Amsterdam Billiards

7 years ago not to the day but it's been 7 years since my wife and I met on our first date in front of the 11 st entrance. We played pool and it was a tie .when I made her laugh is when I knew It will last. And she paid for drinks while we spent a little more time after pool talking. I remember the drinks were good

This place is very popular. I was there on Friday night and it was packed. There is a bar and 15-20 pool tables. Tables are in good condition but it was hard to find strait cue stick. The biggest problem for me was price they charge per person by the hour and it did not matter if you played or not. We were charged $600 + 200 bar tab for 8 people for 3 hrs. 1 person did not play and another one came an hour later but we were still charged. I guess if you are located in Manhattan you pay Manhattan prices. There are many good pool places that are charging by the hour not per person so we will not be playing in this one moving forward.

This place is a fantastic place for pool enthusiasts! 🎱 Amsterdam Billiards Club offers a super fun 😊 time of unrestricted pool playing. They serve great drinks 🍹 - definitely get the Apple 🍎 Old Fashioned! 🥃 Service is super quick ⏲️ and the staff is friendly and welcoming! I wish I came here sooner and more often!

Great place to hang with friends and grab a few drinks! The only down side is the waiting - not terribly long but I do find myself ordering 2 drinks before my group’s table is ready (45-50 ish min). Great selection of drinks and the equipment there is good. Vibes are great as everyone is there to just play or relax from work.

I’m not usually one to complain and I never write reviews but after talking with one of my pool partners, I felt compelled to share my last two experiences here. First, believe the other reviews. They’re not exaggerating. I’m clearly not the only femme who has experienced how rude some of the men running this establishment can be. The first incident happened on a busy Friday or Saturday night. My group of six and I were fully prepared to wait. When I put my name down, I wasn’t given an estimated wait time. After we found a place to sit, I went back to the front to ask how long the wait might be. Instead of a simple answer, I was “greeted” with a blunt, “What?” I ignored the tone and started to ask about the wait time, only to be cut off mid-sentence with, “But you just got here.” I tried to explain that the person who originally took my name hadn’t given me an estimate and was interrupted yet again with the same response: “But you just got here.” I remained calm and cordial, explaining that my guests simply wanted to know what to expect. The interaction was unnecessarily dismissive and rude. Fast forward to today, had I known things would unfold similarly I wouldve told my partner we should just go elsewhere. We were initially told there were no tables available, yet within seconds one suddenly appeared. That was red flag number one. Then we ordered two beers, which weren’t even cold. We wanted to ask what cold options were available so we could switch, but we waited 15–20 minutes before the waitress (and someone seemingly shadowing her) checked back in. By that point we had already started drinking them. Ironically, after that, they came back every five minutes trying to upsell us—which felt frustrating considering how unavailable they were when we actually needed assistance. I chose to let it go, not say anything and continued to drink my warm beer. However, the real reason I’m writing this review is about personal space and professionalism. Regardless of whether I was right or wrong in a separate moment, and I can admit when Im wrong but no one has ever spoken to me while getting that close to my face. It was completely inappropriate and unacceptable. There are professional ways to handle situations, and that was not one of them. After my last experience, I should have taken it as a sign. Unfortunately, this second visit confirmed that the issue wasn’t a one-off situation. I truly hope management takes these concerns seriously. Respect, professionalism, and basic courtesy go a long way.

DO NOT GO HERE! A group of friends and I went in and explicitly asked what the price of a table was. We were told it was nothing and were taken to a table, and then upgraded to a larger table, seemingly for “free”. This was only for them to charge us nearly $200 on the way out, after playing max 30 minutes, and then physically threatening us at the door if we didn’t pay. We absolutely did not feel safe, especially as a group of women. There are a million other places you can find a pool table, don’t bother your time with these lying losers who are clearly just trying to screw over anyone who walks in the bar.

DON’T come on a weekend. They just want you to spend money at the bar. The host at the front said an hour wait, so my gf and I waited an hour, only to come back and he said it’ll be another hour and half.

Great fun, you feel like you've gone back in time or something. The tables are seem pretty fair and balanced, as they say. The gentleman at the counter was polite and courteous, and we received friendly cocktail service. My only hangup was the price is per person and not per table, so you end up dropping a hot dollar to play an hour's worth of pool. But it was as I said, very fun and all the employees were very nice. I would probably go back.

Coming back here after 20+ year hiatus. Place is still nice to go to for pool and to hang out at the bar. I miss the entrance at the corner. The entrance is between the avenues now.

