Good lawd, those oysters! I still haven't made it to the Fat Radish, but I come here all the time. The kumamoto oysters are amaaazing and the staff is really great. I live nearby, so sometimes I stop over alone and they're very attentive. I usually have the same server and she's really sweet.
Sometimes, I wish there was more food of substance on the menu. The drinks are about $3 too much for the area, but there is Happy Hour.
I ended up here randomly - the place was cool enough BUT something left a bad taste in my mouth. Very limited drink menu - ALL specialty cocktails were $13. It was trivia so we had 7. Bill was $91 BUT they charged us tax! That brought the total to $99. Who charges tax on $13 drinks (that were half ice)?!?! I won't be back - they lost a customer who could have been a regular. Their loss. And to think since I go out 4x a week I could have spent ALOT of money here. If you own a bar charge what is listed!!
Review Source:I'm a gal that like to support the dives in my LES neighborhood. The Leadbelly happy hour could keep me sated until the end of time. Like, seriously, I heart my happy hour $1 oysters and $6 cocktails.
One could sup here fantastically every night without conventional dinner, like a charmed bohemian, while listening to old-timey live jazz music. The menu of small plates changes seasonally and it's prepped in the excellent Fat Radish kitchen across the street. The cocktail menu changes seasonally as well, and there was significant bitching on my part when the Almond Russian cocktail (a White Russian made with homemade almond milk) was scrapped, due to low demand. Upon consideration, I should've ordered more when it was on the menu!!!
The service and scene is laid back and extremely sweet. Because of it's small scale, it's a great place for a couple or up to 4 people. A few times, I've been there and some large parties sat in the back of the room, but it changed the energy of the room, for the worse. So, please don't spread my secret around about Leadbelly being the cat's pajamas and buy me a cocktail next time we run into each other below Delancey Street.
I've walked passed this place several times but it was always on a Monday and it was always closed. Now the are open everyday of the week. Great $1 oyster happy hour and beer special from opening until 8pm. Cute place, kinda feels like I'm in an artists apartment that just happens to have good fresh oysters. I like it so far. Bartender was pretty cool and friendly.
Review Source:Let me preface this review by telling you that I really wanted to like this place! The bar itself was great - warm environment, very cute decor and live jazz.
The service - AWFUL! My Tuesday evening there was possibly the worst service I've experienced in Manhattan, and at $13 a drink - I think that's pretty unacceptable.
The waitress (wish I knew her name) was the worst! We, a party of 4, each ordered a drink and sat at a table in the back. Waited. She brought us 2 drinks. She needed to be reminded of what the other 2 were, and came back with them - 1 of which was incorrect.
Next - 2 of us ordered drinks. We waited. We waited some more (at least 15-20 minutes). We asked her where our drinks were and she assured us that they were on there way as if the wait time was not out of the ordinary - no apology. She brought 2 drinks over - 1 of which was incorrect.
Separate bills for drinks and dessert? We asked for the check, gave her our cards and then she brought over another bill for the dessert. My friend gave her a $20 to pay for her $13 drink, and the waitress didn't bring her change until asked. I'm sorry - did you really think you deserved a 53% tip?
I love airplants, succulents, and live jazz. They had all three. The Ridley trio was a delightful surprise for a Tuesday evening.
Servers were sooo accommodating. There were several obnoxious tables around us. The place was super crowded because apparently a promotion that Leadbelly ran with TravelZoo was about to expire so there was a mad rush to redeem the vouchers. So the restaurant was understaffed, slower than usual, and out of a few offerings. But still very generous in their efforts to seat everyone.
A tourist couple next to us was extremely rude. They returned their dozen East Coast oysters saying "this is a joke! these are not oysters, they're snails." Another couple near us also returned their oysters. Apparently people who don't usually get oysters are expecting those giant phlegmy tasting China Buffet type Pacific oysters. gross.
Well -- the servers handled these hostile voucher diners with a lot of grace. I was impressed.
