The Darby

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Thist place is a disaster. I would NEVER EVER come back to this restaurant. I will tell you why, I had to go to the rest room after dinner so when I entered the smell was so disgusting I could not believe it. There are 5 bathrooms and only one working. All of them were so full of toilet paper and not working so you can imagine the smell. When I came out of the rest room to wash my hands I went to turn on the sink and it did not work so I tried to turn on all of them (four), no luck not one sink was working. Can you imagine how disgusted I was. I honestly started to gag and could not even put on my lip stick because I just ran out the door. Unreal I could not believe how disgusting this place was/​is. I am only thankful that I went to the rest room after my dinner or I honestly would have gotten up and left this disgusting place.

This place is the biggest ripoff! The food was (-) average, and overpriced.
Let me think about this, I paid 25 bucks cover charge, to eat overpriced (-) average food? The joke is on me, cause I have the money to spend, and I wanted to see this «hot spot».We had a small crowded table right in front of the band.
The band was enjoyable, and I really liked the 1920’s art deco interior design.
We thought we would check out downstairs, but apparently if you eat there, it doesn’t give you access to the door or stairs to the basement room. haha
Don’t think Ill be back to spend my money to help keep this place open.
In one year, this place will be called something else.
**glamour girl drink was good

Reviewing for the Darby Downstairs
A friend and I came here at the suggestion of a promoter friend, so we decided to check it out. Don’t bother going before 12:30 because there was basically no one there. After standing around for an awkward 10 minutes we decided to get drinks. We went with Red Bull and vodka since the place was basically putting us to sleep. The bartender handed us the drinks and said it was $ 44 for the two of them. Are you kidding me? Even for NYC, $ 22 a drink is ridiculous. I could have paid for a handle and a pack of Red Bull for the price of one of those. So we told the bartender we couldn’t pay for them and left. In short, never again. Thanks but no thanks, Darby.
Positives: Nice décor and super clean bathrooms.

It was a late Sat nite and in the mood for cocktails and so made my way to ink48 rooftop bar to meet friends… a long line was a deterrent there but come to find out that the party moved to Darby… as a dude rolling solo, u gotta be well connected (or kno someone who is) or be accompanied by two or more stunners for immediate entry to spot like Darby… a NYC reality… fortunately, the group landed a table and told the host I was on my way. So I got in…
…the descent to the lower level started a bit strange, as a middle age stranger greeted me at the bottom of the stairs and embraced me as if we were friends; he was with a party of seven women and needed an assist. What dude would pass on helping out? After schmoozing for a bit, i eventually made my way to my group. It was a scenic journey to the back bar area as I passed one stunner after another. Hands down, this place was filled with 9s and 10s. Who knew?!
…ordered my first round of remy martin and then another… hip hop music was on point… and a friend was chatting it up with a Kenya Hill of America’s Next Top Model (who happened to open doors for us at 1 Oak later; that nite’s Unilocal rvw is pending) …but then the coast began to clear out an hour after my arrival… didnt realize that the party ends here at 2 am… so off to 1 Oak to finish the nite… If it wasn’t for the $ 30 a shot remy martin (which normally goes for $ 15), Darby would have gotten a 4-​star rated review…

Great experience and we had a lot of fun, but the food was fair at best.

The concept of The Darby is absolutely fabulous. The moment you step through the dark wooden doors that hide from the outside world the wonders of whats inside, you are transported instantaneously to the 1920’s.
The band/​singer is amazing. It was my friends birthday and he is a huge Britney Spears fan. I requested that the singer do a Britney tribute for him. She whipped up the most amazing version of «Toxic» that could have been a number one hit in 1922. It was so on point for the venue and for my friend. Epic.
The food was just ok and the drink prices were absolutely astronomical. $ 100 plus tax and tip for 4 champagnes. For that price there should have been ribbons of gold floating in my glass.
Overall, The Darby was a great experience that transports you right back to the roaring 20’s. Don’t make a habit of visiting The Darby if you’d like to have any money left in your IRA. On the other hand, if you have the means to, then be sure to frequent this place– and take me with you! ;)

