I'll keep this simple.. I've been to Pekarna NYC several times, plus met the owner Dean. Dean is an exceptional owner that works very hard to provide not only the best atmosphere, but delicious food for his customers. He also has special nights he has the restaurant decorated for those occasions. And the downstairs tables, rooms are also decorated very cool, ingenious ideas IMO. Besides Dean, also have to give a special shout out to the hostess who greets & seats the customers from the moment you walk in the entrance.. her name is Lana. A very hard working lady that does her best to greet every customer with a big welcome smile to help your experience start off with a bang. If you've never been to Pekarna NYC, you're missing out, and should stop by there to enjoy it, I assure you of that.
David C.
Ok, coming from the service industry especially in NYC I am going to say I have to out in my review on this location. First, ambience, location and overall place is decorated very nice and cozy. We had to sit down stair in their lounge type area. Very nice spot - music is very nice. Food is good. Service is not good at all. A waiter or waitress should always be attentive with their guests. That is so important and unfortunately that has been forgotten here. Work on those standards please.... Greeters in front, exceptional, until we get service.
Teandra R.
My friend and I came here after work for the Love Me (Bar) Tender Memphis Pop Up experience, which I kept calling the Love Me Tender Bar lol. We had a great time for what it was. They mainly focused on Elvis's music and played different renditions of his songs. We were told quite a few times that we were too young to be there by other patrons but we had a fun time! They had a cute set up and I was interested in seeing the spot because I know they host some of the Disney Experiences here. I'm still not sure if they have an upstairs or downstairs because the area we were in was a bit small but we found a good spot and it worked for us. Our bartender was Ian and he made our drinks Great! I had the Beale Street Blues and she Had the Heartbreak Hotel. Both were delicious! Then the host? Manager? By the name of Dean (with the soothing Aussie accent) came by and he was pretty great! He was welcoming and friendly. He offered us some Elvis shots and just made sure my friend and I really enjoyed ourselves. He also checked in on us from time to time. When we were leaving we bid our goodbyes and Dean was trying to get us to stay longer which we probably would have if we didn't have other plans. But then there was an Andrew? (cute Mr Hat Guy) who was seemingly tapped in to entice us back in to stay . It wasn't in a pressuring overly aggressive way either, just like hey continue to have a great time, the night is young kind of way. Dean also told us about Karaoke nights and other events that take place It was just a nice vibe and a cool environment. The bathrooms were clean. At one point we were able to try the chicken fingers and fries which were good, maybe a tad bit heavy on the salt but good. The prices aren't crazy either. They're city prices but I hear that the happy hour prices are pretty good. We definitely would go back and I'd love to check out one of the Disney experiences in the future!
Ruthie B.
We have been doing a monthly event here since February and absolutely love it! Dean and the team are amazing and work so hard to create a magical event each month. The customer service is impeccable and food is delicious! I highly recommend coming here for your event or casual dinner! You can also look up their weekly special events to participate in karaoke or open mic night!
Cassie C.
I'll start with the good--the drinks were great, really well mixed and pretty strong all around, but not so strong that it was just a face full of alcohol. Just really solid drinks. The person who met us outside was lovely, and our server was very nice. The inside is really pretty, and the sign said there were multiple areas so I'd like to go back just to explore it a bit.That's where the good times end. While our server was very sweet, I think she and the person who greeted us were the only people serving the restaurant so it was on the slow side. The kitchen was also on the slow side. Definitely willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here though because it could just be an off night.The food was mediocre. The serving sizes were small and overpriced. I think they're trying to use higher quality ingredients, like wagyu beef for the sliders, which drives the prices up, but the kitchen didn't cook it well at all. Our table had a range of food, including empanadas and sliders and wings, and everything was underseasoned and overcooked.All in all, I will definitely go back for a drink because it's in my neighborhood, but the food situation definitely needs to improve before it becomes a regular spot for me.
Sama C.
