Bamboo 52

The Sushi is great! I've gone to Bamboo 52 a bunch of times and it never dissapoints me. The waiters always suggest something different which turns out to be great! Let me not forget to mention how great their drinks are!! Look out for their Volcano/Hurricane (I forget the exact name)but let me tell you, this drink is strong and very tasty, and the glass it comes in is also very nice!

Posted 09/20/09

It was my boyfriend's birthday and I really wanted to take him to a great sushi spot. I did my research and fell upon Bamboo 52. I decided to take a chance since majority of the reviews were great and the place looked real nice from the pictures I saw online. Taking the chance to go there was the best decision I ever made. Our waitress was the best ever! She took real good care of us and brought over a desert with candles before I could even ask her. The food and drinks were amazing and the setting was very intimate. We're definitely going back, especially because we loved that waitress so much!

Pros: Yummy drinks

Cons: Can't think of any

Posted 09/03/09

Came here with friends after work on a Friday for drinks, and wound up staying all night! Happy hour went till 9 o'clock, so we decided to stay and have dinner. The sushi was great, some really creative rolls I'd never seen before - try the "sushi sandwich". Music and atmosphere was really fun - I want to go back on a nice day so we can sit outside in the garden.

Posted 08/06/09

I tried to get a table with my wife and son and they wouldn't give us a decent table despite the fact that they had plenty of open tables. I had actually been there before and liked it but now I will never go there again.

Posted 08/03/09

Bamboo 52 has the best Sushi! Every time I visit I am always impressed with the taste and quality of the food. The atmosphere is great! I love taking dates here, great date spot! Check out Bambo 52, you will be glad you did! Keep it up 52!

Pros: Sushi, Drinks, Service, Look and Feel

Cons: r u kidding me?? this place is great

Posted 06/25/09

You don't expect a sushi place to have great tropical drinks...but they do!! The mojitos taste just like the ones I had in Puerto Rico...and they have this volcano drink with flaming 151 rum, which is perfect for large groups. It is great for large groups, and intimate couples.

Pros: I LOVE the mojitos

Posted 06/17/09

Bamboo is such a wonderful place that stands out in the sea of Hells Kitchen bars and restaurants. Of all the places my friends and i go we always end up there.
Their staff is consistently fun and friendly and the patrons are the most diverse in the city. It is refreshing to know there is a place to go where you can be yourself no matter who you are and make great friends with people you wouldn't find in a sea of people at cliquey bar.
The happy hour is amazing and they have everything from beer to sake. The food is cultured and there are different specials on sushi rolls daily. even if you aren't a fan of sushi i bet they have something on the menu to change your mind.
They have a DJ spinning almost every night which just makes the already fantastic atmosphere even better. Writing this review just made me decide to call my friends and see if they want to go tonight (sounds corny but i'm totally serious). Love it there and hope to meet new people soon.

Posted 01/11/09

I LOVE theBamboo 52 . It's a very refreshing and cool concept...kind of a sushi bar, but not. The fresh raw bar is amazing, their entrees are awesome as well. The cocktails are really creative and wonderful and the service is solid.
I would recommend to anyone. I will be back there again and again.

Pros: food,ambiance

Posted 10/13/08

I have been a regular at Bamboo for about a year now and on Wednesday I found out that my favorite DJ is no longer spinning there.....what a disappointment! He had great music and was always able to "read" the crowd. I hope he left because he wanted to (the bartender wouldn't say) if not.....poor decision management!

Posted 08/14/08

My husband and i went there on a Tuesday night after contemplating for what seemed like forever about where we would eat. (So many choices in the city)...

He recommended this place as he ate there before some years back.. I was very excited as the place had a nice "funky" feel to it complete with a back lounge and a backyard.. (which I love).

The only thing that spoiled our experience was that the service was horrid due to the time it took to GET service... My advice is to get more help. It seemed as though there was only waitress serving the entire place.... also the drinks were watered down with no taste.

Highly recommed the "sandwich" roll with American cheese... YUMMY.

