Rivertown Lounge

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187 Orchard St
New York, NY 10002

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(212) 388-1288
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Bars, Pubs & Clubs

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Happy Hour

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Food & Dining

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Restaurants

Reviews
( 3 )
( 6 )
( 1 )
( 2 )
( 2 )

Best

I stumbled into this place on a thursday night and ended up having a great time. Atmosphere was great, good music and strong libations. If you're in the area bar-hopping and the...

Worst

The separate lounge is a nice touch with different music, don't bump in to the bouncer though.... The pool table are is a little cramped so don't plan on having friends come and w...

loungin 5/4/2004

I stumbled into this place on a thursday night and ended up having a great time. Atmosphere was great, good music and strong libations. If you're in the area bar-hopping and the sort, you might just stop into Rivertown Lounge for the rest of your night. Cool bartenders too. more
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Started out promising... 1/4/2004

but was disappointing. Went here for a private party this past weekend. We had a decent size private room with small bar and private DJ. Now for the bads: drinks were so badly watered down I drank 3 vodka tonics and didn't even feel a buzz. I switched to bottled beer just so I could get my money's worth. Then there was the "DJ" - a complete idiot. He thinks all music should be turned up as loud as it should go. It felt like your ears were going to start bleeding. I asked him to turn it down so that the people could actually hear each other (you are not allowed to dance BTW) but he didn't comply. Then, when they let in another party the DJ turned it right back up to the max volume. We all then left and spent several hundred dollars elsewhere on drinks. Pros: Nice private space Cons: Moron DJ, Watered down drinks more
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Why? 12/21/2003

Why come to the Lower East Side for this cold, staid scene? If you'd like to listen to top 40 hip hop, pay a cover for no dancing, get attitude from the bouncers because "this is a *lounge*, not just a bar", then this is the place for you. A sad reminder of how quickly the LES is gentrifying. Pros: Spacious Cons: Cover for nothing, Expensive Drinks, Boring Scene more
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Washed Up 12/10/2003

They now charge a cover on Fridays and Saturdays, this place used to be chill now it is pretentious. How can you charge people a cover if they can't even dance in the joint? I used to love this place and go all of the time, never again!! Cons: Cover, No dancing, Cover more
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horrible night! 10/19/2003

Went to Rivertown lounge this past weekend for a party. The bar did not give us a private room, as promised, and charged the party guests covers. I tried to speak with the owner about getting my cover charge refunded and he wouldn't talk to me - - in fact, he walked outside, looked at me, and walked back in. The bouncers thought this was funny and made no effort to help me out. What a rediculous night. Definitely not a place to have a party. I'm never going back. Cons: crowded, rude owner/staff more
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pretty chill 5/26/2003

i liked this place! music was good, didn't much notice the crowd because i was a little drunk but there was a good vibe going, no attitude from anyone, drinks were pretty cheap and the bartenders were cool. Cons: only 2 bathrooms more
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Nothing Exciting! 4/20/2003

The separate lounge is a nice touch with different music, don't bump in to the bouncer though.... The pool table are is a little cramped so don't plan on having friends come and watch. Other than that....not a bad place to hang out. more
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Group Pleaser 3/2/2003

If you have a group of friends with a diverse background and interests this is the bar that will pass with everyone. The DJ in the back lounge is fun as long as there isn't a private party. The pool table in the back keeps game players occupied while the couches are great for the loungers. It is also a decent single scene. The $6.00 beers may make you want to choke, but this is New York what do you expect. Pros: DJ, Pool Room Cons: Crowded on Weekends, Limited Bathrooms more
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Preppy Paradise 1/24/2003

I strolled in on a Saturday night after reading the reviews thinking it would be cool...not. I felt like I ended up warped to a college frat party. It's a surreal scene for the LES but if you like drunken Girls Gone Wild type action, this is the place for you! Pros: Dancing Music Cons: Scary crowd more
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Don't miss it. 1/6/2003

Get here early. It gets crowded but don't miss a Saturday night in the Lounge. Great music and no attitude ANYWHERE! Pros: great location, music, price of drinks Cons: busy, only 3 bathrooms, no coat check more
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Relax! 10/17/2002

Met a group of friends here pretty much at random--we wanted Lower East Side and wanted a good place to meet before barhopping. However, the combo of decent booze, nice atmosphere, pool table and proximity to Bereket for kebabs meant we just stayed here the whole night through. Pros: Drink selection, Pool Cons: Jukebox more
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My New Favorite 10/13/2002

Over the weekend, I went to Rivertown both nights. My friend and I discovered it about two months ago and just went back. The service is great; the DJ was awesome and the bartenders are totally compenent and don't have an attitude at all. Even the bouncers were cool. Plus I like the non-pretentious scene. It got a little crowded on Saturday, but in a good way not a claustrophobic way. Would definitely go back...it's my new favorite...something for everyone. Pros: Great music, Good service, Cool crowd Cons: Slightly crowded, No room to dance more
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Cool Place, Interesting Art 9/20/2002

I had about 20/25 friends meet up at Rivertown for a girlfriend's birthday last night. The atmosphere is great, wasn't too crowded and the bartenders were great, I wish I could remember their names. The drinks were cheap, and you are allowed to bring in your own eats. (they don't serve food). Everyone said Rivertown was a great choice, so do I. Thanks Ruth!!!! more
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Great Happy Hour! 7/18/2002

I've never been here on a weekend, but this place has a great happy hour during the week from 1 to 8pm, where drinks are $3. The margaritas are really good and strong, and served in pint size glasses! It's not crowded during this time and it's a good spot to go at this time and is very laid back, not hip and pretentious. more
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Just an ok place 5/25/2002

From the outside this place 'looks' cool and if across from a place I like named Orchard Bar. Inside is pretty damn dark, I couldn't see anything let alone the friends I was meeting. Drinks were made well. As for ladies, I saw nothing but pears and squash. Cute enough to take home but you would be punching yourself in the face in the morning. more
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Menu for Rivertown Lounge


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    The Rivertown Lounge attempts to cover all the nouveau Lower East Side bar bases at once within its massive space: There's exposed brick everywhere, a pool table in the back, a DJ booth and various couches clustered together in an attempt to accommodate the loungers.

    The Draw
    It's not quite as painfully fashionable as the surrounding bars, and as a result the Rivertown has a nice vibe, even if it feels more like an Upper West Side hangout than an Orchard Street bar. There are cool bartenders, a jukebox and a weekly open turntable event for aspiring DJs. You'll feel like you traveled a couple of miles north, but that's OK, 'cause baby, it's warm inside.

  • 12/16/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Daily 12pm-4am
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, Lower East Side
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