Unforgettable & Magical Night...Nothing beats drinking outside on the streets of NYC, but it's what's inside that counts at Pekarna. If you are an Alice in Wonderland theme freak then you have hit the jackpot. If you are a great handcrafted cocktail freak then you just doubled down. AND, if you come with great company then it becomes a memorable night that will never be forgotten. That's what Pekarna offers and I'm sure you'll be back again and again.Pekarna has a lot going on and nothing disappointed. From the food to the drinks to the atmosphere... Dean (owner and restauranteur) alongside with Lana (manager) will give you that experience to remember. They are not only a restaurant and bar, but they hold massive events and parties for all your needs. With a two-tier setup the downstairs has a themed venue for your private event, alongside a private outdoor setup as well... just make sure to bring a great photographer to capture all the fun.Overall, the drinks and food stole the show, but what made it an "unforgettable & magical night" to me was.........FYI:They make a great gin martini (I was told) which is hard to come by these days. TIP:Reservations are easy if you have Resy.
Yeraldin L.
I'm torn because YELP should add .5's to their rating as I think this place falls right at the 3.5 level. Meaning that I'd say it's worthwhile a visit if you're in the area.Starting off, we stumbled across the place by their menu blackboard, which advertised HH but specified no hours. Luckily our server Julia witnessed our confusion and came out to tell us HH was 4-7p. We walked in and the place is huge, the décor is beautiful, plenty of seating- with 1 table and two people at the bar + the atmosphere was laid back. We order from the menu and the average price is truly minimum $8 (fries) to $12-20 something (cocktails + food). Julia was sweet, helpful and even had them make a different drink that we ordered. I still can't help but think that the food was just ok, bland and overpriced, and the drinks were good looking but unbalanced.Out of everyone's control, our experience ended poorly with someone in a different table needing medical attention at the end of the evening. However, what I do feel is controllable by management is the fact that after witnessing such a traumatic event, and our party stepping in to help, we were fully billed for our evening. Not even a 10% or free shots- which we needed since we all sobered up mad quick! We stayed way past our departure time and truly our experience was ruined.
Sinthia S.
If you are looking for a fun and unique girls night experience, look no further. They host a number of Disney-Themed events that are surely fun for any adult night out. Because of the alcohol consumption I would not recommend doing this with minors (at least 17+ should be ok). That being said, you won't get premium drinks or food, even though you are paying as if you are. This is why I knocked off two stars. With the fees you are paying about $65+ and you literally get 1 cup cake and 2 drinks that are mostly fruit punch. Very disappointed by this, but all in all, I had a great time with my friends and that's why you come to events like these right?! I would suggest to whoever plans these events to give guests options to purchase other goods or snacks while in the event to give customers the feeling they are getting more for their money.
Ashley L.
Planned a last minute surprise party here for 40 people. Dean was quick and efficient with his communication so that we were able to secure this spot less than a week in advance. His staff was very helpful throughout the night and everyone had a great time. We used the bar behind the main bar (592 Private Bar and Banquet) but they also have various themed rooms downstairs to choose from. Overall, a great experience with fair pricing. I would recommend this space again and again! Thank you to Dean & the staff at Pekarna.
Nery A.
