I hope Cleo’s opens again. This was a cool place for late night jazz
Thibault M
I don't know if that joint is any good, but it has been immortalized in a comic book about Gil Scott-Heron and that's already not bad
Goli Ahdoot
This place is closed permenantly will not get reopened again. I used to be wittress in this jazz club was paid below than average salary but couldn't find evidence from ADP so that I couldn't sue. But once it gets reopened i will sue again. I called the boss a couple of times the disgusting thing was I was treated by his audience that I am at his age so that as being an asian I had to have something with over 70 years old gentleman. I will never forget when come to get the last payment because the boss didn't want mail me the check. It was 170 dollars or something just because he wants to see me one last time? I don't understand their logic. I work for government now but my boss asked me if I live in poverty so I guess he does not want me to be in good situation. Btw, he can't barely speak english
QueenEarthlyJewels
Great time with my perfect gentleman. He did his thing. Peace
Michael Logelin
Hides behind a computer and just calls people names from the shadows. Calls everyone cheap and sleezy behind a keyboard , while operating a cheap and sleezy joint. Hilarious! The irony
Alex D.
DISCLAIMER: It's possible that the reason my wife and I thought the food was bad was because we had been recently bitten by vampires and were going through the part of the transformation where normal food makes you vomit. Or it's possible that the meat was tainted. Decide for yourself. When my wife and I first moved to New York, we went to Cleopatra's Needle and ordered two burgers. When they came out, we both noticed that the meat was off. I've never returned anything to a restaurant kitchen, but we both thought it would be a good idea. We tried to be as polite as possible. Two minutes later, someone claiming he was the owner came out and confronted us. As others have mentioned, he was extremely irritable, picked up one of our burgers, took a bite out of it, and threw it back down on the plate with the comment: "Tastes good to me." Then he threw us out of his restaurant. For the remainder of our time in NYC, we never returned. Since then, we've used "Cleopatra's Needle" as a shorthand reference to any place that offers the worst in both products and services. I've heard that this place has closed permanently, and if so, I'm just here to dance on its grave.
Warren Donaldson
I loved the atmosphere, the food was terrible the owner, manager was a profiling duck head who discriminated against certain ethnic groups. Miss the music.
Rabbi Marcelle Hohl
Cleopatra's used to be my living room when I lived on 93rd and West End. I once moved to Boston and was away for six months; when I came to NYC I went straight to Cleopatra's and, as soon as the waiter saw me, he said: "It is good to see you back. We missed you." I have brought there every single friend and family member who visited me, and some of my best dates and relationships started at Cleopatra's too. It breaks my heart that it is closed. I keep hoping that it will reopen one day; it was once a place that I called home.
Jason Stewart
Simply the best that NY offers. Since first seeing Cleopatra's Needle on the Food Network, I have made it my duty to go whenever I was in town. It is also my top recommendations to people who wanted to enjoy some real grassroots jazz and very good drinks.No cover charge and a great late night set made for some great times!I look forward to the relocation, but will miss the intimacy of uptown. I would love to bring a group to the new location in May of 2022. Birthday time!
Zero stars - the drinks, food and customer service were truly terrible. Very happy to see that it is closed and that no one will have to suffer the indignity of spending money and time at such an awful place. The owner/bartender/busboy is also a maniac - read his unhinged responses to the bad reviews below.
Sam G
Read the articles. Maher Hussein said it. NYC is waging war on small business with lockdowns, taxation, and minimum wages that corporations can afford but not small businesses. My heart not only goes out to Cleopatras Needle, who I loved, but the 130 million excess starvation deaths expected in the developing world due to lockdowns disrupting global supply chains. Hope this is temporary for y’all at the Needle... a few pixels of American soul float away every time one of these places close, and the culture that was once clear becomes a little blurrier. Love.
Chiemi ChiAmy206
Most affordable live Jazz place around. Local musicians seem to play. Cover was free (Tip), and min $10/ person which was reasonable. However, the server was very impatient and horribly rude. Food was less than mediocre. We had vegetable soup ( from can soup?), pita bread, rice pudding ( the rice was very hard) and a tea. The only thing it was pleasant was music. I don't mind paying good quality food. It makes me upset when food quality really sucks and service was terrible.I heard that they are closing. It is too bad because it is a great venue for Jazz. If they offer more quality food and better service, it could have been different, I think. If it was not for the music, I would not be there for sure.Sounds like the owner can't take the truth.
Graig W.
Miss this great place. Food and music was perfect! The Owner/Bartender created the place which is great though he would easily get ticked off by innocent customers but aside from that he is great and we all miss the place. Thanks for the good times.
