Caveat

Fun and creative place! * I love that they have "unconventional" shows there. * Prices are reasonable almost cheap for Lower East Side. * Buy tickets in advance! * I was in a "Climate Comedy" show and I liked it. I'd probably come again for another show here. * Drinks are on average $6 to $10. * It takes a while until the server comes and serves you.

First time at this venue, the Lectures on Tap group help a philosophical discussion here. Food was good and I had a soda. The overall atmosphere has been well maintained and you can tell the place carries a lot of stories for different people. I like the expose brick wall the most .

Went for New Year's Eve event. There's a bar and a stage. There was kareoke and it was open bar. Food was served; empanadas and what looked like a salad. We got there around 11pm I belive. We missed the comedy show and party favors. Most of the food was gone. The empanadas were good but cold. There was a popcorn station. No live band as advertised. But cool space.

I’ve always enjoyed the shows here and had good experiences with the staff. Love the popcorn buffet. Ticket and food/drink prices are pretty high, which is my only complaint

The venue itself was great to be in, but I sure wish I could have purchased food or drinks. I went to the large bar and was told that only the servers can take orders from our tables. Throughout the hour and a half production I attended I was never approached by a server and could not put an order in.

A wonderful venue with eclectic decor. The food is ok, good for snacking. The drinks are fine. We had the Ox tail empenada, the popcorn, the margarita, the "Everything is Fine" cocktail, and the KCBC Superhero Sidekick IPA. We saw the "Coming out to Dead people" show. It's a very funny comedy show. 12/2023

This is an easy 4 start for me, very creative hybrid theatrical spot with bar and food. Located in a basement, very spacious and friendly staff. Awesome place to start your night out if you are planning East village. My interest is comedy show which they have every Thursday night. The show was great, many comedians were dropping joke around current political affairs. Their calander is full with intellectual events and shows. Will go again for sure. I'm giving the four stars just because they have few comedy shows than expected. Cheers 🥂

The show we saw was a bit rough but it’s new so they were working out the flow. Tickets, food, and drinks were affordable. The staff were friendly.

If you are a little off beat and/or quirky or perhaps you just like that kind of humor - pick a show! Improv comedy, plays, talk shows and Nerd Nite billed as 'like a TED Talk but with beer" never disappoints. 3 short segments by 3 different performers on topics ranging from Godzilla to the history of Monopoly. Go. Although not every performance is a 5 - I've never been disappointed. Looking forwards to checking out a lot more this season and hoping to see more of my favorite host and performer, Shyaporn Theerakulstit! I almost forgot my other favorite - 'Story Collider'. "5 True, personal stories about science." Hosts Paula Croxson and Diana Li are the kind of Nerds that bring the shows to life in a fun and playful way! Oh, and the empanadas are really good!

This place used to be awesome but has gone down hill fast. The stand up show I went to was pretty much amateurs and young bros that weren't experienced. I used to pop in for random events after work and they were usually funny/interesting. The show I saw this time was nearly empty but still couldn't get a drink from the bartender who was on his phone. Rather pay the premium for good drinks and comics at the cellar.

We had a lot of fun at the Order of the Golden Scribe Sunday tea event. The cast/staff were great and the overall experience was very engaging and fun. They decorated the room like a secret society and every detail was carefully thought out. I would definitely return for another show or experience!

Came here twice now for the improv show, Raaaat Scraps. It's hilarious and worth a trip! The drinks are a little disappointing. They can't serve hard alcohol due to a school being nearby? But they serve soju, wine, and beer.

Sad to give a negative review after coming here before and having a good experience, but I was so uncomfortable by how rude the manager was to me tonight. I went to a comedy show with one of my friends and realized when we got to the door that I'd left my wallet at home...but knew I had a scanned copy of my ID somewhere, so I figured it would be okay. The manager said that if I couldn't show my passport that they'd have to put Xs on my hands. Kinda a bummer for the night, but makes sense, so I opt for the Xs. While I'm sitting down and the show has started the manager comes over and very rudely and condescendingly tells me that she needs to personally introduce me to all of the bartenders so they know not serve me. I tell her that I'm not drinking and it's okay, but she insists and makes me walk over to the bar and announces to them, "make sure not to serve her tonight, she didn't bring an ID." I think this could have been done in a way that is less belittling...maybe she could have pointed me out to the bartenders...but making me walk over to them after the show started?? What is just frustrating though is being a grown adult woman and being treated as if I'm some teenager on the town filled with lies! My god! It doesn't take much to be respectful! Also, the stool chairs were so uncomfortable that I felt like my ass was going to fall off. Addtl. note: I found a copy of my passport during the show and thought about ordering a drink then...but realized I didn't want to support a business that allows employees to treat customers poorly.

