Spyglass Rooftop Bar

Went here for birthday drinks with a coworker and a group of seven. The rooftop is cute but definitely on the smaller side—it felt a bit cramped, so I’d recommend it more for groups of 2-4. They don’t offer any happy hour specials after work, so expect to pay $20+ per cocktail. We didn’t order any food, but I did try the red velvet cake and wasn’t impressed—it was hard and cold. I might go back if someone else plans something there, but I wouldn’t make a point to return on my own.

It was a pleasant experience overall. The management and the service was superb. The champagne and wine were good to taste. It was so hot today and the atmosphere didn’t need much to boil. The food is not luxurious but it worked for snacks and so.

Spyglass Rooftop Bar is a true gem in New York City! The view of the Empire State Building is absolutely breathtaking — one of the best skyline spots we’ve experienced in the city. The atmosphere is chic yet relaxed, perfect for a sunset drink or a night out. Cocktails are creative and well-balanced, and the food is surprisingly good too. Prices are very reasonable for NYC, especially considering the quality and the view. Highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy great drinks with an unforgettable view!

When i came to this Bar today it is an amazing view of the Empire State building right across the bar view a nice enough breeze coming through the food was also great i would recommed to visit this Rooftop bar.Make this the destination you visit it located on the 23rd floor and the bev Manager Rico was also a big Help when describing the Liqour at the Bar and i would recommed to my friends if they are looking for a rooftop bar i give this a 10 out of 10 stars if i could grade that high i would.thanks Spyglass for such a great experience.

Spyglass Rooftop Bar has an unbeatable view of the Empire State Building, it’s easily one of the most stunning skyline spots in NYC. The vibe is stylish and trendy, making it a popular choice for both locals and tourists. That said, the space is very tight, and it can feel a bit overcrowded. Service was extremely slow during our visit, which was disappointing, especially given how pricey the drinks were. It’s definitely worth checking out for the view alone, but manage your expectations when it comes to service and seating.

Great rooftop bar. As the snow fell outside, the drinks were amazing and the food great. The view was special as the outside area accumulated snow. The rooftop bar offers great views of The Empire State Building. Also, a great perk of staying at The Archer Hotel.

Good views of Empire State and one Vanderbilt summit. Drinks are strong and a good value for money. I wouldn’t recommend it for large groups. The place is little crammed. But good for 2-3 people.

Extremely nice staff. You’ll have a great time coming here. Best view of the Empire State Building! Don’t miss out. Come come!

I came here for a private party so I can't speak to what the experience is like if you are here for a standard evening at a rooftop bar. For our private event, while the space we had was not too big, the service was on point. The drinks are a hit or miss though so I recommend sticking to classic drinks or a glass of bubbly or whiskey on the rocks.

You definitely are paying for the view here, not the actual drinks. Located at the top of a hotel, Spyglass has a small indoor and outdoor bar area. The drinks were just okay, but it was a nice place to sit and catch up with a friend while watching the sunset in the Big Apple.

We found reservations a day before but I believe you could be accommodated if you arrive early on a Saturday afternoon! It wasnt too packed which made the a little bigger but is definitely smaller than in the pictures, so dont expect a big space! The service was great, except because the waiters do take long time with your orders, but the recommendation and the attention was great! We were served by Aleksandra, very recommended too The food was good, I think is a great option to have drinks and maybe an appetizer but I wouldn't suggest to do a full on dinner because their menu is very small! The chocolate cake they gave me for my birthday was delicious tho, so if you want to end your evening with dessert, the truffle one is a good choice!

Cute bar at top of hotel. Not very high rooftop. Can see the Empire state. I got a perfect cosmo light pink made w citron vodka. My friend got redemption. Smacking presentation. Great friendly service. I felt like a tourist sitting by the window staring at the Empire State building. It was raining so the outdoor patio was closed.

