Niagara

This bar has got a great vibe. It's chill and has an incredible happy hour. The bartender, Morgan, is a total sweetheart and made us feel welcome as we tirelessly stumbled in with our luggage after a long walk from Penn Station. She served us up some cold beers to perk us right up!

Most racist place ever!! The bartender begged for a tip and said racist slurs to our group. I don’t even know how this bar is in business after so many negative reviews/comments! Very disappointing experience the staff is absolutely racist. They could definitely improve their experience with better management and learning how to treat customers with respect

Niagra has east village history behind it, it’s been around. But overall the experience is just ok. We went in a Friday and it was packed with a line. The space was packed in like canned fish and movement was impossible. It was so loud we couldn’t have a decent conversation. The staff was ok they just did there jobs with little enthusiasm. The drinks were standard, I got my usual martini. Long bathroom line. It was kind of a dumb collage spot. If you go there expect waiting most of the time. The Sunday we went by and it was very different very chill bartenders were super friendly and drinks were perfect. I recommend go on Sunday. We will be stopping by again in a few months for a follow up and video will be posted via TikTok and Insta

absolutely disgusting inside. it'll sound like its popping but its always empty and they never clean. stingy with the alcohol and will racially profile guests inside and outside. refused to give people who are not white drinks.

Wonderful selection of liquors, especially considering they have no martini glasses. Jules was our bartender and made excellent conversation. She is a luminous personality. She was open to adapting drinks to our taste and that made us feel very welcome. We were able to enjoy a bees knees, sidecar, amaretto sour, and gin martini… which is disturbingly hard to enjoy at a single establishment in this neighborhood

Awful and racist experience. Never going back! I went in with some friends (we are all brown) and immediately the bartender screamed at us, even though we hadn't even gone to the bar to order anything yet, and she said that it's their right to refuse to serve us, while they continued to serve everyone else who was white. They continued to argue, even though we pulled out our NY state IDs again (even though we had just shown the bouncer outside). Never going back!

What kind of bar doesnt let people from other countries come in just because their ID isnt scannable? So no tourists allowed? Whatta joke

My good friend Nathan Shi was the DJ for the night here and I came out with my friends and had a great experience! Music was a whole vibe and I enjoyed my time here!

First time attending this historic landmark dive bar. Small but I like the vibes. There's a small concert hall in the very back past the restrooms. The bar has typical open bar options and non alcoholic options. I went to see a good associate (Bec Louder) perform her last residency showcase. They host residency weekly showcase of different artist. Room can be tight so if you want space, you can listen via bar area in front. The mic needs better filter for singers, sounds too raw. Other than that, great venue, usually free music to discover indie artist.

Free cover. Underage bar. Average age 18-20 year olds with a fake. My friend ordered a vodka Red Bull ($17) and a water after being continuously ignored, then chose not to leave a tip. The bartender (white, male) shouted, "NO TIP? I'LL YELL IT OUT," while pouring the water onto my friend's hand. In the end, my friend left a 20% tip. Maybe he should have tipped, but physically and verbally harassing someone for it is absolutely insane. Unprofessional. Rude.

Ppl were weird, some guys kept patting my friends and I on the head. Music was super throwbacky, I don't think any of us enjoyed our time here

**Terrible Experience - Beware of Theft!** I recently had an awful experience at Niagara's. My phone was stolen while I was there, and the owners didn't seem to care at all. They offered no help or concern when I reported it missing. Through my own efforts, I managed to track down my phone. When I confronted the person who had it, they claimed to work at the bar! In a slip of the tongue, they also mentioned another phone they had stolen - an iPhone Pro Max. If you've lost your phone at this bar, reach out to me. I can share their location and help you recover it. This place is clearly unsafe, and the owners' indifference makes it even worse. Stay away from Niagara's if you value your belongings and your peace of mind.

MONEY · $7 for a Bud Light POSITIVE · AC on the inside, which is a great refuge on a hot summer day. · There is a back room for dancing late in the evening. NEGATIVE · None at the moment. (Music could improve. But this is more subjective of a comment.) IMPRESSION · If you're walking around and need a place to catch some drinks why not stop by this place which is on the South West corner of Tompkins Square Park.

