Reception Bar

Decent spot for some soju-based drinks. The best part about this place were the vibes for us, the drinks were okay.

Korean-inspired cocktail menu at this chill restaurant with a minimalist aesthetic. I enjoyed the outdoor seating and the drinks are unique, especially the match flavor.

Drinks were nothing notable, but the presentation was nice. Mostly soju-based cocktails, so if that’s your drink of choice, this may be your place. There’s a mahjong table as well for guests to sit at and play.

incredible cocktails. great atmosphere. the service was… curt, and distant, but almost in a good way, like someone playing hard to get. it seemed like everyone there was already great friends with each other, smoking and playing games and laughing. including the coworkers. but it felt like a group you want to be part of. between the phenomenal drinks and the unique vibe, this may be the best bar in the city

Stunning creative and delicious cocktails keep me coming back to Reception Bar on a night out! There has not been a miss on their menu for us! 5/5 Cereal Milk 5/5 Matcha Meadow 5/5 Lotus Breeze 4.5/5 Yuja 88 There may be a bit of a wait on a weekend, but I personally do not mind the standing tables while waiting for seating inside. Love the lively ambiance here, great for a night out with friends or a date!

Lydia was the best bartender! The corn husk shots were amazing, and I felt right at home and so welcomed. The vibes were immaculate

Very weird behavior on the staffs part - they forgot my drink and when we asked the server was annoyed and refused to give the drink at the bar after they forgot a second time. Not only that but they told our party to quiet down on a Saturday night because we were speaking too loud - I don’t know about you but I don’t go to a cocktail bar in the city on a Saturday night to whisper. The food is not worth the weird service and sub par food.

Drinks and vibes were mid, but the worst part was the waitress. Super rude from the moment more people joined our table even though everyone ordered drinks. She didn’t greet us, just glared us down like we were a problem. No effort to be friendly, and then demanded a 20% gratuity. Killed the whole vibe. Definitely not coming back. P.S. I saw frozen mandu containers in the trash. Just microwave your own at home!

My friends an I came on a weekend night and was able to get a seat for 3 within 20 minutes wait. We were able to try 9 drinks and every drink was mixed so well. The matcha. Wow , it's a must try. How can soju taste like a brewed tea. If you love soju, you'll love this place. Also love all the plants

Soju and cocktails? Sign me up! I'm so glad I finally was able to check out Reception Bar! I've heard their cocktails can be hit or miss, but the two I tried were solid!! The cereal milk had strong makgeolli and jujube flavors. With the jolly pong on top, it really felt like cereal milk! It was on the sweeter side with all the honey, but at least it was expected. The orchard st had very fragrant osmanthus flavors, along with nice pear aftertaste. Sweetness level was appropriate. Both drinks were light and refreshing! The dim lights and tight seating gave it an intimate vibe. There are some bar seats, standing options, and indoor vs outdoor tables. Staff seemed a little stress because it was definitely busy on a Friday night, but drinks still came out at a reasonable time and people were moving. I'd come back to check out their other drinks!

This is a super cool vibey soju bar in the Lower East Side. It might be one of my new favorite bars! It was pretty busy but we were able to snag a table. They specialize in soju cocktails and infused soju. I got the lotus breeze which was phenomenal. It just tasted like tea! Honestly, every single cocktail on the menu looked delicious and I had a hard time deciding. My friend' drinks were also great. I would definitely come back here to try more cocktails.

This bar had some of the most creative and unique asian-inspired drinks I've ever had! My friend and I had the matcha meadow, orchid street, yuja, cereal milk, and melon dew for drinks. The first three were fruity and tart, and the last two were more on the milky and creamy side (but not heavy at all). For snacks, we had the pork mandu and pizza garlic knots which were delicious. The ambiance felt cozy, chill, and intimate and we had fantastic service from Lydia. Highly recommend this spot if you enjoy asian flavors or just want to try something new!

Love their ginger goblin cocktail - it's really gingery so only get it if you really like ginger! They have a pretty big menu of all soju based drinks. The inside can get crowded sometimes but it's not too hard to get a seat. And they're open late.