This place is AMAZING. I have been talking about this establishment since we went here a few weeks ago. The food was spectacular and the entertainment divine. The wait staff was on top of their A game and even the club downstairs was fairly entertaining. I would recommend the blackberry gin drink (I forget the exact name) for a libation, and don’t leave without getting the foie gras. If you don’t want a huge meal you can split a few things with some friends. The chef makes everything to order so make sure you get everything you want at once or you will be waiting a while for your next course. Just as a side note, this place looks like it is right out of the Great Gatsby. Awesome vibe and décor. Fantastic! Thanks for reading and enjoy.

Super hot staff. Good music and attractive crowd. Expensive drinks. Good place to pre-​game before 1Oak. Definitely weren’t the only ones with that in mind.
Do it.

I went to the Darby (March 14) with my mom and girlfriend to check out the live Jazz band. We did enjoy the band, but certain things were not as appealing. For instance, the speaker system was way to LOUD. We would try to talk to one another, but we could not hear. We had to wait until the music stopped playing and recall what we were originally going to say. That was totally a bummer. Also, the seating was really a tight squeeze.
On the other hand, the food was delicious. Although you do have to wait a bit to be served, it is worth it! The meat would come off the bone with such ease. As well, the service was great. Our waitress made our night. She made us smile and laugh.
Overall, the night was good. The cocktails and desserts were the best! They are very unique. So, if I would go back, I would stay near the bar and over indulge on sweets LoL

I have mixed feelings about The Darby.
The first time a friend and I came here on a Friday night with at 10 PM reservation. After not getting seated for an hour, we had to leave before we starved. The next day, the manager of the restaurant called to apologize and to invite us back to give them another shot, on the house.
Really nice gesture! We planned another weekend to go and called them back to take them up on their offer. After about a dozen calls we finally got in touch with someone who knew what we were talking about (the person who answered the phone was always eager to help, but never made good on their promise to call us back). Even when we arrived at the restaurant we had to talk to a few people before we found someone who knew.
Food was good! We filled up on oysters, wine. I had the crab cake and striped bass, both of which were entirely satisfactory. The music was too loud to have a conversation, and it was a little too dark to see my dinner date, but it is nice to have a place to enjoy live music and food on a friday night.
So would I return? Probably. The music was great, the food was good, and the service, once we were seated, was cordial and swift. They did a great job making sure we left happy, despite our negative first impression. Even with a few missteps, I’d probably give them another shot.

We came here on a Saturday and had a table. People who are in the know on the current NY scene have mentioned this is still the one of the «in» places. It was myself, and two good friends along with some entourage. I used to frequent this place often while living in NY. It used to be called Nell’s prior to my tenure in the city. When I was there it was called NA. NA was a semi private Members club. It never took off like Soho House has, but it was a very popular scene for people like myself who were in the fashion industry. I had my 29^th birthday there. NA, was solid. The later carnation of Plumm in the same space, well not so much.
OK, so back to The Darby. We arrived at 12, had a very cute and friendly waitress. All tables sold out, great music, great crowd. Very tough door here. As someone else has alluded, most Unilocalers would not, could not, and thus do not get in here. Bottles are not cheap, I think the starting price was $ 450 or $ 475. Our Kettle, and red bulls all in, tax+tip was like $ 650. Thus it is about double the normal prices in my current residence of Atlanta.
Overall we had a killer night and heard some great music. The day I left NY I heard that that night Gerard Butler and shite load of models were at The Darby, so it is for sure still a solid scene for the scenesters. I would for sure come back.

