of mezcal. Look... even if this was an honest mistake, if someone orders a drink at more than double the menu average price, most places confirm. Did he really think she just casually pointed at the most expensive non-wiskey spirit on the menu? I think not. But the speculation isn't necessary because we both heard him repeat the order.

3. they charged extra for a rocks pour. This is technically ok, I guess... but it should be a footnote in the menu and mentioned by the staff. Pouring someone an extra 0.5oz of alcohol without mentioning it + the upcharge is unusual for NYC.

In summary: we were (purposely?) overcharged, nickel and dimed, and forced to buy a drink we didn't want. We did not tip after a ~20min argument with the staff abiut the bill. On leaving, one of the staff members shouted "don't look at me" at us on our way out.

There are other places to listen to jazz in the city. This is the only place I've ever felt compelled to write a...

This place could be great but the setup /time you get is not good value. You pay 20 bucks to get in then you got to buy a drink and tip. So you end up paying minimum 50 bucks and you only get to listen to 45 minutes of music max and that just isnt enough. And then the next set starts 45 minutes after that so yea you can stay longer and chill to finish your drink or eat but the whole point of the place is really the music besides the bar and some food. It is a cool spot, good atmosphere and food but the music being so short for the cost really upset me. We heard like 4-5 songs then it was over just when the band were getting their groove and i was enjoying it and they even started like 5-10 mins late but the staff stopped the band so they couldnt even play one encore song to compensate for slightly late start. Just felt too rushed and expensive. Please change the format to at least an hour of music per set and lower the cover to ten bucks or free with 1-2 drink minimum otherwise im never going back nor recommending this place. The musicians were great but is it worth a party of 3 paying 150 for one drink each to listen to 38 mins of music due to late start and talking inbetween songs. Not really. And not all reservation times that you can get are good, like some availability is awkward time and you could be waiting a long time for any music to come on so keep that in mind and check to see when they...