Posted 08/06/08

Its fun and hip.....
Great for after work. Its a large space but easy to get a seat great for large groups.

Posted 07/21/08

I have never enjoyed a sushi lounge more. Had a great time with some friends, ate fresh awesome sushi, and drank volcanos which came out on fire! It was so fun, we had a blast and it looked like the whole place was too.

Pros: Service, Drink variety, Ambience

Posted 07/07/08

I have been to Bamboo 52 several times and it's always a fun place to gather. After several weekday visits after work I took some out of town guests there a couple of Saturday's in a row. Much to my delight it was great as usual-two of their regular bartenders were there, one was our waiter: and two of their House DJs were also spinning. I've met both the DJs before and have to say both are really great. DJ Justin was playing some nice lounge music and DJ Giuseppe was playing a variety of classic jazz, old R & B and up tempo pop. Hang onto these guys they're friendly and talented. Sushi is good and the drinks are strong, I go for that but it's nice to have a familiar face to give your time and money to.

Posted 07/06/08

I have been to Bamboo 52 a few times after work and I always have a great time. They have 1/2 priced drinks and the bartenders are really friendly (Nicole was our bartender last time....she makes a great drink!) The sushi is good and not over priced....and they have a really nice garden that is now open for summer. The DJ is always good and plays a nice varity of music. Highly Recommended !

Pros: bartenders, DJ, outside

Posted 06/22/08

In midtown where so many places become overrun with tourists Bamboo 52 has become a great place for people from our office to meet for a few drinks after work. The sushi platters are delicious and the tables outside aren't packed in there like sardine cans. We were recently there with about 20 people and our waitress was attentive and really on top of things. The DJ played some great music but was at a reasonable sound level so you could still chat without yelling.

Pros: Convenient midtown afterwork cocktails, good sushi

Posted 06/03/08

Creative and fun drinks! The coconut sakitio was amazing/ Baby octopus salad was ok not steller. Good place to go on Sundays when it's hot out and cool down with friends.

Pros: Drinks

Cons: Loud

Posted 05/27/08

The music is a bit loud, but adds to the atmosphere. My friends and I split one of the sushi/sashimi combo plates -- it was the perfect amount for the four of us to pick at. Drinks were good, service was helpful, and everyone had a jolly good time.

Posted 05/20/08

Chicken was over cooked and had bones in it. Shush was OK. Place is a little run down. Reasonable priced.

Pros: reasonable priced

Cons: food below average

Posted 05/07/08

I took some visiting friends here to grab drinks before heading out to see a show. It's pretty close to the theater district, so it's a good place to bring out-of-towners to for a taste of the "hip NYC" feel.

Any happy hour that lasts until 9 is ok in my book. I ordered the geisha mojito, and it was good. So good that I ordered 3 more. Warning: half-priced mojitos may be hazardous to your health.

To offset the alcohol, I got the B-52 sushi/sashimi platter. Deliciousness in my body. The pieces were fresh and my friends were very impressed.

Posted 04/30/08

the place looks great, our server was friendly, but the food is not good at all.
the sushi was like the sushi u get from supermarkets. and we also ordered chicken tempura that was hard to chew!!!

Cons: food

Posted 04/24/08

Friend and I tried it out one Sunday evening. Bagel roll, Lobster Mango Roll and Philly Roll were fantastic. I can't wait to go back here. Service was friendly and efficient. Prices were as would expect for sushi.
Fabulous place though!

Pros: Difference choices than most sushi places

Cons: Enh... can't think of any.

Posted 02/28/08

I have a Japanese friend of mine recommended Bamboo 52 to me, since mostly no one else other than Japanese people can evaluate the quality of Sushi places, as Sushi is part of their daily food, I decided to give it a try, so I took my girlfriend who I was about to propose to and was hoping to find a cozy nice place to have some Sushi since she is Japanese, and I was so lucky with Bamboo 52 the Sushi was great very tasty, the service was fantastic, the drinks is unbeatable in quality and price, the staff was very friendly, we met the owner there who opened a bottle of Champaign for us, as he knew about my proposal to my girlfriend, and invited us for dinner at his other restaurant Philip Marie, defiantly without question go enjoy the Sushi and the drinks at Bamboo 52.

