The Duplex

I love this piano bar!! This place is really set up for a great night of fun; singing all your old favorites and having decently priced drinks with friends. However, if you go there on a Monday or a Thursday beware of the ever-so-miserable Darius Frowner (the name says it all). This man is a brilliant pianist and has an impressive repertoire of songs (all in his head) that you can choose from but he also really knows how to take all the fun out of it. Darius is not only a "diva" as they say, but he can be unbelievably rude to anyone who isn't a legit broadway-style singer or who is ready to give you the exact notes on the page. He will critique your performance, monitor your song selections according to his concept of what might accidentally be less than perfect, and he will literally yell at people who take musically inclined liberties within a song. Not only will he hound you like a dog to continue putting money in his giant tip jar, but he is usually the only one in the joint who isn't there with the intention of having a good time. He has single-handedly ruined my experience there as well as a number of my friends' on multiple occasions. I will no longer go to this place when Frowner is in charge of the "fun" and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else who enjoys a good positive environment. If you DO find yourself there on a Mon or Thurs, fear not!! The very talented waitress Gabrielle Taryn will happily bring you your drinks all night as she sings her beautiful heart out- just a spoon full of sugar will help the Darius Frowner go down. Here's lookin out New York!! Stay happy and safe!

Duplex is a great mix of piano bar, neighborhood hangout, and cabaret theater. The piano bar downstairs is a fun place to hear up-and-coming New York singers (and once in a while a famous one) belting out anything from rock and roll to classic showtunes, especially on a Monday night when all the Broadway folks have a night off and Darius Frowner is playing the heck out of the piano. Upstairs is a more relaxed feel, with darts and games and a cozy hang-out space, and attached is an intimate cabaret space where you can catch all different kinds of shows, from one-man/woman cabarets to readings of full cast musicals. A fantastic spot for tourists and locals alike!

I have had some of the best times of my (going out) life here, Sunday nights are the best. Brian Nash, Poppi Kramer, and Kate Pazakis are so much fun, and the talent between them is amazing. Brian is entertaining and amazing, and Poppi makes the best Cosmo's!

From Palm Springs, California...I visited this bar in NY this past June. What a beautiful bar!! Good looking men with good looking clothes. Age of most people was around 45 to 55, but they all looked great! Very friendly crowd. A bar "not to miss" if you like class.

This is not strictly a gay bar but a mixed bar that also caters to straights and many tourists of all persuasions. Downstairs is a piano bar where you will hear doo wop a lot, sung by singers who do not need microphones in such a small space but use them anyway -- I am surprised the staff is not deaf! Upstairs is a more intimate and much gayer lounge which is very friendly and even cruisy at times. This is a good place to party with straight friends. Friendly staff and atmosphere. They also have a small theater where they put on shows. Basically a nice place if you are not expecting a strictly gay ambiance. HEADS UP: The upstairs lounge is very gay during week nights but is pretty much straight, with bar maids, on the week ends. Go to The Monster instead.