Idlewild
Venue Brief
NoDa cocktail den with no printed menu, where bartenders build each drink from a description of what the guest is in the mood for, in a dark, candlelit room.
Venue Details
- Vibe
- IntimateDate NightChill
- Age guide
- 25-45
- Dress code
- Casual Chic
- Demographic
- LocalsYoung ProfessionalsCouples
- Music genre
- Lounge/Chill House
- Price
- $$$$
- Open season
- Year-round
- Clientele
- LocalsAmerican
- Offerings
- Table Service
- Open times
- Mon 6 PM – 1 AMTue 6 PM – 1 AMWed 6 PM – 1 AMThu 6 PM – 1 AMFri 6 PM – 2 AM BestSat 6 PM – 2 AM BusySun 6 PM – 1 AM
- Vibe score
- 6.9 / 10
Address
Contact
About Idlewild
There is no menu to read here. Guests describe a flavor, a spirit or a mood, and the bar team builds something to match, which reviewers call the reason to come: savory requests land as well as fruity ones, and servers are singled out by name for knowing their craft. The room is dark and intimate, with candles on the tables, a long bar backed by open shelving and trailing plants, and a host at the door managing the waitlist. That waitlist is the recurring complaint; an early Saturday arrival can work without a reservation, but peak hours fill fast and there is no waiting at the bar. Hours run from six in the evening until one, stretching to two on Friday and Saturday, seven nights a week. Open since 2019 on East 36th Street, it holds 4.7 stars across more than 550 Google reviews and suits couples and small groups better than big parties.
