A pleasant surprise in Midtown. ...

A pleasant surprise in Midtown. I stopped by around 7pm with an hour to kill. Cover charges are clearly posted near the entrance: free till 6pm, $10 till 10pm, $20 after 10pm. Website has an expired $5 coupon, which I didn't have. Didn't need the coat check. Drinks: $12 beer, $14 well. Smarmy bathroom attendant: Check. Clean, medium lighting, unremarkable music. The crowd was mostly older gentlemen who seemed to be regulars -- probably much different nights and weekends, given this location.

On to the good stuff... One main stage with three girls dancing, another mini-stage behind the bar. The stage dancing was not exactly spirited, but adequate and friendly. The girls were in the 6 to 9 range, with a high percentage of fake tops.

The lapdance area is to the right of the main stage. It's just a banquette along the back wall, but it's secluded enough to get the job done. The lapdancers seemed to be a different crew from the stage dancers, but maybe I just wasn't there long enough for the rotation. It took a while to catch someone's attention, but a very forward Slavic lass knew what I needed and gave a great grind. Left me happy after a single dance, which is a first for me. $20 and a well-earned $20 tip. Much better lapdancing than I've come to expect from Manhattan clubs. There was no obvious monitoring of the length or technique of the dances; the girls seem to call the shots. Treat 'em nice.