Divine Bar

FYI it says on their website that Divine Bar East is now closed. Divine Bar West is good though. 123

Posted 02/12/09

Last night a friend was in town and wanted to go to a cozy wine bar, so naturally, I thought of...Divine. I was always a fan of the one on the east side and thought the one one on the west side had to be good. The flights were great and the atmosphere is cozy and comfy, but the Tapas were horrible. Everything we ordered was filled with grease and fried or doused in some heavy sauce. The olive plate was the most oily of all. I'd go again for drinks, but if you plan on steering clear of heart disease I'd eat somewhere else. Wine selection was great and not expensive!

Posted 12/27/08

Great place to grab a drink and some food after work with the coworkers.
CareerBuilder's hosting an "UnHappy Hour" there next week on the Wednesday and Thursday after Superbowl.
There will be free appetizers for an hour around 6pm or so

Great timing, amazing food? Sounds like a good time!

Posted 01/30/08

My experience at the Divine Bar was nothing short of terrible. The wine was absurdly overpriced, and the food was sub-par at best. Furthermore, the service was among the worst I've experienced anywhere. Impolite and arrogant service people largely ignored us throughout the night. On more than one occasion, I had to literally get out of my chair and walk to the service stand in order to get the attention of our waitress. Additionally, they would not allow us to reconfigure our seating so I could upgrade my seat from a tiny ottoman to a chair when one became available. To add insult to injury, the waitress then punished us with a discretionary service charge of 18% in addition to the cost of our overpriced meal, drinks and horrifying service. They claimed that the service charge is the restaurant policy for groups of 4 or more, which is contrary to what is clearly written on the cover of their menu (6 or more). After extensive discussion with the poor-excuse for a manager, who actually had the audacity to raise his voice to us, the service charge was finally removed. Needless to say, I recommend all to stay away from this place and spend your hard earned money on some quality food and service somewhere else. You'll find better service at McDonald's.

Pros: Decent Sangria

Cons: The worst service in Manhattan

Posted 10/26/07

TOTAL NIGHTMARE!! This is the perfect place if you have no idea what good wine is all about and your date can be impressed by the size of the check. But if you happen to care about food, wine, or service, and don't want to spend a week's paycheck on a first date, steer clear. Although you might feel hip while you wait forever for a table, any expression of dissatisfaction with the food or service will subject you to angry management somewhat reminiscent of the SoupNazi from Seinfeld. The only difference is that presumably the soup was fabulous whereas your only reward for subjecting yourself to pure misery at Divine Bar is a mediocre and incredibly expensive meal.

Pros: sangria

Cons: worst service to date

Posted 10/26/07

I have been to Divine Bar before, but I had a great experience last Friday night that I had to mention here. Our group of 10 people arrived for my roomate's birthday dinner at 8pm and the manager Mike -- spoke to him ahead of time -- made sure we were taken care of. Our waitress was extremely attentive and sought to provide us with a great experience. We all drank either glasses or flights of wine -- I had the Spanish/South American reds, which were truly delicious, especially for $19 -- the 2 oz. tasting glasses offer a glimpse into what a wine is, and it's great that we were able to try so many. The tapas were also very enjoyable and everyone shared pretty much everything. Some of the highlights that I tasted included the Milano bruschetta (made with warm goat cheese), the Indian beef samosas, and the baked brie (try the granny smith apple option -- so good). The best part of all is that the tapas are very reasonably priced. I am looking forward to my next visit to Divine Bar, and I can't wait to try more tapas and wine. It would be a great spot for a date (3rd date?) and I wouldn't hesistate to come here for another birthday dinner. Like I said, with great service, delicious food and awesome wine, good prices, and a fun/relaxed atmosphere... let's just say it's hard to go wrong.