I came to this restaurant twice for Hidden's immersive events of Beauty and the Beast and Tinseltown. I came for the family sessions both times and enjoyed it so much that I now plan to come here every time they have an event with my daughter.The Beauty and the Beast event had characters from the movie interact with us and played music from the Bridgerton soundtrack so that we could truly feel transported into this world. It was a mocktail experience since I had chosen the family session but we had to create potions that would help break the spell that cursed the Beast and his friends. My daughter and I had such a blast and the potions were so tasty :). They went above and beyond in creating an ambiance similar to the Beast's castle. There was a giant chandelier with several lights garnishing the rooms and the tables all had roses in glass cases in them. It was a great afternoon of imaginary play and photo ops.It was at the Tinseltown event that I had a chance to try to the restaurant's food. When we arrived, we were told that a live Christmas ornament would come and take us down to Tinseltown so we sat at the bar and were attended by the owner. He was very nice and patient in taking our order and answering my 10-year-olds questions about the menu. He recommended us the Happy Hour menu so that we could save money and what the best food and drinks were. I ordered the Wagyu beef sliders and fries and loved it. The fries were so crispy and the sliders were scrumptious. I ordered an Uptown Girl, which tasted like a Lychee martini to me so I was very happy with the drink. I had to finish drinking it before heading down to the event since alcoholic drinks aren't allowed during the family session, which is one of the reasons why I make such an effort to come out all the way here from Brooklyn (1 hour and 15 minute train ride). Even though the event started late, the staff made it up with their personalities and talent on creating another world that transports you out to the theme of the day. The "Christmas ornament" was the host of the party and started us out with a Grinch mocktail and Christmas emoji movie games. We had to guess the Christmas movies on a sheet of paper based on a set of emojis, which unsurprisingly my daughter was better at than I was. Then we played a Christmas trivia game and threw marshmallows at each other to see how many we could catch with our mouths. They also had Christmas karaoke, which only my daughter and I volunteered to do but the host sang along with us and we ended up dancing and singling like we were in a Mariah Carey Christmas music video. My daughter and I had such a blast that we didn't want to leave by the time it was over. The session is usually 1.5 hours but we wish it would last a whole day :).I can't wait to go to their next event and I highly recommend that you go if you like to have a good time!
A friend and I recently attended Explore Hidden's Tinseltown in NYC. I haven't found a place to put a review, so I'm posting here. The ticket cost $22 and was from 9:30-11. With all the new holiday bars popping up, we assumed that we'd be walking into one of those. We arrived 3 minutes late, but waited an additional 15 minutes for the "event to begin." We arrived at a low key bar on the UES called, Pekarna. I've posted some photos to their Yelp page. We were offered drinks to buy and told to wait for the elf to appear on the stairs. When the elf arrived we were ushered downstairs to a beautifully laid out holiday bar, complete with the on screen Yule Log. Spacing was tight with room for 20 people max. We received a welcome cocktail and chose our seats. Shortly after sitting a group of 5 showed up, so we moved to a two top to accommodate the larger group. The operation included 3 people, the elf, the bartender, and our host. Drink menus were provided and we were handed two activity two activity sheets. After a quick emoji movie guessing game, we were given a dry erase board and played some trivia. The gaming host was a bit overwhelmed and missed our winning answers, but gave us a prize for tying with the table to our side. The atmosphere was social and interactive. Most couples came on dates and a one of two friend groups added to the mix which made for very entertaining Dear Santa letters that were anonymously read aloud at the end of the night. We had purchased a $15 drink add on per ticket before we arrived. Our host was unaware of this, but ended up offering us 3 different types of liquors with simple mixers. I managed to get a brandy eggnog cream, but the only other table who bought the same ticket add on passed on drinks when the options were not readily available.Despite the delay and slight disorganization, the night ended up being fantastic! Everyone left jovial and the team members agreed to take photos with us and answer any of our questions. We exited just after 11pm which was nice as our start time was delayed. As we were leaving, I managed to check out the adjacent room where the Alice in Wonderland brunch is hosted. The space also appears to accommodate 20 people and is cutely set up with cool and creepy Cheshire Cat eyes. I don't know that it would be worth the cost. However, if the food is as good as Alice's Tea Cup, it would be worth the stay. The hosts kept us laughing and it put us in the holiday spirit.
KathyK
Everything was wonderful We were there for the show downstairs got there early and sat at bar and bartender was awesome and made us feel comfortable After show we sat for dinner and everything was great service and food was top notch
terriJ
We were over 30min late due to Uber issues and still had a lovely table and were able to see the show on time. Food was good but not really plentiful and we were given happy hour menu but was told it wasn't happy hour when we ordered?
Abena Johnson
It was an amazing experience. I was entertained into laughter and my mind was stimulated by the riddles we had to solve. The decor was absolutely beautiful and the staff were accommodating and cheeky. This ought to be on your to do list for a fun night in NYC.
