Solas — Restaurant in New York

This is a pretty standard bar with good music, a few nice dance floors, and decent drinks/bar staff. My friends and I went in a large group on Saturday and had a good time but I will never be returning because of Travis.

Travis is one of the bouncers at Solas and quite honestly, I think he belongs in jail. Like I aforementioned, we had a good time and actually stayed until they closed and as we were actually exiting the club Travis lost his marbles. I know that being a bouncer can be a stressful job as you always have to be vigilant but Travis literally attacked our group and others as we were standing outside the club waiting for everyone to come together as a group. Let me clarify the there was no fights, no extra-curriculars, nothing out of the ordinary going on at this time.

Travis looks at some of the girls in the group and tells them to back the 'f*#k up to the curb' (we were already well outside the exit area and not blocking anyone from exiting). I look at him out of confusion and with no hesitation Travis charges at me and says he is going to 'f$%k me up' and 'end my life'. I had no idea what was going on. The other bouncers actually had to hold him back from, what I am sure is, putting me in the hospital or in the grave (Travis is a big dude). I really don't know what set him off but this altercation continues for several minutes and he just starts verbally attacking everyone in sight. He even started this nonsense with some family that was walking by that I'm pretty sure was never even in Solas at any time.

Another bouncer walks me away and apologizes and says to me even though I am not in the wrong I should just walk away and not encounter Travis. I wholeheartedly agreed because I had no desire to die that night. Now you may think this is exaggerating but like I said before- Travis was very large and very angry and it looked like he was on a mission that night to hurt someone.

I am only leaving this review because I hope management sees it and really addresses whatever happened with Travis before something tragic occurs. If the other bouncers didn't hold him back I probably would not be able to even type this review right now. I suspect that if they read this, this won't be the first time they hear a story like this about Travis. I will not be posting any of the videos my group of this incident to social media but if management would like me to hand them over to them privately I will be glad to but safe to say I will not be...

They employ a very dangerous bouncer here.

Around 12:20AM I was having a conversation with my friend outside (not in front of the bar itself, to the side) and the bouncer, bald African American male in his 40s, came over and told us to move, becoming physical when I refused and asked for an explanation.

He is not emotionally stable and will end up hurting or killing someone. A serious liability for the bar itself, and also for anyone looking for a safe place to have a good time.

EDIT: I would like to ask the owner to post a link to the security footage regarding the incident.

They claim I was not respectful towards their neighbors, which is blatantly false. My friend and I were having a conversation at a normal level, 2-4 feet in front of their ‘neighbors’ door. On the sidewalk.

Just so you know, your bouncer threw a balled up napkin at my face. Don’t be delusional in thinking that was anything remotely related to helping your “neighbors”. Your bouncer was power tripping and upset when I didn’t act afraid of him.

Their aggressive emotionally unhinged/underdeveloped security guard, ONLY hit me after he got backup from the equally emotionally & physically challenged bouncer at the establishment next door (got his courage when it was a 2v1 since my friend wasn’t stepping in)

He has no legal right to touch someone on the sidewalk, no matter what. Especially if they are not being violent.

The owners here have shown their blatant disregard for the health and lives of other people. For the public that they want to get money from.

I am a person. I have a mother, I have sisters, I have close friends. Their bouncer could very easily have killed me if he threw a punch at me (which he seems likely to do if he encounters a person of lesser physical stature). What if he got lucky, and ended up knocking me out? My head hit the concrete?

I do not drink alcohol, I wasn’t high, I was having a conversation with my friend.

Kevin, post the tapes. Or you know what, text me a link to the footage. I’d love to show the cops, and a lawyer, given your bouncer physically touched me. Message me privately, I’ll send you my...

Congratulations, you are the most disappointing place and experience that I've never had in four continents. The establishment's lack of professionalism is difficult to categorize—be it racism, sexism, or sheer negligence, it's unacceptable. Despite giving it a second chance, hoping not to judge the entire place by one individual's behavior, the subsequent visit was even more disillusioning. This establishment, unfortunately, epitomizes the lowest standard of service one could possibly find.

As a salsa and bachata dancer, I was eager to explore the dance scene in NYC during my 7-month stay. This venue, however, was a poor introduction. On my first visit, I ordered a Cuba Libre and was met with rudeness and mockery from the bartender, who showed no interest in assisting or understanding customer needs—a basic expectation in the service industry. On my second visit, I simplified my order to a rum and coke with lime, only to be told I had to purchase two drinks if paying by card. After a baffling interaction involving my ID and ultimately deciding to pay with cash, I left feeling utterly disheartened.

Even discussing my experiences with the party organizer did little to salvage the situation, leading me to conclude my visit prematurely after enduring an ambiance reminiscent of a gym in August.

In summary, based on my extensive travels to over 60 countries, this venue stands as the worst place for dancing or seeking a pleasant night out. For those looking for better experiences in NYC, I recommend visiting the Rose at 160w 25th, the stunning rooftop at 230 on Fifth, or the well-organized venue at 224 w 35th. As for salsa, Zafir Dance Company has proven to be a superior choice. It's my sincere advice that this venue reevaluate its staff and management practices, possibly even considering a complete overhaul of its business strategy to address these critical shortcomings.

1st visit 27 Dec 2023 2nd visit 22 Feb 2024

I shared the other places to...