I've finally gotten to the point where I know what type of drinks I prefer, and can pick one out on the menu based on the ingredients listed. I chose the Lotus Breeze and it was nice, light (not too strong), floral notes, and a touch of sweet. A friend ordered the "Smokes" - not my style, but the flavors were quite interesting! The staff was okay, not super friendly. We got there early evening, so maybe the mood lighting and ambiance hadn't set in yet so I can't quite judge the ambiance.. but it was pretty warm indoors, not great AC or at least ventilation there.

Stunning creative and delicious cocktails keep me coming back to Reception Bar on a night out! There has not been a miss on their menu for us! Their menu of soju cocktails have creative fun ingredients that really resonate with my palate, there is sure to be something that speaks to you too! 5/5 Cereal Milk 5/5 Matcha Meadow 5/5 Lotus Breeze 4.5/5 Yuja 88 There may be a bit of a wait on a weekend, but I personally do not mind the standing tables while waiting for seating inside. Love the lively ambiance here, great for a night out with friends or a date!

The bar was very laid-back, similar to a cafe, as my friend and I went earlier in the evening. The service was quick, and I really liked the Matcha Meadow. It had a subtle matcha flavor as it did a fruity or floral flavor. The drink was similar to a matcha latte in the way it was frothy on top, and the taste was smooth. I didn't really taste the soju at all, but the alcohol kicks in for sure if you don't eat before drinking.

Cute little spot with great ambiance and great drinks - definitely come here if you want specialty soju cocktails. I will be coming back for the infused soju flights. Must get: Yuja 88

Reception Bar is doing a thing and doing it well. Service is consistently friendly and welcoming. If things are slow-ish, the staff is always more than happy to talk you through the various Korean spirits and ingredients that meld happily into their phenomenal and thoughtful cocktails. As for drinks: The Salty Bracken is a perennial savory and delicious favorite. The Smokes is a very cool choice for those who are starting to wonder why some peated scotch sometimes feels boring and are in need of a little smokey tea and excitement. The Ginger Goblin lives up to its name and will definitely spice things up. The very approachable Martini 100 is a nice shallow end of the pool option. We recently tried the seasonal Martini offering that was also shallow end but with a little something extra, like just about everything on the menu. I've never had beer or wine here and I recommend you avoid them too. You can have those things somewhere else -- they're doing something special at Reception Bar. The space is cool too and the music always sets a nice atmosphere without overdoing it. But ultimately, come for a cocktail. You won't be disappointed.

Drinks here are really good and unique! Came at a recommendation from a friend and didn't realize it was a soju bar, which was a nice surprise. Service was really nice. We were seated outside initially, but we asked to be let known if any tables opened inside. The wait staff was kind to let us come back around twice to offer us room inside (first was standing room at the bar which we declined, second was for bar seating). It was a lot more noisier than expected inside though. I ordered the matcha meadow and a melon dew. Both were really good, but I preferred the matcha better. It was a good combo and the soju didn't overpower the matcha. The melon dew was a bit stronger and bitter for my taste. All of the cocktails combinations are so unique, and I definitely want to try more of the menu!

Friendly hosts/hostesses right at the door even though we were not able to be seated inside on a chilly Friday evening. They do have an outdoor area with heat lamps so that helped a little because my friend really wanted to try this soju bar after dinner for her 30th. It was super busy but exceptional service and we never felt rushed even though we were there for almost 3 hours. All the drinks were pretty yummy and not too strong and they even offer some mocktails if you don't want alcohol. Love the fusion flavors of the cocktails and would love to come back again to try more.

The drinks here are amazing! A bit on the pricey side but worth it. I especially love the lotus drink and the cereal milk. Some of them taste pretty strong (like the melon one). It's great for a small group of people.

This is the best bar I've been to in NYC for their unique cocktail selection hands down. I came here on a Friday night with some friends who were bar hopping in lower east side. When I arrived they had a table outside in the patio area which was pretty nice with the heaters on. The waitresses came by often enough to refill waters and take our order. This has got to have the most unique cocktail choices that I've seen so far in NYC. It almost reminds me of the bars they have in Asia - they use a lot more unique flavors and pairings that are just not common in the US. Our party of 4 each ordered 1 drink at a time and would pass it around so we each tried most of the drinks on the menu. Some of my favorite drinks was the melon dew and orchard st. The cereal milk option was also really delicious but was a bit too strong for my preference. The matcha meadow was my 2nd drink but I regret ordering it since it was just too sour for my liking. Overall this bar has a great selection of cocktails with reasonable pricing for Manhattan - I would recommend for anyone who is out for a good time.