As for the oysters--they have a nice selection each day and a good happy hour list. Cocktails are alright. Sweeter and icier than my preference, but good. I loved the scotch eggs here before. And the avocado and crab toast was yummy. These are small plates though--don't expect entree portions.
Had a travel zoo deal and went here this evening. Place was packed but we got a table quickly. My wife called to make a reservation but no one was answering the phone. Took some time for the waiter to come, we gave our order and waited and waited. Got our oysters after the 2 small plates. The table next to us received their food after us and we got there after them. Food was definitely 4 1/2 stars but the service was SLOW and worth 1 star. Took us a loooong time to get the check. Be prepared to spend a lot of time if you go here. From previous reviews it shows they're slow and understaffed.
Review Source:The drinks, live music and the ambiance were excellent. The oysters were fresh and tasty. It was busy when we went and the wait was a little longer than I expected but looking around the servers were super busy the whole time, maybe management should add a second waitress when it gets busy. Overall a great night with good food and excellent drinks.
Review Source:Cool atmosphere and decor. Â Went for happy hour which was $1 oysters (only one specified type though) and drink specials for one beer and one cocktail of the day. Â I wasn't super impressed by the cocktail, and the oysters had that deflated look that they get when they are pre-shucked ahead of time. Â The worst offense however was the extremely slow service.
Review Source:This is a very cool place with amazing cocktails and a great DJ. Â The atmosphere encourages happiness. Â I don't know who the DJ was, but he really had it together, The music was beyond amazing. Â The cocktails are inventive and very well made.The cucumber Julep was a hit with my group. Â The decor is well designed so the space is really attractive. Â All around thumbs up. Â Oysters!! YES!!
Review Source:EXCELLENT happy hour, but I would steer clear of their normal offerings. We came with a travelzoo voucher to be able to sample some of their regular menu stuff. We ordered the lamb sliders. For $10, you get two -- really quite expensive. Truffle fries are $9 and are small, but actually really good, though I'm not sure it's worth $9 - they basically give you a whole potato that they cut into wedges, fry perfectly and season with cheese and truffle oil.
The regular selection of oysters was good considering I don't like oysters, but the regular non-voucher happy hour oyster selection was _even better_! It was something from Chesapeake Bay.
The crowd was very weird, we were the only non-white/bearded/bespokely clothed people inside. :X
Great find in the Lower East Side. I'm definitely a fan of feeling good when I walk out of this bar with an awesome buzz and a variety of fresh oysters in my tummy (AND they have happy hour oysters). Not to mention their mains too (the crostinis are delicious). Pricing is appropriate. Live music (Bossa, Jazz, etc.), and a DJ on the weekends. Staff and customers are always friendly. Love this place.
Review Source:I loved the atmosphere! Â It had a hip/jazzy feel, and the seating was arranged in a way that created little intimate cubby-holes for couples. Â Great place to take a date for drinks after work (especially if they like oysters). Â The cocktails are all very different and interesting, though on the expensive side ($13) - my favorite was the Tequila Rose (a spicy cocktail with a splash of beet juice in it). Â The oysters were also delicious, though definitely on the expensive side as well. Â Around 8pm they had some live music, two guys on the guitar and tambourine/drum. Â It was super chill and really added to the vibe of the place.
Atmosphere/vibe: 5/5
Food: 4/5
Drinks: 4/5
Price: 3/5
This place is worth a 3.5 stars which is one of my yelp dilemma since you can't give half star lol First off, good lunch to find it because if you walk in this neighborhood on a Saturday night it is totally dead... But when finding it, you will enter a fairly small joint with few tables close to the bar and then a larger area in the back. We arrived around 11pm ish on a Saturday and it was really packed so be aware of it. I can't comment on the food but the oysters looked very good. The crowd was mainly hot people with few hipsters (not my preference lol). Sadly the music really sucked so I am not sure if it was intended to have few people dancing or just an ambiance sound but it was a bit boring. I think I will definitely come back to try the seafood or have few drinks for a quiet night.