This place is my new favorite spot in neighborhood. The vibes are great and there are alot of pool tables-So getting one isn't a big deal. We got our table right away; it was also a Sunday night. The staff on main counter is amazingg. Very helpful- our server was good too. Only giving it four star because it took them forever to return our card on tab in bar after we were done. Will recommend to close tab right away if you are in a hurry because the supervising bar staff is not that connected to individual servers. Having said that our server was the best and loved her. Their prices per hour are good deal and you will defo have a good time.

I came here with a few friends on a Friday night. We got here around 8pm, and it was pretty busy. We waited at the bar for about 30 - 45 minutes for a table to open up. I don't think I'd return regularly since it's not the cheapest thing to do (I think ~$16/person per hour for a table), but it was a fun experience.

When in the area I enjoy the iconic Amsterdam Billiards! This pool hall is a great place to unwind with cocktails, a beer or a snack! What makes this place special is the managers and staff! They are attentive, respectful and ohhhh sooo beautiful!!! The equipment is great, if you are into league play you can join an in house team or just shoot pool with your buddies! Definitely a must do if you are into pool!

I've only been here once but it genuinely was a good time with friends! When we went it wasn't too difficult to grab a pool table so the wait wasn't long at all! The drinks were decent and weren't overly expensive which you might think at a place like this so I really appreciated that. For only $16.50 an hour per person for a table! I think that is a fantastic deal! Having a good time flies by and can't ask for much more! The ambiance is what you would expect, dimmed lights with neon accents around the wall! I could see myself coming back here for sure!

Met up with a few friends for a quick game of billiards, darts (which I never played) a few drinks and laughs. Saturday night entertainment. I think I will be back. Had a great time when you're in the area check it out.

Very nice experience! Even though you are surrounded by many other tables, there is plenty of room with little to no distraction. The tables roll perfectly and the felt is fast but not too fast. The balls are clean and without blemishes. Every house cue was straight with well shaped leather tips. The server was great and attentive. The carpet clean and the room was well lighted. A staff friendly and safe environment, equipped with superior equipment makes Amsterdam Billiards and Bar the perfect place to enjoy with your friends or practice to improve your skills.

Awful fuckin place, took my real ID and wouldn't give it back for over an hour. Horrible establishment for mediocre pool.

Enjoyed pool on my friend's 70th birthday there with his family. Worthwhile to reserve a table in advance because it gets totally full at 6 on a weekday. Perfect atmosphere for such an occasion. A little pricier than a pool table at a bar, but understandably so.

I don't often wish a place to fail, but this one deserves it. We used to come as semi regulars for a few games on late weekend nights. The drinks were obviously watered down and the vibe was lame but it served if we were too lazy to go up to Society (still the go-to in lower Manhattan). But something happened around Covid and now they're rude and not in a fun, New York grumpy way. We stopped by on Friday at 11:30 and were told the wait was half an hour. After 45 minutes we checked again and were told a bit longer. Long story short, we kept checking and realized they were giving tables with more people out and skipping the wait list. Then one of the staff pulled a couple out of the line. They got a table. Etc., etc. We finally left after almost two hours, walked up ten minutes to Society, got a table instantly and had a few drinks, NOT WATERED DOWN, while we played. This place lacks soul. Don't take a date here and ruin your karma. You won't get laid, or worse, she'll give you the clap. The wait for this place should be forever, while they close down and look for new owners.

Excellent services for league players. Practice time more than adequate. Good excellent food and beverages at reasonable prices. House pros available for lessons are best in the state. Tables are clean and well clothed and well lit.

Great time, went to a 60 birthday party, about 20 of us. Already had dinner and drinks, so got there around 10ish. We had a section 2 pool tables and 2 ping pong tables For about an hour or so we played and drank. Great atmosphere, games on a hoppin bar scene and if you walk around a bit some good pool.

Excellent location, big enough space, good drinks, good owner and good service. Unfortunately they have a boneheaded bouncer (which is the quality you want in a bouncer). Once you pass the big buffoon you should be on your way to a good time.

I will not be going back to Amsterdam billiards. Three of us played for two hours. And we were charged almost $150. The fourth person on our party didn't play at all, but the guy at the desk said it doesn't matter whether they play or not. So before you start to play, make sure you understand how you're going to be charged because the sign behind the desk is misleading.

Please do not go here. They make up fake charges and are not transparent about payment.

