The Archive

Classic NYC bar. Had drinks here while bouncing around NYC for an evening. Glad they had peanuts for us when we asked. The place was quite and low key which is exactly what I was looking for. Can see this place being a repeat watering hole.

First time here and the place had a pretty chill vibe. Fun and interesting cocktail list and the drinks came tasted good. This is probably dependent on the evening, but the bartender was definitely more interested in hanging out and taking a shot with the guys at the end of the bar than serving those waiting a long time for drinks. If the service improved, my rating probably would as well. Food menu looked good, but didn’t get a chance to try it out.

My number one favorite thing about this establishment is their music selection. I dabble in the art of playlist creation and the selection at The Archive is top notch. I was also thrilled when I went out to the Website and saw that they actually provide their current playlists on it. I wish EVERY bar did this! To the owners — please KEEP doing this. It really adds to your cool factor!
As far as atmosphere — it’s dark with a gastropub feel. I went on a rainy day and it felt quite cozy inside with a decent amount of seating. The staff was very nice and attentive. We took advantage of the $ 6 Malbec ALL NIGHT (wow!) special which is awesome. Even when they ran out of the Malbec they honored the special with a Merlot option. We had a cheese plate which was pretty basic, so I would probably stick to drinks here but definitely a nice (and cheap) cozy evening option!

I counted nine seats at the bar plus several tables. Selection of five draft beers including Brooklyn Lager and Lagunitas. Not a sports bar — one flat-​screen showing iTunes album covers from the owner’s playlist. They will charge your phone — they have adapters in back of the bar.
Bartender was engaging and made a decent cocktail — cheap at $ 11.00. Only bar I have ever seen that reserves some of the bar stools for regulars — or maybe the sign «Reserved for Greg» was an inside joke? I will go back.

Came here last night for some casual drinks with friends. The bar is alright, it can be a local watering hole. It was pretty empty for a Wednesday night, only a few locals around. The drinks were not very impressive and the particular bartender lady was either not paying attention at all or not very bright.
Alright place to come sit down with friends for a drink and chat. Wouldn’t be my first pick for cocktails, stick to the standard alcohol if you must.

this place, despite being right next to one of the most crowded bars within the region, is indeed quiet and plays some good music.
Prices are reasonable. Specials are reasonable. You’re in a great neighborhood, just enjoy

Scouting the area for places to recommend to clients for five star hotels. Staff has no personality, and not attentive to customer needs. Someone accidently knocked over my drink at the bar and I had informed the bartender who took forever to clean it up and never re-​filled my glass. The place over-​all is OK. Not a very classy crowd, but nonetheless nice people. it was nice to see a diverse crowd (age).

I guess that last time, it didn’t quite sink in that The Archive is as good as it gets! Nearly a year had passed since our last visit, so it took my old review to refresh my memory about the name of the delicious drink I had ordered on that sunny spring day. Carlos Danger. I supposed I would order it again.
However, it quickly became apparent that it was no longer a part of the cocktail list– and that nothing else appealed to me. Just as I was about to go to the bar to inquire about it Kara, the most pleasant server I have ever encountered, appeared to take our orders. Not only did she know what the Carlos Danger was, but she also said that they would be happy to make one for me! And as I took my first sip, I discovered that it was just as delicious as before.
Early into our second round, we realized that we needed to order food. The beautifully blended drinks in fact contain quite a bit of alcohol and if not careful, can sneak up on you! We decided upon the nachos, which simply prepared, were delectable. The avocado and lime made them.
Furthermore, with a couple of quick check-​ins on Unilocal,we also saved a couple of dollars on a round of drinks.
«Another memory filed away…»

CON: When it’s packed, it’s a miserable place to be.
PRO: It’s the perfect casual NYC bar. Great atmosphere, great prices, intimate vibe.
Not many places left in midtown where you can get good food items for under $ 10. Sure, it’s just quesadillas and sliders, but who cares, you’re there to drink and flirt.

After a long arduous task of figuring out a good venue for my husband’s birthday,
I came across «The Archive» on Unilocal.The reviews were so helpful for EXACTLY what we had in mind. We wanted a place that wasn’t jam packed, where the music wasn’t too loud, and a centrally located spot (since people were coming from all over the city). I called a few days before the event and luckily they had the space. The woman I spoke with was so nice, and she reserved the back section of the bar/​restaurant for 40 of our guests. We couldn’t have been happier. The bartender Matt and bar back were so nice, helpful, and patient (especially when some of our guests had a few too many). Our party ended up taking over the whole bar and it almost felt like it was our own private place. Everyone LOVED the venue and we will definitely be going back again. I cannot recommend this place enough for a birthday party or drinks in general. The lighting, the décor, music and space is perfect. The music they played was almost as if they took it straight from my iTunes account — such a bonus. Thank you!!!

Found this bar whilst escaping the madness of Ginger Man on a Saturday night.
Ok cocktails that are very alchohol-​forward and with not very many other notes. Somewhat limited beer list, but did the job. The bar itself was not very crowded, so actual conversations could be had – a plus in Manhattan!

