Outdoor seating
Yes
Cloister Cafe in New York
Categories
Location on the map
New York, New York County, New York, US
Service options
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Offerings
Alcohol
Yes
Beer
Yes
Cocktails
Yes
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Late-night food
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Spirits
Yes
Vegetarian options
Yes
Wine
Yes
Dining options
Brunch
Yes
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Catering
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
Toilets
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Phone: +1 212-777-9128
Site: http://www.cloistercafe.com/
Site: http://www.cloistercafe.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:Closed
- Wednesday:5–11PM
- Thursday:5–11PM
- Friday:5–11PM
- Saturday:12AM–11PM
- Sunday:12AM–11PM
Comments (199)
Great menu, cocktails, beer selection, coffee/even tea. Food is an exciting transfusion menu and brunch is basically second to none. Staff was super helpful and safe- it especially helps they have an AMAZING garden during covid times. Very cool spot worth traveling for- and it was conducive to larger parties. The haters gonna hate but most of them seem insufferable.
Ive been for brunch and dinner and the food is really tasty! The bacon is delicious and the new drink menu is so good. Now that the weather is warmer its the perfect spot on the open patio & they have so many heaters incase it gets chilly too. Ill def be going back!
Ive had dinner and brunch here a few times over the last few months - and I keep coming back! Each time does not disappoint! They have a beautiful heated outdoor garden and a heated canopy space in the back that allows you to dine even if its raining. The service is attentive, and the food and drinks are fantastic! Try the Dama Verde or Flor Del Diablo from their new drink menu!
Food is great, awesome atmosphere, amazing staff/owners - super friendly ppl w/ great service. Prices totally reasonable... great value overall.Solid new spot to do a boozy brunch or dinner. Grab a group of friends and try it. Highly recommend.Oh and support these local family businesses!
Loved this place! Stumbled upon it during a girls night. We had already has dinner at another restaurant, so I can’t speak too much to the food. We got dessert (cake, mousse and tart) which were all great! We also did get French fries at the end, which were also a delight. Tried hookah for the first time. While not something I would engage in regularly, if it’s something you are into, definitely give this place a visit. Service was phenomenal- the place was busy, but all the staff were attentive and friendly. Also, for it being New York, a surprising amount of outdoor space!
My friends and I came by this place last evening. We heard about it from a friend and loved it! I had the frozen horchata in this beautiful garden that made me feel like I was in tulum! Great music, service was quick, friendly staff, and the hookah was so smooth! The steak tacos, calamari, Brazilian cheese bread and churros are a must. Plenty of amazing cocktails to pick from but my two favorite were the cucumber lavender lemonade and horchata of course.
Came here for brunch with my girlfriend yesterday and it was too cute not to leave a review. Its a hidden garden in the east village and of course we started with a Bellini and their cactus margarita (sounds as good as it tasted!) . The eggs Benedict was done just right with runny eggs and the wagyu burger with chipotle hit the spot! Definitely recommend and cant wait to go back!
One of the warmest places Ive been coming to dine in throughout all the covid restrictions! Not only outdoors, clean and safe! Ive tried both the brunch and dinner and you cant go wrong with either. Came for brunch two weeks ago and I ordered the eggs benedict and an off menu steak fajita. The eggs were perfectly poached and steak full of flavor! The service is always amazing with the friendliest staff and the ambiance is super cute. Lots of photo ops for the gram! Insider tip- the Bellini to start and churros with hot dulce de leche to finish are a must! We stayed a bit past brunch for the hookah and cocktails. The bartender Arturo recommended an off menu spicy mango margarita which was very delish. And if youre a gin fan the mezcal cucumber lemonade is perfection!
Went there for some drinks and hookah with some friends. The ambiance is wonderful and our server was friendly and cheerful. The drinks were on point and they had a large hookah selection. I saw some of the meals that they were serving to another table and it looked good. I would come next time to try out the food. Also they do have a interesting bathroom downstairs which is good for a quick laugh.
I’ve been coming to Cloister Cafe for years and have been pleasantly surprised with all the changes they’ve made. A colorful and lively decor paired with amazing cocktails it’s one of my favorite go to’s! The mezcal margaritas are a must but you can’t go wrong with any of the new cocktails! The hookah is smooth, the outdoor garden is beautiful and covid friendly... what more can you want? Oh great food? That’s on point too!