Great shows for a great price Menu includes mocktails! I will be back. If you have a chance to see anything with improv musical or baby wants candy I highly recommend

good popcorn that's about it not a real comedy show had to leave in the middle of the show

Went to Caveat last night for a comedy show and was very impressed with the space, drinks, and empanadas!! The show was fantastic and the waiter was super friendly.

I loved loved loved this venue- it's a comfortable basement space with a small stage, a bunch of dinner-theater style tables, and larger communal tables towards the back. Caveat focuses on funny, nerdy content- I was there for a live recording of my favorite political podcast. They advertised several other shows like "Queer History" and a "PowerPoint Comedy show." The slogan "smarter and drunker" seems to be ver applicable. They have several craft beers on draft or in bottles/cans as well as wines and wine cocktails. No hard liquor as of now as far as I can see. They also sell popcorn with a ton of flavor options and, on the night I was there, garlic knots from the pizza place upstairs. I will definitely be checking their website for upcoming shows so I can go back!

Just correct a typo... it's a joyful oasis** could use some more toys but I'm not gonna mark them down for that!

I took my wife here to see the "Depths of Wikipedia" show on October 10, 2022, and I could not have been less impressed with this venue. They set up seats in this left wing area with an absolutely horrid view of the stage, and this show was basically a multimedia presentation where the projections were key to the show. I'm an audio engineer and work in several venues around the city, and I have never seen seats with worse sight lines sold. They also did not post the time for doors on the ticket so I had no idea when to arrive (which is why I ended up in such awful seats). The definition of caveat is "a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations" which is so apropos given that the caveat to Caveat is that it's a shit venue run by idiots.

We stopped for a 7 PM show on a Thursday night--they do a lot of educational comedy--which was very informative and fairly entertaining, although drinking definitely helps. The intermission was filled by a very electric band (Pinc Louds) that had a great vibrant energy that fit in very well with the venue. Speaking of which, the venue took me a minute to find. There's a single almost nondescript door that leads down a set of stairs to a booth where they check/sell tickets. Then you walk into the main stage/audience area with a bar off to the side. The menu is not terribly extensive, mostly beer and wine and one specialty cocktail--called the Turing Test. I didn't see a food menu. I ordered the Turing Test, and the bartender wanted me that it's a lighter drink. It was but it was excellent and definitely made the rest of the show enjoyable. The show we watched was called Why Your Train is F*cked, it was about the MTA. The first half was sort of a ppt and the second was an interview segment. They have a show this Saturday called Planet Earth the drinking game: Shark Week Edition.

Honestly had no idea what to expect when I was invited to a live performance here and saw that it was a "basement" venue. But it's actually really nice. There's table seating, and a few other seats scattered about. Get there when doors open to snag the best views (there were people waiting in the stairwell an hour before the show). We saw North Coast's Anybody: An Improvised Historical Hip-Hopera, and it was pretty damn amazing. Ran for about an hour, and we saw some amazingly talented musicians perform. It's in the vein of Hamilton, but they take a suggestion from the audience for the subject, and then gather facts about that person. When I went, it was about Jim Carrey, of all people. They do it once a month, so I highly recommend going before it gets way too popular (which will be soon!). Good beer selection at the bar as well!

Caveat is a not-so-hidden gem in the city, specializing in talks and events for science, philosophy, technology, and all things geeky. It's also a bar. Basically your dream stomping grounds for your local alcoholic geek (and to that, I'm guilty). As far as I can tell, they host events most nights of the week. The tickets go for usually $10-20. Their beer selection is not bad (recommend the Radiant Pig IPA), but is definitely on the pricey side. Entrance is through a black door with the C logo on it. It's right next to the cocoa place, so look for that first if you are having trouble finding it!

I really like this place. I found an event off Nifty NYC and thought I'd give it a shot as they were doing a show on the history of Christmas and I was looking for something unique. The space is unique and very clean for a club in the lower east side (so clearly I was already skeptical!) The show was great especially for history buffs that like a laugh. The show started a bit slow as I wasn't sure what to expect but the story telling really caught on. Drinks: Beer and wine is about it as they don't sell liquor due to the proximity of a religious establishment. The price range is 8-12 per drink with no drink minimum. If you like Drunk History, you'd like this.