Pros: Tasty Sushi, best drinks, Cozy, good music, happy atmosphere

Posted 02/19/08

Got turned onto this place through another cool spot in the neighborhood (Posh). Interesting concept in that it is a bar and lounge that serves sushi. Beats the heck out of usual bar fare.They've got a DJ playing cool music without being overbearing. Great atmosphere! Had a lot of fun there with a few friends, experimenting with a bunch of interesting cocktails and sushi rolls. Try the sushi sandwich... The staff was cool and helpful too which makes nice and not necessarily common.

Pros: Food and Drink

Cons: Nothing comes to mind

Posted 01/22/08

I love this place. Party city! It is always great fun when I go there. I am also a Sushi lover and this place serves the best Sushi and Sashimi in towm. Great happy hour prices. Yes the staff might cruise you so what. ? That means that they are paying attention to you, you should take that as a compliment. Every guy in any bar that likes you wants to slip you his phone number and if you dont like it, through it away. I dont think this takes anything away from the place. I would be flattered. I will definetly go there very often.

Pros: the ambiance, dj's, food and drinks

Cons: I am thinking hard but can not find anny!!

Posted 01/19/08

This place is great for sushi and drinks after work or at 2 in the morning. They have a great happy hour and the sushi is amazing and not expensive. I work in midtown and just recently discovered this place. I can't wait until it get warm again so I can sit in their back yard!!

Posted 01/19/08

I have gone to Bamboo 52 many times since it opened?..great drinks, friendly staff, good music, and the sushi is always very fresh. I was at Bamboo 52 this past weekend with a bunch of my co-workers relaxing and enjoying some drinks when someone (who I later found out was the boss) began screaming at the staff! Right in the middle of the restaurant! Needless to say it made my friends and I uncomfortable so we moved to the other end of the bar?that was a little awkward. But apart from that it was a great night?..thanks!

Pros: great drinks

Posted 01/01/08

I relyed on citysearch on this one. I ve seen the good reviews so I decided to go for it. I ate at the sushi bar with my girl. This is the worst sushi I have ever had. I had the Chief selection... which happens to be a classic combination of sushis (salmon, tuna, shrimp, etc.) . Fish is tasteless that s why they put that horrible barbecue sauce on it. I probably made a big mistake thinking that this was a sushi place... In my opinion, you have to think of this place as a bar... so nice people, nice drinks, and for the sushis, the same quality as the ones served in a club. Good bar. But definitely not a restaurant.

Pros: I dont know

Cons: it s a bar not a restaurant

Posted 12/31/07

This place has got to have the BEST happy hour EVER!! 1/2 price drinks everyday until 9pm. AND they're not cheap with their liquor! Great for after work... great crowd, great waiter (Martin). If it wasn't so out of my way, I think i'd be a regular!

Pros: great ambiance, happy hour, service etc...

Cons: out of my way

Posted 09/13/07

Bamboo keeps it simple. good people, good atmosphere, fun, good food, great service. Nothing fancy, just everything you want whether you're there for drinks to wind down or for dinner. I would be a regular if I lived closer.

Pros: great food and drinks

Cons: can be overly crowded at times

Posted 08/23/07

great after work hangout spot. the lounge is very spacious and accomodating and the bamboo garden adds a nice touch if you want the fresh air and want to puff away. went there with my company after work for drinks and food. we were immediately seated in the lounge by our lovely hostess Analia. waiter came immediately. good looking guy, Matthew. he introduced himself and made his presence known by immediately taking our drink orders and suggesting different cocktails. although our group was big but he handled it with class. drinks came right away and made sure everyone had a drink and was enjoying themselves. he then suggested if we wanted to snack on some appertizers. I then proceeded to order endames and food for the group. the endames were hot and the sushi platters were very tasty and good. good variety of fish. menu is very simple and not complicated. good job Chef!!! Matthew coming back to check up on us as we proceeded to order more drinks. best happy hour in town. no where else beats this place. service was on the ball and food was excellent for the type of setting. forgot the music was nice. kept the mood flowing. when I got the bill, I didn't mind adding a little extra to the tip. would recommend this to anybody wanting to bring there company for after work drinks and food. good job guys. continue success.