I LOATHE going out to dinner with big groups. LOATHE. However the Darby is the ONLY restaurant in NYC that made going out to dinner with a horrifyingly large group a total dream.
My boyfriend and I were invited to a birthday dinner for 18 people at The Darby on a Friday night. As dinner with a big group on a weekend is pretty much our living nightmare we stopped and had a few drinks in preparation for the shit-​storm we assumed would ensue.
As we entered The Darby we were greeting warmly and asked to check our coats as space ‘was going to be a bit tight’ with such a big group. I admit I was thinking «cool, I’m totally going to be sitting on my boyfriends lap» but as it turned out the tables and seating were totally comfortable and they managed to accommodate all 18 people in one corner section. As soon as we chose our seats we were asked about drinks, which hit the table almost immediately. So far so good.
However, to our horror, after every seat in our section had been taken, the guests kept arriving in droves. Like some horror movie creature, our party turned from a nightmarish 18 into an all consuming, small-​town destroying mass of 28 – 30 people. (I eventually just stopped counting).
THIS IS WHERE IT GETS GOOD FOLKS…
The staff at The Darby NEVER MISSED A BEAT. They magically and seamlessly opened up the nearest tables, kept drink orders coming at a rapid click, took dinner orders and almost every plate wound up where it should even AFTER people had swapped seats from table to table. The staff also put up with many of us standing in what little space there was between tables with out a word of complaint… I WAS IN AWE and completely surprised at the level of precision, execution and professionalism of the entire staff of The Darby.
And to echo the hospitality, the food was also high quality and delicious. We ordered the Grilled Octopus, Striped Bass and Gnocchi. All of the dishes were delicately prepared and seasoned perfectly. My only complaint was the piece of Bass we had was not completely de-​boned… a small sin I readily forgave after the great performance of the serving staff.
ALSO of note, the jazz band was KILLER. Absolutely awesome.

Went on a Monday night — nothing too special. At 8PM it was kind of empty.
The drinks were good (atleast the ones i ordered) and the food was okay but nothing special. I think the waiter was rude and was trying to rush the entire ordering process even though the person i was with had some questions. My friend ordered a manhattan and it was aweful — how can you get that wrong.
Ambiance wasn’t that great but i am sure on a thursday night it would have been move lively. The band was the best part of the entire night.
I would probably not come back here unless it was a thursday — saturday night hoping that would improve the experience.

I live in the West Village. Woo hoo! This place is *new* AND *takes reservations.* SCORE! Or, so I thought.
I made a reservation for a table for 2 people on the late side at 10pm. We arrived at 9:45pm. At 10:30, we were still waiting for our table. After 45 minutes of waiting, I started to get upset. The hostess kept saying «a few more minutes» which obviously was not true. What’s the point of a reservation if they will not actually honor them? I have no problem waiting for a table if I know a place doesn’t take reservations — but don’t mislead me into thinking I will actually be able to sit down and eat. Finally — around an hour after we had arrived — we were seated. Grrr.
On top of it all, food was meh, and generally felt like I was crammed into an overpriced karaōke bar.
There are way better restaurants in the area. Don’t waste your time here.

I’m reviewing The Darby Downstairs.
The club itself has a tight door, luckily, I’m fortunate enough to have friends in virtually every major city that matters who are highly connected. I waited maybe 3 – 5 minutes for a promoter to come up and retrieve me but during that time I watched tons of ATTRACTIVE and WELL-​DRESSED people getting denied entry. I’m aware this happens in LA often as I am VERY familiar with LA nightlife but even pretty girls in tasteful clothing were getting rejected.
Once downstairs and united with my friends, I was very happy. The crowd was attractive, young, and established very similar to some of the clubs I frequent in LA but this is New York. The music was good, the DJ was playing remixes to hit songs and everyone was going wild. The cocktail servers were extremely punctual and a fun time was had!
Another thing I liked was you could smoke in the club, I know that’s not a good thing to say, but no one cared at all and it would have been a massive hassle to go outside to smoke.

