Sutra Lounge

The Roots 'Rising Down Album release was held at Sutra last Monday night, the venue offered an intimate setting among fans and music industry folks alike. I was about to head home for the night around 1am when my friend texted me that Mos Def was right outside, so I stayed later than anticipated. Lucky that I did or I would have missed the highlight of the night when ?uestlove got on deck and everyone just flowed with it, creating the good connective vibe amongst everyone. The music kicked off and cheers erupted. Mos Def and Black Thought got on the mic and basically rocked it which was very exciting to see. The party went on well past 2am but I can?t party like I used to on a weekday so it was quits for me after they got on. Just a week later I was at the Erykah Badu and The Roots show at Radio City Music Hall and Black Thought actually shouted Sutra out from center stage as the place to be for the after-party. Sutra was packed but not to the point where you simply cannot enjoy yourself. Upstairs was ?uestlove and downstairs had DJ Spinna. Both of them played some really great music and a few members of the Roots were there along with Mos Def who was there just chillin with his gf in the corwd. Only in New York...gotta love it! Pros: This place respects music and people Cons: The secret of how cool this place is is getting out more

I've been going to Sutra for nearly 4 years. It amazes me how in all this time it has never gotten stale. Every weekend the DJ's are on point and every week somthing great is going on. Last week the The Roots did their Album release party and Mos Def performed while Questlove DJ'd! I mean thats what Im talking about! Over the years this two floor lounge has blown up and the weekends can get really busy.. but I just make a reservation by calling and asking to put my name on the list. We've never had a problem getting in, the vibe is always good, the people are cool and the service is great. Its always my first recommendation for any of my friends birthdays or whatever. Love it. Pros: Great vibe, music, people, service Cons: very busy...best to make reservations on the weekends more

I was disappointed to have my birthday party at Sutra, Lets just say dont get deceived by the website and clip they show. Old furniture, much smaller than what you'd expect, I mean TIGHT is not even the right description. If you intend to go dancing with a couple of friends then may be its an ok place, of course if you bare getting an elbow from the crowd every once in a while; If you're having a party of 15 for example, then you'll literally fill up half of the club. If you're planning to go hang out and talk then prepare to shout out loud all night long. Yes, they do have a second floor down below, abit more quite but its stuffy, abit smelly and the DJ is not as good. Service at the bar is not something i can say much about since I had a bottle service at one of the back tables even though i was promised a table by the dance floor. By the way, you pay a $40 mandatory on top of the bottle price. On a positive note, I have to give some Pros to Sutra: The DJ on the main floor was really good, he played a good mix, even from the 80's but mainly hiphop. If thats your taste then you will Love IT. Our Host was nice and accomodating, I give her credit for that. Line at the door was easy pass, non of my friends complained, non of them paid, and if they did it would've been only $5 excluding ladies who are Free all night. Will I ago again, probably NOT!! Pros: Good DJ, Good Service, Fast Line, Low cover Cons: TIGHT, Small, Loud, Old furniture !! more

I decided to stop and check this place out for a party due to all of the excellent feedback. The service was terrible, everyone was so rude!! from the bouncer to the lady in charge!! It didnt make sense, they had no one in the place there even!! Well i would not recommend this place to any one, the bouncer is the rude and obnoxious. more

My girls and I have offically made Sutra our Friday night spot. Its getting hotter and hotter right along with the weather. Their new friday One Night Stand series features the sickest DJ's. Love it! Pros: Best DJ's in the East Village. Cons: no parking. more

I booked this club from my 30th for a few reasons: 1) They had a room that could accommodate myself and my guests. 2) The door policy is absurd and the dress code is very relaxed. My friends did not have to worry about waiting on line for an hour and then getting turned away because they are wearing sneakers (that probably cost $500, lol). 3) All the good reviews here, something must be good about this place. PRO's John who was managing the door was a gentleman. He took great care to make sure we were fine several times throughout the night. I reserved the elliptical room which is on the main floor towards the back. The DJ gave me and the other ppl in my party a shout out on the mic several times. The waitress that was taking care of my party was great. The place was PACKED and she still gave great service. I don't remember more than 15 minutes going by without seeing her in our back room asking if we needed anything more. CON's The main floor is smallish - it gets VERY tight. This can be a little overwhelming for people. There are only two or three bathrooms on the main floor and always a line. There are another two bathrooms downstairs. Several of my guests mentioned that the place smelled a little funky but I don't remember that. The crowd there can put off some if they are expecting a uppity meatpacking atmosphere. Disclaimer: My guests and I purchased about 5-6 bottles. That could easily have influenced our great service. But reading other reviews, it seems like the service here is generally good to everyone. Thanks again to everyone at Sutra for a good night. Pros: Service! Cons: gets SUPER crowded more

