Identity

what a special place..this bar has it all.. I love this bar and all that it offers..

Pros: great crowd , great friends, a must see

Cons: should be a franchise

Posted 08/13/09

Cool bar, very welcoming. The girl working the bar, with the tatoos (should have found out your name) has got to be the coolest girl in NYC!

DJ later on, great tunes too.

Pros: Great crowd, friendly barstaff

Posted 06/29/09

Great bar in lower east side. Many people enjoy this hot spot for its crowd and music. I personally think that as far as bars in the LES this is by far the coolest

Pros: Best place to lose your identity and find your Identity

Cons: Nothing

Posted 06/16/09

Identity is by far my favorite bar in NYC. The staff there are awesome--Lawrence and Laurie will always make sure that you're having a good time. I had my 26th birthday there this year and we were very well taken care of--we had a table (no charge), free champagne, and great music. Identity is good on any day of the week. Sun-Wed are a little more quiet and intimate, although you can come in for Burlesque on Tuesday or Rock Band on Wednesday. Fridays and Saturdays are when the real party happens, with killer DJs and two floors open. Love this place!

Pros: friendly staff, good atmosphere, good music

Cons: none

Posted 05/15/09

I recently celebrated by 28th (1/9) birthday party here....we had a great time there.
Lori - one of the best bartenders in NYC - hands down. DJ was great. All in all GOOD TIMES

Pros: no cover

Cons: music was so good - not enough dance space

Posted 01/16/09

We recently had an open NYE party there with about 80+ people and I couldn't have found a better place! Lawrence, and his "it won't s@ck itself" T-shirt couldn't have set things up any better! If I threw a party on a deserted island and could pick 10 peeps, Lawrence would be in my top five!

The downstairs was a perfect space for everyone to dance and scatter, whilst the upstairs bar provided even more room for all the mayhem! Evelin (sorry if I butchered your name!) the sweetest bartender in the whole world, makes MEEEEAAAN shots and NASTY MARTINIS with sugar rimmed glasses! She was fast and so friendly and sweet to everyone! The space was perfect, everybody there was chill and was there to party!

AAAnnd music was OFF the hook! The DJ spun old school hip hop, and even turned down the music slightly downstairs so we weren't all screaming at the top of our lungs at one another! Priceless.

Overall, not only did this spot make one of the best NYEs, but this spot is going to be my regular haunts going forward. Tues sugar rimmed martinis, burlesque shows, and awesome music... WHAT?!?!?!

Pros: great service, atmosphere, energy, MUSIC

Cons: Nada

Posted 01/05/09

This place was more than what I was expecting and exactly what I wanted for my 25th bday! I foolishly made reservations last minute and they took me in with open arms ~ Thank you Lori! When I got there I found Lori, who also happened to be bartending and she started me off with my first shots of the night before pointing me towards Lawrence ~ the most amazing man besides my bf there that night. If you love music, hip hop old and new, wicked mixing, ridiculous diverse crowds and super chill fast bartenders - then you might want to throw your next get together here!

My goal was to pick a venue where all of my 23-30something year old friends could be relaxed. I NEED great music and personable bartenders and I got that at Identity! It was the perfect night, and I have over 25 guests to back me up!

If you are reading this, Thank you Lawrence and everyone at Identity that made the night so wonderful!

Pros: Everything especially the music!

Cons: I did not have reception in the basement!

Posted 11/17/08

Just celebrated my birthday party here last night and had a great time! Apparently, there's a downstairs I wasn't aware of but it wasn't necessary. The upstairs is small enough that my crowd of 25 could be comfortable and intimate with each other without feeling like we were on top of each other. Thank God for a place where you can have a conversation and not feel like you're yelling. The music never drowned you out.

The bartender was this awesome quirky pierced chick (who's name I forgot so please forgive me if you're reading this) with a great and welcoming personality. She made my crowd feel welcome by, as one of my friends had stated, "pouring like she hates her boss." The aforementioned boss now has me calling mojito a four-letter word. They were deliciously made and I got them supersized since it was my birthday.

I definitely plan on coming back to this East Village hole in the wall! :)

Pros: Good drinks, music was at conversational level

Posted 07/11/08

I happened to walk in one Friday night to meet a friend, and fell in love with the place. The manager was incredibly friendly and made killer drinks all night long! The crowd is young, trendy but not pretentious - tons of fun. Met a lot of great people that night, and there were no sketchy guys (a rarity in the usual bar scene. The dance floor downstairs was awesome - tons of room to let loose to the funky music. All around a great find - am definitely going to host my next party here! Thanks for an amazing night!