Pros: Delicious Wine and Tapas, Good Service, Great Ambience, Very Reasonably Priced

Cons: I'm Not Eating There Right Now

Posted 08/08/07

Even though it is a bit pricey, its worth every penny, the service is great and the drinks are reallly good and the food is amazing! Its a great place to go and relax with some friends or even with a date, I highly recommend coming to this place.

Posted 07/03/07

I enjoy getting wine flights and this place had nearly 20 flights of wine, along with monthly specials. All of them were exciting and the four of us each settled on a different one. We only ordered the cheese plate here but would recommend it as a great value for your buck. There were 6 very large portions on different types of cheese along with an array of bread and fruits. Ten people could easily nibble on this as an appetizer.

Also, the waitstaff was very patient. I say "patient" because delivering 4 flights all of different types of wine with 5 to 6 glasses per flight would have totally tried my patience, but both of our servers were polite and laid-back. The atmosphere was great and we really enjoyed the bar downstairs and seating upstairs.

Pros: Wine flights, Somewhat affordable, Patient and Polite Staff

Cons: Small tables

Posted 01/15/07

the last review appears to be of divine bar west (which is down the street from flute and across from a peep show shop), so ignore it if you're interested in the east side location.

Posted 10/12/06

We decided to go to Divine Bar last night since it's supposed to be the type of place where you can eat and have drinks and not feel pressured to leave. Nice cozy atmosphere, the food is decent, the drinks creative (though everything is overpriced given the relative nastiness of the neighborhood...there's a "pre-Giulliani" 25c peep shop for your viewing pleasure right across the street). However, when it came to dividing up the check amongst 5 people, you would have thought you were requesting the server and the manager (who got involved after something like 10 minutes of this Hell) to do a complex series of tasks involving higher mathamatics(like, adding and subtracting...). Not only that, but the manager was rude and not very bright and after trying several times to figure this thing out (and about 45 minutes...no joke!), she still had the audacity to charge us each an 18% gratuity for her troubles!! Maybe this could be justified if you are splitting up a $50.00 check between 5 people, but it's not like we went cheap on them either...I think each of us spent over $100.00 each! This took an otherwise amazing evening and ruined it totally. So, if you don't want to feel like you need to shower like an abused victim after a meal or drinks, I recommend you find somewhere else to hang out. Try Flute down the street for a nice setting and great cocktails...stay away from this place.

Pros: Cozy, no pressure feel to the atmosphere

Cons: Rude service, Manager who has the IQ of a rodent

Posted 08/28/06

This place is great, especially if you love wine! The flights are excellent and every dish I tried is superb. I especially love the brie w/ apples and honey! I have been here 3 times and the first time had so-so service, but the last tow times the service was excellent! The only con is it is a bit pricey.

Pros: Great food aand lots of wine!

Cons: Expensive

Posted 07/01/06

I highly reccommend this place! It's great for the beginning to a girl's night out or a fun date. Try a wine sampler. Those are the best. The food is also fabulous. You can get a number of appetizers for dinner or just a few for a late snack. I've tried almost all of their tapas and I never had anything I didn't love. It's cozy and if you come with more than 2 people you might get lucky with a couch our a comfy chair. The downstairs bar sometimes fills up, but the upstairs sit down is the main attraction. This is not a place to meet someone.

Pros: FOOD, WINE, ATMOSPHERE

Posted 01/09/06

Went there a few months ago with my boyfriend, and we had a great time. The original cheese platter we wanted was sold out, but at the recommendation of the waitress we had the cheese and fruit platter. The fruit was fresh and the cheese was delicious. We also sample one of the wine tiers, and we were very satisfied.

Pros: wine, cheese, ambience

Cons: small table

Posted 01/03/06

can't go wrong in this hot bar in hot area

Pros: mikey v

Posted 08/31/05

I think the food choices are delicious with lots of variety...perfect tapas menu and even some really unique choices. A wonderful variety of wines and unusual beers. The waiter that took care of us was very patient and helpful. The service was attentive and unobtrusive. I wish the tables had a bit more width, but where we were seated was fine for 2 girls....and there seemed to be areas that could accommodate a larger party...I think it was a wonderful value and cannot wait to go back...