We couldn't have asked for a better view of the beautifully illuminated Empire State Building. Friendly and helpful service, delicious drinks and we enjoyed the dry rub wings (amazingly flavorful). It's definitely tight quarters in there so try getting in early or making reservations.

I came with a group of friends to this rooftop bar and the view was rlly nice. You can see the Empire State Building. The drinks were amazing and the service was really fast. I think this place has the best espresso martinis.

Love coming here. Really good spot to watch sports, or to enjoy the view. Seats fill up fast, hotel guests typically get priority. They close at 12 on the weekend. Only ate here once pretty good, average upscale hotel pricing on food. Bartenders make really cool and intricate looking drinks. Big perk is going at night. The view of the Empire State building is really nice. No smoking on the terrace! I come here pretty often honestly, atleast once a week, overall always had a good time. Clearly I come here often lol

Nice view but very small roof top bar. The bar tenders was nice. I will not be returning to this bar due to their confusing system of getting a table. There was no signs or indications if tables are available for walk in. When my friends and I find a free table their staff would bring over a sign and said it was reserved. This happened more than once and the guy with glasses that is doing the seating came across very unwelcoming and snobby with the reserved table comments. If there are no walk in for tables they should let customers know so I can decide to stay or move on as there are many roof top bar options around.

Our group wanted to grab some drinks before our dinner and we came across Spyglass. We weren't disappointed at all. We got to the roof and asked for a table for 6. We waited about 5 minutes, and the host brought us outside to an area we could have for our time there. We loved the spot. We were right in front of the Empire State Building! The service was great and the drinks were good. The drinks were quite expensive, but the view and service was worth it. One of the guys in our group wanted some food and ordered some wings. They were good, but nothing great. There's also another bar downstairs, where we continued the party and got some shots. Definitely a pricey spot both downstairs and upstairs, but that's pretty standard for any NYC spot with a nice view.

Came upstairs one evening while staying at the Archer and the first thing that stood out was the breathtaking views of the Empire State Building, WOW! Love the seating outside, it's the perfect view being in midtown. We decided to order some small bites to eat, grilled octopus and truffle fries on the side and both were rockingggg! The grilled octopus especially. Next time we're at the Archer I will be ordering some more oct, it was a hit. The service was unremarkable but the food and views more than made up for it.

Way smaller than it appears in pictures. But lovely little spot with good vistas-- good service -- and good ambiance.

The best view of the Empire State Building from a rooftop. Great espresso martini. Didn't grab any bites but they looked solid. Decent amount of seating and a TV.

Cute small rooftop bar with such a nice city view! The bar tenders were great and made wonderful recommendations per everyone's individual likes! Would definitely come again!

I was at Spyglass for a company event. The skyline views are incredible! Beautiful views of midtown and the Empire State Building. The bar was well equip with top self liquor. The gin martini was perfect. There was a pretty good spread. The crabs were delicious, not too much breading, the vegetable spring roll were also good- not too greasy. Food was kept hot and a well displayed. Definitely a place to go back to for cocktails.

Love! Love! Love! This place offers a clear and quite breathtaking view of the Empire State Building. Food and drinks are both great. Please make a reservation and I totally recommend that you go closer to sunset for a beautiful view.

Great views. Awesome ambiance and delightful food and drinks. This was my second or third visit to Spyglass and this time the service was lacking. Often our server disappeared for long periods of time.

Came here for a corporate event!! The bar staff was pleasant and made some really good drinks for me. The foods we had were all good and really tasted terrific. People around me commented how there food was good too.

Love this place . Was here in January .We are here girl's night out . Ordered several drinks . They are the best . Spectacular view of the Empire State Building. Also ordered Ahi Tuna . Love it .

