Session House

Unfortunately, the entire building is being torn down.

Anyone know why this place closed? It was my absolute favorite in the area! Great food and really nice owners :(.

Really hope this bar relocates and reopens nearby — it was by far the best in the area!

OH NO!!! THEY CLOSED!!! WAHHHH! It was a refreshing change to all the other douche bag bars that surrounded it.

Just walked by and they appeared closed/​abandoned! Anyone know what’s up?
I have always liked the place, nice change from the typically awful bars in the area, friendly bartenders. Session Black & Great nachos! I was there around a week ago on a weeknight, and it was packed.

This is 3.5 stars. The bottom line was that I might come here again if I’m in the neighborhood, but I wouldn’t venture out specifically for this joint.
Shea D., Allie G., and I came here after finding the bar too packed at Draught 55. We sat down pretty quickly after scoping out both the upstairs and downstairs areas at a table near the front window. Service was prompt and friendly, vibe was typical-​Irish-​pub-​ey.
The food was typical pub fare, but if I remember correctly, a little on the pricey side. Decent draft selection.

I came here with a couple of friends to kick off our St. Patrick’s Day celebration and almost immediately, I was a fan!
After having made our way up Second Avenue through crowds of drunken, rowdy and often antagonistic groups of partygoers, Session House proved to be the perfect place to enjoy a first pint. Only moderately crowded and with good music, it seemed to have attracted a more mellow mélange of mortals. Furthermore, the management had the foresight to stack away most of the seating both upstairs and down, which was a smart move in deterring the aforementioned drunken multitudes.
I’d definitely be up for dropping by on a regular night and sampling some of their fare, too!

Been here a few times, love the vibe of this place, but it does get pretty crowded. Came here on a Thursday night and the upstairs was packed (think they allow parties to rent parts of it, which is actually pretty cool). It’s a relatively small space, narrow and goes straight back. The upstairs is the same, narrow so it easily gets crowded and becomes hard to move. It does get quite noisy here, but I feel like it’s not too loud for conversation, which I like.
I’ve only sat at the bar downstairs, but there are also table options against the wall. They do serve food, but I’ve never tried. Both times I came here, the bartender was really nice and helpful. I’ve only gotten beer, but they do have a full bar of hard alcohol.

Session House is a narrow and long restaurant that doesn’t allow for much hovering if you don’t have a spot at the bar. Ambiance is lively but not noisy and the food is above average as pub food goes, including the nachos and fried chicken sliders. The beer options are decent but not overly diverse. The upstairs looked nice but there was a private party going on. Overall I think this is a decent option for friends/​groups if you can get a table or a spot at the bar. Of the bars in the «Irish Riviera», which exists in the lower to mid-​fifties on second avenue, this is my second favorite after Draught 55.

Cozy, cozy laid back kind of bar! It is a 2 floor bar. Main floor seem more of an area where you can dance around and mingle if you want. Of course there are also table seatings downstairs. My favorite is the second floor by the windows! Upstairs it much smaller than the main floor.
Bartenders & service are on point. Not the average Irish pubs!
The ambience & the flow of this place is just great. The bouncers are super nice which is rare in nyc.
Place is a must if you are looking for a chilled — relax kind of night. Unless you hop on downstairs where it can be more upbeat. Best of both worlds! n

Great, chill neighborhood bar. Two floors, dark (but not in a trying to be trendy way), good service, cheapish beers, and a good beer selection. Service is prompt and nice. Seats at the downstairs and upstairs bars, and also several smallish high tables on each floor.
My favorite for the lazy evenings when I refuse to leave midtown east!

smaller fun bar with a lively atmosphere. most here to drink a few beers and have a good time before going home for the night. session house follows the new trend of craft beer bars in midtown vs. an irish pub. it seems to be working because the place is packed and the food is better than what you’d get in most of the pubs. narrow building but the wood trim, brick walls, & attention to detail are great. quick service with a smile. never made it upstairs. good beer selection & long shot pours.
L-​shaped bar with a flat stone surface with no rail. square pipe foot rest is comfy and needed since the stools are a round wood with no back support. bar back is very nice with large mirrors, bottles, and a couple good hdtvs. the wood trim has some nice features.

Decent midtown pregame with huge portions.
Came here for a quick bite to eat with a friend visiting from Hong Kong. Not necessarily the first hot spot that comes to mind, but we wanted something close to her place and another friend wanted to drink.
Inside is very dimly except for the bar area, and we had to use our phones to navigate the menu. I opted for the session burger with cheddar and bacon, and we split a portion of nachos for the table. For drinks, Session lagers (coincidence?) were on the cheap and we got a couple bottles to start.
The food itself was mediocre but fair for the price and portions were HUGE. The nachos were way more than expected and went a long way. Unfortunately quality wasn’t super high throughout the meal. The nachos had far too much hot sauce and the chicken on top was thin and over fried. My burger bun was the cheap enriched flour buns you buy in 8 packs at the supermarket. On the plus side, the burger was real thick and cooked exactly how I had asked.
Service was great for a pub. Our server checked up on us often, refilling our water bottle and making sure we were happy with the meal. She even checked up on the pricing and brought out the menu to confirm when I thought there was a price discrepancy. The selection was decent for a midtown bar and I’m glad the atmosphere was «chill» and very conducive for conversation on a Friday night.
Not the best quality food, but a decent place to make conversation over small bites.