Pretty cool vibe and would def come back for the Carlos Danger. That sensation of spice in your throat after a sip is a delight

Hosted my boyfriends birthday here — we had a great time!
There is a caveat to this place — this place is fantastic, however, it is clearly a happy hour bar. Either way my boyfriend’s birthday was hosted here and they blocked off an area for us and gave us a dedicated server. She was absolutely amazing, giving us some free shots for the birthday party, and even grimaced through a couple of her own that we got her. She was absolutely great.

Good drinks close to home.
The Archive is my go-​to spot when I am meeting a friend for a quick drink. The drinks are good and fairly priced, and the atmosphere lends itself to a variety of occasions (casual drink, first date, etc.). I have found that it can be a bit difficult on occasion to get the attention of the bartender, however, even when the place is not busy. Aside from that, I’ve had nothing but pleasant experiences.

I am not going to lie, but I was a bit hesitant to come here when a friend organized a birthday event here. Being in Midtown East, you usually find a bar that is so jam packed with people and overpriced drinks, that I usually avoid this part of town at all cost.
So what a pleasant surprise when we walked in on a rainy Saturday night to find the place not too packed, with beautiful décor (including an elegant big clock) and very decent drinks and reasonably priced.
My friend must have done her homework and reserved the back area for her and all her friends to mingle. It was an absolute success.
Drinks were well made here and I especially liked the Carlos Danger, which was a spicy drink made with jalapeño-​infused vodka, muddles blackberries and limi. And the caption was, «guaranteed to improve your sexting.» Why how appropriate?
And if you check-​in on your Unilocal app, you get $ 1 off the drink, perfect.
We stayed here for many hours and as the night wore on, we had more shots than we could handle and well, headed into the night drunk, hungry and oh so happy.
Thanks for making my friend’s birthday a success and thanks for giving me renewed faith in bars in Midtown East. I will def be back!

Strolled over here after being completely turned off by our original plan, The Gingerman.
What a little gem. And we couldn’t have walked in at a better time — table of 4 was leaving, so we swiftly claimed our spot! Always helps a place out if patrons find a seat, huh?
Service was on point, beverage prices were reasonable. Ambiance is nice. The windows up front are charming and love the banquette seating and light fixtures. Good tunes too!
1 toilet per sex. Line for the gals (as always).
No food this time, but their selections seemed appetizing and well priced.

After hitting Measure and starting our area call with a good meal and a couple of Manhattans, BPC and I found our way to the Archive. We were letting Unilocal guide us! There was a pretty significant constraint though… it was pre-​5 so many nearby places were not open yet. In any event, we were heading east and the Archive was close by and had the highest rating if any place open.
When we walked in it had a very local feel, which was kind of cool, and the cocktail list was also not bad. Right away my buddy noticed the Carlos Danger that I have since seen other reviewers give a shout out to and he seemed pleased with his choice. I on the other hand prefer to stick to more of the classics, so I grabbed the Bee’s Knees. It was ok. I’m not a fan of adding volume to drinks via bubbly the way that this one was, but it was not excessive so the underlying unique taste of the cocktail was still there.
We jumped back on Unilocal to find our next spot, and we landed on the Peacock… but discovered something else.

This place had so much potential — a small but attractive cocktail list, great seats, a beautiful bar, proximity to my office — but unfortunately, I have to give it one-​star after repeatedly being ignored by our terrible blonde server multiple times when we made it clear that we were ready to be served, and after making eye contact with us, she preferred to clear dirty glasses and ask every *OTHER* table around us if they’d like an additional drink or snack before finally coming around to us.
After we did get our drinks, she failed to ever come back until almost 1.5 hours later, when we decided we waited too long to order another drink and the window had passed. It was almost impossible for us to get our bill, and I finally had to go up to the counter to pay in the end.
Being ignored on purpose by a server is one of the biggest insults. I will never come back here again or recommend this place to anyone.

Great bar in the busy section of Midtown. We came pretty early, around 3:30 on a Friday, and stayed until 6. We sat at the bar and ordered cocktails (I’m pretty sure I ordered a Bee’s Knees or something akin to that name). Our bartender, who looked like a doppelgänger of Cobie Smulders/​Robin Scherbatsky, was friendly and engaged in some conversation with us. But she didn’t forcefully insert herself into the conversation at all times, very low-​key and mellow which was refreshing. She also had invented a drink on the cocktail menu which was really good. This place is unpretentious but serves up some decent cocktails too. By the time happy hour rolled around, the place was becoming quickly packed with folks. However, we never felt cramped sitting at the bar. Wish we had the chance to go back while we were visiting but now we know a good bar spot in Midtown.

Friday night my boyfriend and I were looking for a pre-​dinner drink and since we were going to dinner in Ktown, we thought Ginger Man would be a nice spot. Wrong! It was packed-​full of the after work business crowd and there wasn’t even room to squeeze in by the bar to place an order (not to mention how loud it was). We found The Archive by doing a Unilocal search of nearby bars and it popped up right across the street.
If you are in this area and looking for a seat (bar or table) and a quieter/​nicer environment where you can hear your date talk – this is it! They had a pretty extensive cocktail list, but I opted for beer. The bartender was attentive and friendly and we weren’t squished next to people at the bar. I think it’s rare to find a nice, non packed/​loud bar in this area, which makes The Archive a treat!