Tut's

by Steve C.

I usually like most bars in new york, even when they are not that good, but this one left me speechless. First, if you are going to overprice drinks, make sure that they are good. Second, for an ambiance that is supposed to be "magical" I thought it was incredibly tacky. Last, If you have all that wrong with your place, at least be polite. I came in with 5 people, ordered plenty (even if it was overpriced, this is new york) and we were rushed out right after we paid the bill, in not so many words, incredible, this is a spot to avoid.

by Joe O.

"I wanna watch big girls shakin their ass on a small, smoky stage!" ~  well I have just the place for you:196 Orchard, first you stand in a line thats there for no reason.  then you walk in, bar on your right, benches and hooka's on the left.  its very narrow, you get to the 'dance floor - which is just a tiny area in front of the stage, which houses a iTunes DJ and, for Goodness sake, different dance contests.  men and women from all likes of NJ shake their ass, trying to woo the crowd.  well this gentile (crowd seemed 60-70% middle eastern) had enough when the guys turn called upon.  long line for the bathroom, loud, bad music, nice ratio of chicks to dudes, but as the evening progessed, it, as with 99% of our bars in NYC turn to sausage fests.  my lady friends had hard times keeping the boys in fake Armani off their jock.  anyho, just so-so, wouldn't go back for anything...

by Kristin S.

What I remember about Tut's:I drank 9 gin tonics.I danced on the stage.I drank 2 more gin tonics. My toilet and I were BFFs the next day. ...oops.

by Sacajawaya H.

The one and only time I went here was with a group of fellow underaged friends.  I flashed my obviously fake Arizona id to our chodey server who happened to be from there (fresh off Southwest Airlines).  Instead of the usual "sorry, I can't take this" she started quizzing me on Arizona geography, before tipping off the manager like she was Nancy Drew or something.  Trust me, I have I high tolerance for rude service and sometimes enjoy a little attitude -- but this was corny.  The place was literally empty that night.  Since then, I do see bigger crowds when I happen to be walking by, as they've abandoned their insulting cultural appropriation (at least in terms of music) and gone with a hip-hop/clubbing playlist.

by Jasmin G.

i came here for a bday party and it was pretty cool.  downstairs is a smaller area - which is perfect for having a party.  The music downstairs was typical top 40s - i appreciated the middle eastern music they played. Upstairs was fun b/c they have a little stage that they lit up when I decided to dance on it.  :)  The dj was good up and down - I'd recommend it if you're in the area.Its a hookah bar too - but unlike Le souk, where the smoke isn't all up in the air, the ventillation at Tut isn't that great so its really smoky and I ended up getting a headache and leaving.I'd go again if I was in the area and there was no cover.

by Jeanne E.

Not my cup of tea to say the least. The Middle Eastern motif is cheesy, the Top 40's music is far too loud and the dance stage attracts attention-loving people whose butts and chests I'd really rather not have in my face.

by MARIANA L.

Sexy hookah lounge in a less traveled stretch of Hell's Kitchen. Great cocktails and tasty, complete menu for nibbles.  Bigger plates are adequate for dinner.   Want to throw a party?  The staff is very accomodating. You might get lucky and be graced with the presence of a belly dancer.

by Tina S.

yes.  that is the first thing I can say about this magical place.  the second thing I could say is: holler.  The staff are more than friendly and generous, beautiful bar with intimate (and I say, intimate) back rooms, 100 hookah flavors--never too crowded but great music... I don't know what it is, but something about this place brings out the wild side of t sho, that's why I say it's magical.  Or maybe it's just conveniently on my way home.  Call me Queen Tut -- just be careful, if you happen to lose your shoes here, you may never get them back.  But I'm still waiting for the final word on that one, last I heard they might be in Brooklyn...

by Deborah H.

I had my last-minute birthday here and it was awesome.No line, no cover, no nonsense.  The music switched from hip hop to Middle Eastern to bhangra all night, probably to cater to the clientele.  The dance floor is nice and spacious, especially for the LES, and there's a private sectioned-off room in the back where we had our table.Yay for hookas and stage dancing (I'm getting too old for this) and the nice staff!  Drinks are kind of expensive for the area.

by Jackie L.

It failed to impress me but it didnt exactly dissapoint either. Its your basic hookah lounge with drinks that are decent but overpriced, music that is decent if not a little boring(mainly hip hop versus middle eastern), and the occassional belly dancer. I was in the private back room for a bday party and thought it was set up to be really intimate and (duh) private. Theres not so much a stage, as there is a large and tall box(allows 2 ppl at atime), where the uninhibited are encouraged to dance on top off with the spotlight on them inbetween bellydancer "shows". You can watch "you me and dupree" on the large plasma screen next to the dj booth or eat mozzarella sticks wrapped in phyllo dough instead of being breaded.This place smells a liitle like cheese, a little on the the I've seen this done before and better,  but I had a good time as smoking the hookah usually is.