My wife and I come into the city for this hidden cafe! The tacos are delicious, my personal favorite is the pulled pork ! Steak skewers with the thick cut yuca fries are very good and we normally order the churros to split. The watermelon hookah with pineapple head is delicious and all their specialty cocktails are on point. The dama verde margarita is unique and you wont find anything like it anywhere else. Staff is friendly & atmosphere is fun!
This place is really an amazing find! I came in here with pretty low expectations and it exceeded those quite a bit! The food was excellent and surprisingly varied (to a detrimental extent in terms of operations). The drinks were also affordable and equally fantastic. The place is absolutely beautiful and quaint as well. My only complaint would be in the impersonal service - but that seems par the course for New York, anyway! The servers get the job done either way and its absolutely not required to be super friendly. Theres definitely a hidden surprise here that youll eventually find! Im definitely coming back here the next time Im in the city!
Edit: The owner quickly responded to my original review with additional information regarding dining only areas. I changed my review to reflect their professionalism.The food was good, and the prices were fair for the area. My only complaints are that I wasnt aware that there was an area for dining without hookahs, and there was a slight draft that was a bit unpleasant on a winter day. I would visit again in a warmer season.
I loved everything about Cloister Cafe. From the food (they have a vegan burrito!) to drinks (Bellini for brunch, yes please) even down to their powerful heat lamps in their jungle vibe setting and excellent attentive staff. Seriously can’t wait to come back!
I didnt try the hookah, but it smelled good. This place has reasonably priced selection of food and drinks. They have an interesting cocktail selection as well. We ordered off the late menu and had the steak wrap and quesadilla with chicken. Both were delicious. We ordered the side salad which was so good I made point of putting it in the review.
This is my new favorite place in NYC.The Atmosphere is like a mix of a brazil - mexico village with a real NY fashion industry atmosphere.I went several times in the month of March for brunch and dinner. The food is incredible. Cocktails are world class perfection. Staff is peacefull no pressure to order fast and no pressure to leave after dinner and makes you feel welcome. Im going to have my birthday here on July 30th!
One of may favorite outdoor places for brunch or an intimate dinner. Definitely not a stumble over your own feet boozy brunch kinda place. Very chill vibe. Great mellow island or latin music to hang out to for a few hours, eat good food, and smoke a hookah. Highly suggest the Michelada and the Janeiro burger. The esthetic is really cool too. kinda like hanging out in a garden. In the summer they have a running koi pond. kinda cool. great place for the current environment given its in the open outdoors. Also heating is on point. Most places ive been going to in the January and Feb months, walked out with frost bite. This place, sitting outside i actually almost got uncomfortably too warm so i guess good for all you cold blooded souls. Definitely worth checking out
Interesting hookah bar with a cool enclosed outdoor space. There are fans and circulation is good enough that you dont feel like there is too much smoke around. Hookah prices are $20 per 2 people, and there is a 1 drink minimum. Drink prices are very cheap at $7-10 for shots, cocktails, and beers. The hookah flavors were alright as we got mixed berry and sex on 5th.Downsides include slow/inattentive service and mediocre hookahs. Perhaps being a person that usually smokes hookahs at home, one of our 2 hookahs didnt pull smoke very well and got harsh very quickly. Perhaps a consequence of them not changing the coals constantly but the hookah portion lasted maybe a total of 15-20 minutes while we were there for the hour.I might come back if Im in the area but hookah places can be a dime a dozen, especially in East Village.
Cannot attest to the hookah bar portion, but the cocktails we ordered were wonderful and came out really quick, the desserts were also wonderfully made and very tasty. Would recommend for a nice quiet place to get a drink as well as get some dessert after dinner
This place needs to be CLOSED ASAP, just left there tonight. While waiting on our food the rats made it clear this was their spot. When I told the waitress the rat issue she just said its because of the place having a garden. They are perfectly happy coexisting with RODENTS. They have the nerve to have an A rating in the window, but Im sure after tonight they gave that rating to themselves. Do NOT waste your time or money in this place.
We stumbled upon this place after seeing their stained glass windows from the street. When you walk through it looks dead but then theres another room where people are smoking hookah left and right. We ended up getting a hookah plus drinks for 4 people which cost us only $90 bucks, which is great for New York pricing. Will definitely come back in the future!