Place is cute and spacious. Bar service was good, didn't get any food. But the guy at the door was really mean and we left because he wouldn't tell us how long the wait time is.

This place is special. We came first thing in the morning--on vacation and down a bartender the gentleman up front still walked a few Tito's sodas across the room. Put this on your NYC list if you're a billiards fan!

What's wrong with the bouncer? Never before had such a weird experience. Was stared down while at the bar. So uncomfortable. I don't look like a crackhead, nor did I show up drunk or rowdy.

A corporate dream This place would be best described as a corporate wet dream. Alcohol, food and a team-building activity all rolled into one. Bliss. I attended, unsurprisingly, with work - only to find myself surrounded by lots of other people who were also attending... WITH WORK Everyone was, of course, looking rather like they may want to be elsewhere... as they trudged in wearing the sweaty and faded remnants of that day's suit. Groups were separated by a velvet rope, the type you see in cinemas, with each group keeping to itself. Staff were nice and the drinks were pleasant but, for a social occasion, it may be best to avoid corporate Thursdays. The place itself also gives the impression of being really quite old... but remove the rose-tinted beer glasses and a quick look at the furnishings will reveal their surprisingly modern appearance.

Good spot to play pool and grab a drink after work. They have some good things to snack on too like soft pretzel sticks with mustard. They have a lot of space and tables but this places has gained a lot of popularity over the years so there's a bit of a wait to get a table. We waited probably an hour or two before our name was called. The bar is nice and there's other stuff like darts to play while you're waiting so it's not too bad but if your goal is to just play billiards then you should expect to wait a bit.

Stopped in on a random weekday after a late dinner while looking for a fun post-dinner activity. I've walked by many a time, but have never stopped in. So glad we did! Check in was easy at the counter, depending on the time of day (we went early evening, but not super late), you may get a choice of table. Folks are masked, but you must be vax'd to enter. There's a full bar and easy, quick bar food available. Clean location and you are able to distance from one another while having a great time.

I hope this place fails. Been here once, never going back again. Wouldn't recommend to my worst enemy.

Billard halls like these are harder and harder to come by, so when you're around one, it's nice to drop what you're doing, get a cold brew and focus on something other than school or work. Tables are in decent condition, probably a 7/10 on the table we were on; the rates they charge are aound $15.00 per hour which is fair especially being in the city. Foosball tables take quarters, 0.75 at a time but it'll take 1.50 for a full game to 10 for either side to win. Service was super friendly but my only gripe was that if you wanted something other than potato chips, it would be at least 30-45 minutes as their food comes from surrounding restaurants. We were reluctant to try anything even though the menu offerings looked good just because we didn't know how long we were going to stay, and if the food would be delivered on time. Drink prices were fair, not overly expensive in this cool city spot.

My favorite pool hall in the city. I've been shooting pool for over 20 years and the quickest way to impress me is restroom cleanliness. I know weird right? It's easy to have well manicured tables, straight cues, and an endless supply of chalk. But not having soap or standard toiletries in a rest room will prevent repeat business. Sure everyone has soap and hand sanitizer during the covid-era, but Amsterdam always had it. The chalk gets everywhere people. And if you shoot pool at least once a month, it's something you'll notice. Trust me...

Amsterdam is basically the only real-deal pool hall left in Manhattan. It's been around for (I think) about 30 years -in the current location for approx half of that- which makes it sort of an institution. So that's cool. They have great Brunswick tables, but you might want to bring your own cue if you have- it's hard to find a house one that's not wonky. There are wire baskets underneath the tables for bags/coats/etc., which is really nice. From an ambience standpoint, it has a nice old-school feel, but is a bit dark and has a slightly unclean feeling. The carpet/walls/ceiling are all the same deep brick red color, probably chosen specifically to hide years of stains. There is a particularly gnarly (red) popcorn ceiling in some areas, and I shudder to think how much dust it probably holds and sheds. There is table service at the pool tables, and the waitresses are great. The bar tabs are kept separate from the pool tab, which I like but which may annoy some people. Regarding bathrooms, I can only comment on the ladies', and it is usually not particularly clean and on average has one toilet that doesn't flush properly. I would imagine the men's, if anything, is worse. As for pool pricing, it's important to note that they charge a per-person rate here (unless you're doing one of the specials where you reserve a table). The rate per person doesn't decrease as the number of players increases, and it ain't cheap. But... it's the only real pool hall left in Manhattan, so, it is what it is.