Service was horrible... asked a question and the girl working laughed at us and dismissed our question

Nice little soju bar. I had the cereal drink which my friends liked, but I felt tasted a bit strong. This place was a nice vibe to hand out and catchup, there's some outdoor seating as well.

We walked in on a Saturday night and got an outside table with a heating lamp. Inside was crowded. They have unique cocktails and soju flavors. We tried the matcha meadow with matcha soju and the ginger goblin (hot). The ginger goblin was very strong and warm in the chilly outdoors. Servers were nice. On the menu they have notes for additional charges, like gratuities for groups larger than 4 or fees for removing unruly people.

Stumbled into this bar while exploring Chinatown and our cocktails were the perfect mid-afternoon treat after walking all day! Minimalist yet cozy interior vibes - would love to come again and try their dishes and other drinks!

I might be the odd one out with this one but I wasn't too sure of what the hype was for this place.. It was pretty crowded and hot when I went last minute on a Friday night around 10:30pm. We were giving standing seats at first with cups of water, but were seated at the bar soon after. There are hooks at each seat so you can hang your bags/coats which was convenient and nice. I liked the Korean touch on the cocktails whether that was with soju or ice creams like melona, but the cocktails didn't really seem to taste like the descriptions. I didn't really like any of the drinks that I ordered (2) and ended up calling it a night. There are both indoor and outdoor seatings so when the weather is nicer/warmer, outdoor seating could have been nice as well.

10/10 would go back again. Reception Bar serves soju with flavors they infuse on their own. The drinks are probably the best drinks I've ever had before. It's unique and it's very tasty. The white lotus flavor soju was definitely our favorite. They also service warmed chex mix, which is great when the munchies start kicking in. I wish California would have more Korean bars like the Reception Bar.

I came here with my friends on a Friday night around 8pm. We arrived at the perfect time because as our drinks started to come out the line for the bar got progressively longer. We had to sit outside which was fine since there were overhead heaters. I got the cereal milk, yuja honey, miguk, and the melon dew. Out of all the drinks, I think the cereal milk and melon dew were my favorites. The drinks weren't too strong, but I did think they were missing an overall balance to them. I expected the cereal milk to have some additional creaminess, and the cereal sprinkled on top got soggy quite quickly. Overall quite innovative drinks, with an extensive menu which prompts me to come back to sample some more!

I was recommended this bar per my friends during my trip to NYC. I was super excited all day to visit because of all the hype! My friend and I visited this bar on a Wednesday night around 10pm. It was much smaller than I expected but it was designed well. The lighting is very dim and moody too. It was pretty crowded and didn't take long to get seated. The waitress seemed to forget about us and took forever to take our orders/bring out the drinks. Not sure what was going on there. The drink I was recommended by my friends was the Cereal Milk drink and I was so happy to see that it was made with walnut milk and not actual dairy!!! The drink was overall a 7/10, I barely got the cereal milk taste until the very end. Overall, im willing to give this place another chance. I will probably order different drinks if I were to visit again.

Updating for drinks: The melon dew tasted exactly like a honeydew melon - refreshing, light, not too sweet; I liked it. I didn't like the matcha meadow that much - it had this really pungent sourness to it and I couldn't quite taste the matcha. The ginger goblin was very ginger but I surprisingly liked it. Drinks are very well priced at $15/cocktail....which now seems great in light of inflation. Mostly bar seating, booths are for larger parties. I could see canoodling potential here at the bar - it's dim. Overall a nice spot. Quite chilly inside. But if you're here to canoodle maybe that's a perfect opportunity ;)

The bar is the perfect place to catch up with a friend! We got the lotus breeze and yuja and both were so light and refreshing like an iced tea. The drinks were slightly less creative than I expected, but you pretty much get what you expect and it's still very tasty.