DO NOT COME HERE. My friend (a young woman) was punched in the face and given a black eye by the bouncer, unprovoked. To say that this behavior is unprofessional would be an understatement. It's illegal. I'd be surprised if this place stays open for much longer given their complete disregard for the law and for the well being of its customers.

Smells like shit and you'll just get jumped on by 18 year old nyu students the entire time. Good luck getting a drink at the bar or leaving with dignity after listening to the atrocity of music they play.

My visit last night to Niagara Bar in NYC left me deeply disappointed and compelled to share my experience. From the moment my friends and I entered the establishment, we were met with a level of rudeness that was utterly uncalled for. The doorman's demeanor was nothing short of discourteous, setting an unfortunate tone for the rest of the evening. To make matters worse, upon entering, a female server or manager abruptly demanded that we purchase a drink. It struck me as a rather perplexing request, as one would assume that acquiring drinks is precisely the purpose of patronizing a bar. However, I brushed off this initial encounter and proceeded to order a drink from a female bartender. To my astonishment, she not only provided subpar service but also had the audacity to demand a tip when I handed her exact change. Such an attitude towards customers is not only unprofessional but also completely uncalled for, especially considering I had already paid for my drink in full. Feeling compelled to voice my concerns, I sought out the individual I believed to be the manager. Unfortunately, instead of addressing the situation with empathy and understanding, she resorted to using profanity and launching a tirade against me. Adding insult to injury, she proceeded to gather other employees, pointing and laughing at us as if we were the ones at fault. This deplorable behavior exhibited by the staff at Niagara Bar is absolutely unacceptable. As a customer, I believe in providing constructive feedback and giving establishments an opportunity to rectify their shortcomings. However, the complete lack of professionalism, disrespect, and mockery directed towards us as paying customers has left a lasting negative impression. I sincerely hope that the owners of Niagara Bar take this review seriously and address the issues plaguing their establishment. It is my fervent desire that they conduct a thorough evaluation of their staff, instill a sense of respect and customer service, and create an environment that encourages patrons to feel welcome and valued. I cannot in good conscience recommend Niagara Bar to anyone, given the abysmal treatment I experienced. Customers deserve better, and it is my sincere hope that the owners will take immediate action to rectify this unfortunate situation.

I had a great time here last weekend. The staff was super friendly/chill and the dance floor wasn't too crowded (which I loved). The bartender was extremely friendly and even gave me gay bar recommendations! I will definitely be coming back.

The bouncer on 5/27 at 2am was rude and threatened to step on me. I have a sprained ankle and sat down for 2 mins, he demanded I get up and when I told him I had a messed up ankle said the following unprovoked: "tell it to someone who gives a fuck before I step on you and make you get up"

Wow the reviews are spot on- the vibes are great but the SERVICE and staff is honestly shockingly horrible. It was pouring down rain when we went and there was no line outside. We didn't have an umbrella and approached the door with IDs in hand and the bouncer stopped us from stepping under the cover and told us to wait despite it being half empty and the pouring rain. After a few minutes I asked if we could go inside and he said "I said wait a second god damn. It's just rain". Two of my friends are British, and gave him their passport cards. He took one look at them and legit threw them down the sidewalk and yelled at us to get the hell out of there, claiming they were fake. They explained (with their whole ass accents) they were international and he made them go get the IDs to take another look. After finally looking at our IDs and letting us in, we went to the bar and bought a drink. I initially asked for a seltzer but as soon as I ordered, changed my mind to the special cocktail. The bartender looked at me and said "bitch make up your mind it's not that hard." After getting my drink, the tip options were 25,30,35 percent. I changed it to 15 after the experience we had had so far and she looked at me and said "if you tip shit we aren't serving you again". The vibes were nice and the music was GREAT otherwise we would have left immediately. Wouldn't come back or recommend.

Despite the low ratings here, I liked this bar. The music was pop and very good for dancing. Not too crowded, dark ambiance. Supposedly it has 22 yr old vibes but tbh I didn't look around much. Long line forming around 11:30pm/12am. Also super far east.

Under new management! Give it a try. You won't be disappointed. Dancing on the weekend. Neighborhood bar on the weeknights. East village institution!

