Private Park at Hudson

The Hudson used to be a great place to meet. The bartenders are not as friendly as they used to be. Probably cause less people come here now, so they jacked up the prices. They do have a great selection of drinks. The people who come here are very casual now. Unlike how they used to really look sharp. It’s a decent place to meet friends. The food is comfort; hamburger, fries, wings etc. They do have a few nice size screens to watch a good football game. The décor is still nice and darker. Great for a date if you get a seat near the fireplace. They kick kids out after 9pm. No one under 21 allowed.

I have been to this place several times on separate occasions. Last night, there was a birthday party and a wedding going on at the same time. It’s a versatile space that I have seen used for a networking event, a birthday, wedding, & night out with friends…
The place looks hidden and once the address is found, you have to take an escalator to the second floor. There there is an outside terrace and an indoor bar. The vibe a young and vibrant. Drinks are a bit pricey. The fries were amazing and only $ 6. Not bad at all — try all sauces if you can.
It’s a great place to meet people, listen to music and have a drink.

The bar outside in the courtyard added an additional seperate charge to my credit card for no reason at all, other than to inflate the bill. Taking it up with my bank to have it removed is a pain.

Yikes! I came back here recently, and I was totally disappointed! I ordered an extremely overpriced and bland margarita (16 $!!!). On top of that, I ordered the tuna poke tacos and french fries from the snack bar. I did not touch the tacos — the tuna was obviously not fresh… The only redeeming quality was the music, a good mix of mostly old and some new. Obviously lots of tourists.

During the winter months, this space is covered with plastic and converted into a ski lodge of sorts called Hudson Lodge. I purchased a deal for drinks and food through Urban Daddy and was excited to use it on a chilly, snowy evening. As I approached the location, my mind was filled with images of my boyfriend and I warming up on spiked hot chocolate while sitting near a fireplace, laughing in slow motion like you’d see in a cheesy commercial. Clearly, I set my expectations too high.
When we arrived, we were dismayed by how cold it was — you could see your breath whenever you blew. My boyfriend is the type who feels hot in 60 degree weather and even he left his coat on. There were a few heat lamps but our waitress (I made reservations) sat us on the other side of the room. Plus, all the seats underneath the lamps were filled anyway. We got our drinks — a spiked hot chocolate for me and a ginger toddy for him — but these did nothing to warm us up. On top of that, the guy working the food counter forgot our order so it took extra long to get our meal.
All in all, the food was pretty tasty (I had the s’more grilled cheese and he had the green chili) and the drinks tasted good too — however they were incredibly weak. I didn’t feel anything after one and couldn’t justify paying $ 16 for another. Like another poster said, the drinks are pre-​made so this is an outrageous price for what you get. I’m glad a had the social deal ($ 44 for two meals and two drinks) or else I would have felt completely gypped.
Won’t be coming back.

What an incredible space! The Hudson has three incredible and very distinctive bars and this is one of them! This magical space makes you feel as though you were miles from the city in a magical garden! You can come and fill immensely cooler than you are when you spend the evening sipping cocktails here!

Gorgeously and cozily appointed with plush throws and heat lamps everywhere, but the snack bar wasn’t open the night my friends and I visited (a common lament, it seems). With Hudson Hall turning into a bar/​lounge and no food at the Library Bar, where exactly can one eat at the Hudson? This used to be a fun after-​work destination, but until they sort themselves out, I won’t be returning – unless I have a good book and several hours to kill in an armchair.