Intimate cozy cocktail bar with delicious drinks. Came here on 2 occasions, once in the summer with outdoor seating and more recently on a Sunday afternoon with a few old friends for a catch up. This was a great spot for it! We had the melona drink, matcha cocktail, incheon, and yuja and all were so delicious! Each one is made with soju, makgeolli, or a mix along with other uniquely Korean flavorings. We really enjoyed our drinks which were at a fair price point, and loved being in the cozy ambiance. Overall would rec for a date night, girls night with close friends, or if you just want a delicious drink. Will be back to try more!

I came here on a Thursday night and it was pa Lee. I met up with my friend and our group ended up being bigger than the small booth they were originally at. The server moved us to a bigger booth that accommodated all of us which was very nice! This place is super cozy and intimate with dim lighting. There's one bathroom in the back. I got the melon drink and it was good - you couldn't taste the alcohol.

Arrived at around 9:30 pm on a Thursday and there was already a waitlist. We waited for about 15 mins on their outside patio area that luckily had heaters! Inside was dim, cute decor, and friendly staff. The cocktails were tasty and not too strong since they were soju based.

Space: 7.5/ 10 I liked the light, white decor because it was very reminiscent of trendy modern bars and cafes I saw in Korea. However, the space was a little smaller than I expected and I felt like at times it was hard to get the server's attention Drinks: 9/10 I thought each drink was SO creative and each one that we had tasted different! I wish they were a tad bit stronger tho, but overall still so good! Food: 6/10 honestly it's a bar, so their food is not their main attraction. Their pork dumplings were okay. Mostly tasted like something from Costco. The garlic knots were yum but took forever to come Overall: 8/10 I think it's a very cute date spot, and if you get the booth it's actually very nice! My friend and I were able to chat fairly uninterrupted and the drinks were good! My only issue is that at times it was hard to tell who was the server or who was not because there was no name tag or uniform. :/ but very small detail! I'd definitely come again to try more drinks!

Drink menus were very thought out. Truly craft cocktails and can't wait to try more. Small and intimate seating but more seating options outside.

This was my first time at Reception Bar and it was a good time! The staff was friendly and pretty efficient with cocktails as we were a bigger party. The establishment is small with outdoor seating. Based on the photos online, I would have expected the bar to be a little bigger. However, the cocktails are all soju based and were very delicious! Whichever cocktail you decide on be prepared for your cocktail to taste exactly how it was described. For example, the melon dew tasted as if I were literally eating melon dew! In general, I really enjoyed the experience and it's a chill, cool place to chill at before moving on elsewhere. There weren't many "small bites" to choose from -- I believe maybe 2 or 3?

I'm not usually a soju cocktail lover but this place does it well. The drinks are all pretty sweet - so if you dislike sweet drinks, probably won't be a favorite. All drinks are pretty much soju based. The two that stick out to me was the melon drink (top favorite per the bartender) and the cereal drink. The cereal is a korean cereal, so it brought back memories - felt like I was drinking cereal milk. It gets crowded here - not an easy spot to get a table or seating via walk ins. Bartenders were all very friendly. Would go back!

This is a small but quaint space, good for catching up with friends or a date. I came with my partner around 10:30 on a Friday and we were in a standing space. I got the Cereal Milk and my partner got the Melon Dew. The Cereal Milk was okay, it kind of reminded me of an espresso martini but not as good, I would pass on this. The Melon Dew however was SO good it was light and refreshing, I would 100% order this next time. We were then moved to the bar once some seats opened up and I got a Matcha Meadow and my partner got the Lotus Breeze. I've had the matcha before and it's good, a little twangy. The Lotus Breeze kind of taste like a tea, this was refreshing as well! I like this spot because Scarr's pizza is right next door. I'll definitely return when I visit NY again.

Delicious soju cocktails with unique Asian flavors! This place is normally super busy, but we were able to get an outdoor table on a Sunday night without having to wait. There are many different cocktails, soju flights, and even makgeoli! The chrysanthemum cocktail is literally the best drink I've ever had. The cocktails are pretty sweet but in a balanced way. They aren't super strong since it's just soju. Overall a nice place to catch up with friends over delicious drinks!

Very cool, swanky place to get a cocktail. I love the Asian inspired ingredients involved. Great place for a date!