Worst bar ever. Super rude to customers. We bought 4 premade green tea shots for $70 that was 99% juice and they yelled at us for not tipping. Tip for what? Denied us of water for not tipping. Is $70 not justified enough for those tiny shots? Ok, I guess I'll just die bc I couldn't get water after paying $70 for 4 premade shots but no tip. What did you do to deserve a tip? For popping off the cap of the premade shot and for swiping my card for payment? Also the bouncer and manager are condescending and aggressively snappy. I hope this place gets inspected and shut down.

This was a cool bar to pop in for a drink. The prices are up there but thats a given as businesses are trying to recover and sustain the pandemic. It was clean and plenty of windows to ppl watch folks New Yorking abt.

I had a great time idk what you all are talking about. Staff was dope, talked us up, prices were normal for Manhattan. Played awesome music. All of us had a great night.

Nice neighborhood spot in the east village. The employees are very friendly - it was definitely crowded so if you're wary about covid, just make sure you get there early to be seated outside or be careful while waiting to get a spot. Drinks are decently boozy!

I've been coming here on and off for years. I definitely started coming a lot more after the height of COVID because they provide some decent outdoor seating. I don't normally venture to their cocktail list, I will be honest. I normally stick to a regular cider, beer or basic mix. I think those are all safe bets. I have had a fun time with their frozen drinks in the summer tho! The service is pretty great. I've had a couple of lovely conversations with the bartenders and everyone seems pretty friendly, which I appreciate. I personally think the vibe here is fun and I genuinely enjoy coming here. Most of the time it has been pretty chill during brunch/ weeknight hours. I haven't been on a weekend night in awhile though, so I can't speak to those hours. Thursdays, however were unexpected for me. Everyone was there to dance and party. I was not expecting that! It was a younger, early 20's crowd, but I had a blast bopping around the dance floor like I didn't have to work the next day, haha. My friends and I will continue coming here as we pretty much always have a good time. 4/5

God, it's 2023. Why is this place still open when the staff is rude, and the drinks are terrible? And how much are these Yelp elites getting paid to write 3- and 4-, 4-star (?!) reviews? Are y'all tripping?? Avoid at all costs no matter you are a local or a tourist.

Homophobic and discriminatory. The manger didn't allow two girls from our group because they were showing affection on the line to the bar. After the bouncer allowed our group to go inside, the manger saw our friends (who were both women) kissing on the line and blocked them from going inside with us with her arm. She stated "they had enough" even though we were all fully sober before entering. it's literally 2023 and people like this shouldn't be allowed to have an ounce of power. would give a zero if it was possible!

Rude as hell. For no reason, the woman is so mean we all wanted to meet our friends and she was yelling about people just standing near us. It was uncomfortable.

They let in a ton of high schoolers. So uncomfortable. Literally half the people there were under the age of 16.

The manager with the blonde hair was incredibly rude. Took our $50 cover charge (there were 5 of us), and got kicked our 15 minutes later. They didn't even know the reason when we respectfully asked. Didn't even refund the money. We didn't even finish our drinks.... This place SUCKS! Save yourself the $$ and go elsewhere.

Worst service and rude employees. Drinks contain no alcohol ($17 for 1oz). Saw a bartender deny water to a group. Would not go again unless bartender is removed.

tried stopping in to this bar when my friends and I learned of the cover until we went inside past the entry & we in turn decided to leave. The bouncer ended up yelling at us to get out of the way for more costumers (which may have been overkill since no one was in line to get in). Then another two workers started kicking people out of the bar who were inside. It was a very bad couple of minutes that was not followed up by good service. I hope other people have better experiences going forward!

The place sucks. Not only do they have very odd music remixes but my friend left a lower tip, the bartender looked at it and I QUOTE HE SAID "SINCE YOU LEFT A SHIT TIP, I'M CUTTING YOU OFF, YOU GET NO MORE DRINKS". What the hell? I've never, ever had that kind of experience in my life... I work in service too, a tip is a tip. The fact that my friend didn't tip 'enough for him' and he disrespects her like that? Never coming here again, telling all my friends that the workers here are assholes. Doesn't feel good doing so but my friend and I were disrespected and we will not tolerate.

