Sapphire Nails and Spa

The nicest ladies. The best manicures and pedicures anywhere in NYC. I have never been disappointed.
Michelle UES

I havent been here in a while but I think I have to find another nail place. Ive received the worst pedicure since I’ve been in the city. It was so bad I didnt even want to get a manicure. The person barely scrubbed the bottom of my feet and all she did was rub lotion on my legs. My cuticles weren’t even fully trimmed.
I accidentally stubbed my big toe and she didnt even bother to remove the polish off the nail. All she did was paint another coat over it making it thicker.
I probably couldve done a better job at home… such a waste of $$!

Great job! This place is very clean they take out the tools from a package, give hand and back massages, and are perfectionists. They aim to please and I was impressed. Def trying them again! Manicure lasted five days.

Worst experience at a nail salon yet. I booked an appointment at 4pm got 6:30. I explained to them I had UV gel with extentions (no tips) and wanted a refill. They said ok come In
When I arrived at 6:30 and they saw my nails and all started speaking another language and looked confused, I should have taken that chance and left while it was still time!
They proceeded to do my nail. An hour passed and the technician was still trying to get the UV gel off. She then proceeded to apply UV gel to the broken nail. She tried to put on tips 2 times. I kept telling her I don’t want tips. No. No. Long story short… 3 hours left after another technician had to try to salvage what ever nails I had left. In the end when I started tearing up Bc my nails went long and beautiful to Shrek stubs, they apologized and the manager told me that they really didn’t know how to do UV gel with extentions but didn’t want to disappointment me… WHAT!!! No my nails are ruined and I have to wait 3 weeks until they grow out and try to get them fixed andre shaped. I was still charged $ 35 instead of)60 .NEVER NEVER NEVER WILL I VOMR BACK. They couldn’t even say buy after I left. I don’t understand why a manager would look after making money over a satisfied customer.

Nice place, but the nail technician I had did a terrible job. My sister-​in-​law had the same thing done by a different technician and hers looked great! Mine refused to fix the nails and did give me a massage at the end like everyone else, which isn’t a big deal but there was a clear contrast between her and the other employees. Waste of money and won’t be returning!

Nice friendly staff and superficially decent work. However, when you really look deep beyond the work, it’s shotty at best.
Warm and friendly environment but we definitely won’t be going back; especially not for the prices they charge. If you stick to the basics, you’re probably fine, but don’t get fancy.

Whenever I need a good relaxation time, I go to Sapphire Nail Spa. They never disappoint! The staff is all very friendly and always willing to make you comfortable. Love love love this place!

Sapphire is the BEST NAIL SALON hands down! I would not go anywhere else for a manicure/​pedicure ever!!!
Kamla and Durga are my favorite, but I trust anyone there to do my nails. They are all nice and take the time to pamper you!

I visited this nail salon after all the wonderful reviews I read here on Unilocal & they did not disappoint! Literally the best mani/​pedi I’ve had. my pedi lasted about 45 mins because of how attentive she was to detail. She took her time and made sure I was comfy. My mani was the same amazing experience. (their massages are PERFECT after a long day at work). It’s been a few days and my nails still look freshly done. No chips! Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quality mani/​pedi in a relaxing setting.

I absolutely LOVE Sapphire Nails! After moving to the UES and seeing all of their fabulous Unilocal reviews, I finally gave Sapphire a try and I have been hooked ever since. The owner and staff are all extremely pleasant and polite. They seem genuinely happy to meet and work with clients. They always offer water/​coffee, and are very mindful of how long you are waiting to be seen. If you walk in there is usually a little wait (Just a sign that they rock!) The salon is clean and small– kind of no frills. The only negative is that they do not have massage chairs to enjoy during your pedi, but every mani/​pedi I have had has come with a short free massage at the end, with lots of wonderful pampering inbetween. I recently got gel tips on with Leti and she did an amazing job (I’ll post a photo!) If you are looking for a reasonably priced new nail place, Look no further :)

My go-​to nail salon is Fresh Spa near Union Square, but since moving to the UES I thought I’d try to find something closer to home. I was really excited to try this place given the great reviews — unfortunately my experience didn’t live up to the hype.
I called to make an appointment for 9am on a weekday. This was suppose to be right as they opened so I showed up 5 mins later just in case they weren’t quite set up yet. I walked in and it was a ghost town. None of the workers were there and the manager didn’t come out from the back for a while. Then she asked me to have a seat and wait.
First thing I noticed: how messy the place was — racks and towels everywhere; used tissues and stuff on the floor. I don’t think this reflects how sanitary the instruments are but it doesn’t provide a bode of confidence.
Next issue: how limited the gel color selection was! At Fresh Spa (see my review there), there is a seemingly endless selection and all from a variety of manufacturers (Opi, Essi, Gelish, etc.).
I settled for a light pink and then waited for another 10 minutes before my girl showed up. She was very friendly though and I think she did a decent job… except that she cut my cutile too much and I ended up with two tears around my nail beds (just like paper cuts, these tiny cuts seem harmless but they can hurt!)
Worst of all: less than a week later my gel was chipping at the sides and starting to peel!
I admit, for the area, this place has decent prices. But I’d rather pay more to get something that will last as long as it should! I’m tempted to give this place another try given how other rave about it but we’ll see…

Clean! Each time you get your nails done you get your own kit that has been sealed in plastic. The place itself is pretty clean, they could sweep a bit more, but its always slammed.
Great color selection.
Awesome job on mani /​pedi. ~$ 36
They take there time and do a very detailed mani /​pedi so give yourself 1.5−2hrs! no joke, unless they are dead and you have 2 girls working on you.
Relaxing music, good magazines and a great mani/​pedi! Def coming back!