Really interesting place. Came here for hookah and drinks- the hookah is pretty inexpensive, but not the greatest. I sat outside in the patio but the inside looks really cool with the stained glass windows. I had no idea the patio was so huge! It was pretty crowded and not many servers were working, but it wasnt too bad.
The good: This place has amazing food, very alcoholy drinks, and decent hookah.The best thing about the hookah is that it lasts. 4 hours is the current record with me, and thats with several (free) coal changes. Their flavor selection isnt the widest, but among the offerings there are some gems. Try mixing Jasmine and Honey for something smooth. Mix Rose and Mint for strong, heavy smoke. 3 Berry is all right as well.I am in love with all of the duck dishes here. Roasted over couscous is my favorite. They also have a heavenly sweet mango and black sticky rice pudding. Better when mango is in season...Overall, the food is very good. I have rarely brought anyone here and heard them complain about it.Drinks are strong, but dont count on super high-end liquor here.The staff used to be a HUGE problem with this place. High turnover, waitresses that didnt speak much English and did not know the menu and didnt really know basic stuff (once I asked for a soda with grenadine in it. The poor girl had no idea what I meant, said she asked the bartender and they didnt have any, yet the table next to me got a Shirley Temple...).These days this is less of a problem. There are still a few servers that I simply refuse to even deal with (watch out for the young, dark-haired guy. just say no, trust me). Overall, the quality of the wait staff is much improved.The hookah is good. The food is great. The atmosphere is exactly right.
Cloister Cafe has been around for years and yet it’s a hidden gem of lower east side. It’s so rare to find nice hookah joints in manhattan that have decently priced hookah, huge space, nice cocktails and food options and this place ticks all the boxes. For any New York trivia buffs, this cafe is themed and designed around the Cloisters Museum and gardens in Bronx, hence the greenery and expansive courtyard!
Place is cute wouldnt recommend during summer time. Place was very hot and humid being that it is out doors. They have a small indoor area. Restrooms are down stairs and whats odd is there are 2 stalls in one bathroom with nothing dividing the two. Also place is kind of pricey but I liked that they offered Hooka.
My brother and I stopped by Cloister cafe while we were visiting NY. We walked into what was a pleasant enough ambience. Our waitress seated us but in a high traffic section. I asked to be moved which wasnt a problem...the waitress in this new section however walked up to us like we were in the wrong place. Then asked if there was anything wed need. Having already ordered drinks and hookah with the first we asked for the food menu. She said the kitchen was closed. Which was weird since there was food still being served. The first pleasant waitress came back with our drinks. We asked her if the kitchen was indeed closed. She said she didnt think so brought. She brought us a menu. She walks back and runs into the 2nd waitress, exchanges words then comes
Ambiance is terrific the food and hooka not so good. Our waitress forgot a drink and we had to seek her out every time. We all had burgers and did not like them.at all. The hooka we had to send back bc the taste was horrible. We believe in 2nd chances we may go again but definitely not running there. P
The drinks were delicious, the hookah was fantastic, but the best part was Imma. Her service was impeccable and she took great care of us. We will be back! Ive been coming to Cloisters on and off for seven years and its always lovely.
My husband and I stopped in yesterday around 1:00pm. Neither of us were drinking alcohol as we are trying to conceive, and we were told by the gentlemen who brought our waters that we would be able to order off the menu and not order alcohol (the only available menu was a brunch menu that offered a mimosa/bloody mary, a coffee and an entree for $25 a person). When I told the server we were not drinking and when, he told us it would be the same price regardless of whether or not we ordered a drink. I then told him we were not drinking because we were trying to get pregnant and he apologized but said there was nothing he could do. I probably should have asked to speak to a manager at that point, but I was exhausted from our day and wasnt in the mood to deal with the confrontation.We then waited close to 40 minutes for our food and were, because of the wait, given free dessert. This was a very nice gesture and our server was very nice, but the idea that we had to pay $50 for a falafel sandwich and a crab cake sandwich is ridiculous. And while the dessert was a nice gesture, if we had been asked, we would have told them that neither of us are big sweets people and we did not eat the dessert - so more food wasted. I have no complaints about our server - I was a waitress/bar tender for close to a decade - he was nice and attentive. The idea that they do not have a price for a brunch without alcohol, however, is ridiculous and as a result, we will never go back.