Valentina Patino
It was alright. I was expecting more for the price we paid. You get there, you have to do some riddles to get the stuff for 1 cocktail,m and 1 shot I think. I went just for the picture but its not that crazy
I'll keep this simple.. I've been to Pekarna NYC several times, plus met the owner Dean. Dean is an exceptional owner that works very hard to provide not only the best atmosphere, but delicious food for his customers. He also has special nights he has the restaurant decorated for those occasions. And the downstairs tables, rooms are also decorated very cool, ingenious ideas IMO. Besides Dean, also have to give a special shout out to the hostess who greets & seats the customers from the moment you walk in the entrance.. her name is Lana. A very hard working lady that does her best to greet every customer with a big welcome smile to help your experience start off with a bang. If you've never been to Pekarna NYC, you're missing out, and should stop by there to enjoy it, I assure you of that.
Ok, coming from the service industry especially in NYC I am going to say I have to out in my review on this location. First, ambience, location and overall place is decorated very nice and cozy. We had to sit down stair in their lounge type area. Very nice spot - music is very nice. Food is good. Service is not good at all. A waiter or waitress should always be attentive with their guests. That is so important and unfortunately that has been forgotten here. Work on those standards please.... Greeters in front, exceptional, until we get service.
My friend and I came here after work for the Love Me (Bar) Tender Memphis Pop Up experience, which I kept calling the Love Me Tender Bar lol. We had a great time for what it was. They mainly focused on Elvis's music and played different renditions of his songs. We were told quite a few times that we were too young to be there by other patrons but we had a fun time! They had a cute set up and I was interested in seeing the spot because I know they host some of the Disney Experiences here. I'm still not sure if they have an upstairs or downstairs because the area we were in was a bit small but we found a good spot and it worked for us. Our bartender was Ian and he made our drinks Great! I had the Beale Street Blues and she Had the Heartbreak Hotel. Both were delicious! Then the host? Manager? By the name of Dean (with the soothing Aussie accent) came by and he was pretty great! He was welcoming and friendly. He offered us some Elvis shots and just made sure my friend and I really enjoyed ourselves. He also checked in on us from time to time. When we were leaving we bid our goodbyes and Dean was trying to get us to stay longer which we probably would have if we didn't have other plans. But then there was an Andrew? (cute Mr Hat Guy) who was seemingly tapped in to entice us back in to stay . It wasn't in a pressuring overly aggressive way either, just like hey continue to have a great time, the night is young kind of way. Dean also told us about Karaoke nights and other events that take place It was just a nice vibe and a cool environment. The bathrooms were clean. At one point we were able to try the chicken fingers and fries which were good, maybe a tad bit heavy on the salt but good. The prices aren't crazy either. They're city prices but I hear that the happy hour prices are pretty good. We definitely would go back and I'd love to check out one of the Disney experiences in the future!
We have been doing a monthly event here since February and absolutely love it! Dean and the team are amazing and work so hard to create a magical event each month. The customer service is impeccable and food is delicious! I highly recommend coming here for your event or casual dinner! You can also look up their weekly special events to participate in karaoke or open mic night!
I'll start with the good--the drinks were great, really well mixed and pretty strong all around, but not so strong that it was just a face full of alcohol. Just really solid drinks. The person who met us outside was lovely, and our server was very nice. The inside is really pretty, and the sign said there were multiple areas so I'd like to go back just to explore it a bit.That's where the good times end. While our server was very sweet, I think she and the person who greeted us were the only people serving the restaurant so it was on the slow side. The kitchen was also on the slow side. Definitely willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here though because it could just be an off night.The food was mediocre. The serving sizes were small and overpriced. I think they're trying to use higher quality ingredients, like wagyu beef for the sliders, which drives the prices up, but the kitchen didn't cook it well at all. Our table had a range of food, including empanadas and sliders and wings, and everything was underseasoned and overcooked.All in all, I will definitely go back for a drink because it's in my neighborhood, but the food situation definitely needs to improve before it becomes a regular spot for me.