Pros: food, atmosphere, variety

Cons: some narrow tables, only wine and beer

Posted 06/10/05

As soon as I sipped my first Belgium peach-flavored beer, I knew I'd be back. Cornmeal encrusted lobster salad, artichoke parmesan dip, an incredible chicken quesadilla, white citrus sangria...I can't begin to list the many reasons I love this bar. The drinks are fantastic, the tapas are delightful, the clientele is lovely...there is absolutely no reason not to go.

Posted 05/13/05

I had a birhtday party here this saturday and i absolutely LOVE this place. We had 20 people and they seated us on time and the place is just so intimate and fun. Great food and awesome service.

Cons: no hard liquor

Posted 03/14/05

Divine Bar is my go to place, in that it is always the place that I choose when I am meeting-up friend. The wine list is good, as is the food, and the atmosphere is perfect for relaxing and talking. There is no "scene", just a mellow setting.

Pros: Atmosphere, Food, Wine Flights

Posted 02/09/05

Had a very nice relaxed evening with my wife drinking Pops. Service was excellent, music was really eclectic and fine. Just a great spot to relax and talk. During the week it is more laid back - we went on a Monday

Pros: Ambiance, Service, Music

Posted 03/29/04

People who work here are really really nice and knowledgeable. Food is good too. I recommend hanging out downstairs at the bar where you can chat with the bartenders-they are such nice people!

Posted 03/15/04

I brought a friend there that lives on t-shirts and blue jeans to this fabulous place on a Thursday night, and he loved it! It was not pretentious, and the service was terrific. We enjoyed several rounds of drinks, and those tapas are amazing and at such low prices! This place is a must-see for any crowd.

Pros: Price, Wine, Tapas

Cons: Crowds, Noise

Posted 11/21/03

1st few times we went, it seemed like a decent neighborhood bar. Last few times service was unattentive and seating was absolutely horrible and cramped even when the place had plenty of seatings- and management refused to accomodate. No reason to go spend good money at a place like that!!! A neighborhood bar need not have so much attitude.

Posted 06/30/03

The food was good and much bigger than normal tapas portions. The layout is cool and after living across the street for almost a year and thinking the place was super-tiny I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was layed back and romantic, the waitress really knew her stuff and was very helpful when it came to navigating the extensive wine and beer menu, and it was a bit pricey, but definitely worth it. Even though it was a Friday night and busy I never felt crowded or rushed and thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

Pros: food, atmosphere

Cons: only wine and beer

Posted 06/14/03

Went with my girlfriend one Saturday night. We had wine samplers and a cheese platter. Pleasant music and nice decor. Good date place. Highly recommended. No hard liquor.

Pros: romantic, great wine, fun place

Cons: no liquor, crowded, smallish

Posted 03/30/03

Went with my boyfirned and had such a great time! We sat in chairs by the fireplace, drinking wine, and ordered a wine and cheese sampler. Everything was great!! We loved just relaxing and talking and watching everyone. A great place for a date OR with a group of friends!!

Pros: Atmosphere, Food/Drink, Service

Cons: Size (small)

Posted 03/30/03

Truly an amazing evening! Great food, wonderful music, fun drinks. The staff was some of the best I've seen!

Pros: Comfortable room, Great Service, Wine, Wine, Wine!

Posted 02/25/03

i just want to say my friends and i had a great time at divine bar last night. we go there often, since it's convenient and we always have a great time there. many bars are trendy for a year or two and then lose their luster. but divine bar's combination of great food (the best calamari!), great wine, and friendly waitresses keeps this place fun and a perfect fallback when you're in the area!

Pros: nice waitstaff, comfortable seating, great food & wine

Posted 02/21/03

A note about the prices everyone seems to mention. Please, if you want a glass of $5 jug wine, go elsewhere. Decent wine is not normally cheap. $7-12 a glass is the standard price. Wine selection is always changing. Bartenders are cheerful and willing to talk about the wine when they're not busy. The food's good, but it's not center stage here.