Review Source:This is a nice quiet relaxing place...I could actually hear myself think! Somewhat of a nautical jazzy chill feeling there. I just had the some poached sausage egg, and an Almond Russian. I am a fan of Russians, so this Almond Russian got me interested. It was different, worth the try but didn't quite hit the spot. Next time I come, I would like to try their oyster happy hour!
Review Source:What a great place! Â I came here on a Friday night for a friend of a friend's birthday, and I can't wait to go back for the atmosphere, drinks, and music.
The Leadbelly is an intimate space that makes the most of its square footage AND . . . there are coat hangers. Â Always a plus in my book. Â They had a lot a yummy sounding cocktails, but I went with the special cocktail because it was served in a Champagne coupe (I'm only half joking). Â It was delicious, and I felt quite fabulous drinking it while chatting with my friends. Â We had already eaten, but I glanced at the menu--I'm always planning my next meal--and I'd definitely come back for appetizers and a few drinks.
The music was swell, and although I don't recall the genre (I was several drinks into the night), they kept us dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Â In fact my friends and I were having such a jolly time that the DJ nudged us out the door with a "Closing Time"-esque song. Â
Ideal place for drinks and nibble with friends, or a night of cocktail drinking, conversation, and casual dancing.
Hello (^_^)
The Leadbelly is SuPa SuPa cute oyster bar located at the edge of Lower East Side and the beginning of Chinatown. I blogged about Fat Radish in the past and Leadbelly is run by same peoples who run Fat Radish. We tried three different kind of  cocktails. Spicy Pineapple, Cucumber Julip, Dirty Lemonade and the best one was Spicy Pineapple $13 for sure. Their kitchen is located at Fat Radish across the street and you can order things like their famous Scotch Egg for $9 too! Most of night they opened till 2 am but after 12 am kitchen close. The other Friday night when I was there they had a cute live band and place was really busy. I do recommend you to make reservation as same as Fat Radish.
Overall - 3.5 hearts
Food - 3.5 hearts
Atmosphere - 3.5 hearts
Price - $$$1/2
Overall, very cool atmosphere and vibe. Â However, their service is super slow. Â We ordered a round of cocktails and they took forever to make. Â Food was also very slow. Â
Good news is it's a really cute place to meet up with friends for drinks and apps. Â They have happy hour oysters on special for $1. Â The oysters were delicious. Â Was not a fan of the drinks I sampled - the special and the "Nice & Stormy" - because they were too sweet. Â However, the Tequila Rose was nice.
Relatively mall selection of small plates. Â The bacon-wrapped brussies were great, the lamb meatballs were good, and their olives are covered in a weird spice. Â Still on the fence about whether or not I like the olives. Â
The live band was cool and made for a great atmosphere. Â The servers are super friendly, but again don't come here in a hurry because every order is a five to fifteen minute wait.
If you are looking for atmosphere a delicious snack and a refreshing cocktail this is the place to go! Great live music and a fun crowd. It's not a restaurant lets be clear about that but they have great bar snacks; each one is light and full of flavor! Delicious oysters and I absolutely devoured the ricotta, mint  and honey crostini! It was delicious, a must try!
Review Source:Not sure why everyone is being so harsh. This spot is great and totally transformed from sweet paradise. I didn't eat so I can't speak to that, but we ordered drinks off the menu and we all loved them. I had the tequila rose, a spicy margarita type drink with tequila, beet juice, lime and jalapeños. It was pretty spicy but I loved the flavor. The bartenders and servers were great, even charged my phone for me because I was traveling. The decor reminds me of home sweet home a little bit...
Review Source:Based on the other reviews, this place is definitely hitting its stride. Dinner last night was fantastic - the drinks were lovely and fresh (cucumber julep especially but the tequila sunrise with a sweet start and savory finish was really brilliant) and the small plates packed a lot of value and ingenuity into each order. The kabocha squash special was RIDICULOUS. I'm going to dream about that. Lamb meatballs were great (apparently I like turnips!) and the red snapper salad was lovely too. The staff was attentive - when I inquired if they had any dessert (nothing on the menu), our waitress conjured up some peppermint bark gratis. Warm decor, great neighborhood; definitely looking forward to becoming a regular.
