Juga Lounge

One of my friends reserved out the back room of Juga Lounge for his birthday last month right before Christmas. The bar and lounge is actually situated above a restaurant, which can be kind of confusing when coming through the door and searching the street for an address. The space in itself is nice, dim lighting, nice lounge seating but with insanely loud top 40 hits pumping through the air. Pretty expensive cocktails which for once I didn’t drink anything. However, their happy hour is Monday-​Saturday 5pm-​8pm and includes: $ 3 Korean liquor shots which is based in raspberry, plum, rice, or ginseng wine, and/​or soju, $ 5 Drafts (Lagunitas/​Sapporo/​Seasonal), $ 7 Well Drinks, $ 9 wine/​cocktails. It almost doesn’t sound like its happy hour.. .. . Which was why on normal hour I didn’t feel compelled to buy a $ 15 well drink and I may have showed up drunk.
The food was pretty excellent though. He had ordered a buffet of Juga’s Truffle fries with shaved parmesan cheese (outstanding), Vegetable Fried Dumplings (Very crispy on the outside and flavorful on the inside without being greasy), Popcorn Chicken (Both sweet and very spicy with sesame seeds, it tasted like general tsao’s chicken to be honest, but I liked it), and the main star for me personally — shrimp encased scallion pancakes. These were some of the best pancakes I have ever had in my life. I think I had one too many and felt sick later on but it was WORTH IT. The staff also kept the food constantly warm and was fairly attentive to providing support for the entire birthday shindig.
Nice looking space and the back room area is plenty large for like 30 – 40 people but it was just a little too clubby for me personally to want to celebrate anything here. But I had a good time and hey, there was cake and champagne.

Juga Lounge can be a bit difficult to find. You have to actually enter the restaurant Kristalbelli and then go up the stairs on your left. The lounge is just up that one flight of stairs. It wasn’t very crowded on a Saturday night around 8pm, but the tables were already reserved, so we were seated at the bar.
We missed HH and the prices of the drinks were as expected for city pricing. It ranged from $ 12 to $ 14 for their cocktail drinks and about $ 16 – 18 for a bottle of Sake. I asked the bartender for something sweet but strong. He said he had the perfect drink in mind and asked me if I was okay with vodka. I’m not sure about strong, but he made me a really good fruity drink called the Volstead. I definitely recommend this. The alcohol taste was masked nicely and it had strawberries in it, so kudos to the bartender.
My friend ordered the Pina Makcolada and it was alright. It wasn’t as fruity as the Volstead, so I could still taste the alcohol.
We also ordered food because we’ve been drinking on an empty stomach and I found the food to be expensive. I really liked the Crispy Salmon ($ 15). It’s their take on salmon sushi, except the rice has been fried. The salmon is raw, so avoid this if you don’t eat raw fish. I REALLY liked this because the raw salmon is soft in texture so it contrasts nicely with the crispy rice.
We also ordered the popcorn chicken ($ 13), which tasted like general tso’s chicken. It’s a little spicy, but other than that there’s not much to rave about.
The lounge feels really spacious and since it wasn’t that crowded, I was able to converse with my 2 other friends easily, even though we were seated at the bar. I would definitely come back for HH wto save a couple of bucks.

This review is kind of a long time coming. And as much as I want to give the 4 star rating, I just can’t.
I have a total love/​hate relationship with this place. I LOVE the atmosphere, I LOVE the drinks, I have issues with the food (It’s okay, I’ve yet to be truly sold by a meal here), and Andrew makes my night every single time I’m at the bar… which is where I normally sit. If your food doesn’t sell me and I still come back, that’s an achievement.
The issue? Service. God.
I celebrated my birthday here a few days ago and told myself to write a solid review afterward. I have so many mixed feelings. For one, making the reservation was a complete pain with the poorest email correspondence ever. I suggest calling. Long story short, I went through such a hassle that I was given a free bottle of champagne for the inconvenience. It was very appreciated! When I arrived, I was seated even though my reservation was for 15 minutes later. Which was unexpected, though pleasing! However, I was not greeted by a server until 15 minutes after. That’s just uncalled for!
Other mishaps included my friend not getting her food order because it was not put in (for this she was given a complimentary drink), items my friends ordered were put on my card (I suppose maybe I should have told everyone to open their own tabs at the bar, but why was I not asked if I was paying for these items?), the champagne was given to me for free, but the server didn’t even fill our glasses, and around 10pm we were told we had to go at 10:30 because they had another reservation. I would have been more irate about that last one (I wish someone told me prior), but 10:30 came and went and we were not told to leave. We left at midnight lol.
Now, with this said, would I go back? Yes. HELL YES. Its a fun place to go to, lively on weekends with a live DJ (this place is the most unassuming turn-​up spot I have EVER SEEN), the drinks are delicious (I get so many wine shots and Volsteads it’s almost criminal), the happy hour prices are good for the area, and Andrew makes my night. He promised me a birthday shot and totally delivered it! It was on fire! And that even came with a round of kamikaze shots! Sweet!
I would totally go back. Just not for a celebration.