Came here recently for a change of pace late dinner plus drinks. I was satisfied, but being satisfied isn’t bringing me back. Session Lager ($ 5) is a nice switch from the usual Yuengling for me and my date didn’t mind the $ 7 glasses of wine.
We ordered the Goat Cheese Flat Bread ($ 12) which is a great concept. The goat cheese is nice, but the flat bread was so crunchy that once you took a bite, everything fell apart. This obviously makes it hard to eat, which isn’t what I’m looking for at a bar. This could be better with a change of the bread or less toasting.
We also ordered the Buffalo Chicken Nachos ($ 12) which was again, awesome idea. I see that on any menu and instantly make it a must try. Instead of tossing the chicken in buffalo sauce, they just toss breaded chicken on the chips then coat the entire dish in hot sauce. I can’t definitely tell, but I don’t think this was a traditional buffalo sauce because it had the taste of just a regular old hot sauce. To finish the dish, they throw a huge guap of guacamole on top and it tasted like it came out of Trader Joes**.
Overall, Session House is a place I will come back for some beers and wine on a random night to switch things up. It won’t be where I get any food. Also, to mention, the staff upstairs was REALLY friendly and helpful even though she was quite busy.
**Which isn’t bad because I like the Trader Joe’s guac, but come on.**

Pretty awesome bar… came here once with a bunch of friends on a Friday night… Such a great envorment … People who work there were kind and attentive… they have wide verity of drinks… specialty beers… take advantage of there happy hour! Most bars serve finger foods that are deep fried… You will find things like… Buffalo chicken wings… mozzarella sticks… french fries. onion rings… chicken fingers… potato skins… burgers…etc… I ordered sliders and a strawberry spiked vodka drinks… The drinks were pretty strong… The sliders were tasteful… Very tender and juicy… full of flavor… Often times these bar foods are served in a basket with a disposable lining (wax paper or foil) to make clean up easy. This place served well presented entrée… not your everyday bar… The bartender was very helpful and responsible serving the food while at the same time tending to the bar… great atmosphere and service!
This place has two floors… First floor was extremely over crowed… Second floor has a mini rooftop with lots of seating with booths and there’s another bar area located on the second floor… This bar is simple as its best… makes it easy to enjoy a great night out!

I used to live in the East 50’s several years back and experienced the bar scene from the lame Metro 53 (not surprisingly long gone) to the not-​bad Redemption (still around) to the divine Divine East (also no longer there which is truly a loss). Six-​plus years later, I work in Midtown East, and sometimes get to check out what watering holes are in this part of town. While I am obviously a huge fan of Niall’s, I was open to swinging by Session House for a company happy hour.
We had the entire upstairs to ourselves, and in addition to having a whole bar (and bartender), we were also served a variety of appetizers. I could only stay for a little bit but was pleasantly surprised by how good the house riesling was.
Bars in this part of town tend to attract two different scenes at night – woo girls and a more mature crowd. Since I have only been here with colleagues for a private event, I cannot determine if this establishment would be worth me frequenting otherwise. I may need to look into this, as it seems like they have a good cocktail selection and I have no complaints thus far.

I don’t know what to make of this bar. On the one hand it’s another Irish type bar with a decent selection of UK/​Irish beers. The night I went in though there was a guy who I thought was the door guy, then maybe he was just a back, then a bartender but it turned out he was just some drunken asshole. I don’t like the idea of someone, anyone that can just do whatever he wants in a place.
Weird interactions with regulars aside. The place is all right. I had the shepherd’s pie which was just kind of eh. It was basically a pot pie. The bartender also was pretty cool and friendly. I’d stop in for a pint or two, but hopefully without weird patrons in the bar mucking up the situation.

Great vibe and music. Food is also A+. I have tried the buffalo chicken nachos, spinach artichoke dip and goat cheese flatbread.
Came in on a rainy Wednesday and there was plenty of seating.

Oh Lordy! I have to say, their appetizers are heaven. Pure heaven! The goat cheese flat bread is wonderful! Don’t share, be greedy and eat one for yourself. I didn’t want the bite to end. The buffalo nachos are also good, and are a combination of two of the best meals.
It gets pretty busy, even on weekdays. It’s a cool atmosphere, and it’s not too loud where you can’t have a conversation with your friends. The employees were very friendly, and that is always a plus. Definitely going to become a regular.

I feel I must apologize to everyone who was imbibing at Session House a few Fridays ago… our college/​Greek reunion ascended on NYC and it was way, waaaayyyyy way way too rowdy for Session’s scene. So from the bottom of our vodka soaked hearts, we apologize for raising hell in your otherwise quiet and cozy Irish bar.
And I must say thank you to those patrons and bartenders who didn’t immediately throw us out, or at least throw their drinks on us. We were being bad kids… and probably deserved the above.
We at least were polite enough to take our raucous crew upstairs to the front of the bar by the windows, where we could drape ourselves over the chairs without too much attention. And when we lost our coats and wallets and phones (no really, we were pathetic that night) the staff was nice enough to help us look around.
Had I not been with said group and a few bottles of champagne lighter, I would have loved to enjoy a stout at this bar and quietly discuss something other than BJs and topless homecoming floats. If I’m every allowed back in Session, that is.