2nd Floor Bar & Essen

Wonderful ambience with amazing drinks. Excellent selection, it feels like you were in a downtown bar uptown cannot wait to come for more cocktails with excellent service.

The nonchalant, yet still well lit, entrance, set the stage accurately.

This bar is so humble and unassuming, yet wildly innovative both on the cocktail and food front.

Our server was eager to help, fast, and attentive without helicoptering.

The drinks, especially the Mai Thai, were clearly crafted with care and had layers of cool flavors.

We only had the deviled eggs, but if they were any indicator, the rest of the food will be quite good.

On my list for a return visit!

The bathroom area is instagramable, btw lol.

We had dinner reservations at a restaurant around the corner and needed to have a cocktail (or two) beforehand. This place is great. The bartender makes interesting drinks and during happy hour you can get a "combo" with a 1/2 pastrami on rye. I will definitely be back.

Love the intimate, cozy vibes of this UES bar! We wandered in after an early Friday night dinner (around 7:30pm) and there were only two groups at the booths and a few people at the bar; otherwise it was quite empty. They have a great selection of creative cocktails. While there are no mocktails listed on the menu, the bartender is able to create tailored non-alcoholic drinks.

Cozy little bar located on the second floor, honestly after trying two other cocktail bars in this area I highly recommend this place. The hostess/waitress was nice and drinks were good.. I wanted something refreshing but didn't like banana so maybe he was the manager? Came by and asked what I liked I said strawberry but I guess they didn't have so they made me a pineapple drink that had cinnamon and egg white which was pretty good. Food was a miss for us..: the mini hot dogs was too salty with the sauerkraut and the fried potato was rubbery... l assume it's supposed to be potato chips but it was rubbery and you could literally bend it and it wont snap... maybe stick with the drinks when you come?

Perfect date spot in UES. You can tell everyone here is on a date so the vibes are great. I've always enjoyed to cocktails I've gotten there and they've got a nice wine selection. The servers will never rush you and rarely interrupt so it's great for getting to know someone new. They've also got some great small bits to split if you're looking for something light to eat. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.

Very low-key speakeasy like vibe to the place. The entry is a random door which does have a neon sign + a menu outside, but it can be something that is easily walked past. Stairs lead upstairs to, unsurprising, a 2nd floor.

The music is at the perfect volume so that you can still have a conversation with someone else. Only came here for drinks with a drink. The drinks are on the pricier side for cocktails. I ordered the Shapeshifter - seasonal drink - which I did enjoy. The burnt cinnamon was a nice touch and smell as well.

Would come back here in the future

Went here on a whim recently and it was such an unexpectedly wonderful find! It's a really cozy space and wasn't too loud to have a conversation. We opted for a bottle of wine, although the cocktails sounded great too. We wanted to try the pastrami popcorn out of sheer curiosity, but it was almost closing time and they had sold out. To our surprise, our server brought us an assortment of complimentary cookies as an apology! It was such a sweet and unnecessary gesture. I look forward to going back!

First time here I had the Maya Made and the Upper East Sider which were both refreshing. Drinks are on the pricer side for cocktails but the place is a good atmosphere for a date night or quieter place to grab drinks.

The drinks are great, except for the one my boyfriend tried.

He got the Banana Boat, a mixture of rum and banana with some absinthe and vanilla extract thrown in. I'm convinced it's named after the sunscreen brand, because it tasted exactly like sunblock. That one was a dud.

However, I can recommend anything from the stirred/spirit forward menu. I had the Somewhere in Nowhere, which was their take on a mezcal old fashioned with a hint of chili.

There's barely any food here, but we split an app of Frank's in a blanket. Basically a dressed up hot dog with everything but the bagel seasoning. Supremely delectable mustard