This is the bar behind the hotel lobby. It doesn’t look like the library bar that seems to be more popular. It’s more of like a lodge or cabin in a wooded areas in a greenhouse. There may have been some kind of event or private party that we crashed. Because everyone else seemed to know each other. And while there were plenty of seats and tables, most everyone was standing up and chatting. And the tables looked like they were taken with the heavy jackets and purses. So inconvenient for those who do want to sit. Anyways we hopped over to the bar to grab some drinks. Stark contrast to the last bar we were at. Drinks here were $ 16 a pop whether it was wine or a mixed drink. Nobody in our group ordered a beer so I’m not sure if they even had those and if they were that pricey. Yeah so I milked that drink for the entire time we were there. The drink was just averagely strong — not too watered down. I’m not sure the ambiance and atmosphere matches the cost of the drinks even if it is a hotel bar. And it wasn’t our idea to leave. They called last call around midnight, which was weird cause I thought bars in the city close late into the next morning. Whatever — on the next place

This bar is POPPING. Stopped by here during the holidays and it legitimately started snowing. The décor is fantastic and is really a Midwest retreat in Midtown. Definitely recommend.

so here’s the thing: i don’t mind paying $ 16 for a cocktail when there’s real skill involved, when the bartender spent a good 5 minutes making it and it’s truly a crafted cocktail. but here, i paid $ 16 for a drink that was literally just poured from a pitcher into a glass. let me be clear: i’m not talking about pouring the mixer from a pitcher and combining it with the alcohol. no no, the entire thing was pre-​mixed and went straight from pitcher to glass. there’s more work going into a gin ‘n’ tonic at your local dive bar.
the drink i had was the «snow cone» and it was tasty but giving $ 1 tip felt excessive for how little work was done. and, one of my companions had Bullet whiskey on the rocks, costing her a whopping $ 18 (when a bottle in a liquor store would cost about $ 35.)
the theme is cute but if i’m spending this much money, i want it to be *for* something.

Timing is indeed everything.
That’s something that is worth keeping in mind, especially with respect to the Private Park Bar at the Hudson Hotel. During the warm summer months, the open-​air bar is inviting, relaxing, spacious and a memorable destination after work hours until the wee hours of the evening.
During the winter months, the bar has remained quiet and empty — until The Powers That Be decided to reincarnate the space as an Apres-​Ski-​Lodge of sorts, adorning it with insulated cover, heaters, and enough stuffed animal busts and ski lodge finishing to make a ski instructor nauseous. The space has been transformed for winter and ready for those looking to seek shelter from the cold in the glow of electric columnular heat.
Unfortunately, while the space is well appointed, giving points to the owners for meaning well is about as good as it gets vis-​à-​vis the Ski Lodge theme. An extremely and inexplicably limited bar — with a half-​dozen themed drinks — isn’t a great option for keeping warm. Hot chocolate laced with tequila is nice, but for those who’d prefer a simple vodka tonic, walking to the library bar is an adequate (and perhaps the only) solution.
Problem simply solved — but what kind of bar invites guests to go elsewhere to obtain drinks?
As for snacks/​eats, we visited on a night where nothing — literally — was available. Typically one could expect some small, portable eats to go with alcohol — pretzels, cookies, beer nuts, anything — alas, the night we visited the «snack bar» was closed.
I think the best way to describe its inaugural year is the Apres Ski Lodge at the Hudson, for 2012, exhibited some fairly significant growing pains. I am hopeful that these dissipate next year, because the concept is great and the summer months make this space a wonderful destination. Provided this doesn’t recur — limited or non-​existent beverages and snacks — I can’t see not returning. Next year, however, should these problems continue, I’d imagine the après ski lodge will be a thing of the past, and deservedly so.

I guess it’s more of a 3.5
I loved the ambiance and the setting. It’s nice to have a «outdoor garden» bar between buildings up near Columbus circle. Perfect for those mild summer nights.
The bar is located in the Hudson hotel, so you have to make your way to the back. Lighting is dim and seats are pretty spaced out, so it’s great for groups to chill together, or for a romantic get together.
In terms of prices, it’s $ 16 per drink, which seems typical for NYC hotel bars, but if you’re with a group, I definitely suggest getting their pitchers (serving around 5 glasses) for $ 55. We got the mojito and the sangria, both of which got good reviews from our group. Also, be forewarned, their beer selection is extremely limited!
My only real gripe is how slow the service was at times. All in all, I’d probably head back if I was in the area!