Awesome view and the music drinks and food was top, the service was nice if you ask for recommendations the are always open to help and also take a pic

Saturday night, no reservation needed to try out this cozy rooftop bar. The guy downstairs gave us a 10 minute wait time for two people, which you can use to chill at the lobby of the hotel. Short ride upstairs, with minimal seating inside at the bar which connects to the outdoor balcony. Good views overall and far up enough to not be noisy. Cocktails are as expensive as you'd expect - ranging between $19-22. Decided to keep it simple with a whiskey on the rocks ($19) and enjoyed outside. They also have bites to eat as well, though way too busy to try to order something like that without a table. Service is super busy here, with orders flying everywhere, so definitely need to be patient. There also seems to be a balcony on the other side for private events.

Reservations are highly recommended here. Luckily, my friend and I came early enough for them to seat us as a walk-in. We had perfect seats with a great view of the Empire State Building. Drinks are a little on the pricier side, but overall its a great place to come sit and chat with friends. I highly recommend the Mexican mule. We did not order any food so this review is solely based on the drinks/ ambiance /view. Employees were very friendly

Honestly, the prices didn't bother us because we went for the view. I don't recommend you spend the whole night here, but for a drink and a photo (or two) this place is ideal. And the staff was super nice. Great stop!

Had a great experience at Spyglass. My husband and I were staying at the Archer Hotel and were excited to check out this rooftop destination. The food, drinks and views did not disappoint! We were there on a Friday night and did not have a reservation. Bad move. The place was packed! Luckily since we were guests in the hotel they were able to give us the last two seats at the bar. The service was great and the apps did not disappoint. I highly recommend the seared tuna appetizer. This was a great place for us to start our night. If you're in midtown, you should definitely check this place out. We will be back!

Great view, food was just okay. Seems like more of a place for drinks and vibes. I would go again if I was in town for the ambiance

We had a mixed experience at Spyglass. I made a reservation ahead of time for a seat closest to the edge so we had an unobstructed view of the Empire State Building. However, they didn't keep a spot reserved for us and we ended up further back. When we asked they didn't seem to care and it just wasn't the best customer service experience. With that being said the drinks were very good and you get a good portion of alcohol (for the price you pay for the drinks you would hope so!). If you are picking between this and another rooftop, I would consider going with the other.

I cannot recommend Spyglass enough! You are definitely paying for the view but on a beautiful summer day, it is worth it. Make sure to make a reservation online so you don't have to wait to be seated!

Great place for drinks with friends and a view to die for. I always visit here when in NYC.

I met a friend there that came to see me from CT. Even though it was raining, we had a great experience. Everyone was so friendly, we had to make a reservation in advance with the credit card, but all was good. We were running a few minutes late, but there was no issues.the drinks were good, the food was delicious . And of course the view of Empire state building was right on front of us. Sorry did not take more pics, but planning on coming back when the weather is better so I can enjoy the rooftop

This rooftop bar is small but worth a visit for the views and friendly staff. You need a reservation and will have an option for indoor or outdoor seating. We also had the ahi tataki bites which were a perfect snack to share with a cocktail.

Came to this spot for a work HH and it was lovely! We had our own private section and even a sign that greeted us when we got off the elevator (it's the little details that count!). Our section felt a little cramped and the better view was on the main side but no hard complaints here. It was still very nice. Our private section had a selection of foods; we had pizza, sliders, mac and cheese bites, and chicken skewers. They also accommodated a vegan slider option. They were all pretty great but the mac and cheese bites were my favorite. The drink menu was creative and pretty extensive. I got the oaxaca love and it was delicious. The waitresses was extremely attentive and made sure no one's glass was empty. Overall a great experience!

Great place for happy hour. Their prices are great for happy I believe $11 for cocktails and $13 for small bites. Beautiful view! Great place to come after work with coworkers.

The location / views are awesome. The cocktails are just ok- I had the Smokey Night (mezcal based)- it was ok but not memorable. I would go solely for the views of the Empire State Building + for chill vibes. It is typical pricing of any other NYC rooftop bar.