My favorite indoor/outdoor sit down location in East Village. If youre not a fan of hookah (Im not) you can still sit, and relax. Its a laid-back, no-hustle, no-grind night out. No loud music, just good conversation, and good friends. Come here with a group. I wouldnt recommend bringing a date to this scene.
The waitress is super nasty. She has an attitude of her own. Walked in with a friend. Took her forever to come to our table eventhough the place barely has 4 tables. She had the audacity to serve another table that walked in after us before she even bothered asking us. Last time in this place
Worst hookah in my life, I am hookah person about 10 years, so they have to change their tablet chemical coals on coconut ones. Come on guys, it’s 2018, you can’t use it in restaurant , I don’t want to get headache after this charcoal. Hose was dirty and dusty. Dirty water in a base. Too small head for shisha. Two stars for good service, hummus was delicious.
At my recent visit, I desired lemon pie for dessert but had not checked the dessert display ahead of time. Rather than disappoint my craving when no lemon pie was available that evening, the restaurant manager personally suggested a surprise for me. He, himself, brought a fruit tart drenched in a special lemon sauce. It was delicious. If you want to be treated as a special person, be sure to dine at the Cloister Cafe.
Excellent Decor! Old world European style. Great service warm and friendly staff. The owner came and shook our hands and thanks up for our patronage! Great food and the hot alcoholic beverages are delicious!
It was rush hour so its understandable that the service was slow and I had to get up and ask several times for menu, requests and the check. But overall its a serene environment with a decent menu and worth the cost. Would definitely recommend.
I visited Cloister Cafe last week for the hookah experience. Ive visited hookah cafes all over the USA and even in the Middle East. This cafe was a beautiful secret garden, very relaxing environment. Since it was called Cloister, I definitely expected more of a medieval decor scheme, but its really just vines and plants.When we walked in, the waitress asked if we wanted to eat or drink. When we replied we wanted to hookah, she seemed really surprised. No one else in the cafe was mainly hookahing. The waitress said they would not mix flavors to make a custom flavor (such as adding mint to a fruit flavor). We tried the rose-mint, which was sweet and well-balanced.I got a fresh mint tea. I assumed they used whole leaves or at least a tea ball to filter. Instead, there was a ton tiny chopped up mint in every sip.The downsides are the drink-with-hookah requirement (luckily, tea counts) and the one-hour limit. They only put one quick-lite coal on the head so it burns out around the 50 minute mark whether they want to enforce the limit or not. The waitress didnt ask us if we wanted a refill, she just brought the check... normally, Id love to sit in a hookah cafe for several hours, even with the refill requirement.I didnt appreciate the sneaky gratuity on the check, either. The menu says they only add gratuity onto parties of 4+ and we were only two. Its under abbreviation SuggGrat (which is not very suggested when its on your bill). Then when your credit card receipt comes back, there is a place for a tip as if they didnt already charge 17% on the original receipt.If I go back to NYC, Ill try a different place.
After we ordered food we saw a mouse running around. When we told the waitress she said its because they come from outside and its okay. She also told us that we live in New York and that its not her problem. The attitude is disgusting and uncaring. When we asked for a manager she said that he is busy and does not want to deal with this. The worst place, Do not eat here ! I am only giving one star because that is the lowest I can go!
I like the outdoor vibe of this hookah bar. The owner is cool, a little weird... And slightly perverted. I think hes either Portuguese or Brazilian... Hm.However if you know me AT ALL you know that I cant stand hookah. Mostly because it seems not to like me....... No good experiences with hookah ever!Anyway needless to say I didnt smoke but I drank. What else is new. Drinks were strong.... And on the house.Hookah, as I was told by those with me, is good but generally overpriced. I mean what do you expect? Its the East Village. Luckily one of the guys knew the owner so.... They didnt pay full price. Dont think its worth it.People are chill, mostly after work crew on the weekdays, groups of friends but its boring.... Wheres the music? Hmmm... BORING hookah place.