Review Source:A hip LES spot to be sure . . . Â I was there on a Saturday night at 8 pm and it was easy to get a table for three, but the place did start to fill up a little later. Â It's an oyster/small plate/cocktail spot, and I don't believe they do full entree's. Â
They have a nice selection of oysters from both the east and west coast, and the cocktails are tasty - I had the 'nice and stormy'. Â My groups was mostly impressed with the small dishes . . . my favorite was the bacon-wrapped brussel sprouts and they had a chicken liver pate on special, which was fantastic. Â The lamb meatballs and artichoke mac and cheese were just okay.
The decor is warm and pleasant, and it is a nice date spot or place to catch-up with friends. Â They had a jazz band playing which was very cool, and the service was friendly.
Overall, a great spot, but just lacking that signature element to make it a four or five star place, in my opinion.
I went on a Thursday night to meet a girl friend for a drink. Â It was wonderful - great atmosphere. Â I loved the rustic yet classy white wood walls, candlelight tables and vintage suitcases in a bookshelf to the left of the piano. Â There was an amazing pianist playing that night, Jess DeBellis, and I would definitely make sure I go back when he's there. Â The music was at just the right level - I could still have a conversation and happily listen to the entertainment.
I had 3 oysters ($1 each oyster from 6-9pm) that were fresh and delicious. Â Also got 2 Session beers, which I was happy to taste weren't too hoppy/bitter. Â Sorry, my beer palette isn't too adventurous. Â They have a great drink menu too. Â Tasted the sun choke mac n cheese a friend got and it was awesome.
They have a small menu but it's just enough if you aren't picky. Â For those who don't eat pork you may find it even smaller - 2 dishes out of a handful had pork/bacon in them.
I read others comment on the service but I didn't find that lacking at all. Â Really enjoyed my time here. Â I could see it being a great first date place too.
I'll be back!
While working a listing in LES/Chinatown, I kept walking by Leadbelly across from the Fat Radish. Â It looked interesting in that 'rustic-urban-farm-to-table-cocktail-bar' kind of way. Â I ran into a manager outside one day, and got a tour. Â I decided to go back that night for dinner followed by live music. Â Quite a nice evening planned out.
And the experience? Â In short, I'm enthusiastic about the potential (much like the area itself) and hope they can tighten up the operations and flavors a bit.
I'll start with the two plates I ordered.
The Bacon wrapped Brussel sprouts-pleasant had a pleasant sweet-hot glaze that waz perhaps a touch on the runnier side. Â Could have ha a bit more stickyness, but the flavor was already more complex than a sticky/hot/sweet general T'so's or sweet thai chili glaze. Â Unfortunately, the brussel sprouts themselves were a fair bit too Al dente for me. Â It seemed like they were hardly cooked and took a lot of sawing to cut them which means that bacon is falling off everywhere.
The macaroni and cheese was solid, though not incredibly unique or anything. There was a nutty flavor from the Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) and pasta shells were a good choice as they capture a lot of sauce. Â The cheese sauce creamy with a fine consistency if not a touch thick. However, there were definitely too many sunchokes with pasta shells outnumbering them only at 2-1 or 5-2. Â
The jalapeno lemonade drink tastes mostly like a jalapeno that is not too spicy. Â There is a slight nip to the finish, but the drink itself was not quite lemony or sweet enough to be a take off 'lemonade'. Â
I also tried the beet juice spicy tequila drink. Â It was earthy (as expected with beets) but could have used something citrusy to elevate it or berries to sweeten it. Â Also, not sure how I feel about heat with beets.
The ambiance is great if you like old Timey/rustic interiors as I do. It is funny how a gut Job (used to be Sweet Paradise) looks old with craggly plaster lines over brick, reused corrugated tin, and some exposed wood beams above the music. area.