If you're looking to play pool somewhere, you're almost guaranteed to get a table here solely because they have so many. And they're spaced out which is nice so that you and your group don't have to feel like you're on top of anyone else. The vibes are good here - laid back. Only drawback was that it was a little pricey. I think a bud light was $9, but that's NYC for ya

Clean, cheap billiards and pricy drinks. Waitress are there and active bringing drinks. Ruined my initially fun experience playing billiards when I ordered the same Diet Coke I got the first time and got a different tasting coke. When I told the waitress that she brought the wrong drink, she told me "no, that's Diet Coke". So I let her know she brought a different tasting drink the first time to which she responded "oh yeah, I wasn't going to tell you. I brought the wrong drink the first time, that was regular coke. Sorry." I spent the rest of the night with a huge headache from all the sugar. Not fun. And she seemed bothered after when I asked for a water. Instead of a different soda.

Don't recommend! Find a different billiards place. Billiards pricing is per person instead of per table so the bill racks up after an hour of playing. Drinks were mid.

Great place to meet people and develop pool skills. The best deal is league, each season ends with a party. League players also get extra benefits like free pool on Friday night. If your not a pool player then join league and you become a pool player. Leagues are handicapped and this helps complete beginners learn winning habits against more experiences players.

Nestled in New York City is Amsterdam Billiards. Or perhaps New York City is nestled in Amsterdam Billiards! If pocket billiards appeals to you play here! If pocket billiards doesn't appeal to you... Socialize here! Join a league! Have a drink, eat a little something. Tip the waitstaff and your lovely servers obscenely! Bet with your head not over it. Don't fight out of your weight class. Get paid after every game - no air barrels. The 3 and out isn't a big spot for a run out player. If you can't run a hundred balls with ball in hand on every shot don't play straight pool for money. Ever! One pocket is fun!

I could not speak more highly of this joint. For one, the place is immaculate. The tables are kept in pristine condition. The vibe is always on point. The drinks are solid. Furthermore, they're accommodating and incredibly hospitable. Even though they have an understandable table cap at 6 heads, Maria and her team made an exception for our party of seven. And they put us up at the best table in the house. Would and will recommend Amsterdam to anyone and everyone I can. Go here for top notch service, great pool and old new New York vibes.

Fuck this place they're total scammers. Sign for pool makes it look like it's $20 to play but then they charge you by the minute and next thing you know you're hit with a $100 tab. On top of that the workers are total dicks and try to laugh it off. Shitty spot definitely avoid it there are so many better pool bars in the vicinity

Waited for two hours and did not get a table. The front desk constantly told us to wait for another two tables or twenty minutes and kept lying to us. Will never come back.

This place is an absolute scam. The front desk man is horrible and will try to rip you off. Do not trust him. Do not go here...places like this make me wish there was a 0 star option

Cool place to play pool, but when it comes to waiting for a table you have to remind them or else you will just be forgotten. Furthermore, if you are 5min over an hour they will charge you that hour so make sure you set a timer on your phone smh. Also the drink aren't worth it I order a screw driver and they basically gave a ish load of ice and more orange juice than liquor for $16 -_-

Great host, nice vibe, moderately pricey @ ~$17 per person. They close late at night though so it's a nice late nice place.

It's a great place to go when you want to hang out with new friends or catch up with old. I went here for a birthday gathering and even though we sucked playing the game but we had lots of fun the waitress was attentive and the lady working the front desk had the best customer service. I would go here over and over.

This is the absolute best place for pool on the city! Only negative is that the drinks are a bit pricey

As we sat by the bar, waiting for a pool table to free up, we overheard the best songs - all giving me flash backs to my high school years (sigh). The bar was a great place to park, but it did take nearly an hour to get a table late Friday night. When we finally did get to a table, we started to have fun playing pool. Now, for the bathroom cleanliness, or lack there of. Someone had been sick, there was a terrible smell and it looked like a disaster area.

One of the biggest pool halls I've ever seen and I have only seen a few. I'm from the Deep South and it's odd to see one of these places not through a hazy of cig smoke. It was a good time, reasonable prices, good location, nice wait staff, the food and drink...was present. It's not luxe and that's what I like.

