Hudson Bar and Books

You are paying for
The experience, not drinks.
Better drinks elsewhere

Popped in this gem during the fall for an evening drink with friends. This swanky feeling cigar bar is the ultimate New York feel. I ordered an Old Fashioned, which was done to perfection– $ 17 for a cocktail is pretty competitive in the city so it wasn’t shocking.
Definitely a place to hit with a few friends or nice place to drop by alone for an after work cocktail.

Not one but two roaches crawled on our table with Zero acknowledgement from the staff. Really nasty.

The drinks are soo weak! I ordered vodka cran and there is no vodka inside! Ok I thought maybe the second one is gonna be better so I ordered another one with the note to make it stronger and again… Third drink I told her to give me double shot and less ice. Finally a regular Grey Goose vodka! Drinks are expensive and not well mixed. Place is just like any other small bar in New York, not impressed…

Stumbled up Hudson while in NYC. Not a lot of places to smoke indoors. Ended up just purchasing a stick directly from them. Cigar selection was a bit lackluster, and the cigar I picked wasn’t great. Ambiance was killer, so good. Wait staff was super friendly and attentive. A little tight in there, but I’m a big boy. Luckily I was rollin’ solo deep, so it was all good. Would totally come back on the regular if I lived there, and will probably go back when visiting NYC again.

We’ve headed into Hudson Bar and Books a couple of times on weekends. Looking at it on Unilocal,it appeared like a great place to kick back and enjoy some down time. If you have some time to kill, I’d say come by here and do it.
Hudson Bar and Books is one of those whiskey and bourbon bars/​cigar bars/​cocktail bars that luckily has lasted when most of this type have run their course. Inside there is a dark wood finish surrounding you like a old study or library, and I like that vibe… books on personal library type shelves kind of appearance, etc. However, it’s pretty narrow so be prepared as it is not huge and spacious. The bar staff are neatly attired, courteous, and focused on high end type of service. It makes you feel like it’s a special thing to come and enjoy a drink or cigar there. If you are looking for a cheap afternoon’s diversion then HB&B may not be your place. Its premium type of atmosphere does come with a somewhat premium price tag for certain things. So long as you are good with that, you’ll enjoy your time here. Be aware of that as you peruse the menu. Even the cigar choices are a bit high. Also be aware that there is a $ 5.00 «cutting fee» even if you bring your own stogies. Other than that, I love to drink in the atmosphere… have a cigar, a whiskey/​bourbon/​scotch, and just soak in the feel of this place. If cigars are not your thing, try one of their custom cocktails in a unique setting. Definitely worth a stop in if you get a chance.
Bottom line: Hudson Bar and Books is a great place to unwind, enjoy a good stiff drink with a cigar, and just let the world pass by for a bit. Great atmosphere to soak in, but do be aware it can come with a premium price tag with some things. I am a fan of HB&B!

Hudson is my go to place to smoke cigars and have a scotch/​whiskey. You get to sit in the meatpacking district right by Hotel Ganservoort, sit outside or inside, while have some good reasonably priced scotches. All while watching a bond film and being taken care of some nice staff. I frequent here twice or three times a month, bringing my own cigars and pay a cutting fee. I recommend a nice slow after lunch smoke. The food is a bit overpriced, but that’s not why I’m coming here. Nights on the weekends are a bit crowded sometimes and you might have to wait for a table. I would say their weakest point is the size of the place, but what can you do when you get grandfathered in to being one of the few places to drink and smoke? Overall a great experience.

I normally have good experiences at Hudson when I come around 6pm for an early evening cigar. However after yesterday’s service I’m not sure I’ll be returning. It was very cold 11−20−15 around 10pm… There were 4 open tables & we still waited 25 mins for service. After ordering cocktails waited another 15mins for the waitress to bring them. The heat lamp wasnt working and we were told we couldn’t sit inside because the tables were rsvp only.
As someone who works in the industry I am aware that some places are strict on the amount of ounces they serve however we were given maybe one ounce of alcohol.
So we didn’t touch the drinks got up and left… Enough was enough. Clean up your staff or I will just frequent Merchants or Macanudo
JUST A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE

Surprised by the Cigar «uncorking» fee I sat down to write this review. Arriving late in NYC I decided to find a place close to my hotel to smoke a cigar. I took my cigar case and headed out (thanks to Unilocal). I arrived at this place and immediately took out my cigar and asked for a menu. I told the bartender I want to smoke my cigar and he gave me a light.
When I got the whiskey menu, I saw the prices were outrageous, starting at $ 16 for a simple Johnnie Walker red ($ 10-​$ 12 in high end bars in NYC). I ordered an over priced whiskey thinking it is OK since I want to smoke and one shot will do.
When the bill came I was charged $ 5 as a smoking fee (!), it is true it is written at the bottom of the menu, the same menu I got after I lit up, but they should have told me beforehand, not to mention this seems extremely greedy to me as a very well travelled cigar smoker who has never encountered such a ludicrous request.
I for one, will not be coming back.

An impressive selection of scotch n single malts…
good offers on their cigars too… excellent attentive service…

Great place to enjoy a cigar and some of the best company in NYC.
Service is extremely good– given the tight quarters.
One of NYCs best cigar bars.