Nurse she’s an amazing person. An excellent
I hope Cleo’s opens again. This was a cool place for late night jazz
I don't know if that joint is any good, but it has been immortalized in a comic book about Gil Scott-Heron and that's already not bad
This place is closed permenantly will not get reopened again. I used to be wittress in this jazz club was paid below than average salary but couldn't find evidence from ADP so that I couldn't sue. But once it gets reopened i will sue again. I called the boss a couple of times the disgusting thing was I was treated by his audience that I am at his age so that as being an asian I had to have something with over 70 years old gentleman. I will never forget when come to get the last payment because the boss didn't want mail me the check. It was 170 dollars or something just because he wants to see me one last time? I don't understand their logic. I work for government now but my boss asked me if I live in poverty so I guess he does not want me to be in good situation. Btw, he can't barely speak english
Great time with my perfect gentleman. He did his thing. Peace
Hides behind a computer and just calls people names from the shadows. Calls everyone cheap and sleezy behind a keyboard , while operating a cheap and sleezy joint. Hilarious! The irony
DISCLAIMER: It's possible that the reason my wife and I thought the food was bad was because we had been recently bitten by vampires and were going through the part of the transformation where normal food makes you vomit. Or it's possible that the meat was tainted. Decide for yourself. When my wife and I first moved to New York, we went to Cleopatra's Needle and ordered two burgers. When they came out, we both noticed that the meat was off. I've never returned anything to a restaurant kitchen, but we both thought it would be a good idea. We tried to be as polite as possible. Two minutes later, someone claiming he was the owner came out and confronted us. As others have mentioned, he was extremely irritable, picked up one of our burgers, took a bite out of it, and threw it back down on the plate with the comment: "Tastes good to me." Then he threw us out of his restaurant. For the remainder of our time in NYC, we never returned. Since then, we've used "Cleopatra's Needle" as a shorthand reference to any place that offers the worst in both products and services. I've heard that this place has closed permanently, and if so, I'm just here to dance on its grave.
I loved the atmosphere, the food was terrible the owner, manager was a profiling duck head who discriminated against certain ethnic groups. Miss the music.
Cleopatra's used to be my living room when I lived on 93rd and West End. I once moved to Boston and was away for six months; when I came to NYC I went straight to Cleopatra's and, as soon as the waiter saw me, he said: "It is good to see you back. We missed you." I have brought there every single friend and family member who visited me, and some of my best dates and relationships started at Cleopatra's too. It breaks my heart that it is closed. I keep hoping that it will reopen one day; it was once a place that I called home.
Simply the best that NY offers. Since first seeing Cleopatra's Needle on the Food Network, I have made it my duty to go whenever I was in town. It is also my top recommendations to people who wanted to enjoy some real grassroots jazz and very good drinks.No cover charge and a great late night set made for some great times!I look forward to the relocation, but will miss the intimacy of uptown. I would love to bring a group to the new location in May of 2022. Birthday time!
Restaurantji Recommends
Zero stars - the drinks, food and customer service were truly terrible. Very happy to see that it is closed and that no one will have to suffer the indignity of spending money and time at such an awful place. The owner/bartender/busboy is also a maniac - read his unhinged responses to the bad reviews below.
Read the articles. Maher Hussein said it. NYC is waging war on small business with lockdowns, taxation, and minimum wages that corporations can afford but not small businesses. My heart not only goes out to Cleopatras Needle, who I loved, but the 130 million excess starvation deaths expected in the developing world due to lockdowns disrupting global supply chains. Hope this is temporary for y’all at the Needle... a few pixels of American soul float away every time one of these places close, and the culture that was once clear becomes a little blurrier. Love.
Most affordable live Jazz place around. Local musicians seem to play. Cover was free (Tip), and min $10/ person which was reasonable. However, the server was very impatient and horribly rude. Food was less than mediocre. We had vegetable soup ( from can soup?), pita bread, rice pudding ( the rice was very hard) and a tea. The only thing it was pleasant was music. I don't mind paying good quality food. It makes me upset when food quality really sucks and service was terrible.I heard that they are closing. It is too bad because it is a great venue for Jazz. If they offer more quality food and better service, it could have been different, I think. If it was not for the music, I would not be there for sure.Sounds like the owner can't take the truth.
Miss this great place. Food and music was perfect! The Owner/Bartender created the place which is great though he would easily get ticked off by innocent customers but aside from that he is great and we all miss the place. Thanks for the good times.
Great music . good food. Chill.