We came for my boyfriends birthday for drinks and happy hour and I made a reservation on Open Table. I put in the notes that it was his first time to New York and his birthday so anything they can do would be appreciated. The vibe was fantastic, the view was great and so was the food, but the service was even better. My bf ordered a happy hour beer that was on the menu but they ended up being out of it so the server offered him a different beer and actually ended up taking one of the beers off the tab because it was not what he originally had asked for. ALSO, they surprised him with a chocolate cake with a candle on top for his birthday. They were so nice and it was such a fun and nice gesture! I would definitely recommend coming here.

You're definitely paying for the view here at just about $20 a drink. The selection isn't extensive but the drinks are tasty albeit on the small side. The pros were that it wasn't very crowded on a Saturday night and the view of the Empire State Building really was one of kind. The ambiance was very modern and cool and the bathroom was clean. The cons were that the clientele was older than we expected, 30+, we were definitely the youngest group there. If you want a unique city experience with a city price tag this spot is for you.

Food is good if you enjoy overpriced appetizers. Drinks were actually decent and pretty strong. The service is terrible so expect to get your drinks and never see them again. Also, if you sit outside to the left none of the lighting works so plan to enjoy your meal in the dark. The view and the drinks are the only thing worth coming here for.

A pretty nice rooftop bar with a nice view of the Empire State Building. I came here with a group of friends after a Yelp event and I was pretty surprised I've never been here before. The section by the bar is pretty small, but it's the winter so no one is standing outside in the patio section and not a lot of people are sitting in the bar area so crowd control at the time was fine. Their specialty cocktails were pretty unique, but none of them really stood out to me so I just got a very well made Manhattan. Mix drinks are on the expensive side. Will run you $20 a glass. Service is hit or miss. They're not the most attentive group of staff members and getting their attention is a bit of a pain. I do appreciate their enthusiasm though.

As we were staying at the hotel they gave us preferential treatment with seating the two times we went there during our stay. The view of the empire state building is definitely the highlight and it was great to have a few drinks with it being in the background. Staff were friendly and great atmosphere.

Thoroughly disappointed with my experience dealing with this establishment. I had planned to host a birthday party here for a party of 15 on a Saturday night at 9pm. I called, left a message, and upon receiving a call back, was told by a lady that they would be able to accommodate us without a problem. She also said I should expect to receive a confirmation email from someone on their event staff shortly thereafter. Shortly thereafter came and went so I sent emails and called and left messages the next day, and the day before the event, and then the day of to make sure they knew to continue to expect us. Of course, the night of the party, we arrive and they have no record of our reservation. I ask the front desk person at the hotel, who doubles as doorman for the rooftop, to call and check with the lady we had spoken to. He unapologetically says he can't and there is nothing he can do, forcing us to make other plans literally last minute. What an absolutely horrible way to run a business. Needless to say, we patronized another rooftop who was happy to have us even on such short notice. Long story short, do not under any circumstances plan on reserving space or hosting an event here unless you like scrambling for alternative accommodations. I'm hoping I learned this lesson the hard way so that others don't have to.

Come for the view, stay for the drinks. What I like about Spyglass is that even though it's in the heart of midtown, it's not terribly touristy. It's small so it gets crowded, but the view is breathtaking. The cocktails are okay, I've had better I've had worse, but you don't come for that, they simply add to your stargazing experience, or rather, Empire State Building-gazing experience. Bartenders are super friendly and the background playlist is old 2000s hits which I love. Drinks are expensive ($15-$17 a cocktail) but that's what you get in places like these.

Chill vibes with a fantastic view. Anytime someone from out of town is visiting, I take them here! It's a great way to view the empire state building, visit a chill rooftop bar and have great cocktails. Staff is so friendly, A+.

