Ampersand
“We had the fish tacos, a burger & fries and the white bean dip—I ate so much I felt like I had to be rolled out the door.”
“Their "burger burger" had an amazing house sauce on it, came with great fries and was absolutely delicious!”
“Pretty good beer options and fantastic service by a great bartender — but really it's the iPhone charge you'll stay for.”
Ampersand
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Solid place for casual drinks or a date. Came here recently to celebrate a friend's birthday during happy hour. The 4.5 star rating was intriguing, and the location was ideal for our subsequent plans. The place is very spacious, with a lot of table space as well as bar space. It's quite a different vibe from one of my favorite sports bars nearby, Triona's on Third, as there are no TVs. As a result, you may be forced to *gasp* talk to each other!
It never got too crazy when we were in there, and even the front area was pretty dead. To be fair, it was a Tuesday, and we were there fairly early for happy hour. Also, I really just enjoyed the lack of crowds in general. The location of the bar is pretty prime, right between Murray Hill and East Village, with a general vibe that's more like the hybrid of both those neighborhoods.
Service was pretty attentive and friendly, although all we did was get beers. The happy hour prices aren't really that great, as it only bumps down the prices by $1. As a result, the cheapest beer is still $6. Not quite the incentive to come during happy hour, but it is a nice space, so what can I say? Also, the craft beer selection is pretty good in general, so you won't be relegated to drinking Bud Light or anything. The cocktails are $12, and with the fairly diverse list of ingredients listed, I'd say that's not a bad deal, given that most craft cocktails are about $14-16 in the East Village area.
The food menu wasn't particularly inspiring, although I did find the cocktail menu to be intriguing, so I'm inclined to come back and give the cocktails a try. They seem to really like fernet, as it's one of their cocktail specialties. Regardless, it's a nice, chill bar for some good conversation, and I'm glad to have it in my back pocket now.
A nice little bar with a good selection of beer. Came here for a friends birthday. We were seated at a nice table in the back. The waitstaff was very friendly and always showed up to the table with a smile. One of our group had brought a cake and they were nice enough to provide us with plates and forks to enjoy it. In return some of the cake was shared with the staff. Overall a great night with some friends.
The cocktails are fantastic! I'll definitely be back for drinks in the future–service was great & the place wasn't too crowded on a Friday evening, which was awesome. The food was tasty but pretty overpriced, even for Flatiron/Gramercy ($11 for 2 tacos, $15 for a pretty typical burger, etc), so I'd come here for drinks first and head elsewhere for dinner.
I must say, Ampersand is a gem in the area. I came on a Saturday evening at 10 for my birthday and we were easily able to get a table in the back of the bar. They played music but we were able to speak across the table without shouting which I always appreciate.
This place has a drink for everyone: a decent beer on tap selection, wine, and $12 cocktails. I didn't love the one with whiskey (probably because I shouldn't have ordered a drink with whiskey), but their cocktail with cucumber and St Germaine was delicious.
It was a great place to sit and talk in a fun atmosphere. I will definitely be back, and would recommend them for a semi-special occasion!
A bit disappointed after reading some reviews. Their cocktails were OK and "OK" is ok for $12 in NYC nowadays. But the waitress didn't know much about drinks when I asked her questions and she also didn't even know some basic liquors. {sigh}
Food was good and the portion was on the large side.
The place has a cool, industrial vibe and offers decent selections of beer and wine besides cocktails, so it was good for our group as some preferred beer.
We were there on a Wed around 7, and it was pretty empty. But it got filled up towards the end. Service was VERY slow, so we decided not to stay for another around.
This location is so convenient for me, but it's only OK and not special enough. Certainly not a special cocktail place where you expect well-crafted drinks.
Friday at 6:30pm June 17th, 2016, lot of people but shouldn't be too much for 2 bartenders (white guy wth short hair and a white lady w/ brown blonde ombré hair)
Took him 15min for our 2 drinks, but it really wasn't the bartender's fault. STOP IT- DON'T JUDGE HIM; He was EXTREMELY BUSY MACKIN' on 2 girls at the end of the bar for about 10min (While I saw him pouring my whiskey at a snail-pace). ALSO, in between making our drinks, he was flirting/touching/tickling his fellow lady bartender, so I get it, it's all about priorities people! Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life, because HE DEFN WAS doing more lovin' than workin'!! She would also come over and tickle/ interrupt him while he made drinks for other ppl as well..
Ampersand Old Fashioned – Went down smooth, but maybe the brandy made this a little too sweet
Being on Yelp means sharing the word on wonderful places you discover for everyone else to enjoy. Though I'm hesitant to let you know how great Ampersand is. It's technically Gramercy, but right on the border of Murray Hill. And do any great bars, let alone cocktail bars, lie just north in the general vicinity? No my friend, they do not.
I discovered Ampersand last fall and it had everything I could have asked for. With some heavy downpour coming down I was looking for a place to treat a friend who was visiting to some drinks and a place to stay warm. Luckily enough I saw a "hot new business" on Yelp and was intrigued. A well reviewed cocktail bar over here? Let's give it a shot.
Whether it's a spirit forward drink you desire, or a well crafted beer, they got you covered. With the rain and wind it only seemed appropriate to order up a dark and stormy. Not too syrupy, not too much ginger beer, just right. Up next tried a Manhattan, and once again they hit the mark. Switched to beers and they have a large array of beers on tap and in bottle. The bartender was helpful and friendly.
So while I am glad to say, I had a wonderful time, I'm not sure if I want you to come here. If you enjoy fine drinks, elbow room, and an excellent atmosphere, come by. If you're a twenty year old douchebag who frequents the hellholes in Murray Hill, please stay far away.
Ampersand has about a dozen drafts on tap with majority being craft beers. The service was friendly and quick. I felt most of the seating was spacious with the exception of only one table.
We ordered all of the tacos: pork, fish, and mushroom. Each $10 order came with two small tacos. My favorite was the mushroom tacos. All three were prudently crafted leading to some well balanced flavors.