Meow Parlour
Meow Parlour
4
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
- Delancey St • 4 min walk
- East Broadway • 4 min walk
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Restaurants
10,000 within 3 miles
Attractions
2,805 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
80 reviews
Excellent
40
Very good
22
Average
12
Poor
1
Terrible
5
Susan H
Elizabethtown, PA58 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
This was my first time going to a cat cafe and it did not disappoint. We signed up for a 50-minute session at 11:00AM and it was a great time. Most of the cats and kittens were awake and playful, happily bouncing amongst the visitors and the toys we were offering. I sat on the floor to play with them, and a few played on my lap... one even started to nap on my lap! We will definitely be back any other time we're visiting NYC.
Written April 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evelyn R
Dublin, Ireland21 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
Fabulous place hidden away on Hester Street NY. Enjoyed time here with lots of friendly cats all happy to be petted. Lovely ambiance and very cat oriented. Alice and Marla were so pleasant and welcoming. Book in advance and wear socks as you have to take off your shoes.
Written May 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nat McClarnan
Swansea, UK209 contributions
Mar 2020
Had a lovely 30 min slot playing with the cats. Had a coffee and a banana muffin too. Very clean place, plenty of toys for the cats, they all seemed really happy. Lovely gifts available to buy too.
Written March 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OvernightSiren
North Cape May, NJ15 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
Meow Parlour offers a very simple concept but the actual system behind it is very convoluted. The first thing you should be made aware of is that they do not actually offer an atmosphere where you can enjoy cafe goods with cats. There is a small building with cats and then on the other side of the block there's a small "cafe" (with no expresso???) that offers pastries shaped like cats.
The Meow Parlour itself was among the biggest disappointments of my recent trip to NYC. We walked in and stood in the foyer for a good 2 minutes without even being addressed. The man working the front desk just kind of stared at us. We were very new to this entire experience, so my friend asked "can we get in to play with the cats?" and he looked at us like we were stupid and immediately went into this mumbley description of what we had to do. He stressed that you need to make reservations to play with the cats but that we could "maybe" be taken as a walk in for 10 dollars for an hour. "Maybe"? There was literally not one person in there that didn't work there. It was totally empty!! We asked about the actual cafe part and all he said was "it's one complex that you're buying a pass to". So no, it's not a cafe where you drink and eat with cats. It's two businesses. One cafe, and one room with cats in it. We weren't going to pay 10 dollars just to sit around with cats, so my friend asked that if buying a t-shirt (priced 20+ dollars) or any accessories--or anything from the cafe--also then granted the ability to play with cats and he gave a heavy sigh and said no then turned to talk to his co-worker.
That is the poorest business model I've ever heard.
The options should be - 10 dollars to play with cats, but if you buy anything that costs more than 10 dollars, or several things that add up to 10 dollars you get to also spend time with cats. The two should not be exclusive. This pretentious, rude employee needs to be addressed. I've seen reviews about a rude male employee on Yelp, and I think it may be the same person.
The actual cafe on the other side of the building was actually almost a WORSE experience. We walked in (again, it was COMPLETELY empty) and the girl working the register (the only employee present) was talking to someone who was clearly a friend of hers. She was looking at us while talking to her friend and then when we came up to buy things she audibly said "See? I told you. See?". I'm sorry, you told him what? That you might have to do work while you're being paid? That you might have a customer for once? Sorry to have inconvenienced her! She had blue had and was wearing a red dress. She was not at all sociable, made no eye contact with us and was just overall unpleasant. As we were leaving we again heard her speaking about us to her friend.
I can't stress enough how much of a disappointment the Meow Parlour is. These people have such a neat, charming, EASY job--but it feels as though they're just working there to tell their friends that they have such a unique job to be cool. I can't see how people that work in places like these are so miserable. The entire staff, and the business model of the Meow Parlour, needs an overhaul or this place will be gone in a year.
The Meow Parlour itself was among the biggest disappointments of my recent trip to NYC. We walked in and stood in the foyer for a good 2 minutes without even being addressed. The man working the front desk just kind of stared at us. We were very new to this entire experience, so my friend asked "can we get in to play with the cats?" and he looked at us like we were stupid and immediately went into this mumbley description of what we had to do. He stressed that you need to make reservations to play with the cats but that we could "maybe" be taken as a walk in for 10 dollars for an hour. "Maybe"? There was literally not one person in there that didn't work there. It was totally empty!! We asked about the actual cafe part and all he said was "it's one complex that you're buying a pass to". So no, it's not a cafe where you drink and eat with cats. It's two businesses. One cafe, and one room with cats in it. We weren't going to pay 10 dollars just to sit around with cats, so my friend asked that if buying a t-shirt (priced 20+ dollars) or any accessories--or anything from the cafe--also then granted the ability to play with cats and he gave a heavy sigh and said no then turned to talk to his co-worker.
That is the poorest business model I've ever heard.
The options should be - 10 dollars to play with cats, but if you buy anything that costs more than 10 dollars, or several things that add up to 10 dollars you get to also spend time with cats. The two should not be exclusive. This pretentious, rude employee needs to be addressed. I've seen reviews about a rude male employee on Yelp, and I think it may be the same person.