The staff was friendly, but not necessarily as self aware as they could be. Â The bartender in front of us was mixing drinks and splashing us all night (a couple drops at a time). Â I should have scattered some spare shot glasses in front of us to try all the different drinks!
When I told my boyfriend that the bartender sprayed a cocktail in my eye by mistake, he made fun of me for the rest of the evening.
But, that's what happened.
So, why the 4 stars?
Well, first off, it really was an accident. The shaker got suction-stuck and when it popped open, some kind of fiery lemon juice splashed in my eye! The bartender was extremely apologetic and gave me a drink on the house.
The drinks are fabulous! I ordered the Giant Peach - it's a combo of some kind of peach flavored liquor and champagne. There are other secret ingredients which I'm not privy to, but it was delicious.
There were two birthday events that night - one for my friend, and another for some other girl. I didn't know the other girl, but her friends were extremely nice. They mingled a bit with our party, which was nice. It's a small venue, so you're likely to get a bit cramped.
My solution for cramped bars? Drink faster.
the service completely sucks. Â not that they were rude by any means....it just took a damn long time to order...and everything else in between.
the cocktails are pretty good. Â excellent cocktail menu...but the ONE drink i wanted to order....(contents included apple cider) and they ran out of the main ingredient? Â i was taken aback.
we had a light snack here... oysters were really good... as was the scotch eggs, which were interesting and the sardines. Â It had too much vinaigrette, so more acidic than I am used to. The toast that accompanied it was a bit on the hard side...but other than that.... it was A-ok. Â The menu is limited with small bites, so don't expect a full gourmet meal here. Â This place is best suited for lots of oysters and specialty cocktails!
it's got a unique vibe to it...but the atmosphere was totally dead. Â i hope it picks up...this place has potential. Â but like with all nyc spots, you better keep swimming before you sink.
I know this place just opened so maybe it will get better, but I think for what you get and it's location... it's not for me.
My friend had a bunch of little things that she liked. The two things I will comment are the scotch egg and the drinks.
The scotch egg which was good I think was 12 bucks which seems pretty ridiculous for what it is.
I order a couple of old fashions and though they did you good rye whiskey, the drinks were 3/4 full and 16 bucks each. I think total we got 2-3 appetizers and 3 drinks and is was 100 bucks.
Not my cup of tee.
I guess I am not cool enough for this place...that is the vibe I got from the staff there, who seemed more interested in hanging out with one another than is welcoming me to the new place. Â I'll give it another try I imagine, because it seems like it will be fun, but only if the tone is set right by the team there.
Review Source:I have no idea how this place actually makes any money other than they must sell a ton of drinks late at night. Â We used this place for drinks while we waited for our dinner reservation at Mission Chinese which is up the block. Â
The place is very cute, understated and hard to believe its located in Manhattan. Â I felt like we were transported to the country. Â
The menu is VERY limited. Â The specialty is oysters which we didn't have since we wanted something light before our dinner. Â We had some nut mix dish with cut up Nam bread. Â They said it was a Moroccan dish. Â The spread fell off the bread and it was unimpressive. Â The drinks were fine but nothing spectacular. Â It is inexpensive and a great place to wait for dinner at Mission Chinese. Â There is zero pressure to leave and we thought the service was great.
Sadly, summer - and my share out east - is over. But Leadbelly is a little (emphasis on little) slice of Montauk right here in Manhattan, easily earning four stars because it successfully achieves the priorities: it aggregates a bunch of pretty, stylish people dancing to fun retro beachy tunes in a well-decorated and well-located bar. Leadbelly will be a cash cow once withdrawal hits the Montauk-going crowd and they find their way to the Lower East Side!
Review Source:Terrible service, poor drinks, and a place that doesn't make sense. Waited 20 minutes for our oysters and the order is nowhere to be seen. We realized there is only one guy shucking oysters and our order is far behind.
The cocktail list was not impressive at all, mostly vodka drinks..bleh. Plus the drinks are barley spiked. The service was terrible, there were about 4 bartenders that could not keep up with the order of pitchers and cocktails.
Never again. Don't go.
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