Pros: great wine selection, atmosphere (upstairs)

Posted 02/07/03

I would agree with those that say that Divine Bar is a bit pricey. I believe it was worth it, fun place to start the evening. We each had a glass of Australian Shiraz at $8.50 a pop. We decided on two tapas - the baked brie with apples and bread. It was so good, we also tried the artichoke and parmesan dip with (real) potato chips/slices. Each were around $9. Our total bill was $44 including tax and tip. We went on Friday around 6:30. As we left, the tables were packed. We got a prime spot by the fireplace upstairs, good thing because it was chilly inside. I'd recommend going upstairs for food and drinks, but there is the downstairs bars for drinks only. Great for a first date (on the couches by the fireplace, versus table/chairs for drinks only).

Pros: Fireplace, Romantic (upstairs), Yummy food

Cons: A bit drafty, high prices

Posted 01/22/03

It's a bit pricey, but the wine selection is very good. The food is goodassuming you're there for the wine and looking to snack on something while holding a wine glass. Plenty of bar space, and a reasonably sized seating area upstairs. Go for the wine.

Posted 01/20/03

Divine is one of my favorite places in the city to meet up with Friends. It is good for big groups or a romantic twosome. If you enjoy wine and good snacks, divine is the place to go.

Pros: Little Pricy

Cons: Wine, Food, Service

Posted 11/20/02

Great wine list and highly inventive food. Service is strong and the place always has a good vibe!

Pros: Variety, Great Food, Inventive

Posted 11/14/02

This place was perfect on a Wednesday night (forget Thu-Sat). We had a group from work and snagged a nice sofa and the surrounding area. The waitress was very attentive, but she definitley had a surly attitude (I will deduct some pts on service for attitude), but let me say that she did make some good suggestions for what a group could share to eat and was *always* there to clear glasses and take drink orders. The tapas choices are uninspired but decetly made and a perfect accompaniment to the drinks. I wouldn't come here for dinner, but more for "snacking". Overall, pretty good selection of wines, though a bit overpriced for the quality. The ability to create your own flight is a nice touch. I'd say this is an "average" place, but the attentive service and extensive wine&beer choices make it a good after-work stop.

Posted 11/07/02

This very popular place is good for dates, always crowded, and loud. The tapas here is great if you are there for the food, otherwise this beer and wine only bar can get a little old!

Posted 09/27/02

The food was excellent. A brand new menu and lots to choose from. We went overboard and the bill was still reasonable. The wine list was great and service was friendly. The one problem was that it was FREEZING. It was a cool day and they had the AC blasting and the fans buzzing. Everyone in the place was shivering (even the waitress admitted she was cold and she had been "running around." Yet they refused to stop the fans or turn off the A/C.

Strange.

I would go back. I'd just bring a jacket.

Pros: Inexpensive, variety of food, variety of wine

Cons: COLD, crowded, noisy

Posted 08/29/02

I went to the one in the financial district after work and it was pretty bumping. The crowd was mostly Wall Street and in the 30s to 40s age range mostly. However they have a good selection of wine, beer, and some hard alcohol. I've heard the Midtown branch is a little bit more romantic than downtown. All in all its a fine place for an after work drink.

Pros: wine selection, service

Posted 08/21/02

The wine is dee-lish! The bartendresses can be a bit attitudal...but it's still worth the fun!

Pros: WINE, ambiance

Cons: crowded, expensive

Posted 08/07/02

Excellent wine bar in really cool setting. Lee makes phenominal tapas - try the calamari or the lobster ravioli. The wine list is extensive with a ton of wines by the glass and the wait staff is more than willing to help you choose and interested in your feedback.

Pros: Great Wine Selection, Great Tapas

Cons: Crowded

Posted 07/24/02