These people do not know how to communicate! I called and asked for information about the rooms and the girl told me that there was a room available that held 60-65 people. My friend also called over the weekend for information and they told her that the same room only held 30 people but was still available. The person from Sutra also mentioned that they do not accept bookings over the weekend but she could email her information to the email listed on the website. So she wrote an email to the address listed on the website saying she wanted to book the room and would follow up in the morning on Monday. When she called on Monday, the room was no longer available. When she asked how this happened, they told her that they DO accept bookings on the weekend and must have been busy when she called!!! So they were busy...and told her false information...and now they are annoyed with HER about the situation AND she doesn't have a location for the party! This is absurd because they left her with the impression that all she had to do was call and give her credit card information on Monday. Ridiculous and completely dissatisfying. more

I had such an amazing time on saturday night at Sutra! The staff was so professional and fantastic with getting my friends to my private Elliptical room ...and our cocktail waitress was the BOMB! She was pleasent, always smiled and was more then accommodating. The doormen got our reserved guest in whenever I went to the door and everyone felt special and comfortable.. .the DJ was great and we just had the very best time!!!!.....I speak for all when I say, WE LOVE SUTRA! Everything was great, it could not have turned out better! I recommened spreading the word on how Sutra is a seriously great NY party Venue! I am sure I will have more plans with Sutra in my future....... Pros: Very professional and accomedating. Cons: Can get very busy reservations highly recommended more

We had a great time on Saturday night at Sutra. It was bumpin' from start to finish, the waitress was mad cool and everything ran smoothly. I was a lil' worried with the whole party bus rollin' in with a big crew but with all the help from Sutra it worked out perfectly. I highly recommened it and I will definitely party there again! more

I had my birthday party there last night and it was great! Ordered bottle service and our waitress was fantastic! Very friendly and always accessible when we needed her. However, this place got PACKED in a HURRY! around Midnight it was wall to wall people, which is fine, however that unfortunately met that half of my guests coming for my birthday couldn't get past the door since they were at capacity until like 2-2:30 in the morning. Which is my friends' fault for coming late, because they warned us to get there before midnight. So, if you plan a party there, make sure you don't have fashionably late friends...otherwise you won't see them that night, especially if they're guys. more

This place wasn't too bad. The only tough thing was getting in the place! The coat check is right by the door and very badly organized! You have to muscle your way through the crowd to actually get into the lounge. My suggestion: head downstairs. more

I threw my 21st birthday party at Sutra and the managment was pretty helpful with everything. The bouncer was very relaxed with admission when he found out that we had a table. They played great music but the only draw back was the fact that it was a too crowded to dance!! We got there around 12am and the place was packed. It's a fun place to go to but make sure you get there early. Pros: eclectic music, friendly staff Cons: very crowded more

I celebrated my 22nd at Sutra, along with two of my girlfriends and it was amazing. At first I was nervous because it was my first time going to Sutra, and I read on the website that each table reservation has a 1 bottle (of liquor) minimum, and the cheapest bottle is $165. I couldn't afford to make a table reservation so I made a General Admission reservation for a group of 25 two days prior, and even though it was pretty much last minute, the owner did what she could to fit my group in. Our party stayed upstairs (ground floor), and my guests began arriving at 10pm- at that time the music was somewhat mellow, but still Hip. As the night progressed the DJ began playing the hottest music: hip-hop, REGGAE, r&b remixes and even LATIN!! By the end of the night he had everyone out on the dance floor, not one of my guests was sitting down. The best part was when he gave a shout-out to me and my two girls for our birthdays...I didn't even have to ask for that, it was totally unexpected! =) Sutra is chic and trendy, with an upbeat and lively environment! I checked out the bar downstairs, and the people were having a great time. The bartender was great, she was prompt and very friendly. I couldn't have asked for a better 22nd! Pros: Very lively environment! Cons: Parking, take the F train- also, you can avoid paying $2 for the coat check. When I first walked in I thought it was mandatory, but later found out that its not! more

I just celebrated the BIG 30 at Sutra Lounge on Oct. 6,2007. It was great. I took alot of time looking at different lounges and clubs. Many places were too young or just did not respond to my request. The owner of Sutra, Ariel is a great person and a smart business person. She called me back in a timely manner and explained everything to me. I had a party of 20, so I reserved two tables. From the time I arrived I was treated like a star. My guests had fun. We had our own waitress, and the bouncer directed everyone to my tables. The DJ was great he played hip-hop, reggae, and a little bit of everything else. It was crowded but the atmospehere was 100% FABULOUS. I am telling everyone about this spot. A friend of mine is having her birthday at Sutra this coming Saturday. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a great birthday or just come out for good drinks and music. Thank you sooooooooooo much Ariel, Gregory , and Yvette. Pros: great staff, great music Cons: Parking is rough, just take the F train more