This place is like traveling back in time to a place where people had their drinks neat and their bars smoky. Dark, cozy room with red velvet seats, it’s a great place to have a drink and a cigar. Yeah, it’s pricy so it’s not something I’d be enjoying every day. Also, I can only take so much smoke. But definitely a cool spot to check out. I believe they have ladies night on Wednesdays. Don’t quote me, but I remember going here for happy hour one day and get a free cigar. It was quite nice.

Enjoyed this place. Diamond in the rough. There aren’t many cigar bars now. This one is cozy with a good size bar and some out door seating. Dim lighting and a nice whisky/​bourbon selection. Some fun cocktails as well. Service was personal and sweet. Will come back again!

Nice polished but causal bar in west village known for being cigar friendly but lots of your pretty ladies smoking cigarettes here too. Great high end whiskers, scotches, bourbons, rum, cognac and Armagnac. Nice little cigar selection. Pricey but not too crazy and always comfortable. Inside or outside.

1^st time in this place on a friends recommendation. We looked for a place after a conference we were in the area attending at the Chelsea Market. First time I come into a place I like to sit at the bar to watch the bartender do his magic. Very knowledgable. I sampled from the great whisky, scotch, bourbon menu but it was a very small house cigar selection. The cigars are rolled locally which is a nice touch but they’re pricey. I ordered the purito which is a small stick, Dominican cigar and it complemented the drinks. I liked the ambience. Four of us could sit at at the bar and hold a conversation without yelling over the music. The service was good. We were greeted with smiles and offered seating in the back but opted for the bar to check out the selection.
The selection was great and comes in all price ranges. If I’m going to spend 30 – 40, 50 bucks for a drink Id rather just go buy the bottle but I don’t mind 15 – 20 $$$ for a nice a whisky bourbon scotch I haven’t tried.
The bar had all my favorites and some new stuff I really liked Suntory, Yamazaki, Basil Hayden and Oban. Next time Im in the city I’d stop in again maybe bring my own stick though.

My buddy and I were looking for a quality spot to have a afternoon smoke and a scotch. Found this on another friend’s recommendation.
This is exactly what I would expect from a cigar bar in NYC — tailored toward dudes and pricey. But hey, it’s not an everyday thing for me.
Extensive scotch and whiskey selection… I went with an Ardbeg 10 year… a treat for me.
Cigar selection is slim. Not a lot to choose from and most are steep. I went with a Bar & Books label that was nice.
Besides getting some quality «bro time», this place came with the thinnest bathroom I’ve ever been in (super fun experience!). Topping the visit off for me was the stereotypical New Yorker coming in loudly saying «Look at this F-​ing guy» as he greets the bartender. Yup. Everything I was looking for. Worth every penny I spent.

I thought the place was pretty accommodating; my friend ask the hostess if we could be seated at the reserved lounge area because my group was half seated and half standing and they said okay! They had a solid selection of scotch and whiskey as well as cigars. The only reason I did not give this place a full 5 stars because as this place is quite popular, it gets packed pretty quick so it gets hard to find a seat in this relatively small bar.
If it’s your first time, it’s s good start but make sure you bring money because it’ll be a pretty expensive evening!
Note, you will leave the bar in heavy smoke stench.

I wasn’t as impressed this place as I was hoping to be. I usually frequent Circa Tabac, and maybe i’m just used to it, but Hudson was mediocre.
It’s smaller then expected as well. The venting is decent, not great. The cigar selection is small, but you can find something for anyone’s taste. Scotch selection is good as well.
It’s just not a comfortable feeling place. The one part that looked amazing though was the couches up on the platform where the books were. This probably changes the whole experience of being there. Will I go back, probably not…

Hudson Bar & Books is a neat little place in the Village, but meant for a very particular type of clientele.
I came here on a Monday night with two of my buds to have some drinks. The inside was too packed, so we were seated in the outdoor canopy they had set up for the winter. It wasn’t the worst setup, but it would have been much better to actually be seated in the bar. By the looks of the place, the interior was pretty charming, and the bathroom had a cool wallpaper with some bar-​related news clippings.
But, of course, we care about the drinks. The selection of scotch and whiskey was plentiful, but being an infrequent whiskey drinker I wasn’t all too familiar with all the options. Our server did help my friend — an even more infrequent imbiber — with his choice.
This place looks like a place for business, over cigars and a scotch. Fittingly, the crowd seemed firmly in their 30s and 40s. If a smoky, darker bar is what you’re looking for, this is the place for you. If not, you can get your scotch fix elsewhere. May I suggest Highlands?

I love this place. A perfect retreat from the world as we know it.
You walk in and are wrapped in the light scent of cigar and see the bar for the first time. You feel happy to be here and that’s enough for the time being.
The staff welcomes you and makes suggestions about drinks, small bites and hands you a cigar menu. Life is good right now.
I had a robusto and those cashews (order them and see) with a beautiful old fashioned! All perfect.
The service is old school and really well done old school style. From the presentation of your drink to the matches and ashtray… All 5 star!
My new home in NYC!