Sky Wise Lounge — Restaurant in New York

I've been here twice. The first time my friends brought me and we had a wonderful time. The food was delicious, the mixed drinks were out of this world and our waiter was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. I was struck by how much the waiter knew and he confessed they were tested regularly on the details of the dishes and the drinks so they could answer any questions with confidence. Impressive. I liked the place so much I decided to come back to have a drink at the bar after a rough day at work. The girl at the host desk took one look at me and told me there was a private event and that I couldn't come in. I knew what was happening immediately and didn't make any fuss as I left. I called later and asked about table availability. No mention of a private event. I get it, they want to be exclusive and it certainly feels exclusive if they'll let you in, but if they don't like the way you look, you won't. If you're wondering, I wasn't dressed like a bum and I am generally treated kindly almost everywhere I go. Just not here. If you look a certain way wink wink, then there's nothing to worry about. But if you've ever been sneered at or placed in the back of a restaurant so you wouldn't be seen, then spend your hard earned money somewhere else.

I see the owner responds to many reviews. Firstly, kudos on the attention you've put into every detail of your restaurant. It's exquisite down to the authentic shrimp chips. Here's my question: Why aren't the hosts at the front as well trained and friendly as your wait staff? They're the polar opposite and it ruins your budding brand. Hospitality is nothing to take lightly. At the top of the luxury game, hospitality is the ONLY meaningful differentiator. Drop that ball and everything else...

What would I say about this place after few times visiting…? Mixed feelings. This place is really beautiful inside , very good food specially rolls and appetizers! Drinks are delicious and taste good . Presentation of food and drinks are fantastic and a lot of fun ! It always makes me try everything because the next one is better then previous 😍Very good show and life music .

But but but !

Last visit got me very disappointed. We went there with girls for international women day ( March 8). Food , drinks, show was good as the same . But one thing that I saw this time just crossed over all my positive experience. I didn’t feel comfortable AT ALL seeing sloppy women in sweatpants , keds and ugly T-shirts around . No dress code? Really? I wanna come to beautiful place to see beautiful classy people nicely dressed up , not sloppy and drunken women at the bar looking like they came right from cleaning service . Excuse me ! ?Management should care more about Face control and dress code and what kind of crowd they let in because otherwise it degrades the quality and status of the place in general and definitely humiliate other guests who dressed up nice and care how they look like . Otherwise the whole idea of pretending to be high-end restaurant( 100$+ ) and lounge is mismatching to reality for this place! No way people who respect themselves want to be surrounded by that. And it’s sad because I really want to keep coming! We are old school and I really consider that if you don’t feel to dress up nicely and look beautiful just don’t go out , buy some vodka and stay home or at list choose casual place instead of this beautiful one! Big NO TO keds and sweatpants for women and YES to heels and dresses Don’t downgrade this...

We visited the restaurant — the atmosphere, cuisine, and interior are top-notch. The dishes delicious and everything related to the kitchen deserves high praise.

Now, let me explain why I’m leaving one star. Everything would have been perfect, if not for one major issue.

The overall impression was completely ruined by the service. The waitress was extremely rude, lacking basic tact and even the simplest etiquette when dealing with guests. It felt as if we were a nuisance rather than welcome guests — as if we had barged into her home.

There was no sense of professionalism: her tone was confrontational, and her questions bordered on insolent. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch her name, but she had black hair and bangs.

Here’s what happened: at the very beginning, before placing our order, we politely asked if we could split the bill. The waitress flat-out refused and said she wouldn’t serve us. We had to ask again and negotiate just to be accommodated. Throughout the evening, she was visibly tense, jittery, and unapproachable. There was also an odd sense of over-familiarity — she leaned in too close, touched our shoulders, even patted us on the back. For what reason? That behavior was uncomfortable and inappropriate.

To top it all off, the menu was practically thrown at us by the end of the evening. In a place of this caliber, you expect attention, respect, and at the very least — basic courtesy.

It’s such a shame that the level of service is so out of sync with the otherwise outstanding quality of the restaurant. I sincerely hope the management takes this seriously, because the restaurant truly has great potential — except for...