After reading all the reviews on Citysearch, I decided to have my birthday party here this past weekend down in the Chakra Lounge. We had the whole downstairs to ourselves for the night and had a wonderful time! The management and staff from top to bottom far exceeded my expectations for the night with their superb service, professionalism, and courtesy to my guests and myself throughout the night. I was worried about having a party anywhere in the city because of the hassle of getting everyone in and guests arriving at different parts of the night. I had NO problems of that nature at Sutra. The security took care of all my guests directing them where to go. Even though the place was getting packed, they made me feel very comfortable not worrying about my guests not getting in. Some of them even felt special learning from the security at the door that there was an exclusive area downstairs where the party was being held. Our bartender was one of the best I've seen in awhile. For a party of about 70, he kept the drinks flowing for everyone without delay. The DJ was great and the music kept everyone moving throughout the night. It started out with a laid-back type of vibe. As the night progressed, the DJ started getting everyone up out of their seats. I wish I had time to go upstairs to check out how the party was upstairs, but I'll save that for another night. The management was an absolute pleasure to work with. They provided me with the personalized attention that I would not get in most places for a birthday party. They checked up on me every now and then to make sure everything was going smoothly. I thought I would only interact with a person from the staff throughout the night. To my surprise, I got to meet almost all the management, as far as I know, throughout the night. They were very kind, generous and great to interact with. To all the management and staff, thank you for a wonderful birthday and I'll be sure to visit again! Pros: Service, Staff, Music, Vibe, Decor...and I'm sure the party upstairs was great too! Cons: Parking more

I just had my Birthday party at sutra this past saturday and i have to say at first i was a little weary because ive used citysearch in the past and i have disappointed with the results of the clubs...but Sutra was such a good time, the owner was super sweet, the staff was excellent, the DJ was on fire, and the drinks were nice and STRONG! Everyone had a good time and cant wait to go back again! Thanks Ariel (the owner) for making My night Fantastic ! Pros: Pretty Much everything was a pro for me! Cons: It was mighty crowded but thats not even a total 'con' for me ! more

I had my party at Sutra on Saturday August 4th. I must say I had a great time, and I'm sure everyone in my party, (about 25), also had an amazing time. I loved everything about this place, the ambiance, the music, the decor, the service, even the bathroom ( lol). I would recommend this place to anyone. Kudos to Sutra, they really made sure I was happy the entire night. Thanks for making my birthday, unforgettable.!!!!!!!!! Pros: amazing staff, decor, music, servie, nice owner Cons: small and crowded , but still super fun!!!!! more

I had my bday party at Sutra last Friday. We got there early so we had time to ourselves which was great bcus the rest of our party came later. The music was mixed just like the crowd. They even had a live trumpet player backing up their awesome DJ. The drinks were affordable plus we popped bottles. I know I had a great time n Im sure everyone else did. Thanks to the owners and the staff, they were great. more

I had my 33rd birthday party at Sutra Lounge this past Sat (Cinco de Mayo) and had BLAST!!!! I found the lounge on Citysearch and the website was so informative and I just knew instandly that this was the place to have my party. Other lounges in the city wasn't willing to accomodate me and my guests (70 to be exact!) because of Cinco De Mayo, but Ariel (the owner) was more than willing to accomodate me and my guests. I was given a tour of the Sutra Lounge and fell in love with it immediately. I chose the Chakra room (lower level) to have my party. I was given the privilege of having the room to myself with my guests for a couple of hours, then opened it up to the public and it worked out so well! The catering service was awesome, food was great!!! Phalon the Sutra Lounge coordinator was a pleasure to work with in getting the menu together and setting up the party. The night of my party, the bouncers were so kind to my guests (and so GORGEOUS)!! There were other parties going on at Sutra and it was PACKED, but that didn't cause a problem. The Bouncers had it under control, there was enough space for all, and both levels of the lounge were crowded with beautiful party people! The DJ was spinning some HOT music and was on point from the time I arrived until the lights came on, and the bartendar in the Chakra room knows how to make some AWESOME Drinks, I was soooooo tipsy I couldn't remember everything. But my friends had so much fun, and said they will come back to Sutra Lounge. I MOST definitely will have my next party back at Sutra again. If you want to have a party or just have a get together, Sutra Lounge is the place to be. BIG Shout out to Ariel, her staff, the DJ, Bartendar and most def the Bouncers. Pros: Great owner, ambiance, music, staff, food, service, bouncers, the list goes on and on, just GREAT!!!!! Cons: Wish it can stay open to 6am...we didn't want to go home! :) more

I just want to say thanks to Sutra for helping me celebrate my birthday and for having such an accommodating staff. My guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly and I had a wonderful time(or so I was told, lol, as I couldnt remember much of anything the next day). I hope you all enjoyed the cake(scrumptious red velvet). The Dj was great! Thanks to Gail for being such a wonderful waitress, and to the bouncers Gregory and my dude with the braids for being so kind to myself and my guests. You guys are great and Sutra was sexi as hell! Loved the chocolate coverd strawberries...loved the Moet more, lol.We'll def. be back soon. Pros: The DJ, the Staff, ambiance Cons: not enough parking on the weekends more