UPDATE: Made an appointment with Kamala last night for a gel mani and regular pedicure. She was very meticulous and did a FABULOUS job! It took almost 2.5 hours but I brought a book with me and was in the mood for a little alone time!
They charge you $ 61 for the gel mani/​pedi but if you check into Unilocal,you get $ 5 off.

I am rating this based on how happy the fiancé was after getting her nails done. One Friday I forced her to get her nails done in the UES (yes I know, most women do this voluntarily). I called and got her an appointment quickly. When we got there she was attended to immediately. She said the ladies worked really hard on her mani/​pedi. The whole ordeal lasted an hour. After it was over the fiancé was very happy and kept on staring at her painted nails and now she wants to get them done all the time. I created a monster!

Just got my eyelashes done by pushpa! They look AMAZING! I slept the whole time (took about 1.5 start to finish). And the guy at the front went and put my money in my meter where I parked. I would definitely recommend getting the eyelashes if you are doing engagement/​wedding photos (that’s why I went) or have any event coming up!

By far, the best manicure I have ever received. I have been a hairstylist for 6 years, so I am religious to gel manicures. It’s my one time to relax and be the client.
Sapphire was very busy, but they still take their time and manage to keep the waiting to a minimum. I counted 14 staff on at one time during my visit on a Friday night. Even better, they are ope until 11pm, so no rush after work to get there.
I am always peeved when I pay $ 35+ for a gel manicure and am rushed out in about 30 minutes. My technician was meticulous and took close to 90 minutes on my manicure! For some, that may be too long but I was so incredibly relaxed I had no problem staying all night! Word of advice — if you ARE in a rush, I would tell them before you begin your services.
After my first visit, I signed up for a rewards program in which you earn points for free waxes, manicures, or massages. I can’t wait until my next appointment!

Really great nail salon! This place is economical and also extensive and thorough. The thing I hate about most nail places is that generally are a chop shop, trying to get as many people in an out in an hour as possible with actually providing any service during your service. Not here though, they are service all the way. From taking and hanging your coat to make you comfortable in your chair to giving you a bottle of water to enjoy, taking their time as they work and handle your feet with care, it’s all around great! I would highly recommend this salon. Came here two times and can tell I’ll be a repeat offender.
Deal Seeking Diva Tip: be sure to check in on Unilocal to receive $ 5 off $ 50 worth of services.

They have their own nail products for each client. I saw them take out nail tools from their own sealed plastic so if you are concerned about fungal infections or dirty tools, it seems that’s not a concern here. I also like that their staff had diversity & I didn’t hear conversations in any foreign language, which is great if you feel like people are badmouthing YOU when they start speaking a language you don’t.
I had no money on me at all but very happy I got this free manicure on my birthday. No one hassled me for a tip and the lady who worked on my nails was great (Manu, I believe her name was). Also happy I was able to do this without having made an appointment in advance & my manicure is still holding up pretty well.

Service: Gel manicure, regular polish pedicure.
UPDATE: Gel manicure is 4 weeks old today. Still holding on strong, only one small chip. They’ve grown out, but no one should notice unless they look closely. Very pleased with the result.
First off, my nails are gorgeous! Kamala was so careful and precise while doing my nails– you could tell she wanted them to be perfect. Which is great! But the downside to that is that it took forevvver! I am giving Sapphire 4 because of the time it took (well over 2 hours) and the price. Before tip they charged $ 61 which I thought was a bit high. I’ve gotten the same service elsewhere for like $ 15 – 20 cheaper with just as good quality. I’m anxious to see how long my gels last.

Great mani/​pedi here yesterday with Missy S! Although they don’t have the massage pedicure chairs, the experience wasn’t lacking. They made special efforts to sit us next to each other and my mani/​pedi came out great.
The man who did my nails was very friendly and I would highly recommend him for good fast service with a smile. His 1 minute massage while my nails were drying was so good that I would consider coming back here for a massage at a later date!
At the end, they surprised us by giving us real sandals to take home. The owner/​manager at the front desk was very friendly and asked how everything was as we were leaving.
I am very particular about the cleanliness of nail salons and I would give this place a B+ for cleanliness (which is higher than I would rate many other nice-​looking NYC nail salons). They do open a new pack of sterilized tools and nail file for every customer which is more than I can say for others. Where they are lacking is the sterility of the footbaths — jets accumulate bacteria so no jets is actually preferable. Even better would be an option for tub liners! Also, I always doubt the cleanliness of the foot razors (not sure if this is the correct name). They don’t seem to get autoclaved and I am unsure how they can be washed well.