Great low key drinks in an intimate, relaxed setting. Their expansive cocktail menu of soju infused drinks incorporate unique ingredients like honeydew, matcha, oat milk, and chrysanthemum. Cocktails are $14 a pop, which isn't too crazy. I ordered the honeydew cocktail and it effectively hit the spot on this humid summer evening. It was strong, but the sweetness of the honeydew masks the flavor of the soju. It's a fruity drink that tastes light. My only complaint is that they don't have many appetizers or food items besides dumplings and garlic knots. Otherwise, this is a great spot to relax or lounge at.

Always a good vibe when we come here. Delicious drinks and service. Highly recommend if you're in the neighborhood.

Reception Bar was very nice! I loved all the asian inspired cocktails. I got the matcha cocktail and it was a nice balance of sour with matcha. It wasn't too alcoholic and still had a good flavor. Outdoor seating wasn't too bad on a 40 degree night because they have heaters. One complaint is they only have 1 bathroom and the line is very long.

people working were rude as hell, had a friend who wanted to join but was only slightly underage we were j wondering if he could sit with us and order but not have alcohol and they laughed in our faces

Cute, quaint spot! I can't wait to come back and try other drinks - their drink menu is so unique, and inspired by many Korean style alcohols. I got the Lotus drink and it tasted like tea. I'd love to bring other friends and introduce them to this spot.

I stopped by here with my friend after his friend spoke highly of this place. I've never heard of it before but I was pleasantly surprised. Each drink is made with soju and other ingredients. It didn't taste strongly like soju, and it was actually a bit light in alcohol level in my opinion. However, it tasted great and I loved the flavors in each drink. They have house infused soju as well that I'll definitely try the next time I come. The interior is super cute as well. I love the colors and the layout of the whole place. It's definitely a cute little spot to catch up with a friend with over drinks. This place made it to one of my favorite bars in the city for sure!

This place has not failed to impress me or my friends - we love taking our friends to reception bar when they visit NY because of the crowd pleasing, unique and delicious cocktails. We've tried almost every cocktail on the menu at this point but my favorite has to be the Matcha Meadow! It's so light and refreshing - perfect for a warm summer night. The vibe is very chill here so it's definitely a great place to meet up and chat through the night and the service is amazing as well. The servers are always willing to lend their opinion! Love this place so much and cannot recommend it enough.

Yeah it's fine. It's nothing that special but I can appreciate what they're trying to do. This place was given two stars by Time Out. Which means they didn't pay their Time Out dues, or someone has a personal vendetta against Katie Rue. (Owner and founder of Reception bar after being an options trader aka no experience in cocktails or mixology.) I don't agree with Time Out often, they're notorious for shaking down business owners for pay to play articles and reviews. In this case, mehhh. This is a cafe by day, bar by night (Red flag imo) It's also a soju forwardbar. Rue's dream was to create a bar that was intimate and had heart in her Korean heritage. No issues with that. It's a very light spirit. And if I'm going to a soju bar, I wanna taste the soju not the juices you mix with it. It just makes me think, did the bartender just whisper soju into the glass? Possibly. Speaking of the bartender, it seems like a pretty common experience here. Their service is terrible. It's extremely slow, when you walk in and sit down. Nobody greets you. When you stand up to order, you have to wait for ages for the bartender to acknowledge you. Rue has stated that Reception Bar was named to capture the "really welcoming glow " Ironic. Keep in mind, it was a Tuesday at 6pm.... The waitress and bartender had their friends at the bar, and spent the whole time chatting them up. It was really annoying. Double annoying because the place was empty except his friends and me. And they were loud as hell. I get you wanna chill with your homies, I have no issue with that. But at least serve us first! We were there for 2 hours. We spent about 1.5 hours waiting around for service, and then the check. The only reason we got the check, is because after waiting around we got up and I swear they thought we were gonna drink and ditch. So the service is terrible, but what about the drinks? We had three. martini 100 bekseju, dry vermouth, orange bitters melon dew makgeolli, soju, honeydew, honey ginger goblin hwayo soju, ginger, korean pear shrub, eucalyptus bitters, white pepper All, really average. Hahah. Very pretty glassware, very pretty colours, very dull taste. The martini was my favourite the bekseju is a lovely twist on the martini. The rest of the drinks I could have passed on. The Ginger Goblin was heartburn in a glass, and the melon dew was pretty but too light. The decor of the bar is cute, come on it's Retrofuturism with vintage San Diego twist. Part of me thinks Katie Rue just wanted a cute ass bar and decided to do this without really thinking about the other factors of a bar? Which, I mean go ahead girl. Whatever. It's not the worst place in the world, and I wouldn't pop in unless someone really wanted to visit. But they're other bars in the area with more welcoming environments and more fun drinks