Pros: great happy hour, service on the ball, good looking staff

Cons: none

Posted 06/28/07

I found this place by surprise and my first impression was absolutely great.
I was greated by a beautill host who assisted me to get a nice comfortable table that I liked. Although they where very busy the waiter gave me promp service with a smile, treated me like if me and my company where the only customers in the room. I received everything I wanted, including service with a great smile an no attitude. They litteraly go "out of the way" to make sure you leave happy. I had sashimi, my favorite, and was surprised with the top of the line quality! The drinks where not to shabby either. The bill, very reasonable! I also checked out the wonderfull outside garden. You can not see it from the front but is an oasis for peacefull enjoyment of drinks and food. You must check it out. Oh BTW I met "New York" at Bamboo52 and she is a regular. So you know this is the happening place to be !!!
To top it off, on the way out the host was exceptionally nice and asked me if we had a great time and of course we told her that the whole party was enchanted with the experience and that we would be back VERY soon!!

Pros: Everything was great

Cons: A little loud but not a problem

Posted 05/23/07

This place has really gone down hill. Went for dinner/drinks on a Thursday evening. The place was packed I assume because they do have great drink specials. Weird crowd of people drinking at the bar. First, they ran out of glasses and we didn't get our drinks until the end of our meal even though we asked about them repeatedly. The waiter was more concerned picking up the male clientele than he was with serving us. He totally avoided us the entire time and we had to ask for our bill 3 times before he finally brought it over. He never even apologized for the horrible service. The food is ok. There is better sushi to be had...the rolls are very americanized. Go for the drinks if you can handle the de classe crowd that's hanging around.

Pros: Cheap drinks

Cons: horrible service

Posted 05/22/07

If you want to go to a great place for happy hour, Bamboo 52 is your place. The atmosphere is incredible, SUshi that is better then most place twice the price. Bring a group and enjoy the specialty drinks! A fun place with a fun crowd.

Posted 05/09/07

I can not fathom how anyone who has ever been to Bamboo 52, can say something negative. Bamboo 52 is a hidden jewel in Midtown West. Just under a year old, the sushi bar and lounge has made a name for itself in the area. With the open kitchen and bar, one is able to see their food and drink being prepared; with this they know that they are served immediately after. I have been at Bamboo when they have received their orders of fish, which is delivered fresh daily and can confidently say that it is the finest sushi and sashimi in the area. For 30 dollars, two people can dine on the Chef Greco?s special and be full. The wait staff is super friendly and considerate. They are constantly asking if you need anything else and should you do it is immediately brought to you. The owner, John Greco, is constantly present and available to the patrons. You know that he will not settle for anything less than an above satisfactory dining experience, as owner of Zagat Rated Philip Marie. Overall: Waitstaff=Terrific, FOOD and Drink=Terrific, Experience=Terrific!!!!!

Pros: Service, food, Cocktails, atmosphere, Outside Garden

Cons: NONE

Posted 05/05/07

As a Midtown regular I can't believe I've somehow waited this long to try out Bamboo 52. After several friends kept persuading me to go I finally gave it a try. Needless to say I was a little more than pleasantly surprised. The sushi and sashimi were excellent and the service was impeccable. I was seated quickly and the staff was very friendly! There was a DJ spinning the whole time and along with the eclectic crowd made for a very vibrant atmosphere. The decor on the inside was very suave giving a very lounge like feel. All this not to mention it was (and I believe always is) half-priced drinks until 9:00 pm!!! I absolutely recommend giving this place a try, you won't be disappointed!!!

Pros: Good Service, Good Food, Great Atmosphere

Cons: Nada

Posted 05/04/07

happy hour goes till 9pm and it's half off all drinks. sushi happy hour starts at midnight and it's 20% off i believe. live dj playing some great house music and a back open patio. nice little joint.