Pretty cool and very large space that has moved from the UWS. There are lots of comfy couches to lounge on in between the pool tables. The drinks were a bit on the expensive side for a pool hall. Beers were served by the bottle, not drafts and there were four cocktails on the menu ranging from $11 to $14. I found a Shiraz that I really liked so I stuck with that all evening. Music was top 40 all night. Despite how big the space was, I was surprised that there was only the one bar in the front right as you walk in. Some of the guys I went with wanted to play beer pong and the fee for that was to buy a $25 bucket. I caught a glimpse of the beer pong table and it was pretty neat! It lit up and had actual spots for the cups.

This place is a little too busy on a Friday night. Waited for 2.5ths for a billiard table and ultimately ended up leaving after not being closed. Also it smells like the basement of a frat house!

Great place with a wonderful layout. Always fun to visit. The times aren't too expensive and the staff is always helpful.

Great place if you really want to play some legit pool. The tables are in great condition and their are a lot of tables. The negative is that they are very expensive $12/per person/per hour is a little excessive but for the quality it was worth it. A bottle of beer was $9, a little expensive even for new York standards.

The establishment is great! However, if management cannot enforce the mask policy, this place shouldn't be open. According to the guidelines - if you're vaccinated it is not required to wear a mask OUTDOORS. My boyfriend and I went here for an hour, and multiple tables (within 6 feet, no skipped tables) had individuals without a mask on. There was an individual without a mask on - coughing/sneezing. This made us extremely uncomfortable and therefore we left.

Very calm and great service 21+ as well if i remember correctly! They have other activities other than the bar and billiards like ping pong and the darts which is nice

I remember Amsterdam Billiards when I was in high school. Maybe the name has changed, but this corner has always had billiards. What's so great about Amsterdam Billiards anyway? - Friendly service. As someone who plays casually once in a blue moon, I prefer posted prices, friendly service, and clean venue. This place provides all of these. - The hardcore to casual ratio. It's about almost a good 1:1 ratio here. They even cater to parties here! (Our table was next to a party that was curtained off, I believed they have pool, ping pong, drinks, and a cake). Why is the ratio important? How would you feel if you're a newb walking into a pool hall with a bunch of experts practicing? How about if you're a pro needing to practice and there's a bunch of college students giggling around and gets into your space each time you shoot? I think balance is important. - Venue. It's important to know that most people will choose Amsterdam Billiards over a some seedy billiards hall far from the subway and in a basement somewhere. Amsterdam billiards is on the ground floor, filled with clean windows, and a few blocks from the 6 train. One more mention: their pool sticks are in pretty decent condition.

This place is the one, I love this place just from my first experience there. They have pretty much a full bar which is always nice. Their menu options are enticing however there are some restrictions that apply. The place is huge. Even though it's a basement floor it don't feel like a basement at all. It feels more like classy restaurant. Whoever designed this place needs an award for most aesthetically pleasing 90s look. When you see this place, their walls and the wood accents on the tables are I believe cherry wood. Then the carpets match the pool tables which are like a burnt reddish color. It's so aesthetically pleasing to the eye that it's timeless. The staff are really friendly as well and have good answers to the questions you ask them. In summary I recommend this place (obviously), you can get here from about anywhere in the city also it's worth noting that this place is equidistant from Union square and Astor place on the 6 and 8th street on the R and W lines. Also busses run near that area too. Can't complain and will be back here again.

This people are very friendly and this is easily the best pool hall left in New York City. The tables are in great condition, all the top players in the world I believe at some point stopped in here over the years. I still believe that the previous Amsterdam location on the Upper West Side (which closed unfortunately) was the absolute pinnacle. In that location, the bar area was gorgeous. You had huge comfortable lounge chairs (in a lounge area). You could literally watch pros play on the main house table for an hour or two. The Upper West Side location felt almost like the Plaza Hotel of pool halls. The Upper East Side Amsterdam location (which also closed) was also a step up from this location, as it had a huge area with ping pong tables and a lot more room overall compared to this location. I believe that the quality of the tables might be identical in all 3 locations (this location and the previous 2 Amsterdam Billiards that closed down). However, due to what looked like less space in this location on East 11th Street, there was not room for beautiful lounge chairs or a giant bar like you previously had in the Upper West Side location, which also had a great setup where you could watch the top players in the world on the main house table. If you simply want to play pool on the best tables imaginable, this location is perfect. I just believe that due to having limited space compared to those other locations that closed down, it was not possible for this location to fit as many luxurious things in like the Upper West Side location had back in the day. It is sad that the pinball machines were taken out of this location a few years back, but I can't hold that against them too much. Great pool hall with great tables. If you are serious about pool, this is the location to play as the tables are in immaculate condition.