Many minutes after I ordered my drink and used the restroom (not disclosed when I was let in) they told me I had to check my backpack for three bucks. OK Awkward in this neighborhood but fine I guess. Next they told me they charge several dollars for a water (no tap?). Unheard of in east village. Why this bar feels it has the right to do any of this is beyond me. Love the east village, befuddled, but seeing why this bar has the rating it has makes sense. Do yourself a favor and enjoy other places that offer superior service, drinks, food, and fun. That is truly the NYC way.

vibes are okay bartender is nice coatcheck guy is super cute do not come before 11pm

I was looking through the window (nowhere close to touching it) from the sidewalk to see if my friends were inside and got physically assaulted by the male African American doorman. He aggressively pulled me back and manhandled me into the shack with his forearm against my neck and threatened to beat me to a pulp. When I mentioned to him that he was violating my constitutional rights and acting out of line, he became additionally aggressive. I called the police and they've filed a harassment case, which I intend to get escalated to assault given the bodily harm to me. I will also be filing civil suits against the business and the assaulting employee. It is incumbent on any restaurant/bar business to educate its bouncers at entry on how to perform their job. For anyone who is reading this, I highly recommend that you give your business to a different venue that deserves it.

I'm just adding to my previous reviews, they don't give out water. They charge you 4 bucks for a Liquid Death (which is fine if it's optional). This almost feels against the law.

This is a pretty decent hangout bar. I came here with some friends, but the waiter was super insistent on checking our IDs. Which is fine, but we're not some 18 year old trying to pretend we're 21. Yes, he's doing his job and making sure, but I think you don't have to card someone if they look like they're over a certain age right? I was 37. Ordered some drinks, sat outside, music was a bit loud, outdoor dining ended so we had to move indoors. Indoors was super dark and cozy, but still super loud. I heard this place before the pandemic was a nice drinking and dancing spot. I can see that as there seemed to be a downstairs or somesort. Overall, might return after the pandemic to check it out.

Omg why does anyone go here? Everything is ridiculously expensive, the bartenders suck, the patrons are children who don't tip apparently, and the only thing good out of this place in my entire life was this punk show I went to for free. When someone is getting bitched at for not tipping for free alcohol but also looks 16 at best - no, this is not why I go out.

Packed with underage college kids. Charged me $45 for 1 bud light to which the bartender responded "don't order drinks for people you don't know." I plead with the bartender I have no idea what she's talking about but I'll pay for the beer. Proceeds to signal the bouncer, escorts me out. Old lady doing the cover charges throws a drink at me that hits me in the face, blames it on random girls walking out. I check my statement and I'm charged $58. Sleezy place.

I'm guilty of having either my 23rd or 24th birthday here (no one wants to know how many years ago that was). But it was after another bar reached its maximum capacity and we made 25 acquaintances of one of my friends that was hosting my birthday graciously move over to this place. Given that I was black out drunk probably I don't remember much of it other than that there being a basement (which is now a fancy cocktail bar) around the corner and people kept offering me shots that I absolutely didn't need. It's still probably very much the same bar but way more expensive. Beers are $9 on non happy hours. This is not a $9 beer kind of spot but sure. I guess it either gets packed beyond utter belief (usually when there's music thumping and a dj with a cover charge I gather) or it's completely empty and devoid of humans. Can anyone guess which circumstance I was here under? The latter of course with it being devoid of human life. Which I appreciate. But it just still has a weird vibe. The bartender was absolutely friendly and efficient. But I guess what I'm trying to say is that you're better off wasting your money at their fancy cocktail bar downstairs. Which I can't even believe I'm saying. It's Niagara and it pretty much hasn't changed much for over a decade.

Manager was very rude, did not let us finish our drinks and we were kicked out! Will not be going back there again!

Was looking for a spot in East Village and stumbled in here. Enjoyed the photo booth and there were a few different rooms with different vibes so we were able to sit for a while. Would've been a 5 but my vodka lemonade was ridiculously expensive for a place like this (priced at upscale cocktail price). Fun music but stick to beer-like drinks.

you couldn't pay me to go here. Staff is nasty, bartender shoved me when i was standing on the stairs. Drinks are overpriced, they charge for water.