Beware! They charge automatic «awesome» 20% tip at the bar… after telling me they only have premium IPA when I asked for some bottled beers. –_​_​–
Crowd is a really random mesh and not typical ktown.

Cute little spot with surprisingly good music. Group of coworkers decided to have drinks here. Was a little disappointed to know we couldn’t reserve unless we had 8 people. We were under a tight time crunch and were constantly being reminded with a party starting in 3 hrs. We were literally there for an hour.
The drink menu was very interesting but were a little weak lol. The waitress made recommendations which I liked and the drinks were garnished very well.
Overall a good visit and I would recommend to others. Small food menu but the selections were well prepared. Try the fried oysters.

This place, as others have noted, is hard to find. It’s above Kristalbelli, which means you need to go through the Kristalbelli restaurant entrance and go upstairs.
It was totally packed and crowded when I arrived. I was there for a birthday party and they were nearly impossible to find, as it was a group of Asians and of course the entire bar was full of Asians. Luckily, we got moved later to a private room, which was much more comfortable and less stuffy.
They have a nice cocktail menu, but I wouldn’t bother unless you’re seriously craving one. They take forever to make. You’re better off getting something simple like vodka soda or rum and coke or beer. There are several bartenders but it still takes a long time to get a drink, even though they are obviously trying. Part of the reason for the backup was that people were being assholes and ordering 8 drinks at a time. Otherwise, it’s a pretty decent place.

Juga Lounge is a little bit tough to find. Just look for Kristalbelli, go inside, and head up to the second floor.
A friend and I came in on a Wednesday at around 6:30 and it doesn’t seem like a lot of people happy hour there (maybe because their happy hour prices are still pretty hefty) but maybe it gets more crowded at night. We had a Travelzoo deal, which included 4 cocktails and 2 appetizers. We decided to go with the galbi jjim (braised beef short ribs, jujube, rice cake, shiitake mushroom), the spicy popcorn chicken (popcorn chicken, homemade Korean sweet chili sauce) and we also ordered a side of the spicy fries. The short ribs were bland and dry so I would not recommend that dish. But the popcorn chicken was really good. They weren’t really popcorn sized as the menu had suggested, but it was still good. The sauce was the perfect amount of spicy for me.
For drinks, I had the Blood Orange Sazerac (Bourbon whiskey, simple syrup, orange bitter, Sambuca) and the Garden of Eden (splash of St. Germain, filled with champagne). The first drink tasted like orange theraflu. The second one tasted like cherry cough medicine. So if these are any representation on the rest of their cocktails, I would stay away. Stick to wine or beer, or if you’re feeling bold — something neat.
I probably wouldn’t come back just for chicken and beer. But I do remember coming here for one NYE and I think I had a pretty good time. So it seems more like lounge for nighttime than it does a happy hour spot, which I guess was why they put the Travelzoo deal out. So if you can nab that deal too, then go for it! Otherwise, you can skip.

3.5−4 stars. Popped in here for a post-​dinner drink and caught their happy hour (Mondays-​Saturdays from 5 – 8 pm). It was pretty empty around 7 pm. It’s a pretty small lounge: there are some plush benches and a bar area. Everything looks chic and new but not over the top, which is nice. Their happy hour menu has some house cocktails, wines, shots, and beer. I opted for a sour apple cocktail, which was good but not extremely special tasting.
Not sure if this place gets going later on in the night, but I wasn’t feeling much of a vibe during the time I was there. Good (though slightly pricey for what is offered) place to grab a casual drink perhaps earlier on in the night.

Great DJ especially later on in the night
Bartenders are warm friendly and attentive and turnt up haha I really liked their energy
This place in my opinion was a little too expensive the drinks were good but opening the bill killed my buzz
We had the spicy chicken appetizers and the Truffle Teok and Cheese. I loved the chicken it had a great flavor and just enough kick but the truffle teok had a consistency that wasn’t for me because it was rice gnocchi so it was quite gummy. It was good cheese just the gnocchi i wasn’t a fan of.