Great atmosphere, beautiful decoration, very nice and friendly staff. Food is fine and not expensive. The only down side is that all shisha are nicotine free
I came here for dinner with some friends a little over a month ago and it was definitely a quirky experience. We were seated in the corner of the back area where there is a blacklight for some reason (sure, Ill have the purple burger). The issue with that is it made our waitress a little inattentive to our needs. There were a couple times we had to go track her down ourselves. The food was ok, and you have to enter the cafe through the garden entrance which is lined with cobblestones. Must be cute during the summer but that makes it a bit hazardous right after a blizzard (which is, of course, when we decided to go because my friends live in the Danger Zone).
Recently had a fantastic brunch there. Great garden ambiance in the east village with great food and drinks - would absolutely return again.
Very basic cafe for food. Desserts are better. Known for hookah smoking mostly and not really for the food. During the day is smoke-free. Unless you are into hookah, maybe skip it for food.
Fantastic place to hang out with friends, enjoy some drinks, hookah and good deserts. I highly recommend this place. The Apple Mint hookah flavor was fun and refreshing.
Went there ordered a mint hookah, ended up with herbal shisha. Asked them why and the waitress claimed the place only serves herbal hookahs. Paid $45 for something thats worth $10. Dont go here
Amazing service and delicious food. I felt beyond safe with their Covid procedures in place!! I will certainly be back. Tip- get the spicy marg!
Excellent vibe and atmosphere. Always a fun place to come with friends. Hookah quality is decent and the price is not bad. Great place to chill and have a drink.
Wonderful food and staff. I love everything about this restaurant definitely recommended if you are in the area. The food and desserts are to die for, make sure you try the cheesecake.
Friendly staff, great selection of desserts, drinks. During the holidays they had these gorgeous Christmas decorations which was enough to enjoy in itself.
Absolutely horrendous drinks. The margarita tasted like window cleaner and the mojito was a mess.If you must go, which you should not, stick to wine or beer. Then get in and get out. Fast.
Very quaint atmosphere. Decently priced drinks, good place to smoke hookah. Food takes a while to come though. Decent food too
Place has great vibes. Waiters and waitresses are very patient with their customers and the bartender, Isaam, is one of the coolest and nicest guys in NYC.
Loved this place. Ambiance, atmosphere and service were all great. The food and drinks took me from premeal drinks to coffee with liqueur. Definitely a good day time summer hang out.
The food was OK, mainly appetizers. The hookah and the tea were great. Overall a nice place only if you are looking for a hookah bar.
One of a kind experience for locals and out of town visitors. Friendly staff, great ambiance, and excellent food. Make sure Alberto is cooking. Take time for desert and to people watch.
The space is nice. There are grape vines in the garden. It feels secluded, like cloisters. The burger and fries were good.
Nice location, but horrible food, and even worse cappuccino. Very pleasant garden to sit in when the weather is nice, but otherwise not worth the hustle.
There are many other, better places to hang out within blocks of this one. The stained glass windows are all thats cool about it. Bad cocktails, good prices.
Decent shisha though you can tell they dont clean the shishas very often--we ordered mint and it ended up tasting like a mix of mint, grape, gum, and licorice because of the lingering flavors
Kind of a throw back to the nineties which is what I needed. Hookahs, so they let me vape! Really good mystery pilsner (waiter didnt know but hey). Basic burger, so satisfying.
Its kind of cheezy and cheap decor but its a great place to get a couple of cheap beers and smoke some hookah in an outdoor courtyard. If thats what you are looking for, this is the top spot in New York.
My advice (for minorities) if youre a minority who isnt middle eastern - Dont go there!!!!!!! Coz they wont serve you. They will blatantly tell you they are closed for food but will clearly serve others food right in front of you 😳 Thought Id give them a pass and give them the benefit of the doubt incase those were old orders. But nooooo, new orders kept coming in and they kept serving non-whites! I was like holy crap! Is this actually happening in front of me in 2016?!! Well sadly it was 😞 Hey, what the heck Its their business but they wont last if this goes on. Please please if youre a minority just respect yourself and pass.
They need to update their photos, place must be under new management. Beautiful colorful atmospherere and fresh amazing food!
Have had a mixture of experiences here, the first few times I came was great! Staff was nice and the prices weren’t too bad. However, the last time I came the staff wasn’t too great and I didn’t appreciate the way they treated us. Since then, haven’t been but might try again in the future.