Great comedy venue with a unique space. Well priced drinks and snacks. Always very clean and well fun. The comedy is very progressive and liberal, so if you're a righty stay away before you pop a blood vessel. I've gone to the comedy wine pairing event and the sex Ed event. All interesting shows.

How have I never been here before last night? Wow, I am blown away by this space and the performance I was able to see. The space is quite large for the neighborhood, but boy was it crowded! Don't worry though, there is plenty of standing room to see the stage. The drinks were great. Draft was fresh, cocktails were slung well and the service was friendly and on point. I saw "Your Love, Our Musical" and I am addicted. This will definitely be coming back to this performance in the future. It had all of the points I needed out of entertainment; wit, comedy, musical theatre and improv!! The venue is perfect for this type of show and I definitely look forward to seeing more of what Caveat has to offer. 5/5

Visiting CAVEAT last night surpassed any previous expectations I could've entertained. Although the evening was generously attended by an overwhelmingly female audience, I felt that everyone present, including the few men, came away enthralled and in some cases even healed by the stories that were shared. I'll definitely be returning some time in the future.

Came here a few months back for Great Comedy Debate. It was ok. Not my first pick but it was the only show available that night I could make. So flustered when I had to pull out my ID I had no idea this was a 21+ venue. I didn't see this mentioned on the site or on the event listing or on my ticket. It was a rainy day and we were tired from traveling with bags in our hands. So a heads up notice would have helped that ID is required.

Popcorn, drinks, a beautiful space (don't let "basement" fool you), and a really fun variety of comedy shows. I love RaaaatScraps on Sunday nights (you can come live with proof of vax or get a streaming ticket and watch online).

We had such a great time at the Hey Riddle Riddle live recording of their podcast at Caveat! The place was packed and we arrived close to showtime but the folks there helped us to get seats and even though I'm a tiny person I was able to see. They have a great beer list and a whole popcorn bar (featuring vegan butter!). It's hidden so if you haven't been there before, allow time to find it (it's a nondescript black door). It's also in a great part of town with lots of dining and bars in the area. Can't wait to be back!

So I came here specifically for a show called "Rape Jokes by Survivors" back in April. The show was being promoted in a number of places and was sold out by the day of. It's part of a documentary that I haven't been able to find too much information on, so if anyone could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated! Any venue that agrees to host something with such a high potential for negative controversy automatically wins a place in my heart. I'm both a feminist and a lover of dark humor and this show was an amazing experience. The title of the show I saw invites more explanation, but ultimately this review is about the venue and I don't have enough nice things to say. They've got beer, a stage, and friendly, attentive staff. I signed up for their newsletter and every week they have talks with interesting people, or comedy shows about interesting things. Science based drinking games, deep dives into why the MTA sucks, the philosophy behind the movie Short Circuit (Johnny 5 IS alive dammit!). Anyway, they're doing good stuff here, so go.

Thoughtful approach to a venue. Perhaps a little too 'theme-y', but nice atmosphere all together. Front door is a bit inconspicuous which is actually a good sign. Down some stairs you'll find a pretty large room with many alternative seating options for ultimately a performance space. Very good for conversing and mingling Have only been to one event, but they are targeted towards intellectuals.. big props for that, we need to unite the thinkers these days. Bar food with an alright choice of drinks. Look forward to catching some more shows here soon

The Ride or Die Oregon Trail event was so much fun! I came with a group of 4. The hosts are super funny and there are tons of interactive games where you get up and make/drink/do things. I never even played Oregon Trail growing up, but I still had a great time and highly recommend this event. The beer selection was also good (we got pitchers at a time for a better deal) and they have light snacks and pizza too.

I tell all my friends about this venue. It's INCREDIBLE. NYC has some of the world's best and brightest - science, arts, comedy, anything and everything in between. Imagine if there was a Bill Nye in every topic you could possibly imagine, now imagine you and all your friends were getting drunk with him. That is what Caveat is! On a more exact note, my friends and I are religious attendees of VERSUS. It's like if debate club and trivia had a baby and names it stand up comedy. Love this place to bits. Best in the city.

Affordable, great atmosphere, good food and drink...everything for a fun evening! It's a safe venue as they adhere to NYC Covid protocols and I'm all good with that. What makes it really fun is Raaaatscraps, this improv troupe has been my go-to. Top notch seasoned NYC improvisers perform a seamless and professional 90 minutes of hilarity Sunday nights. Highly recommend for a perfect night out!

