Serena

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222 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

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(212) 255-4646
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Serena - New York, NY
Serena - New York, NY
Reviews
( 6 )
( 7 )
( 3 )
( 6 )
( 0 )

Best

I just had my 26th birthday at Serena on Saturday and it was great! The manager reserved the front room for my group, our waitress was great, the drinks reasonably priced and the ...

Worst

I tried calling Serena to book a party but got a busy signal for two days. We haggled over bottle fees - 250 dollars per, and this place ain't hot! - and "Lisa" bullied me into re...

Serena-underground lounge 10/25/2006

Very cute-go there w/ a date and cozy up on the comfy couches w/ dimmed candlelight and cocktails. late nite--major crowd, sometimes celebs so paparazzi is annoying as hell, but the bouncers always remember a cute face so you're good to get in. Pros: Ambience Cons: Crowded if late nite more
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serena was good for one thing 5/18/2006

i discovered this place because this guy i used to date was a regular. the dates and friends i took there afterwards thought it was pretty cool...but the last time i went, there was an ego-tripped bouncer working the door. we were at the front of the line, and the ego-bouncer let his friends who walked up to him from the street go in before us. so we decided to head to a place downtown, with alot less attitude. there, i ran into friends who introduced me to a friend of theirs out with them that night. well, that guy is now my boyfriend of over 1 1/2 years...so thanks to serena for the huge ego trip! moral of the story - don't let serena's unjustified ego get you down...it's just a sign that you're likely to get something better out of your night somewhere else! Pros: great music variety, dancing available Cons: too much ego more
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Great Lounge and Music, Good for Birthdays too 12/7/2005

I just had my 26th birthday at Serena on Saturday and it was great! The manager reserved the front room for my group, our waitress was great, the drinks reasonably priced and the music was the best. The dj had us dancing until 4am, they practically had to kick us out! I almost didn't plan my party there, it looked like one of those pretentious places that make you line up for no reason but all my friends got in without any problems and we rocked the party. Pros: atmosphere, music, attractive crowd Cons: can get crowded more
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Simply Put - HORRIBLE 11/14/2005

Had a friends birthday there this past weekend and the service was extremely bad. The bartender demanded a tip, eventhough she saw in my hand I had already taken a tip out. I was about to give her 5 dollars, but since she was so rude in asking for a tip, I decided to leave her only $2 and tell her 'here is 2 dollars for your services' and walked away. Highly not recommended to anyone. Pros: atmosphere Cons: service, music more
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Rudest service EVER!!! 11/4/2005

I went to Serena for a friend's birthday party, and I could not have been more annoyed and irritated when I left. The waitress was so incredibly rude and disgruntled... my friend spilled a drink and she didn't even bring napkins over. And then she mysteriously disappeared when I wanted a drink, and when I went to inquire about it at the bar, and other waitress very rudely told me that she didn't have my credit card and couldn't help me. Ugh... never had ruder service from more unattractive people in my life!! Pros: atmosphere, wine is cheap Cons: music sucks, too loud, rude waitresses more
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A pleasure 8/20/2005

I organized a friend's birthday here and I couldn't have been more pleased with Serena. The doorman was unbelievably nice!! We hadn't reserved any space, but once he found out my friend was the b-day girl, he took care of us completely. No snobby attittude like other bars/lounges. Drinks are reasonably priced (abt $8). Very good atmosphere. Definitely a rare jewel. Pros: Friendly more
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Cool surroundings with an inattentive staff. 8/11/2005

I stopped in here on a Thursday evening for a drink after work, about 7PM. They had probably just opened because only myself and 4 other people were at the bar. You would think the bartenders (2 reasonably attractive girls) would be bored this early in the night and want to talk to patrons. Instead, they huddled in a corner and chatted idly with other staff members. Did they notice that I had finished my lukewarm bottle of Heineken and ask if I wanted another? Nope. Did they notice that I gave a polite "goodbye" wave on the way out, after I left an undeserved $2 tip on the $7 beer? Not at all. To give the place the benefit of the doubt, however, the layout is cool and it's a relaxing atomsphere. Maybe it's alot more fun later in the night, but I'm in no hurry to find out. Pros: cool layout, relaxing place Cons: unprofessional staff more
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Big plus!! 4/19/2005

I had my birthday party here a few Saturdays and it was a great experience! The waitress and hostess were great in accomodating my guests. The atmosphere was great and so were the drinks, music, and food. Everyone had such a great time- I would definitely recommend this place for your birthday. Pros: Music, Staff more
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Not Worth the Effort 9/20/2004

Last Thursday my friends and I were in Chelsea and decided to drop by this place based on an old recommendation I'd gotten. Now all my freinds think I have lousy taste in bars. The place was uncomfortable feeling--uncrowded in a bad way, so it felt like they were just waiting to close or something. All the staff seemed to have a strange attitude, too--not so much hostile as just wishing they were somewhere else. Out of all the bars in the neighborhood, we definitely could have picked a better one than this. Pros: Decent bar selection Cons: , Attitude at door more
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Great Birthday Spot 9/12/2004