Gorgeous setting. Reasonable prices and food was good. However the dessert (sorbet) was not good. Service was excellent.
This place is perfect for a date day or night. They even have hookah if your in the mood. This place with all the vines is beautiful.
Beautiful stained glass decor inside with a nice outdoor area to dine as well. Reasonable prices, great food, friendly staff.
Can not wait to come back here. Extraordinary service, cheap yet tasty drinks. Delicious food. I am a big fan.
Cozy outdoor garden, mostly shaded with vines growing on the sides of adjacent buildings. Not a huge menu selection, but youll likely find your favorites.
A lovely, relaxed atmosphere with great food and ambiance. I was very happy to stumble across this place randomly.
Nice place, pretty cheap food and nice bring able to sit outside. However the cocktails were not good at all
Nice spot, excellent atmosphere, loved the hospitality and the music
Its become my favorite brunch place, its beautiful. Staff are great and so is the food. Thank you!
Nice garden dining, too bad the food is lousy, very inferior, bad quality, service is ok, the bathroom downstairs is the best.That got them the one star
Amazing vibe, great steak with potatoes, strong drinks, and great hookah experience. Favorite spot so far in the east village.
Passable hookah, terrible drinks. Didnt even consider getting food. Extra star for garden courtyard. Shame the location cant be used for something better.
Medicore food, great location though. Looks beautiful inside. Hookah was alright
Lovely outdoor seating and fantastic ambiance. Food was okay; nothing exceptional, but not terrible.
Pretty empty on Sunday evening. Greek salad was mediocre. The double toilet seriously makes no sense.
Wonderful setting and very good food. I just had the best chicken wrap I have ever had!
This is a really cute place with surprisingly decent food! The environment is the main reason to come, you really have a Medieval feeling here.
Seems like they bought a nice Italian restaurant but dont know how to cook Italian food. How they got the 4 stars is a mystery.
It is a great swing by or after work hangout kinda place! They have a cozy garden, good selection of drinks and food.
Great service, drinks and atmosphere . I would highly recommend it. Its a great place for a date not to formal and not to casual
Gabby was amazing. We loved her. Very sweet and accommodating. Truly enjoyed our time.
Disappointing ....made birthday reservation got totally screwed.... Got there with six people they said we still cant come in till everyone comes...we invited twenty people but we were ready to start to celebrating ....screw this place
Great atmosphere good hookah, only if they started using coconut charcoal
Awesome service, great vibe, great music, really perfect brunch. Great spot for groups.
Delicious desserts, great atmosphere
We only had beer, our waitress was friendly. I like the decorr of this place. Will visit again to try food.
Some of the drinks we ordered were not good though the margarita was great!
Great place for drinks and hookah- especially during summer or fall in terrace area!
Great burgers! They are very nice. I will come back definitely.
Pretty solid hookah spot, great for dates that are into that sort of thing 👌🏾
Amazing hookahs with good flavors that lasted a very long time. Pretty cheap for the neighborhood.
Love this place. Total place for chill. Love the hookah and the staff is good as well..
Brunch was great, cappucino to perfection, huevos rancheros and homefries tasty and filling, outdoor seating ambience amazing.
Sunny and peaceful spot to hang out in the summer. Food, drink, and service are nothing to write home about. Go for the atmosphere.
Patio seating is great the food is better
A truly unique place! Great good, and omg the decor! That’s something truly special!
The food is delicious and the prices are so reasonable ! Love this place. Highly recommended
Great place. The food is good and the setting is very pretty.
We went there for a proper hookah, but all we got was a FAKE hookah with no tobacco!
Great hookahs. Desserts are ok. Ambience is great
I am not sure why they dont have a higher reviews. Dont stay away ,youre missing a great deal
Wont be going there again... the service and the mice outweighs the excellent beef burger
Love this hidden gem, I love the stain glass decor and the service is fast and very friendly.
The hookah is not a real deal. They dont have license to serve tobacco
Relaxed atmosphere. Good place to meet up with friends and talk over coffee.
Great setting. Amazing prices. Nice ambience, decent service
Beware! They add the tip to the total but then leave a space on the bill to add a tip. Its one thing to include the tip, its another thing to do it without saying so. Thats messed up!
