The Belfry — Restaurant in New York

DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE AS A STRAIGHT MALE.

Went here over the weekend on a first date. Was hoping to get seats at the bar but none were available as they were fairly busy (but not packed) I saw they had some tables open in the back but wasn't sure if you could just seat yourself or needed someone to seat you as there wasn't a hostess or anything when you walked in.

Decided to wait at the bar to ask a bartender. Took about 15 mins for one to acknowledge my existence, at which point they informed me "thats not their department" but they would ask someone else. Totally fine. They told a woman behind the bar & she said she would be with me in a couple minutes at which point I asked if we could just seat ourselves. She paused & just gave me a dirty, eye rolling annoyed look, the "your straight male privilege is showing look" (if you know, you know) just repeated she would be with us in a couple minutes. Proceeds to finish helping the people she was with (but at no point look into the back towards the table section or check a computer or anything)

She then comes out from behind the bar to inform us there weren't any tables available.

A: There were quite a few clearly available B" She clearly never even looked if there were. Also if you knew there "weren't any available" why would you proceed to make us wait a few more minutes to then come out from the bar & tell us this vs just telling me that in the first place.

I decided not to make a scene and has us leave as I had just met my date at the bar & didn't want to be "that guy"

To that bartender; Apologies for my existence as a straight male. I'm sorry it's such an inconvenience for you. You keep doing you tho. You're def very inclusive and make everyone...

I made a reservation at this bar to celebrate my birthday with some friends. However, the manager, Kevin, was extremely unhelpful and ended up ruining our night.

Despite having made a reservation, Kevin refused to let some of my friends into the bar even though there was enough room. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable and rude, and shows a lack of respect for customers.

As a manager, Kevin should have been more accommodating and helpful, especially given that it was a special occasion. Instead, he made us feel unwelcome and ruined what should have been a fun celebration.

I would strongly advise anyone looking for a good time to steer clear of this establishment, as the poor customer service and unprofessional behavior of the manager, Kevin, make it a place to avoid.

Overall, my experience was extremely disappointing, and I hope that this review will help others avoid a...

Great for: Friends, dates, stop along your weekend drinking adventures.

Walking into the Belfry feels like a getaway. Medieval lanterns hanging over the bar, a fireplace, $5 beer & shot...right by Union Square! Known for their variety of picklebacks (shot of whiskey - or other spirit - followed by a shot of pickle juice), I personally like their beer list. If you don't want a drink at all, you can buy jars of pickled items and eat those instead!

This bar can get packed on weekends, but my favorite time to go is weeknights when they have a nice live band and a great happy hour special. It's a very different atmosphere...