Posted 04/28/07

Service was sub-par. Friendly, but inexperienced and seemed overwhelmed, even though it wasn't busy. Food was ok, but nothing amazing. The octopus salad had potential, but was too oily and didn't have much flavor. Prices were low-ish, but you still didn't get what you paid for. Definitely NOT worth going if you're looking for anything (above) satisfactory sushi or a streamlined dining experience.

Pros: Prompt seating

Cons: Poor service

Posted 04/26/07

Best Sushi bar and lounge in town!!!!
Unbelieveble drinkdeals during happy hour. Great service with a smile. Beautifull bartenders. Sushi to die for.
The longest happy hour that I know of. noon till 9 PM. Drink till you fall LOL. 1/2 Sushi after midnight I heard. I wanted to stay but Happy hour did me in. Go and check it out I promise you will not be dissapointed!!! A great place to party or just have a business meeting. Go there for lunch or a nice dinner.

Pros: EVERYTHING

Cons: none realy

Posted 04/11/07

I just read the other reviews on this site and although I can't speak for the wait staff (we sat at the bar) I had a great experience and would definitely come back. I was there on a Friday night and the Happy Hour was amazing- 1/2 price drinks until 9pm! The bartenders were very fast and friendly (the blonde bartender took care of us) and the music was great (I love the 80's!). I love sushi but my friends had never really experienced it- this was a great place to go. They have a good selection for everyone and it was amazing.
My suggestion- sit at the bar.

Pros: happy hour, bartenders, DJ

Posted 04/10/07

The wait staff was awful. They were rude and stuck up to say the least. I ordered a few drinks and all I got was attitude. The drinks were good and the half price happy hour was great. The food was not as good as most of the Japanese places in the city and I've been to nearly all of them. The DJ was like 60 years old. Needless to say the music wasn't close to good. We went for farewell drinks for one of our coworkers/friends. The waiters kept giving the guest of honor the bill!

Pros: The creative drinks

Cons: The wait staff

Posted 03/28/07

Well, we stopped by after our dinner at Ciro ( WOUNDERFUL) and we ahd a drink at the bar with Davi...was everything great.... the drink was perfect, the bartender really really nice but we had a bad view of the wait staff that felt jealous about the people at the bar and didnt show welcome when we asked where was the bathroom! We were so sorry! But, the bartender was GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAT!

Pros: GREAT BAR

Cons: DONT GET AFRAID ABOUT THE WAIT STAFF!!!!

Posted 03/23/07

In contradiction with one little comment I found on this site, Bamboo52's staff is excellent. Fast delivery too.
Yes it is in Hell's Kitchen, so? Everything I have ever ordered and consumed there in over 20 visits has been out of this world. Just check the overall ratings, it is higher than most restaurants and bars listed on this site. I do believe the writer of the article did not really know what he or she was really talking about. The staff will do almost anything to make sure that the service and delivere are promt and that you have a fabulous time when visiting Bamboo52. Great Sushi and Sashimi and fabulous (half priced Happy Hour) drinks. Dayly specials are great and affordable. Don't take my word for it check it out for yourself ,I promise you you will not regret it and probably, like myself, become a regular.

Pros: Hapy hour and Great SUSHI

Posted 03/21/07

And is not because it is in hell's kitchen.
I had been looking for a great sushi place since I moved to the neighborhood, and if you judge restaurants exclusively for the food, this would be the place to go. But if you judge for the service, forget it. Eat something before you go or they will find your dead body...it is that sloooowwww. Happy hour is still worst, our order took 1 hour to come....and I had to beg for salt (for the edamame) and water (man does not live of martinis alone). The white tuna and fatty tuna( my favorites) and the rolls are exquisite, I love the DJ playing sappy 80s music, but, seriously... could they hire and train more people?

Pros: Food Food!