Posted 01/27/08

Stopped by last Sat night at the mention of a friend, very crowded and both floors jumping with 2 different DJs. drinks reasonably priced and good looking crowd, went again on Halloween, hot looking costumes, heard they have a pool table downstairs, they must roll it away on the weekends, will definitely try again...french guy made a killer mojito.

Posted 10/31/07

i was there last saturday by accident,the dude at the door was just so convincing that we give it atry . best decision ever.
the bartender, linette so cute and so efficient and the d.j from japan really know his stuff.
everybody made sure all night that we were having fun and i can't wait to go back to my new "hangingout "spot .
from blowing fire, great mojitos ,dead on music you can't beat it.
follow the lead of the guy wearing the top hat, he'll set up the mood so that everyboby 's partying together.
see you there !

Pros: every thing was great

Cons: closing at 4 am

Posted 09/23/07

some girlfriends and i came here on a saturday night, the music was great and we ended up having a great time talking to the hot blond bartender. although she was busy tending to everyone else she kept an eye on us and made sure our glasses were never empty. the drinks were just right. we had so much fun ended up staying all night. the hot guy bartender made us feel great paying us just enough attention.

Pros: great service, drinks, DJ

Cons: no more hot blond ;-(

Posted 03/14/07

I was there last night with friends. Not crowded, but music was cool, so we were ready to make the best of it. My friend and I ordered Bacardi and coke.... tasted like tequila & coke. After we told this to the bartender, she smelled the drink and agreed, so she poured again. We watched her pour & figured it should be good but it wasn't. That was not bacardi in the bottle, nevermind the fact when I reordered (again) the Stoli Orange was watered down. Can't trust what they pour, never going there again. (The bartender service was ok... just ok).

Pros: music selection was good variety

Cons: suspect drinks

Posted 02/23/07

Went there on last night at about 10:30. The place was dead (expected at that hour I suppose) but the place right next store, seemed the place to be. Alas, we had to meet friends at Identity so we ordered a drink. Two bartenders, one was a hot guy, and one was a disgruntled female. Both of them seemed too engrossed in their conversation to wait on the patrons. My drink was really weak. my friend said hers was too, and asked the female bartender to put some more liquor in it, to which she responded by taking a straw and dipping it into the drink to perform her version of "a taste test" . I was completely floored. How insulting and just unprofessional. She made a face as if to say, "you're full of sh-t, I taste plenty of liquor in there." My friend said, "can you please put more vodka in there?". The nasty bartender hastily grabbed the bottle of grey goose and started pouring it in, from about 2 feet away (what was she reenacting a scene from Cocktail?) and managed to spill half of her pour on the bar. BUT, her drink was STILL weak! When we went to go smoke a cigarette, she proceeded to talk sh-t about us to the hot bartender.
After her attitude, I decided to watch her make my third drink, b.c at this point, i should have been at least buzzed and i was prefectly sober. She put a decent amount of vodka in, but all i tasted was juice. the outcome? they water down their bottles. i ended up leaving a fair tip, only bc the male bartender was hot, despite his reluctance to flirt with me. he seemed more interested in speaking to the chubby guy down at the end of the bar.

on the plus side, they placed really good music.

Pros: good music selection

Cons: watered down drinks

Posted 02/17/07

This bar is glamorous and unpretentious. The atmosphere makes it both a great place to talk and hang out as well as get down on the dance floor. I had a joint birthday party here with three other ladies, and everybody had a blast. I highly recommend it for group gatherings, as it has something to offer for everybody. The bartenders and staff did a wonderful job accommodating us and were very friendly and professional.

Pros: ambience, drink specials, service

Posted 01/30/07

Let me just begin by saying that I went to this place on my birthday last year on account on what I had read on City Search. This place was absolutely horrible. It is very small which is understandible most places in NYC are. However when you first walk in it's very narrow, therefore my friends and I all headed downstairs. The ceilings were very low and once again it was very small. The crowd was not mixed at all, and deffinitely a very young crowd. The music was OK, however as it got later everyone started getting out of hand and jumping up and down I felt like I was in high school again. If you just turned 21 this is the place to go, I myself being 27 this was not the place for me.

Pros: I couldn' t think of any.............nice area

Cons: Small, young crowd

Posted 01/25/07

This place definitely has potential but never seems to bring in a good crowd. It could be a decent spot to watch games on Sunday but the food needs work.

Cons: Food, Scene

Posted 11/07/06

too many dudes. music sucked except for a little bell biv divoe. I sat on the corner of some chair where there was a party going on and then had a bottle of vodka. try to get that table if you want vodka, but i still wouldn't go to this place.