Bad service to loud n to cold
They were not able to sit my table of 3 for 1.5 hrs after my rezy wow !

Darby Downstairs
Money, Models & Celebrities is my review in a nutshell.
Supposedly a very hard door, but I walked in with a bunch of hot model girls, so it was easy for me. Crowd: Young, Good Looking, Tall, Trendy. There were a lot of beautiful people downstairs, mostly hot girls I would say. Yes, gentlemen, you might want to go the extra mile to get in here, and bring some dough, because the gene pool here ain’t bad.
I have seen Beyonce and Jay-​Z at the table across from our table one night. Last night I sat next to Lil Jon’s table («Get Loooow… tatadatada») Supposedly Heidi Klum was there last night, but who cares, I was too busy dancing. You get it: Celebs are a dime in a dozen here and I have to say that they all look and act normal. I honestly had no clue who the heck Lil Jon was until I just looked him up! Ha ha…
The music was pretty good. Whatever you expect to dance to in a typical NY club. Last time I went I was there Wednesday night from about 12−2AM. I believe Darby closes at 2AM. More than likely the crowd goes on to 1Oak afterwards if anything.
Interior: Cool, Cozy & Cushy
Bottom line: Cool Club. I will be back for sure! :)

I know nothing of the restaurant, so my review is strictly for the party scene.
To start, 90% of Unilocalers could NEVER get in to this place, so that is likely why many would give a low rating.
In the six years I’ve been Unilocal Elite, I’ve noticed the same pattern: A high-​end spot has a Unilocal event there. So, the person feels like, «Wow! I’m in here. I’m that cool.» So, they decide to go back during a non-​Yelp night and get flatly (and probably rudely) denied entrance. Fast fwd to them back home and angrily tapping out a hateful review.
Moving on, I happen to actually have spend the past 18 years in the New York nightclub business as a promoter, doorman, flyer distributor, patron, and yes, even an occasional stint as DJ (okay, only thrice LOL).
While I hardly made huge money doing it, the bottom line is that I brought a pretty decent crowd out, so it earned me some respect from those in the industry that know me.
The point being: I get into these places on their A-​list nights, because of my background. If I didnt get in, I just wouldnt review a place.
So, back to the club — it isnt anything special, décor-​wise. There have been about five different venues here since the Café 2i’s and Nell’s days. None have been super amazing looking, but some of the best (and worst) parties have seen this corner.
This particular iteration is known for 5’11″ models, celebrities, and a former coffee-​shop brasilian night which, to me, is the best one there.
If you’re able to get in, good for you. It’s worth it, so long as you wont dilute the awesome, fun, and extremely attractive crowd!

For me, a great restaurant is a synthesis of great food, amazing atmosphere, beautiful décor and wonderful service. I love food, but I’m willing to forgive shortcomings in food department, if the other 3 parameters align.
Having said that, I was cautious about Darby. I normally trust Unilocal and wouldn’t go to a $$$$ restaurant that’s barely at 3 stars on Unilocal.But than I can’t resist the fact that there’s a joint around the corner from where I live, that’s part speakeasy, part club, part music venue and part Alex G. Restaurant.
And I’m really glad I went. From the moment you enter through heavy dark wood door, you’re greeted by welcoming and kind hosting staff. The place has a decadent 1920s speakeasy feel, but not fully accomplished, as some of the metal fixtures on the ceiling make it a little too modern.
It’s loud. There’s an amazing band that doesn’t half ass it. They REALLY entertain. But we still managed to have a conversation. Now, I want to give a great review to this place mostly because of exceptional service and ambiance, but to be honest food wasn’t amazing. It wasn’t bad, it had certain twist, but all in all quite forgettable. But the band and the service made it all worth it.
If you are looking for a memorable night in New York City and are willing to shell out big bucks for it-​hit this decadent meatpacking spot!

Cute venue.
Need to come here for dinner.
Only been here for late night drinks.
Definitely be back for dinner.