I love Caveat. Affordable Price, hilarious shows. Sunday Night's Improv show RaaaatScraps is phenomenal! Great beer menu. The popcorn is yummy. The space is cool as hell. They have also been amazing since opening with covid Protocols. I felt safe while also having a great time. Support this awesome space!

Beautiful and gorgeous space! The space is spacious and is generally crowded whenever they have a performance here. You get awesome views of the stage no matter where you are seated. Bartenders are friendly, their drinks are on point. Great space with great atmosphere for live arts! I love this place and will definitely come back and check out more shows.

I love this place, one of my favorite bars in the city. Instead of other venues that do "geeky events" that turn out to be the usual stuff with a tenuous connection to whatever they were meant to speak about, Caveat consistently delivers a fun and educating night.

Attended Christie Aschwanden's event for her book "Good to Go"--my first time at Caveat. And I love the place. Great seating, sound, and bar. Like dinner theater, without the dinner or theater. (They'd do well to serve a full menu.) And their lineup is so eclectic and cool. I'll be back.

I just performed there for a private party. A wonderful venue with perfect sight lines and great sound. General Manager Anne is a positive delight to work with.

I got taken to a comedy show here that was objectively terrible. The venue itself was good, but the show was awful. So, a caveat about that sentence above was that the hosts of the show were funny and informative. The hosts began the show by talking about online dating (the topic of the show), then giving a slide show of data about the topic. They detailed how racist and segregated online dating is, and how toxic it is that women of color are responded to very infrequently on dating apps. That's terribly racist and it was awesome for the host the point this out how bad that is. Then came the panelists. One of them thought a funny joke out of the gate would be to say that white people should only respond to each other and save the rest of us from them. Or something along those lines. In context it was ignorant and didn't land. Especially because we'd just been over the data about why that exact thing was shitty and super racist. The panelist who attempted that terrible joke was an asian woman who I think was gay. I think she was just trying to be contrarian, but it just wasn't funny. The panelists didn't get better from there and spent the night saying unfunny, uninsightful nonsense that wasn't smart or interesting to listen to. The venue was good. The acoustics were lovely. The lighting was fine. And the overall effort to create a pannel discussion where traditionally underrepresented groups were given a prominent voice was a fantastic idea. But there are very good comedians out there that have been overlooked by traditional media. I'm sad I didn't get to see any of them tonight. Also, and this was obnoxious... one of the panelists kept on referring to herself as "a niche celebrity in the Asian lesbian Twitter community." Even if you are that, referring to yourself as that just makes you sound really self absorbed and obnoxious. And, worst of all, it isn't funny.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Caveat is one of my favorite places in NY--you just can't find shows like theirs anywhere else. They have an incredible lineup of comedy and storytelling shows. Some of the shows are a monthly series (Adult Sex Ed with Dani Faith Leonard is probably my favorite); but they also help incubate and develop new shows and have cool, one-off events. I really think they do an incredible service to performers and comedy lovers in the city. The venue itself is cozy with a friendly vibe. Their staff is great. They have tasty drinks (and creatively get around the zoning issue, being across the street from a church) and great snacks too. I'm a fan of the popcorn bar. And the shows are brilliant--smart, wickedly funny, creative, and inclusive. I haven't found a place anywhere else that has so much variety while being so consistently good. (And I almost hate to mention it, as I totally take it for granted here, but unlike so many other comedy clubs, I feel like I can just relax at Caveat, as I trust I probably won't be hit by a sexist or racist joke out of nowhere. I love that they're an explicitly welcoming place.) Overall, the quality is fantastic. I laugh a lot at Caveat and often leave feeling inspired. Tickets are very reasonable--they usually run $12-20. If you're looking for a fun night out, go see something at Caveat.

Caveat is hands down one of the best venues in NYC. The shows are always hilarious and informational and you'll always leave having had a great time. Fantastic lineups with some of NYC's best comedians, musicians and storytellers. Every show I've ever seen here has been an amazing night out. Great drinks and vibe too!

We went to a musical show where some folks interview a couple and then proceed to improvise a musical reenactment. This was entertaining- although I found the couple they chose to be kind of boring and not as forthright with the information although they were one of the couples that volunteered. It was a late show and i found that they were slow to clean up / turn the tables over for the next group.

One of the top venues and perhaps my favorite venue in all of NYC. Perpetually fantastic lineup in a great space. Have yet to see a bad show, and please believe, I'd seen quite a few shows there in the before times. Here's to hoping they can pick up right where they left off once the world regains some semblance of normalcy.