Posted 06/09/06

If you are seeking a spot to just hang out with your friends on the weekends then Identity is definitely the place to go. It is also a great place to meet new people. It is nice to see an array of different groups of people joining together just to have fun. Whenever my friends and I go there, we just wind up having a great time! You cannot help but be drawn to the 'swankiness' view of the place. It is inviting and the bartenders and owners are very friendly. I have never been to a place where the owners actually care if you're having a good time or not. I enjoy the kind of music the DJ plays (80's music to Hip Hop to Rock to Salsa). The drinks served there are not watered down (which I like very much). I definitely recommend this place!

Pros: Comfortable, Great Drinks, Can be Romantic

Cons: no room to set coats

Posted 03/09/06

I went here for my birthday and it was like the best. I had reserved a table in advances and the service was very good. The music and crowd was on point with lots of woman.
So just want to say thanks to the staff for the VIP treat meant.

Pros: drink speacial, happy hr 1$

Posted 03/05/06

My girlfriend took me out here for my birthday. The bouncer tried to get $5 a piece out of us when we walked in, even though we were on the phone there was no cover for ladies. When we decided to leave, he told us "never mind the cover." The drinks were terrible: how hard can it be to make Martinis? Oh yeah, the best thing was my friend handing the bartender a 50 and getting two dollars back. "Oh I thought you gave me a 20."...yeah, right, whatever. The whole upstairs bar was empty. The downstairs had a dj spinning terrible music while the dance floor was too small, way overcrowded. Needless to say, this place does not deserve it's 9.2 rating. There was nothing redeeming about Identity...which is lacking one. I give it a complete 0 and that is being kind! Stay away...not worth the time or money!

Pros: Nothing

Cons: Everything:, Service, Drinks, , Music, Decor...Ugh!

Posted 02/25/06

This is an enjoyable place to hang. The staff is friendly. There are a lot of people that are there but it's not unbearingly crowded. The crowd is diverse.

Posted 11/22/05

Great food, drinks and service. Very enthusiastic and cool owners and employees. Great drink special An A-plus!!!!!!!!!

Pros: Great drinks, Great drink specials, Great service

Posted 11/20/05

This is a fun bar with a unique environment. The drinks are good, the people are always friendly there. The music rotates without end or monotony. Every time I have gone to Identity, there is something new. The artwork changes, which always leads to interesting conversations, and with the new TVs and sports PPV, people of all interests seem to go there.

Posted 10/18/05

This place rocks. I went with a group of girlfriends last weekend and we didn't want to leave because we were having so much fun. It's classy and stylish, yet doesn't feel pretentious. Definitely the best place on the block... HIGHLY Recommended!!!

Pros: Attractive crowd, Awesome music, Great wine list

Posted 10/14/05

Stopped in for drinks and the game was on. Two for one drinks for happy hour and $8 pitchers, too bad my team lost. I heard the place was different on Thurs -Saturday nights, so we came back on a Saturday and the place was packed. Great music, fun crowd, and a great hip-hop dj. Sports bar turns Lounge. Classy joint without the pretentiousness... will be back!

Pros: Happy Hour, Two Floors, Fun crowd

Posted 10/13/05

During the week I sometimes come to this place for a relaxed drink, with good music (the genre varies depending on the night) played at a volume that allows conversation and fun stuff on the televisions ("Reservoir Dogs", a boxing match, etc.). I like the way they pour and there's a good, small pool table in the basement. A couple of Saturdays ago my friends and I came early and ate a good meal at a couple of the upstairs tables, then went downstairs and danced in a fun mob of people until two. People were still wall to wall when I left.

Pros: good music, generous pours, fun crowd

Posted 10/13/05

I have been to this place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and it was packed! Small but cozy and nice atmosphere. The owners are really cool and the people looked good. Drinks were good. Definitely check out the after work Latin/R&B party on Thursdays! It's Happy hour from 5-8 p.m. and the music is hot.

Pros: Good music, Decent Food, Nice atmosphere

Posted 10/12/05

I recently decided to have my birthday party at Identity after ending a wild night out NYC style there. My friends and I had a blast both nights. The bartenders were cute. On my birthday the D.J. kicked ass with old school hip hop: Naughty by Nature, Pharcyde, House of Pain etc. Upstairs or downstairs you can kick it any way you like. I'm going back this weekend!

Pros: music, atmosphere

Posted 10/12/05

Wow - what seemed like a laid back bar certainly wasn't - bouncer with an attitude - owner was unhospitable at best. As the only customers at the bar, when we wanted to pay they told us that "most bars in NY have a $25 credit card minimum" (our bill was $17.00) and told us there was an ATM around the corner....basically the owner was at the bar and had no idea of customer service and what's worse insisted on playing Phil Collins on rotation - in short don't bother!

Cons: $25 credit card minim, bouncer up his own as, empty bar

Posted 10/08/05