Cons: Slow service

Posted 03/15/07

Bamboo 52, What an extraordinary place to have a great time.
You could not ask for more!! Happy hour, 1/2 price drinks, from noon through 9PM.
1/2 price Sushi from midnight till 2 AM. You can NOT get a better deal. The food is out of this world and so are the drinks. Great atmosphere gorgeous wait and bar staff. THE place to be for everybody. Straigh, gay, bi whatever you are you will have a great time at Bamboo52 no questions asked. On top of that they have a DJ starting at 6 PM till late. So what are you waiting for. Bamboo 52 is the place to see everybody and to be seen. Now, on top of that, if it is your Birtday, YOU drink for free! I was there for my Birthday and I do not remember when I left. (It was a good thing that my friends joined me in the celebration.)Need I say more?

Pros: The best Sushi bar and Lounge in Town

Cons: Realy can't think of any!

Posted 03/10/07

We had reservations & were seated promply. The service was really slow. I think they only had one waiter working. We asked the waiter for water, but it never came. We were just about done w/ dinner when we found a busboy who graciously got us water w/ a wedge of lime. The spicy sandwiches were really good though, very different. The "bread" was made out of the sticky sushi rice, filled w/ the spicy tuna, lettuce & cheese. We shared one btwn 3 ppl, ordered the Shashima platter & a dragon roll to share. The rest of the food was decent, but I've had better sushi elsewhere. The happy hour was very lively since it lasts til 9pm, all drinks 1/2 price, which we took advantage of. They do not skimp on alcohol at all, they were very strong. I would come back just for happy hour.

Pros: Long Happy Hour 4-9pm with 1/2 price drinks

Cons: Slow/poor service

Posted 03/05/07

Me and my girlfriend are from California, on vacation, and stumbled into Bamboo.I we didn't have reservations and were seated promptly. The manager, Roger, made sure we got a table, right away. We were pleasantly suprised by the kindness of the manager and staff. Being from another state, we had heard how rude New Yorkers can be. Well I'm here to tell you, it was the exact opposite of what we expected. The food was excellent . The best sushi we've ever had. I would highly recommend Bamboo, to anyone living in NY or visiting. Try this place. You'll be blown away!

Pros: Good place to have fun

Cons: No dancing

Posted 03/04/07

We found this place on this website and loved it. Following the directions, I was afraid we had missed a turn as it is kind of on a quiet street, but there it was. We had called 20 minutes prior and they had a table waiting. Awesome, innovative drinks that were dirt cheap b/c of a long happy hour. Great sushi, some of the best tuna I have had. Very fast, extremely cute, perfect pre theater restaurant!

Posted 12/18/06

My boyfriend and I are both from the west coast where we can get extremely fresh sushi. The sushi here is amazing and you don't have to pay a month's rent for it. The menu has favorites with new and innovative twists. The happy hour from 4-9 is great with even better bartenders and servers that make you feel like part of the family. (I love Xaly, Jonathon, Dan, Tim and Thomas.) The two managers: JC and Abe are always super helpful, friendly and welcoming. Whenever John, the owner, is there, he is usually very busy. But he always makes you feel like he is especially happy to see YOU there. Bamboo is like a home away from home and it's all due to the wonderful staff.

I'm so happy to have such an incredible place so close to home.

THANK YOU BAMBOO AND EVERYONE THERE. You make Bamboo what it is!!!

Posted 10/04/06

Love this place- great drinks, great ambience and agree wholeheartedly with other reviewers comments- Xaly rocks, Abe rocks and newbie Thomas very cool- rating will even be higher if they get rid of the red faced manager whose only contribution is to spend his nights getting inebriated on shots- but eh nothings perfect.

Pros: drinks, prices ambience bar staff

Cons: 1 dud manager

Posted 09/29/06

I love this place. I go there at least 3 times a week and enjoy the music the drinks and the sushi. It is a great place for after work or the weekend. Great Ambience and great for parties.
I highly recommend at least trying this place. You will be hooked.

Pros: Great Sushi, Lovely Drinks & Excellent Service

Cons: Come Early. It can get busy after work.

Posted 09/18/06