I went to an Oscar Party there tonight. It was sold out but they let me in for free standing room. I was at the bar and the whole place was very crowded. The place must hold a few hundred and I was impressed that it was much nicer than I expected. During commercial breaks they had brief entertainment on stage. I only stayed an hour but what a nice thing to stumble on! Reason for 4 rating, not 5 is because they weren't cleaning the bar really. The bartenders didn't mind serving trays laying around or whatever. When I gave them my garbage from the popcorn I bought, I was told the garbage was on the other side. I am tipping them! It's a minor thing but it still existed. Overall it seems like a fun place with a nice crowd.

Caveat is literally my favorite place to hang out in NYC. I have never been to a bad show there. VERSUS, their monthly goofy debate show is my personal fave

I went here last night for a live show of an awesome podcast, Family Ghosts. It was $15 for the event and you can buy popcorn and other snacks once there. They also have a ton of different spices that you can put on your popcorn, which is fun. They have a great lighting and sound setup here. It's in a basement, which made it feel like kind of a fun secret. After looking at their website after the event, it seems like they have a lot of other cool shows that I hope to check out at some point in the future. The venue's brand seems to be like "intellectual nightlife", and I haven't encountered anything else like it in NY. They have a TON of shows (multiple shows every night), so check one out sometime!

So glad I discovered Caveat! There's something amazing happening here pretty much any night of the week. It's a welcoming space that's perfect for newcomers to NY who want to check out what up-and-coming artists and comedians are doing. The shows are always on point, with some of the most original, smart performers in town. It's a basement space so there's also a fun clubhouse-y vibe, and it's right near some excellent ramen spots for pre- or post-show goodness.

Caveat has uniquely intelligent acts ranging from comedy to drama to music to conversations, and more. The crowd has a lot of science faculty, grad students, and other genuinely interesting and smart folks. I've been twice just out of curiosity, and I was blown away both times. They're basing the type of programming on something from London that intertwining science and comedy. I've never seen anything like it in the US, and I think it's the best UK import since Monty Python.

I'm a huge fan. I went for an adult science fair which was really interesting and fun. I stayed for the Planet Earth (the greatest show in the world) drinking game. Also very fun. I often look for something a little different instead of just plain old happy hour and this was a great find. I look forward to going back.

Cool venue for smart shows. Tables and a gallery area that's all open seating. Typically cover but they have good acts and some small snacks and pizza and beer and wine only. Free WiFi is fine as satay is spotty downstairs. Beer list is better than I expected a few good bottles/cans for IPA but expect to pay $9-12 per pint. Have about 10 on draft that again are steep considering you're paying cover but have a style for everyone. Solid venue and fun nigh overall. Caveat is in great location and is a great way to experience New York as a guest.

Looks like this is the new home for smarty pants events in NYC. I did a walk-though the space ahead of there first show in Sept. They have a sweet bar, table seating for about 100, a seasonal menu, and a stage. One of the co-founders of The Story Collider podcast is behind this venture and I expect to see a lot of the podcast illuminati coming through here in the future.

love it here, i feel safe with their covid protocols. people wear masks, its great! great bar, great shows. go check out raaaatscraps on sunday nights!

Must see in the East Village. Been going to Caveat since it's opened and have a great time every time. Great place to go for a weeknight date night. I've liked all shows except maybe one or two. There's something for everyone at this venue so be sure to find which shows interest you. Favorites for me are MSG and Encyclopedia Comedia.

Whenever I'm looking for something interesting to do on any given night, my go-to is to look up what's going on at Caveat. I've been to dozens of shows there over the years (the people working the door have started to recognize me), and it's consistently amazing. I always tell all my friends about Caveat and encourage them to go. It's truly one of my favorite places in NYC!

Really great space for nerdy entertainment. Love the idea. I'm docking a star because virtually every single audience member and wait staff were white (of around 100-150 ppl total I'm guessing). As a white person, it was so white in there it made ME uncomfortable. Not sure what the issue is but I would urge the proprieter to bring on a more diverse staff and reach out to attract a more diverse audience. If I come back and its different, I'll add a star, if same, I'll remove another.

This uniquely formidable venue is quite a significant boon to the level of discourse in this neck of the woods. Outside, its sign, 21A Clinton St, belies the carefully designed tables and chairs that allow more people to hear the performers than the classic table and chair layout of many spots. More people receive more knowledge which is good for all of us. It's almost enough to attract the opposing force of Trump Tower-LES.