Literally the worst costumer service I have ever experienced! we just stayed to finish our drinks but leaving right after! The bartender with tattoos was super rude, for literally no reason! We were tipping for all drinks, then we ask for a beer and we did not tip for that, she was like "if you won't tip get the fuck to another bar". ????? How come you said that to a client, specially when we were tipping for everything else. I've hear really bad experiences here but I didn't believe it

Niagara represents the worst aspects of what the East Village has become. Niagara is overpriced and treats its customers like dirt. As for the clientele, it's packed to the gills with bros and bras on Fridays and Saturdays. The crowdedness, the pickpockets, the level of drunkenness, the brain dead top 40 music and the hostile staff make for a very anti-social kind of vibe. It's hard to believe that years ago this was a vital live performance venue for a scene that was in the process of departing to Brooklyn. Sea changes.

Stopped in for drinks with my sister last week on a Friday. The drinks are basically overpriced and not great at all. Our drinks came in plastic cups.

Great bar if your 21 years old. I'm getting to that age where I need space and current music/vibes. definitely feel like im back in college in here though.

Wish I could leave a 0 star review. The security "escorted" my friends and I without giving us any reason. The security continually flashed a light in my eyes and yelled at me as he physically pushed me out the door. I still don't understand what I did as I was just dancing when he approached me. After attempting to explain to the manager what had happened she handled it very unprofessionally and yelled at me and accused me for claiming that the security had raped me. He did not, but he did continue to touch me when I asked him not to.

Fun spot in EV with multiple rooms and multiple bars. Good music and fun vibes, love the photo booth too! Stumbled upon it randomly but had a good experience

Overall great place. Dance floors and attentive bar staff but watch your phone, wallet and drinks. I'm sure this can happen everywhere but my daughters phone was pickpocketed. The cops came and arrested somebody.

Fun vibe, pretty good drinks. I like that the have big wave on tap! Good neighborhood spot I'm not sure I'd make this spot a destination

Service was awful, drinks were overpriced, place was filthy. Cant get much worse. There's a lot of better places around the area I would spend my money at.

I've lived in the East Village for 15 years and have been coming to Niagara for longer than that. Never have I encountered such rude and self important staff. IN SHORT, GO ELSEWHERE IF YOU WANT TO AVOID NEEDLESS ATTITUDE AND DISRESPECT TOWARD PAYING CUSTOMERS. THIS BAR IS NO LONGER REFLECTIVE OF THE VALUES OF THE EAST VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD. My friends and I (all professionals and kind people in our 40s) had finished a nice, delicious dinner at Mokyo a couple of blocks away on a cold and rainy Tuesday. After 2 of us were chatting outside while our friends walked in, we were stopped by a rude manager (Zoey) who was immediately confrontational and angry without any provocation. Mind you, the bar was empty and we were not inebriated, so any of those excuses are off the table. After not being able to articulate a reason for not letting us in, she wouldn't allow us to tell our friends who were already inside that we were going elsewhere. "Text or call them" she said rudely, like a bouncer at a velvet rope club. Not everyone is glued to their phones and what could have been a simple human interaction left us feeling such bad vibes for zero good reason. Turns out the friends were next door at Lovers of Today. Said troll manager Zoey appeared at that door front as well to make sure we weren't allowed to join them there either (they have the same owners now and the bars connect internally). In any case, it takes a special kind of spitefulness and need to really get a life to go out of her way to block what was otherwise a light and chill night. We went to St. Dymphna's across the street instead, which actually had people inside and a much better vibe - for good reason. It's a shame because Niagara has been around since 1997 and this new manager and the new ownership that decides to keep her around have really changed the feel of this place. See you never again.

This place is a piece of shit. I have never encountered ruder staff in all my life. My friend got her REAL id taken because it was Columbian. They nearly snapped it before she showed a passport photo. She had to argue with the bouncer for ten minutes just to get HER OWN PROPERTY returned. Horrible attitudes. No one should be treated the way they treat PAYING costumers. Overpriced, bad drinks, horrible vibes. Avoid at all costs.

The manager is rude and disrespectful! Told a group of paying patrons that we didn't spend enough money after we spent over $100 and was willing to spend more. Called me a bitch numerous times and proceeded to put his hand in my face when I asked why we were being treated this way. We are locals who enjoy supporting local businesses especially during covid but under no circumstance should anyone be treated like that, it doesn't matter what it going on. This managers sexist/ racist remarks are unacceptable. He doubled down and called other people in my party names and when leaving said "bye bitch" I'm so upset and will be reporting this business.