Stopped in with my pup so excited to check this out. Exceeded my expectations. Elegant space, cool vibe, welcoming adorable owners and baristas. And btw I’d go for the perfect cappuccino and their almond croissant even if I didn’t have a dog. But I do. So basically now we may never go anywhere else.

I mean really, what more can a girl ask for than a coffee shop that also has an endless supply of dogs walking through the door? I love the outdoor space here at Black Lab Cafe, it's the perfect spot to both people *and* dog watch on the Upper West Side!

The food here is amazing! I highly recommend the Lemon Square. It’s not too sour, but you still taste the lemon.

My favorite coffee shop in NY. Definitely a go to place either to have a coffee or a matcha (puppy lavender matcha is very good) while you work, or have a nice lunch (their fish tacos are super good). Staff is SO nice and helpful. Great customer experience. Also there are always so many dogs to pet!!

We were running late for the coffee plans and ended up having dinner- so glad we did! Everything was delicious! We ordered several dishes and all exceeded expectations. I highly recommend both salmon options - the salad was perfect. Service was above and beyond with friendly welcoming staff and timely service. Canine companion rates this place 100 stars.

Dylan Gross

Been going here for years. Classic bar fare and atmosphere. Crowd is on the younger side.

Teresa Bocalan

Hosted a birthday party here and the experience was amazing from start to finish. Christine and Meg made the planning so easy and were so incredibly kind. On the night of the party, Tony and Elisa (sp?) and the rest of the GM team gave us an amazing evening! We will be back — thank you Gin Mill!

Andres Felipe

Megan the bartender is the best that NYC has ever had. She’s the best in the world.

Kate Ronson

We hosted a chill wedding reception in the Speakeasy and had the best time with our friends and family. The service was amazing and the food was delicious. I love the crowd here.

Victoria Borja Jennings

We held our wedding reception at the Gin Mill. Christine was amazing to work with, so detail-oriented and answered every question. And we couldn’t have had a better day-of team to ensure the evening went smoothly!

Jacqueline Lopez

Went to watch the Knicks game on a cold night. Really good happy hour deals, good music, good food I recommend the chicken nachos to share!

Billy Fornaro

Great 👍 place. Sports 🏏 bar upstairs; speakeasy with jazz music 🎵 downstairs

Mari Vicente

Lively sports bar with good service and polite staff. The prices are affordable, making it a great spot to hang out. They also have a speakeasy downstairs, where I attended a private event. It’s a pretty cool space with an exposed original brick ceiling, adding to the charm.

Jesus Meneses Millan

Awesome place! There was a band playing music and it sounded great. The drinks are not too expensive so it's perfect for a quiet night out with friends.

Mike Marshall

Stopped by for F1 racing, NFL, and a couple beverages... the place was busy but not packed. The staff were kind and helpful. We didn't eat but the food looked and smelled good. Good atmosphere.

Josie Teixeira

Here you find the best fries with cheese and bacon in NY! Reminds me a lot of the French fries we have in Brazil! The chicken wings are super yummy! I recommend with eyes closed!

Kyuwon Lee

They offer happy hour deals basically out of any reasons you can think of—which is coming from the true spirit of running a bar, I personally think. Beers taste how it’s supposed to be, and the foods are attentive to the classic while boasting their own touch.

Kim Whitehead

For a private event - Held a surprise, Roaring 20s themed party at the Gin Mill, so fantastic. We needed almost no decoration, the private room in the basement behind a locked door, was fantastic. Beautiful, spacious, and the service was perfect. The manager assisted us with determining how to get the birthday girl downstairs without ruining the surprise. Our bartender was attentive, fast, personable, fun, and really great at suggesting drinks for the birthday girl as well! The set up and breakdown were easy with the staff's help, and the price of the event was completely reasonable for the great time we had. Most top shelf liquor was available for about $50/per person for three hours. The food was great, both the food that we ordered and the food that came with the event. There wasn't a lot of food included in the event buffet - don't plan on inviting 30-50 people and having a full dinner included in the price. But they did bring out a beer pong table half way through the evening, and the pitchers of beer for the games were all included. All-in-all it was such a great experience, would HIGHLY recommend for any event. The happy birthday sign you see in the pictures is ours, one of the only decorations we brought.

This corner coffee shop has a cool vibe inside. After ordering an iced latte I was accosted by two happy dogs, not something I was upset about. There is a nice outdoor patio to sit at. The cafe just opened, so their kitchen isn't open yet. Once they have some food to buy I will be sure to return.