The bar is super aesthetic- everything is so light and creamy and warm-toned. This would be a great place for a first date or to catch up with friends. Among drinks, we got the - Melon Dew: I was surprised this one wasn't as sweet as I expected. I expected this to taste like one of those melona sprite soju drinks but it was neither so heavy nor sweet. It had a very light melon flavor and strong hints of honeydew. - Cereal Milk: not as sweet as you would think either- the chocolate was pretty strong and the nutty aftertaste masked the artificial sweetness you would normally get from cereal milk. - Matcha Meadow: I liked this one! There was a strong matcha flavor but also intense undertones of jasmine. I really loved that it was relatively light and didn't feel heavy on the stomach. - Yuja 88: this one was really good! It had sweetness from the honey but contrasted with the tartness of the lemon. I thought this drink was super well balanced and very refreshing on the palette. Service was fast and friendly! Would come to support again

Came on a Saturday night and inside was pretty packed so we sat outdoors. Just our luck, we picked a table near the garbage can and every time the wind blew, we'd get a whiff of nyc. IYKYK. I was intrigued by the soju inspired cocktails. Some were delicious and some just didn't go well together. Lotus Breeze- would recommend if you're looking for something light & refreshing Cereal milk- not my favorite; the milky taste mixed with alcohol and the rice crunch on top wasn't a great combo My friend and I had about 3 drinks each and got the Scarr's garlic knots to hold us down which were really good gotta try their pizza down the block! Maybe I'll return to sit indoors next time and have a different experience.

I tried the cereal milk drink which was interesting! It did taste like it's title and had cereal oats on top which paired well. It's a little loud in the bar since it's small, but the service was good and fast. It's a cool place to try unique drinks.

Made a stop at Reception Bar on Saturday afternoon for a drink. The soju focus of this bar may not make it a destination for everyone, but if you are willing to expand your horizons it is a worth a visit. Quality: All the cocktails and most of the drinks at Reception Bar are focused around soju. They infuse soju with all sorts of unique botanical flavors, which they serve on their own or mixed in cocktails. During our visit I tried three cocktails, Yong Blood, Smokes, and Lotus Breeze. Yong Blood was my favorite, using a green pepper infusion, which really brought out a sweet and bright flavor. However, both Smokes, which as you could guess had a smoky richness, and Lotus Breeze, a sweeter drink, were fun as well. Quantity: Standard size cocktails, maybe a little weaker with soju as the core ingredient. Value: $14 for Cocktails. Ambiance: Reception Bar is a Korean-style cocktail bar located in Chinatown. They have an outdoor shelter with a few tables, but most of the seating is inside. A half-circle bar sits at the center, with several booths on the far end of the bar and wall bar space throughout. On a hot summer day it was dimly lit, quiet and cool refuge from the outside. Crowd: A few folks gathered at the bar mid-day. Service: Personable and efficient bartenders. Parking: Extremely limited street parking.

Super intimate, cozy bar serving unique Korean cocktails~ + tried 4 drinks and they were all one of a kind, super tasty + loved the ambience and architecture with retro interior + super intimate, great for catching up or date vibes - it can get pretty loud at night - the service was kind of slow but it's sort of given as they're always packed

Super cute cocktail bar with really unique drinks! Both drinks we got were delicious - the cereal milk makgeolli was pretty strong and had this crunchy korean cereal on top. I was a bigger fan of the melon cocktail, but would come back for both. Service was great as well! Only downside is the bar is very small but we were lucky to get seating!

o m g what a BEAUUUTIFUL little bar tucked away in the corner of chinatown!!!! you MUST try the cereal milk cocktail! drinks: i got the lotus one and cereal milk - lotus is light and refreshing and heavier on the tea flavor, but my favorite has to be the makgeolli!!! it's super creamy without being heavy, and the jolly pong on top is so fun and reminds me of childhood :-) space: rlly rlly pretty interior i love the round bar and lighting is pretty !!!!