Great hookah and food. Area is really cool too!
Nice visual and ok food, more for hookah and drinks.
Early on a Saturday morning.... Great hookah and place to stop for a quick beer.
Hookahs are not real!They haven’t mentioned it on the menu though. It is all tobacco free!
Great ambience and food. Make a reservation for your next birthday or corporate party!
Nice place to eat, drink wine, smoke hookah and hang out.
Great atmosphere and good service. Really enjoyed the ambiance and background music.
Good enough food and really cool beer garden.
Nice cocktails and you can get hookah
I spent a good time in this place. The food is delicious.
Beautiful garden with streams and mini fountains, great food!
Very good atmosphere, staff, and drink experience!
Excellent service, reasonably priced and amazing food!
Beautiful friendly owners and staff. Food was delicious.
The burger was very good. I appreciate the amount of fries.
Nice place, go for limitless brunches and nice outdoor sitting
Weeknight drinks. Popped in because it looked really interesting, but what’s with the Trump painting?
Nice beer garden to chill and drink. Very casual
Tasty meals, good service, pleasant atmosphere.
Lovely surroundings but felt pressured to order more food/drink from staff.
Food is good, priced right and service was perfect.
Good spot for hanging out and sharing a hookah with your buds.
Nice quiet place to have good time for small and big groups of friends
Hookah bar with an outdoor side.
Just stopped in to have a beer on my way to meet friends. Im impressed!
Beer towers and hookah. Super chill place!
5 stars every time, what venue. Hidden gem.
Excellent brussel sprouts. A pot a tea. In a garden 💐🌿🌾
Cool garden to be sitting outside on a warm evening with a hookah.
Kinda expensive but the grapes vineyard just above you is worth it.
Roomy, plenty of good hookahs and good service.
Love the ambiance.Food is great 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Delicious food! Amazing place!
Horrible service. Hookah has no tobacco
Pricey but good drinks
Terrible service. Hookah is expensive but its terrible!!!
Decent. The door man acts like this place is more important than it is
Excellent atmosphere, food was good.
Best place for hookah in new York
Horrible food, lame service, okay ambience.
Nice place and waiters, but chicken was disgusting.
Hookah and service were great.
The best cakes Ive ever had!!
Loved it, and the Russian girl was really nice.
A good place for a retrait after a busy day
Its amazing place with great stuff!
Great prices !! And beautiful atmosphere
Horrible service and hookah dont come here.
Great place. Great atmosphere. Unique.
Me and my best friend love this place.
Drink was so so..don’t order food.
Its stained glass is guarded by a coat of armor
Not the best service. Gross bathrooms.
Great Cafe to relax and slow down
Great hookah flavors!
Good atmosphere, bad hookah
This is simply a beautiful place. A must!
So-so brunch, nice patio
Nice place...good food
We chilling a s smoking hookah
Good food
Nice spot
Amazing food and service
Okay spot
Loved the garden seating
Great sheesha:)
Great Portobello burger
Amazing brunch!
Food is fantastic!!!
Great place for Brends
Nice outdoors area
Good
Worst service in the city
Everything was delicious
Amazing ambience!
The food wa mediocre
GOOD
Cash only place.
Quaint, and quiet place.
Total reviews rating 4.1
199 Reviews for Cloister Cafe 2023:
Review №1
2021-04-04A lovely restaurant hidden away on a quiet street in Manhattan. Cloister cafe has a cute outdoor garden, spacious enough to fit your entire party. From the mosaic tiles, to the water fountain, and all of the plants... This restaurant has created such a serene atmosphere. The food is fantastic! No matter what you order, you cant go wrong.
Review №2
2018-12-07A friend recommended this place a while ago and I finally had a chance to go. The vibe is very nice, kind of like an indoor garden that you would find at the cloisters (like the name implies) however there arent any plants which I feel would really add to the ambiance. The hookah selection is great, so many flavors to choose from. They also have a lengthy drink menu with plenty of cocktails. I got a Long Island Iced Tea which was very strong and got me a little tipsy. We also got buttery nipple shots to try and they were a lot of fun. I will say I was very disappointed by the food. The menu was good but the execution of the food was poor. I felt like Gordon Ramsay eating the fried tofu appetizer, it just wasnt good and the dipping sauce was too runny. I also ordered the fettuccine alfredo and the sauce tasted like it was from a jar so that was a let down. I was also disappointed with the attention our waiters paid to us. They didnt refill the water and they only came over to stir the hookah once. This place is fine as a hookah bar but not as a restaurant in my opinion.