Came here for a friend’s birthday. Loved the dark décor and pretty comfy for a lounge in the city. The cocktails are pretty good and creative. But other drinks are overpriced for what they are. I ended up getting bottle service for my friends & I and amongst ourselves had a good night and food was ok.
My only complaint would have to be the table service and trying to get the waitresses’ attention. They seem a bit off putting and rude even though our group was spending a great deal of money. It wasn’t until I decided to speak Korean they became much more friendlier and decided to pay more attention to us (had like 15 – 20 of us in total with no rowdiness or usual bar behavior).
Probably will be back one day to try Kristalbelli.

I had a little birthday after work celebration there 2 nights ago and I had a great time!!! The ambiance is very cute, a grown and sexy vibe! The drinks were tasty and the happy hour had pretty good prices. The food was good especially the veggie dumplings which they ran out of very early in the evening. The DJ was really good and they allowed you to reserve space without any cost which was nice, they also let me keep the space from 6pm-12:30 when my party finally left. I would highly recommend the spot for whatever your looking for, after work drinks or a sexy spot to start the evening, the place was cool.
The main reasons for not having 5 stars is the menu is a bit limited, and there was some confusion about the check, one waitress tried to make it a table tab after one waiter already told people they could have separate tabs and had started a separate tabs. But the spot is a win for sure!!!

Stopped into this bar/​lounge with my gf and brother on a Saturday afternoon. Be aware that you have to go upstairs to get to the bar/​lounge. The first floor is a restaurant.
The lounge was dim with a nice modern feel. As we sat at the bar, we noticed signs on the counter of a special for $ 6 Jameson shots. Not a display/​special that I would have expected given the décor of the establishment but we decided to partake in a shot nonetheless. That was the highlight of our quick visit as our moods quickly soured (or perhaps I should say sweetened?) after we ordered some drinks which required actual mixing by the bartender.
The service itself was relatively attentive and quick. However, the drinks we ordered came out ridiculously sweet. I can’t remember the name of each cocktail that we ordered but regardless of the name on the menu, I believe Diabe-​tea would have been a much more accurate description.
We also ordered a couple food items, the wagyu sliders and the fries. I don’t really have any beef with the sliders. They were good and juicy as far as sliders go, but definitely nothing to write home about. The fries on the other hand seemed like the cooking staff just ran out to Mcdonald’s and then plated them at the bar. Now, I’m not knocking Mcdonald’s fries. When grabbing an order of them from Mcd’s you better believe «I’m lovin’ it.» However, when I’m paying $ 7 for the same quality you better believe I’m loathin’ it.
Super sweet cocktails and $ 7 Mcdonald’s fries aside. What really furrowed my brow was the 20% tip that had already been put on my bill when I got it! If I had not really been paying attention, I would have probably tipped on top of that. Why would you add an automatic 20% tip for a party of 3? Pretty ridiculous in IMHO.
Bottom line: If you can’t wait for type 2 diabetes and need to contract it now. If you love paying $ 7 for fast food quality fries. If automatically paying 20% tip regardless of quality of service really floats your boat. Well then come on down to Juga lounge!

I came here around 8:30 on a Saturday night. I got 2 beers at the bar and paid with my credit card. They charged tax and a 20% tip. Also, the bartenders didn’t know what a well drink is. What kind of bar is this?
This lounge is also confusing to get into. Juga Lounge uses the same entrance as Kristabelli, but the door only says Kristabelli. Juga Lounge is located upstairs of Kristabelli. A very important FYI as myself and others looked confused standing in front of 8 W 36^th St. The lounge itself is very small with limited seating. Overall, not a fan of this lounge. I also haven’t tried their cocktails or happy hour, so my review is based solely on 2 beers.

Actually a really nice spot in Midtown. I totally wouldve walked right on by if I didnt see a bunch of people standing outside of the entrance.
The Juga Lounge is like 2 places in 1.
The ground floor is wine bottle lined, warm wooden tables and long expanse into the background.
The top floor is hip hop, lounge, café colored leather stools, full bar and party tables. They do have a room in the back past the bar for private parties and events. The manager was super nice and professional. Thank you Yura Cho for all of your help last night with our group!
Last night I came here with a colleague and a bunch of salsa loving architects and we all had a blast!

