Célon Cocktail Bar & Lounge

Came here for a special event. Very cute space with historic details and cathedral like ceilings. Feels like it would be cute for a date spot assuming you only wanted drinks. Drinks are in the pricey side, but the ones I tried were good and you could tell they did have a decent amount of alcohol in them.

Rounding up to 4 stars because of the rad 80s music from Michael Jackson to Europe to Def Leppard to Phil Collins and the avalanche of nostalgia that came with it. The drinks and vibe were good. I wish they had more food or snack options beyond the olives and pretzels.

Huge waste of what could be an amazing place.The entrance is just to the left when you enter the Bryant park Hotel, you walk down these wide elongated stairs with Moroccan style candle-lighting on every step; when you get to the bottom you have what could be a really cool club vibe with great lighting that casts dope shadows and patterns up at the ceiling and curved architecture.As you stroll to the bar from the back you see the setup unfolding... the DJ shouldn't be off to the left (and he shouldn't be playing such garbage) the chairs at the bar are quite possibly the worst things in the entire world... the bathrooms ... I dnno, not good and the entrance to the entrance to the bathroom (yes I typed that right) needs a black curtain or beads or something. I guess their clientele dictates a bit of their downfall, maybe I was there to early in the night... I don't think so though, I don't know. $43 for two god-awful drinks is not my idea of a good time. It's got such good and cool atmosphere potential too which really is a bummer, especially after wanting to keep the good times going from dinner next door.

I was in here a few years ago and thought the moody pretty Middle Eastern lighting was lovely. It's in the basement, so lends itself to a subterranean vibe. There was none of that this time around and the ambiance was flat. I did enjoy the cocktail in my photo below. I also ordered the lobster tacos from the restaurant above and they were just OK but insanely overpriced at $38 for what I got.

So, I am not sure why this place has a two-star average on yelp. I remember this place when it was The Cellar [Bar](?). I thought it was a fantastic space then and I remember that with the right DJ it turned into a bumping club party scene. I visited Célon Bar midsummer and I was first floored by the decor change. The Moroccan vide is so SO cool. There are multiple sections and the bar looks sharp. This is a great date spot now! The second thing that really impressed me was how nice the staff was! I had a fairly long conversation with a young woman named Vanessa (?). She was so pleasant and yet still efficient. She of course had a job to do and was excellent at transitioning to other tasks then coming back for follow-up. The bar tender Peter (Phil? I can't remember his name) was also very genuine and welcoming. I remember remarking about the probability of being able to hire so many nice yet efficient workers. If/When I come back it's definitely due in part to them. The cocktails are great. They also had some stellar food made-to-order which you could have even at the bar. It's really a great overall setup. My only issue with this place is that on Google and even now, as I look at the information Yelp has, the closing time is listed as late night (e.g. midnight or later). They were closing at like 10pm every time I visited (2x). On one occasion I was looking to use the venue as an after event spot but the 10pm closing time killed that plan. It's the one sticking point I even asked the staff about. I suppose you can ask for the place to be opened for special events but sometimes I just want to walk in and know the operation is rolling automatically. I want to keep the place a secret but don't hesitate to go. Judge the place for yourself.

Relaxing lounge in midtown for unwinding after a long day of walking around the city. I think the interior could be a bit more exciting.

Nice cozy bar that felt like you were in an underground vault. We only stayed for quick pre party drinks but I'd definitely come back to get more of an experience.

This was a truly unique experience and felt like a NYC bar. It had amazing service and a great atmosphere. The drinks were great and made for a very nice evening. Would Highly Recommend

Went back here last night for drinks. It's been a few years since we went to Celon. It's on the lower level at The Bryant Park Hotel. (Great location !!). We met the manager, Tayfun, who was friendly and gracious. They have a great cocktail menu and the service was excellent. We'll come back here again soon. It's a perfect midtown respite from the summer heat and will clearly be a cozy spot in the winter.

Stayed at the Bryant Hotel so decided to give this bar a try. Ambience and music was pretty cool but other than that cocktails weren't that special, expect to pay around $20 each. Service was poor, the bartender basically just shows up to work, didn't engage in any polite conversations and the manager kicked us out at 11:03 pm stating the bar was closed. I've never been asked to leave a bar especially when finishing up my drink so I thought it was in poor taste for her to do this. Don't bother trying this place, save your money!