John Varvatos in
New York (NY)

Came here today to see what is left of CBGB and unfortunately the employees there are so rude. I understand it’s a high end shop and you’re annoyed by people coming in just to see what is left and not buying anything but there’s no reason to drop into me & my friends conversation when talking about how NYC is losing its charm and give me a passive aggressive attitude about it like ?. He also kept following us around the store as if we were going to steal any of the items. I literally had 0 interest in any of the clothing in there. My friend made a comment about the price of a bag (they’re extremely pricy in there) and one of the workers said “well how do you expect us to keep the lights on” ok..nobody was talking to you in the first place. Remember that this is a piece of NYC punk history, people are going to come in excited to see what is left. Don’t be rude next time. Congrats on turning punk history into overpriced denim. If you hadn’t helped gentrify the neighborhood and push out real New Yorkers, maybe CBGB would still be here instead of your beige boutique. <3

Such a cool clothing store, I walked around looking at the clothes and all the decor on the wall just thinking of these walls could talk.. it's the site of the historic CBGB club.

I bought a nice jacket there a few years ago, but didn't wear it because it was a bit too big for me. I wore the jacket again a week ago. It now fits me perfectly, but the quality is so poor that the jacket fell apart after a day's wear. This should not happen with a jacket that I have worn a total of 3 times. This is not a product that was made to last. It is cheaply made in China and accordingly the quality is incredibly poor. I will definitely not be buying from this store again.

Bought belt for almost 400$. What do you expect for this price? Got broken after 6 months of daily wear. And I’m very skinny guys :) Poorest quality for this price. The customer service said to go to repair it by myself.

Purchased a pair of sunglasses for just shy of $300, within a few months of my purchase, the coating started wearing off the inside of one lens. When I reached out for help, I was told I had to deal with the supplier and that nothing could be done without the receipt. Who saves receipts for sunglasses? Beware some of the products offered by this company, they are cheaply made and way over priced. So much for customer service. I thought this was supposed to be a highline product, guess NOT!

Great selection of premium men's clothing. We also enjoyed seeing some of the history of the former cbgb club still on display.

Very cool hard rock aesthetic. The older vinyl releases are over priced. A John Lennon Collection LP at $40 when it’s usually a $15-20 record.

An Update to My Recent Review - Impressed by John Varvatos' Commitment to Customer Service I wanted to take a moment to provide an update to my previous review regarding my disappointing experience at your main store. Since I shared my initial feedback, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from a representative at your corporate office. Their willingness to address and rectify the situation was truly commendable. It became evident that, in order to receive the level of assistance and support I expected, elevating my concerns directly to the corporate office was necessary. Unfortunately, it seemed that the staff at the store was unable to provide immediate solutions to the issues I encountered. However, the proactive response from your corporate team has significantly improved my perception of the brand. I was genuinely touched by the sincere apology I received in the form of a gift - the merchandise I had originally intended to purchase. This gesture went a long way in restoring my faith in John Varvatos as a brand that values its loyal customers. As someone who has been a loyal customer from the very beginning, I truly appreciate the rich heritage and quality that John Varvatos represents. My experiences with your products have always been exceptional, and I believe in the brand's potential to deliver outstanding customer service. In closing, I would like to express my gratitude for your efforts to rectify the situation. It is clear that John Varvatos is committed to ensuring customer satisfaction, and this reassures me as a devoted customer. I believe that with continued focus on improving the customer experience at the store level, John Varvatos can deliver an even more exceptional shopping experience for all its fans. Thank you once again for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to continued positive experiences with your brand. Warm regards

Establishments like this ruined NYC. Selling overpriced “rock and roll” merchandise mixed with pathetic and boomerish attempts to harken back to CBGBs. Absolutely pathetic. “New York City: the money sucked it dry, pulled the culture from out of the street, it’s all so gentrified… the big apple lost its taste.”

Awesome place at previous CBGB's location in the Bowery. Super convenient location near Houston, great clothing and tons of rock memorabilia and vibes. Amazing staff too! Def worth checking out!

Most of the reviews are about the building once being CBGB and the decor and history and not the store itself. Those are accurate, the decor is cool. But as far as the store itself, maybe this store takes a no hassle sales approach and they wait for you to ask them for help, and if that is so, then I stand corrected on my review here. Not my preferred way to shop at a high end clothing store. My experience in Greenwich St., was not like this. I was greeted as soon as I walked in and the staff was super helpful. Now this was pre-Covid and when John V., still owned the clothing line. Maybe things changed under new ownership. That said, at this store and on this visit, not a single person said a word to me. Not even a hello. Just ignored me the whole time and talked amongst themselves and with one other guy who appeared to be talking about the decor. Now granted I am no rock star and do not look the part. But on this visit I happened to be wearing my John Varvatos leather jacket. Assuming the staff had a clue what their clothing line looks like they should have had an inkling that I wear JV clothing and maybe I was there to buy something, which I was. After a while of looking at the same Trucker jacket they had in several racks and displays (hint of what I was after) my wife also WTH, so we left. Guess I need to go to Greenwich next time. Hopefully they are more helpful. If not, online???? Gave it a 3 because of the history and decor. As a clothing store it is a 1 or at most a 2, unless you are rock star, then maybe you get the royal treatment and it is a 5.