Came here because I used to have a Black Lab and miss her terribly, so hoped for some Black Lab related theme. I'm surprised that they don't even have a pic of black labs on their walls while having some other smaller sized breeds. No tennis balls, nothing Black Lab related, really... The food was ok, but not to come back for. Cappuccino was alright.

Francisco Javier Perez Herrera

Nice little bar. The happy hour prices make it a good buy, the staff was friendly, nice atmosphere for live games, etc. There is hidden bar below too. Not a bad place to check out.

Jia Sun

Fun bar in the area, lively atmosphere, ok sampler plate, chill bartenders.

+2

Duchess

DO NOT order takeout from this place. I've had their food in person and it's great. I ordered takeout and they literally gave me half the container. It was so incredibly disappointing. Go in PERSON guys, please.

My recent experience at Black Lab Cafe in New York City was far from what I expected. Despite its name hinting at a pet-friendly vibe, I was surprised to find out that pets weren't allowed inside. This decision took away from the cozy atmosphere I was hoping for. Walking in, I immediately noticed the lack of warmth. Instead of the lively presence of pets, the space felt cold and unwelcoming. This absence definitely dampened the mood. On top of that, the service was mediocre. The staff didn't seem very engaged or interested in making the experience enjoyable. It felt like they were just going through the motions. The food and drinks also left a lot to be desired. The coffee was stale, and the pastries were dry. It seemed like attention to detail was lacking across the board. Overall, my visit to Black Lab Cafe was disappointing. It's unfortunate that such potential is being held back by their no-pet policy and lackluster execution. Unless they reconsider their stance and improve their overall experience, I'll be looking for other cafes that prioritize hospitality and inclusivity.

!!No longer dog friendly!! Should have been open and communicated this or tried for partial hours that were dog friendly. Instead just showed up one day (with the pup) and can no longer go in. There were many many other problems with the business that should have been addressed first before banning dogs…strange move. I know the team tries hard but have to be honest here, food is nowhere near good enough to survive as cafe alone. Coffee is fine but not worth going out of your way when there are other great options in the neighborhood

All these one star reviews are completely correct. This place was such a great addition to the Upper West Side. But now that they don’t allow dogs anymore, why bother? There are plenty of places to get coffee and such. Why couldn’t the owners just leave well enough alone? They will certainly my not make more money as a no dogs allowed cafe! That was the whole point in going there!

Plastic

Pricing felt deceptive. Vodka drinks 6 dollars was advertised but was charged 12 for vodka red bull and didn't even get the rest of the can.

Starshemia Smith

A few friends and I hung out at The Gin Mill last night. The atmosphere was great the bartender was amazing. However the security was not. The security was in charge of the music We requested songs as we enjoy our time there his attitude towards us very unprofessional. Afterwards, we were accused of knocking over trash cans in front of the bar. Security approached us and accuse of knocking them over. My friend was verbally abuse by one of the security members he called him the N word and preceded to talk to him very disrespectful. The mood and night was ruined do will we come back ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Leana Zittlau

Bartender Marina on Saturday 9/272025 needs to learn some people skills. She’s rude, obnoxious and not people friendly. Please teach her to understand the concept of hospitality. I’m in hospitality and yeah I would have fired her.

Jazmin Gil

I had been to this bar a year ago. The vibes were great. They play all sorts of music, it has a young crowd (college students), drinks are like any other dive bar, service is decent. However, I went this past Saturday to have a few drinks at the bar. Only had one drink with my friend at the bar. After closing out my tab I decide to use the restroom and head out. Once I am coming up the stairs I bump into a security guard (a big white male, Puerto Rican most likely) and he stopped me. The security guard said, this section is for a private party, text your friend to come over here. I said "no, I am good I am just heading out". I tried to move and he stops me and starts calling security. At this point I am confuse what is going on. The place is loud and dark. All I can see is the security guard finishing his food. When all of the the sudden he grabs me very hard from my arm, drags me and throws me out the bar. Everything happen so fast that my friend barley realized I was being thrown out the bar. Honestly, I don't even know if this was a racist move, harrasment, or just plain power struck from security. This has been my first experience in NYC being treated in such a way for no reason. I am 100% sure there excuse would be to say it is a drunk female acting up. But trust me it was not the case and that is what is alarming about this situation. I want to bring awareness to what happen to me because I am not sure what were the intentions of the security guard. **Do not go to this bar alone and if you do, do not go to the restroom alone!