I had my birthday at Serena this past Friday and everything was so much fun. It's hard to find places in the city where you can plan your brithday and not have to deal with cover or headaches. The door is not that tough, but like most NY spots. Just make sure you have even girls to guys and you should have no problems. The bottle/drinks prices were reasonable. The Dj played 80's, hip-hop, Reggae-great music to complete one of my best birthdays ever. If you are looking to plan your birthday , Serena is a great option..... Pros: No Cover, Friendly Staff more
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You've got to be kidding... 2/19/2004

Heard the place was under new management, so I went to check it out. Bad News! Guy at the door was nice to me, but hassled the folks behind me. Drinks were overpriced, and the atmosphere reminded me of a friend's basement when he would have makeout parties. Sketchy folks left and right, and a clear bridge and tunnel majority. Don't waste your time here. Pros: service, no cover Cons: , atmosphere more
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Intimate 10/10/2003

Serena is a cute little place hidden in chelsea. there's no cover but of course the drinks are sort of pricey. i liked the flirtini. the guy at the gate has a huge ego trip. try to get there somewhat earlier or you'll have to go through him. Pros: cover, atmosphere, drinks Cons: guy at the gate more
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Amazing! 5/4/2003

I've had such a great time there...This place rocks every night of the week. The weekends are always fun and upbeat and the weekdays there is always a cool party. I love their martinis. Me and my friends have had quite a few parties here. The staff is always sooo nice and accomidating. Their app menu is delicious too... Pros: Decor, Drinks, Food more
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Great, chill establishment 5/1/2003

The drinks are fairly priced ($7 a mixed drink or so) and they are very good. The cranberry and vodka is excellent! The ambiance is very good, it attracts a good crowd, and the music is great. I wish it were a bit larger, as if it's crowded it could feel a bit stuffy, but overall a very chill hangout. Just arrive early or you'll be outside for a while... and good luck getting in if they are having an infamous "private party." Pros: Great drinks, Good ambiance Cons: A bit small more
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It depends on what you are looking for. 1/24/2003

Its a great place if you live locally and are looking for a martini and a comfortable atmosphere early in the evening. However, I wouldn't recommend crossing the bridges and tunnels to get there. As for the decor, think the Overlook ("redrum"). They were playing a Smiths CD from begining to end, and the crowd all looked like the songs brought back memories... Pros: Comfortable, Good drinks, Not trendy Cons: Tables "reserved", Tip the bathroom lady more
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Flaky but fun 11/11/2002

I tried calling Serena to book a party but got a busy signal for two days. We haggled over bottle fees - 250 dollars per, and this place ain't hot! - and "Lisa" bullied me into reserving two so that my friends could all get in. I ended up canceling and she hung up on me - what a bully - but other than dealing with her, my experience at Serena's been positive. The music is good, as is the ambiance. It's a comfortable, attrative place. There are attendants so remember to take money to the bathroom. Pros: Good atmosphere, Convenient to subways Cons: Pick up the phone!, Lame staff more
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too stuck up for me 10/21/2002

the first time i went (thursday night), i thought it was cozy and sexy, so the next time i took my boyfriend (saturday night) and there was such a long line, we didn't even make it past the unnecessarily mean bouncers! it's nice, but it's not all that!! more
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Chelsea find 8/5/2002

Great choice for a Chelsea Lounge. Better since the "velvet rope" mentality was lessened a bit. Please, like I want to wait on a line??? Why??? The surroundings are cozy and music good. Nice place to meet friends or a potential hook-up. Just sober up before considering getting a room in the hotel above... more
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for a hotel bar... 7/27/2002

not neccessarily a stand-out in any one particular feature...but definitely a dependable stand-by. and (probably because you enter from outside, never really seeing the "hotel") it doesn't feel like most hotel bars...which is a plus! more
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Serena Sux 7/15/2002

Ok, so it was 7 girls celebrating a birthday, me and 2 guys. We were there at 2 30'ish and the obnoxious french doorman says that we were not allowed in because 1) our group was too big 2) he would have to charge us 20 dollars a head. Well, Mr.French doorman, go back to France, we dont need any of your attitude, especially for a bar stuck under a hotel. Well, eventually we came back because a couple of the girls we knew eventually got in. It was ok, very very chill, all i wanted to do was lie down on the floor and go to sleep. drinks are expensive, service was good though, perhaps because the bar was sooooo "chill". Cons: the doorman, the doorman, the doorman more
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Menu for Serena


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Say hello to the courtly Serena Bass on your way through the intimate front lounge. The middle and back bars shine in the old, neo-Moroccan style. Serena's hyper-connected managing partner, Sam Shaeffer, makes sure plenty of A-list arrivistes are on hand to prop up the bar (Anna Wintour is his stepmother; Minnie Driver a cousin). Regular guests from the hotel upstairs sprinkle a little glamour among the drop-ins.

  • 1/26/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Wed-Fri 6pm-4am Sat 8pm-4am
  • Payments: Diner's Club, Visa, American Express, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Midtown, Chelsea
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