Gone but not forgotten CBGB’s is long gone but a lot of the soul is still on the walls to enjoy while your shopping for very nice high end mens clothing and jewelry. The staff is friendly and accommodating. Fun experience.

Nice selection in store. I really went to check out where CBGB's used to be. Crazy that 20 years ago I was in this place in ripped up jeans a Jean jacket covered with patches and a mohawk.... now at 40, I'm shopping for "conformist" clothing. Growing up sucks.

My absolute favorite clothing brand. Although rock is the common theme, every store has its own character. I always had pleasant shopping experiences. The employees are professional and the service is impeccable. Since day 1 I liked the attention to details and the feeling of being treated as a valued customer.

Flagship store for upscale men’s clothing boutique. John Varvatos specializes in “rock” clothing and their Manhattan store echoes this ethos with the product offerings and decor. In short, this place oozes cool. But it’s certainly not for the light wallet. Rockstar clothes don’t come cheap!!

Great mens boutique with great service from the staff. The clothes are on the expensive side, but you can find some really unique urban wear in shoes and leather jackets and shirts. I often order from Varvatos online but its great to drop in to a store where they had nearly every item in the relevant sizes. Sometimes you dont find the popular sizes. It also great to try things on for future sales so you know the fit.

I have enjoyed shopping in your NYC locations for a number of years. Likely I am one of your better customers having spent - looking at my credit card history. However, I wanted to offer some feedback on why I will no longer be shopping with John Varvatos. We are within a global pandemic and you have closed down some of your locations within NYC. I purchased a belt in early March, but it was not the correct size. Upon returning to your only open location in NYC - which is out of my way - I was met with presumably the manager giving me a hard time that I did not return within 2 weeks. She was citing "corporate policies". I am sorry but seriously? I am a few weeks late in a pandemic and I am getting a hard time over a $200 belt? Your staff were pushing me and candidly standing around behind the register making me feel like I did something wrong. I would love to exchange ... but you had no belts in my size ... at all ... that were remotely similar (not looking to go from a black belt to a red belt). Some coaching for the staff ... How about - "We are so happy you are back and shopping with us!" ... or "As such a consistent returning customer we will absolutely make this right". Now ... I am sure when your company has significant issues, employees are being let go or you will likely start the planning (this is evident by your store closures) ... there will be some sort of mention of 'How Covid just really damaged us...'. The reality is that your customer service is absolutely abysmal, rude, and just out-of-touch. I know there are plenty of brands that will welcome me.

NOTE: This is a review of the space, not the clothing sold there. As a life-long Ramones fan, I first made the pilgrimage to CBGB's when I was 16 and it was still CBGB. The neighborhood was a bit sketchy back then. I brought my family to the Bowery the other day because it has cleaned up some, and checked out the old CBGB location that is now John Varvatos. I'm not the first Birthplace of Punk fan to want to look around and not actually browse for clothing. The staff was not only ok with this, but very nice and helpful with giving us perspective and also pointing out stuff that is photo-worthy. I thanked them because had it not been for this designer moving into the spot and preserving many aspects of the important landmark in American music history, who knows what would've happened to it?

Large store with historic rock-era decor. Excellent customer service - attentive, responsive to your needs/requests, offering suggestions without being invasive. It is a shopping experience!

I really enjoyed the private Badflower concert! I wish they had a bathroom though, very odd not having one with alcohol being served.

When I was in New York, I was one of the many people who visit the John Varvatos store for it's past history. They did a great job paying tribute to CBGB. The man at the door was very friendly. Noticing I was taking photos, on my way out he explained what the layout of the place WAS.... Pointing out where the stage was, the bar, etc.

This place is a true pilgrimage site for rockers and JV and his staff are totally aware of it. It's almost too good to be true! So much of former club's history to jawdrop and the kindest staff you will ever find anywhere. Clothes are cool too, but not for every taste and/or budget.

Historical place in terms of rock music, now gentrified. There are still echoes of those wild times on the shop's walls, some memorabilia, pictures, etc etc....yet, NY has become, at least on the outside, pretty disneyfied. The workers are cool about someone wandering inside & taking pictures, so high rating on that. Clothes are, at least from my perspective, very expensive.

This is one of the coolest men’s clothing stores I’ve ever been to. They renovated an old graffitied building into a modern edgy clothing store with a rock and roll feel. They even have a small stage that is used for private concerts with big name bands like KISS. The products are beautifully designed and the staff are very helpful and friendly.

Makes me cry...I can't believe all the reviewers writing about "all the cool rock and roll stuff" and how "the clothing is pure rock and roll". I truly believe that a lot of the people writing reviews actually had no idea that this is CBGB, they just think it's a cool clothing place with lots of music stuff. A $100 tee shirt is the farthest thing from rock and roll imaginable, and I won't even comment on the punk clothing comments, they truly hurt me. R.I.P. Hilly and CBGB, you deserved better. You'll never be a designer clothing store, too many souls and hearts here.

Probably the best successor tenet to the most important and historic music venue. They have kept the soul of CBGB's. The walls are original. Even the bathroom! Plus Varvatos is a true fan of the music and scene. Worth a pilgrimage to see. Plus the style of the clothing is amazing.

Very interesting shop full of cool dude clothes and music. Yes, you probably aren't cool enough to actually shop here. The decor and staff as well as the clothing are pure rock and roll. The posters and guitar collection as well as amps for sale lend a great vibe though prices are on the high side.