In search of a swanky after work venue, I stumbled upon JUGA. Located upstairs from Kristalbelli Korean BBQ is Juga. A sophisticated lounge. Ideal for Happy Hour, Juga is a nice spot to unwind to smooth Hip Hop & R&B. Equipped with vintage plush couches and mirrors galore this spot is ideal for a 1^st Date or small gathering.
This place is easy to miss. Enter through Kristalbelli. Juga is very small. Not ideal for a saturday night turn up. It’s cozy, intimate and chic. The service here was great. The happy hour menu features several creative korean cocktails. Yuzu makgeoli, The Jeremy was a blueberry infused Soju with champagne. Very tasty but needed more kick. The drinks were not as strong as I like them. The food here is very good. Small bar eats like truffle Korean rice cake, Sliders, fried oysters and the delicious Ribbon Frites with freshly shaved potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots &parsley. I was very disappointed they no longer feature old menu items such as the King Crab Mac N Cheese :(
STAPLES: Fried Oysters (juicy and plump, flavorful)
Truffle Rice Cake
Ribbon Frites
I really enjoyed the relaxed ambiance. We came on a Tuesday and had the place to ourselves. Definitely very sexy and swanky. Intimate enough for a date.

Pros: Nice ambiance. Good hip-​hop music. Pretty good drink menu. Probably a good place to have a birthday party if you’re inviting all of your friends.
Cons: Not the largest lounge I’ve ever been to. Bartenders were more concerned with flirting with Korean girls than serving other customers.
I’m giving this place 3.5 stars because I think it has potential. I came here the Friday before July 4^th and so there wasn’t really much of a crowd. My cocktail was pretty good and was about $ 14. Most of the music is hip-​hop and the crowd seems to be primarily Korean.

One of my favorite after work spots. Nice décor! Nice crowd and equally amazing drinks.
I am regular here and love the variety of cocktails they offer. Happy Hour ends at 8 p.m. Best place to hang out with friends or have a date night. Staff are very attentive and Manager Jeremy is cool. Everytime I go, he hooks us up with some free shots! Yayyyy. Happy Hour food menu is great. Spicy popcorn chicken is amazing. So yummy and perfect to go with your cocktails.
They are very creative with thier cocktails! Fat Budha and Lady Yang are must try !!
P.s: ask for bar tender andrew! He makes amazing drinks.

Nice interior once you find the place. The name on the door is very different from the lounge. The drinks were good and it’s easy to host a group of friends here. The lobster mac n’ cheese was really good.
Once it gets crowded it gets really loud. Didn’t stay for dancing, which starts later.

My friends and I came here on a Tuesday night to meet more friends there that had reserved tables for the night for networking. Parking was free at 7pm and we parked right across the street which was a major plus. This juga lounge is located on the second floor of kristella Resturant (Korean cuisine). As we went upstairs, the lounge was small, dark and lighted with candles. There was a small dj section but there were no DJs that night I was there.
We ordered 4 drinks in the happy hour menu and drank that for the night. We had 3 champagnes and one red wine. There was one champagne that tastes the cherry cough medicine which was a turn down but everything else we ordered was decent. We wanted to order food along as well, but the finger food there was not so appealing. It was either fried or cheesy food, so we skipped it. But overall it was an ok night with great people.

Just blocks from the 34 St. — Herald Sq subway station, as we walk into Kristalbelli we were immediately greeted by their friendly host. Juga Lounge is right up stairs on the second floor. Making our way up, we saw a small DJ booth, a very sleek looking bar and spacious seating area. A swanky, upscale atmosphere yet unpretentious and very laid back. Perfect place for a night out to catch up with close friends in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend this place for a first date though as the music was really loud. They were blasting good old school R&B and Hiphop jamz from the early 90’s to 2000. From TLC, Destiny’s Child, Snoop Doggy Dogg to Ja Rule/​Ashanti to the ones my friend said, «You were too young to know.»
We stopped by after work just in time for their Happy Hour which runs from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Of course me and IPA … I had the Lagunitas. Throughout the evening, I’ve also tried my friends’ drinks. The Riesling has a light body, crisp and drier compared to most Riesling I’ve tasted… We weren’t that much of a fan of it. Kir Royal (presented in a flute glass) was on a very sweet side — good for those who like really. really sweet cocktails. The best cocktail of the night I would say was Volstead (brandy snifter glass) as it is more of a fun, fruity cocktail with chucks of fresh strawberry in it – strong yet it wasn’t too sweet and very cute presentation wise.
For the food, we had Spicy Popcorn Chicken, Shrimp Tempura, Nacho Cheese and Wings. The Spicy Popcorn Chicken & Wings were pretty much the same in terms of flavor and one is boneless another isn’t. My favorite was the Nachos Cheese and Shrimp Tempura that comes with fries. The portions were small, but it was for nibbles and not meant to be eaten as a meal.
Overall, we had a great time here. Service was good and staff were super friendly. I recommend checking this place out if you are in the neighborhood.