Review №3
2019-08-21This places venue is gorgeous, in particularly the garden, pictures wouldnt do it justice. Venue definitely deserves 4 stars ; Since part of the restaurant is outside and around plants take into consideration of the bugs that might want to join in.As for the food and drinks, Ive definitely had better with better proportions but it was still good. 3 stars ; The chicken parmesan was nicely made and it did taste good but the proportion for the price was ridiculous, my bf got a burger that was cheaper than mine and his proportions were triple mine. Some of the food (Calamari) had some spice in it even my drink , I hate spicy food but because it wasnt a crazy amount I didnt complain.I would definitely come back but only for a scenery experience and maybe a special date since the food is expensive.And I would recommend to a friend but with a heads up .
Review №4
2018-11-03The stained glass is beautiful but so is the patio. It’s gorgeous! We happened to stop by on a cooler day and thought to give sitting outside a try which was perfect because they have a wonderful selection of delicious, warm drinks. I highly recommend giving this place a try! Also, if it’s your thing, they have hookah! I did not try it out so I can’t speak to it’s quality.I had the hot vine, my boyfriend had the steamy apple. Both were fantastic but I personally liked his better.
Review №5
2019-06-22This place was a surprise find and we were pleasantly surprised. There are not many outdoor hookah spaces in NYC and Cloister offers just that.The place is reasonably priced with friendly staff. The food was okay as well.Overall we had a good experience and would definitely come back.
Review №6
2021-04-22I’ve been coming to this place for years, but since the pandemic the Cafè has changed a lot positively.The garden has such an escapable ambiance from the city environment. Perfect for a date or just to chill/smoke with your best friends.
Review №7
2019-04-25I came from toronto to visit new york, and heard about this place from my goos friend. I am happy he told me about it! Great people, from the employees, to the manager, all the way to the owner! Good hookahs, food and environment! The people made us feel like home, and will for sure go back there to enjoy my time! Highly highly recommended.Thank you guys for good time, see you soon!
Review №8
2019-06-08The place looks really nice. The quesadilla was really salty however and I didn’t like it. The service was bad, the water was not refilled, and it took 45 minutes for the food. The tip was automatically added and we were not told, and then it took a long time to collect the check even though there weren’t many people in the restaurant.
Review №9
2018-08-07Sitting here in the wonderful Cloister Patio smoking a Shisha writing this review. Usually the first place I go to when visiting NYC - a oasis of calm in the bustling city. Today’s Monday so it’s rather quiet but service is very attentive and friendly nonetheless. Agreed that they could switch to cocoa charcoal from the self-igniting they have now. Other than that - super hookah filled to the brim with fresh and moist tobacco. I like the generous selection of tastes, went for Lemon/Mint today as it’s warm outside and that seems like a refreshing option. Good Longdrink Menu as well here. Do yourself a favor and chill out with a tea or drink in their grape vine-covered patio. A true gem in lower Manhattan that has me coming back every time.
Review №10
2021-03-30Before the pandemic, this cafe was one of my favorite all time spots to go and grab a drink at. The new owners have changed up the menu, the food was somewhat still the same and overall good. However, the owners were so insanely rude. I was with a party of 6 that made a reservation a week before the date I was coming and asked for a good table. It seemed to me like they cared for their parties of 2 more then a party of 6. The tables are very uncomfortable to sit at especially if you want to enjoy your meal. Its simply a couch that can fit maybe 4 people and a very low low table. We asked if we can put two big tables together which they had plenty of but they supposedly couldnt do that because they had other reservations WHICH THEY DIDNT EVEN HAVE. We ended up staying there for 3 hours and no one came to the tables we asked to put together. It was such a big deal for them to put them together for us. We ended up grabbing an extra chair which was so UNCOMFORTABLE. Everything on the table felt very pushed together, like there was no room. They took forever to bring us water or even a menu. We asked 3 TIMES. & Also what place in the city for brunch doesnt serve mimosas besides this place.. ?DO NOT GO HERE. You can find a better place in the city.