Unforgettable & Magical Night...Nothing beats drinking outside on the streets of NYC, but it's what's inside that counts at Pekarna. If you are an Alice in Wonderland theme freak then you have hit the jackpot. If you are a great handcrafted cocktail freak then you just doubled down. AND, if you come with great company then it becomes a memorable night that will never be forgotten. That's what Pekarna offers and I'm sure you'll be back again and again.Pekarna has a lot going on and nothing disappointed. From the food to the drinks to the atmosphere... Dean (owner and restauranteur) alongside with Lana (manager) will give you that experience to remember. They are not only a restaurant and bar, but they hold massive events and parties for all your needs. With a two-tier setup the downstairs has a themed venue for your private event, alongside a private outdoor setup as well... just make sure to bring a great photographer to capture all the fun.Overall, the drinks and food stole the show, but what made it an "unforgettable & magical night" to me was.........FYI:They make a great gin martini (I was told) which is hard to come by these days. TIP:Reservations are easy if you have Resy.
I'm torn because YELP should add .5's to their rating as I think this place falls right at the 3.5 level. Meaning that I'd say it's worthwhile a visit if you're in the area.Starting off, we stumbled across the place by their menu blackboard, which advertised HH but specified no hours. Luckily our server Julia witnessed our confusion and came out to tell us HH was 4-7p. We walked in and the place is huge, the décor is beautiful, plenty of seating- with 1 table and two people at the bar + the atmosphere was laid back. We order from the menu and the average price is truly minimum $8 (fries) to $12-20 something (cocktails + food). Julia was sweet, helpful and even had them make a different drink that we ordered. I still can't help but think that the food was just ok, bland and overpriced, and the drinks were good looking but unbalanced.Out of everyone's control, our experience ended poorly with someone in a different table needing medical attention at the end of the evening. However, what I do feel is controllable by management is the fact that after witnessing such a traumatic event, and our party stepping in to help, we were fully billed for our evening. Not even a 10% or free shots- which we needed since we all sobered up mad quick! We stayed way past our departure time and truly our experience was ruined.
If you are looking for a fun and unique girls night experience, look no further. They host a number of Disney-Themed events that are surely fun for any adult night out. Because of the alcohol consumption I would not recommend doing this with minors (at least 17+ should be ok). That being said, you won't get premium drinks or food, even though you are paying as if you are. This is why I knocked off two stars. With the fees you are paying about $65+ and you literally get 1 cup cake and 2 drinks that are mostly fruit punch. Very disappointed by this, but all in all, I had a great time with my friends and that's why you come to events like these right?! I would suggest to whoever plans these events to give guests options to purchase other goods or snacks while in the event to give customers the feeling they are getting more for their money.
Planned a last minute surprise party here for 40 people. Dean was quick and efficient with his communication so that we were able to secure this spot less than a week in advance. His staff was very helpful throughout the night and everyone had a great time. We used the bar behind the main bar (592 Private Bar and Banquet) but they also have various themed rooms downstairs to choose from. Overall, a great experience with fair pricing. I would recommend this space again and again! Thank you to Dean & the staff at Pekarna.