The actual cafe on the other side of the building was actually almost a WORSE experience. We walked in (again, it was COMPLETELY empty) and the girl working the register (the only employee present) was talking to someone who was clearly a friend of hers. She was looking at us while talking to her friend and then when we came up to buy things she audibly said "See? I told you. See?". I'm sorry, you told him what? That you might have to do work while you're being paid? That you might have a customer for once? Sorry to have inconvenienced her! She had blue had and was wearing a red dress. She was not at all sociable, made no eye contact with us and was just overall unpleasant. As we were leaving we again heard her speaking about us to her friend.
I can't stress enough how much of a disappointment the Meow Parlour is. These people have such a neat, charming, EASY job--but it feels as though they're just working there to tell their friends that they have such a unique job to be cool. I can't see how people that work in places like these are so miserable. The entire staff, and the business model of the Meow Parlour, needs an overhaul or this place will be gone in a year.
Written September 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aliprowl33
Bedford, NY7 contributions
Feb 2016 • Family
Loved the Meow Parlour. Reservations are essential, and I recommend going first thing or later in the day; most cats naturally sleep during the middle part of the day, so for more action plan around their normal patterns. We first popped into the actual cafe, around the corner, and filled out our waivers and got macarons and coffees. The staff at Meow Parlour were incredibly nice and welcoming, and clearly had the cats' best interests at heart, as they should!! I don't understand the people objecting to the rules protecting the cats. NO, you can't wake up a sleeping cat to play with it. NO, you can't pick up the cats (most cats do not like being picked up, and certainly not by strangers!) And if you know anything about cats and have any respect for them, you know you can't control their behavior - so get over yourselves and stop trying to make the cats perform on command. During our visit, several cats never woke up at all, but we still gently petted them while they slept, and enjoyed watching them. Two younger cats interacted in a hilarious way, chasing each other all over the place and pouncing on each other. One enormous cat, Stovetop, waddled around the space and crept up on sleeping cats and whacked them in the head, hissing at them. There was plenty going on! We enjoyed looking through the binders of adoptable cats (not all available are on site) and cats that have been adopted out, which is fantastic - over 90 cats have found homes through Meow Parlour. Everything is spotlessly clean and clever design abounds - adorable cat beds and perches and the entire place is set up for the cats' enjoyment. Yes, you have to sit on the floor to really enjoy the cats, hello! The descriptions of the cats in the binder are priceless - very entertaining to read. We have cats at home, but hugely enjoyed our rather lengthy visit. I recommend spending at least an hour visiting, as the cat action can ebb and flow and you need to be there a good length of time to experience it. Staff was absolutely great, and thankfully they were appropriately protective of the cats. The reviewer who thinks you should be able to buy a t-shirt and play with the cats for free needs to go jump in the lake. It's a screaming deal at $5 per quarter hour, for your entire party. If for no other reason, go to support the work of Meow Parlour in the adoption of these beautiful cats.
Written February 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bermudacop
Hamilton, Bermuda113 contributions
Feb 2019 • Family
my Daughter loves cats and so we spent a couple fo hours hanging out in the Meow Cafe and had treats from the bakery next door as part of the package. nice clean and comfy, even though I am allergic to cats with a small dose of Zirtec I was able to stay there the whole time with no symptoms.
Written March 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thecortex
Cincinnati, OH80 contributions
Nov 2018 • Family
Kids and I had a great time in this clean, comfortable cat cafe with cute, adoptable rescue cats. A perfect place to spend an hour or so. They partner with a cafe/bakery next door and have cat-themed cards and board games to play. Highly recommended for cat fans when in Manhattan.
Written November 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janine T
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.43 contributions
Feb 2017 • Friends
You really need to book but we just turned up and paid $6.50 each for half an hour with the cats. (You can't pick them up.) We were given our instructions and removed our shoes as requested. We decided immediately that we would not be eating or drinking whilst in The Parlour as it was a struggle to swallow your own saliva. We managed 12 minutes, made our excuses and left. The cats were well looked after and cute. We are both cat lovers but this experience took our love of cats to its limit.
Written February 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meredith
7 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
Meow Parlour is what it says on the tin...a cat cafe. You rent time and get to play with free roaming cats, on my first over 10 of them including a gorgeous kitten called Cleo. I have had bad experience of cat cafes in the past where I paid over the odds for entry then ate awful food in a pretentious setting with only 2 cats who were sleeping and rules permitted you not to approach sleeping cats. Meow Parlour is the opposite. You can pet, play and cuddle the cats and even adopt one if you bond. The drinks and snacks were lovely and reasonably priced and you can extend your visit if you are enjoying yourself. We paid 30 mins at first based on previous experience but stayed a full hour. The staff are all friendly and approachable. I will definitely return if back in New York.
Written July 17, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie
Boston, MA151 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
We had a lovely time at Meow Parlour. There were only 4 other people there when we arrived, and about 6 cats awake and interacting with us. The snacks are also great (I got a cat-shaped cookie which was delish!). There are also cat-themed board games and books. I'd love to come back someday.
Written March 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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