Beauty & Essex

What groups say

Groups of 12 to 45 book the Vault, Mirror Bar or upstairs tables for birthdays, corporate dinners and holiday parties with set family-style menus.

• The Vault is a curtained room at the back used for groups of about 18; reviewers say it seats 20 but feels tight above 14.
• The Mirror Bar hosted a group of 30 with its own bar, tables and lounge seating; one holiday party bought out space for about 45.
• Large groups are served prix fixe or family-style menus, with optional unlimited cocktail packages; one 18-person Vault birthday totaled over $5,000, near $300 per person.
• An events team handles planning by email and phone, including drink packages and pre-fixe menus; one host waited 6 days for confirmation.

Drawn from 70 Google reviews of Beauty & Essex that mention a group, a private room or a celebration, read September 2026. The reviews below describe a group visit, private rooms and larger events first, with the critical ones kept in.

• birthday party, party of 30

  We hosted my wife’s birthday at Beauty & Essex with a group of 30, and it was absolutely perfect. The Mirror Bar was the ideal space for our crew — it felt private while still having great energy. Having our own bar, plenty of tables, and comfortable lounge seating made it incredibly easy for everyone to move around and enjoy the night. It’s an incredible setup for larger groups. The food was excellent, the cocktails were great, and the overall vibe was exactly what you want for a big celebration — upscale but fun, lively without feeling chaotic. Natalie and the events team made the planning process seamless, and the service throughout the evening was outstanding. If you’re looking for a stylish, high-energy space that works beautifully for a large group celebration in NYC, this is it. We’ll definitely be back!

• 40th birthday dinner, party of 18

  Hosted my husband’s 40th birthday at The Vault and had a great experience. The space felt private while still being part of the restaurant, which was perfect for our group of 18. The family style dining was delicious and everyone loved the food. Opted for the unlimited cocktail package, drinks were great, but a bit slow to arrive. Most people only got 2 drinks and definitely felt it wasn't worth the cost. There was some miscommunication between the servers at the end wrapping up the leftovers which could have been avoided.

• rehearsal dinner, party of 18

  I am sad to say that while we have loved dining out at Beauty and Essex in the past, we cannot recommend them for a private event. My husband and I had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding in the Vault. We were very excited because the restaurant is gorgeous, and we have enjoyed our previous dinners. We booked for 18 guests (pre-fixe) with a 2.5 hour reservation. Upon arrival there was a wait for our event room. Once seated, there was hardly any room for our group. While the room claims to hold up to 20 guests, we had to sit with arms pressed up against one another the entire night on hightop seats. Very little standing room. If anyone had to excuse themselves, the entire table had to get up with them. The space felt claustrophobic. 14 seats is the realistic maximum for eating comfortably in the room. On top of the overcrowding, the AC in our room was blasting cold air onto us despite the rest of the restaurant feeling nice and warm. Considering it was winter, we asked if this could be lowered several times, but nothing happened. We ended up wearing jackets at the table. The food was still delicious, but it took a very long time for courses and drinks to come out. 45 min for the first set of small plates, maybe close to 2 hours for the second set. By the time the majority of the large plates were coming out, people were tired and ready to go home. Drink orders took 20-30 minutes as well. Dinner took four hours start to finish despite being advertised as a 2.5 hour booking. Since this was a rehearsal dinner, the lack of timeliness caused a lot of stress. The wedding required our families to have an early start the next morning. Since our dinner went an hour and a half over time, we weren’t able to check into accommodations for the wedding until close to 12am. We understand that service for large groups can be challenging, but if an accurate time estimate was provided up front, we would have been able to better schedule the dinner to meet our needs. Time expectations need to be managed for those booking private events going forward. TL;DR: We felt the experience was disappointing in terms of physical space, service, and timeliness. We love the food and drink at Beauty and Essex though, and it is perfect for a night out if you are considering stopping in! Just not for a large or private event.

• holiday party buyout, party of 45

  We booked this space out for a holiday party of about 45 people. The crew here is topnotch. Food and service are excellent with great attention to detail. We had a great experience and I would highly recommend.

• birthday dinner, party of 18

  DO NOT CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY HERE! I reserved the Vault room for 18 people, paid over $5,000 for tapas essentially, and received the terrible service. Even making the reservation was a pain! I had to wait almost 6 days to get confirmation because they had the wrong email and didn’t care to just reach out to my phone. When we got there, no catering to my guests AT ALL. A simple “all the way to the back is the room” is what they got. Then the service: TERRIBLE. Christian was our server and he had ATTITUDE. They were clearly understaffed so there were like 6 random people rarely coming to our table to refill drinks. The food was EH and the manager- Edwin never even came by to ask if there was anything needed. IGNORED US the whole time. We closed the curtains for some privacy and the room became so unbearably hot we had to reopen them. Oh and do you think u got one candle? A happy birthday from anyone? I paid over $5000 for eh food and the worst service EVER. Do you know how embarrassing it is to ask your guests to pay almost $300 a person for mediocre food and terrible service? DO NOT CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY HERE! TERRIBLE!

Good to know

A pawn shop gives way to a happening restaurant & lounge serving creative American fare & cocktails.

Hours, spend and amenities from Google. Private event hours and minimums are set by the restaurant.

Frequently asked questions

Does Beauty & Essex have a private dining room?

Beauty & Essex offers a semi-private dining space for groups rather than a fully enclosed room. Multi-level venue; private events for 15+.

How much does it cost to book a private event at Beauty & Essex?

Beauty & Essex sits in the $$$ price bracket for Lower East Side. A private room or group booking is usually priced on a food and beverage minimum that scales from that per-head figure rather than a flat room fee. Minimums run higher on Friday and Saturday nights and through December. Contact Beauty & Essex for the current minimum and deposit terms.

When is Beauty & Essex open?

Beauty & Essex is open closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 5:00 to 10:00 PM, Thursday 5:00 to 11:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM, and Sunday 5:00 to 10:00 PM, serving lunch. The restaurant takes reservations for regular tables. Private rooms can often be booked outside these hours, including daytime events, so ask when you inquire.

What kind of restaurant is Beauty & Essex?

Beauty & Essex is a $$$ New American/Asian restaurant in Lower East Side, New York City, rated 4.5 stars across 4,879 Google reviews. Google describes it as: A pawn shop gives way to a happening restaurant & lounge serving creative American fare & cocktails. It has a wheelchair accessible entrance.

What do guests say about group dining at Beauty & Essex?

Groups of 12 to 45 book the Vault, Mirror Bar or upstairs tables for birthdays, corporate dinners and holiday parties with set family-style menus. The Vault is a curtained room at the back used for groups of about 18; reviewers say it seats 20 but feels tight above 14. The Mirror Bar hosted a group of 30 with its own bar, tables and lounge seating; one holiday party bought out space for about 45. Large groups are served prix fixe or family-style menus, with optional unlimited cocktail packages; one 18-person Vault birthday totaled over $5,000, near $300 per person. An events team handles planning by email and phone, including drink packages and pre-fixe menus; one host waited 6 days for confirmation. Reviewers praise: mirror bar works well for 30 guests with own bar and lounge seating; family-style and prix fixe menus praised for large portions and variety; events team and servers handled planning and celebrations attentively for many groups; kitchen accommodated gluten free, vegetarian and pork-free substitutions. Watch for: vault feels cramped and can get hot with curtains closed; slow courses and drinks reported at private events, dinners running long; waits past reservation time and loud rooms; qr split-billing chaotic for big groups. Based on 70 Google reviews of Beauty & Essex that mention a group, a private room or a celebration.

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