In an effort to find a rooftop with a memorable view of the ESB without being in the middle of the craziness that is Monarch rooftop on a weekend night, my sister and I stumbled upon this spot after a few minutes of searching on Yelp. The reviews were good and the pictures proved promising so we decided to try it out. We arrived around 9 on a Sunday night. The rooftop itself is part of a hotel which also has a bar and dining area on it's main floor. The elevator banks to the left lead to the rooftop. Once we got to the space we were surprised to see how small it was. There was a full bar and balcony area which had a few high top tables and chairs directly facing the ESB. My sister and I were able to order at the bar and squeeze into a space that had just opened up. When it came time to order I stuck with an IPA ($8) while my sister went for one of their mixed cocktails ($16). Given the price you'd expect a well made drink but unfortunately this did not fit the bill. It was too weak as well as overpowered with whatever sugary additive they included, it made for more of bitterly sweet juice as opposed to an actual cocktail. The staff was nice but they also weren't doing a good job of taking away empty glasses that had been left by patrons all throughout the balcony area. When we decided to leave I brought back two glasses to the bar that weren't mine out of courteousness. They just need to do a better job of cleaning the space more frequently. All in all its a good intimate space with a stunning view of the ESB. Besides that I'd look elsewhere for quality made food or drinks that aren't over saturated in mixes.

Okay, so obviously come here for the view!! Drinks and food are standard NYC fare, nothing special. The seating/standing space is pretty small with long bar tables along the perimeter and s few smaller tables in the center. They do have a few (three) small private areas where you can gather a small party for an event. The main bar area is a decent size for the space. Be warned this place gets packed and tight with afterwork/singles crowd. Aside from the view what really stood out is the service. The staff here were super nice and attentive!!! Honestly some of the nicest I've encountered in NYC! PROS/CONS: - amazing view of Empire State Building - small space - gets really packed/not much breathing room - drinks are great and everything is delivered promptly - staff is AMAZING, attentive, friendly/pleasant, nice - close walking distance from Grand Central & Penn Station -

Great service, small rooftop bar with an elegant environment and an AMAZING view of the empire stat building. We didn't get any food but we saw people order food and it looked well prepared and delicious. Definitely recommend this spot for a more chill and relaxing vibe.

It's New York City but this place isVery overpriced for drinks. Walk a few doors down same views half the price!!!

To start with the doorman walked us upstairs to the manager. He promptly sat us at the bar. The bartender was superb with his skills and suggestions. The food was excellent. The view was great and they offered to take our picture in front of the skyline. Would definitely give it 10 stars if they were available.

Great drinks, amazing view, and solid food. 10/10 would come back! Be sure to make a reservation.

The hubby and I made it a goal to go to at least one rooftop bar while we were in NYC. This is the only one we managed to visit, but it was everything we expected and more! When you first get there, you have to wait until a staff member allows you access to the elevator to the top. We arrived about 4:30pm, so there wasn't a line yet. That ending said, the place filled up quickly after 5pm. The views from the bar are breathtaking! There is no need to pay to admission to get this view.... I'd prefer to pay for an expertly crafted cocktail, which is exactly what we did! The hubby and I are bourbon enthusiasts, and the bartender did not disappoint. He made a fabulous Manhattan and Old Fashioned for us. The staff are friendly and attentive. Cocktails average about $17. Put this one on your short list for NYC!!

Truly nothing extraordinary about this place. BUT it does have a great view of the Empire State Building and a variety of drinks. So if you are looking for an Instagram worthy picture, or a great view I'd recommend dropping by. There's just no charm to this place, there's no WOW appeal. Drinks are pricey and not super special, and it's not welcoming or exciting.

Great food, great view, inconsistent service. Not sure who runs Spyglass - their service isn't as good as the Archer hotel lobby staff - but they could learn a thing or two. I get it - I'm solo on a work trip, but I got two drinks and a meal, so I wasn't some happy hour slouch. The greeter/manager(?) was great. The waiter brought water and then I never saw him again. I went to the bar to order food. I went to the bar to get a second drink. He finally came back to bus the table. If not for the bartender, I'd have had one drink. Fortunately, those were solid!