I came to this restaurant twice for Hidden's immersive events of Beauty and the Beast and Tinseltown. I came for the family sessions both times and enjoyed it so much that I now plan to come here every time they have an event with my daughter.The Beauty and the Beast event had characters from the movie interact with us and played music from the Bridgerton soundtrack so that we could truly feel transported into this world. It was a mocktail experience since I had chosen the family session but we had to create potions that would help break the spell that cursed the Beast and his friends. My daughter and I had such a blast and the potions were so tasty :). They went above and beyond in creating an ambiance similar to the Beast's castle. There was a giant chandelier with several lights garnishing the rooms and the tables all had roses in glass cases in them. It was a great afternoon of imaginary play and photo ops.It was at the Tinseltown event that I had a chance to try to the restaurant's food. When we arrived, we were told that a live Christmas ornament would come and take us down to Tinseltown so we sat at the bar and were attended by the owner. He was very nice and patient in taking our order and answering my 10-year-olds questions about the menu. He recommended us the Happy Hour menu so that we could save money and what the best food and drinks were. I ordered the Wagyu beef sliders and fries and loved it. The fries were so crispy and the sliders were scrumptious. I ordered an Uptown Girl, which tasted like a Lychee martini to me so I was very happy with the drink. I had to finish drinking it before heading down to the event since alcoholic drinks aren't allowed during the family session, which is one of the reasons why I make such an effort to come out all the way here from Brooklyn (1 hour and 15 minute train ride). Even though the event started late, the staff made it up with their personalities and talent on creating another world that transports you out to the theme of the day. The "Christmas ornament" was the host of the party and started us out with a Grinch mocktail and Christmas emoji movie games. We had to guess the Christmas movies on a sheet of paper based on a set of emojis, which unsurprisingly my daughter was better at than I was. Then we played a Christmas trivia game and threw marshmallows at each other to see how many we could catch with our mouths. They also had Christmas karaoke, which only my daughter and I volunteered to do but the host sang along with us and we ended up dancing and singling like we were in a Mariah Carey Christmas music video. My daughter and I had such a blast that we didn't want to leave by the time it was over. The session is usually 1.5 hours but we wish it would last a whole day :).I can't wait to go to their next event and I highly recommend that you go if you like to have a good time!
Restaurantji Recommends
A friend and I recently attended Explore Hidden's Tinseltown in NYC. I haven't found a place to put a review, so I'm posting here. The ticket cost $22 and was from 9:30-11. With all the new holiday bars popping up, we assumed that we'd be walking into one of those. We arrived 3 minutes late, but waited an additional 15 minutes for the "event to begin." We arrived at a low key bar on the UES called, Pekarna. I've posted some photos to their Yelp page. We were offered drinks to buy and told to wait for the elf to appear on the stairs. When the elf arrived we were ushered downstairs to a beautifully laid out holiday bar, complete with the on screen Yule Log. Spacing was tight with room for 20 people max. We received a welcome cocktail and chose our seats. Shortly after sitting a group of 5 showed up, so we moved to a two top to accommodate the larger group. The operation included 3 people, the elf, the bartender, and our host. Drink menus were provided and we were handed two activity two activity sheets. After a quick emoji movie guessing game, we were given a dry erase board and played some trivia. The gaming host was a bit overwhelmed and missed our winning answers, but gave us a prize for tying with the table to our side. The atmosphere was social and interactive. Most couples came on dates and a one of two friend groups added to the mix which made for very entertaining Dear Santa letters that were anonymously read aloud at the end of the night. We had purchased a $15 drink add on per ticket before we arrived. Our host was unaware of this, but ended up offering us 3 different types of liquors with simple mixers. I managed to get a brandy eggnog cream, but the only other table who bought the same ticket add on passed on drinks when the options were not readily available.Despite the delay and slight disorganization, the night ended up being fantastic! Everyone left jovial and the team members agreed to take photos with us and answer any of our questions. We exited just after 11pm which was nice as our start time was delayed. As we were leaving, I managed to check out the adjacent room where the Alice in Wonderland brunch is hosted. The space also appears to accommodate 20 people and is cutely set up with cool and creepy Cheshire Cat eyes. I don't know that it would be worth the cost. However, if the food is as good as Alice's Tea Cup, it would be worth the stay. The hosts kept us laughing and it put us in the holiday spirit.
Everything was wonderful We were there for the show downstairs got there early and sat at bar and bartender was awesome and made us feel comfortable After show we sat for dinner and everything was great service and food was top notch
We were over 30min late due to Uber issues and still had a lovely table and were able to see the show on time. Food was good but not really plentiful and we were given happy hour menu but was told it wasn't happy hour when we ordered?
It was an amazing experience. I was entertained into laughter and my mind was stimulated by the riddles we had to solve. The decor was absolutely beautiful and the staff were accommodating and cheeky. This ought to be on your to do list for a fun night in NYC.
It was alright. I was expecting more for the price we paid. You get there, you have to do some riddles to get the stuff for 1 cocktail,m and 1 shot I think. I went just for the picture but its not that crazy