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Yelp's Uptown Elite Party @ Atlantica
- Hours:
Fri 8 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
20 reviews for Yelp's Uptown Elite Party @ Atlantica
20 reviews in English
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Review from Maureen J.
Halifax, NS
5/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
What a fantastic night! Signature drinks, wine from Bishops cellar, Garrison beer on hand, and amazing food from Atlantica definitely makes one hell of a party.
It was great to have the opportunity to meet and mingle with other Yelpers in the city.
Thanks Ben!! Can't wait to see what amazing event you come up with next :) -
Review from Kirk F.
4/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Confession: I used to work at the Atlantica when it was still part of the Holiday Inn chain. What a change! It's like "Extreme Makeover: Hotel Edition." The place looks gorgeous!
Drinks: Since I'm not much of a wine person and I love beer too much, I opted for one of Season's new signature drinks. I believe it was called "blueberry delicious awesomeness." Or similar. It was fantastic! I'm not much of a mixed drink person but this went down very well.
Entertainment: Sheva has an amazing voice. She and her drummer did so much with only three instruments (his drums, her keyboard and her voice). It definitely help set the tone for the entire evening. Relaxed and rich, full of spirit.
Company: whew. So many people! It was great to see lots of people I'd known through Yelp or Twitter but never met in person before. True, I didn't meet all of them in person this time either, but that's hardly the point. Conversations were flowing and laughter filled the lounge.
Also nice to be able to discuss Yelping with others.
Swag: Free stuff! I love free stuff! If you didn't get any of the Yelpstick yet, you are definitely missing out. Give it a try first chance you get.
Bonus swag: Check-in stuff!
Sponsors: Big thanks to everyone who helped put the event on. Lots of interesting news came out too. Who knew Bishops Cellar would soon offer a delivery service?! Garrison Red (and probably other Garrison offerings) was on tap and it smelled delicious. Yes. I smelled beer. Is that weird?
Photos: Special thanks to Twin Bridges for making us all look so glamorous.
Ben: I've said it before, I'll say it again - the host with the most! -
Review from Kimberley M.
Halifax, NS
4/30/2011
I think I'm still on an excitement high from the party last night. Yelp (and Ben, natch) cover all the little details so well and they throw a heck of a party.
Loved the swag, loved the food (I ate around the cheese on the poutine because it just *had* to be sampled), loved the entertainment, and most of all, loved getting to see some old and new faces in a great location. (Who knew the view is that cool? Seriously.)
I think the only thing that would have made it better would have been if everyone had been given a night's stay on the house!
Also loved that local businesses like Garrison and Bishop's Cellar were on hand. Fantastic wine choices!Listed in: Yelp Events!, Quinpool Favs
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Review from Philip H.
Halifax, NS
4/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic time Ben! Met a lot of cool folks from Yelp Halifax. It's nice to put a real face to the reviews.
Talking to folks who have been at other Yelp events, there is sometimes a theme. I want a theme... or an excuse to dress up (like I need one). In August (7th) there is the "zombie walk" in Halifax, a cool Yelp theme would be to zombie-fi all the yelpers. Just a thought. Some of us may zombie-fi you if you don't ;-)
Anyhoo... great event, lots of smiles. SHEVA was amazing. The staff at the Atlantica were great, even brought our little group some veggie goodies when asked if they had any. Garrison beer was tasty (didn't try the wine). -
Review from Adam S.
5/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hats off to our wonderful Community Manager, Mr. Ben B, for a job well done.
This party was expertly planned and very well-attended. As an introduction to the new-ish Atlantica Hotel, it was fantastic and I can say with certainty that I will be returning for lunch sometime soon.
The event featured several local businesses offering free samples to the attendees. Bishop's Cellar offered free glasses of a lovely Australian wine, while Garrison was on tap all night long. Seasons by Atlantica offered a seasonal cocktail (to die for!) and plenty of bite-sized delights all night long.
If I have any criticism of the party, it would be that the food seemed very seafood and meat-focused. Although everything was presented wonderfully, I ended up only sampling the desert (which was great). I would have gone for the poutine, but I must have missed it when it made its rounds.
I will say, however, that one other party-goer mentioned that she had requested a vegetarian option and one was custom-made for her. That's the hallmark of a great restaurant. Kudos to Seasons.
Sheva provided some very nice music that gave the whole ordeal a nice vibe. It was a little hard to hear her at times, but that's just because all us Yelpers were having a great time chatting with one another.
The actual hotel, by the way, is incredible. I am lucky enough to be shacked up with Mike B., who won a night in the Atlantica's executive suite. And yeah, when we left in the morning, I felt like a much richer person than I am.
And the best part of any Yelp event? The Yelp schwag. Love the lip balm, but always manage to lose it. Luckily, there's never too long a wait until the next event. I can't wait!
(Yep. I've lost the lip balm.) -
Review from Lesley-Anne S.
Halifax, NS
5/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
They gave me a drink the minute I walked in the door...what's not to like?
But seriously, it was an awesome party. Great venue, free booze from great sponsors (Bishop's Cellar: I will be using that 10% off soon), tasty eats (I actually tracked down the lady with the poutine), lots of yelp swag and I had a chance to win a night in a swank Atlantica suite. Like I said, what's not to like?
Kudos to Ben and Yelp for a great party. I'm looking forward to the next one. I may literally be there with bells on (if I can find some bells).Listed in: Yelp Events
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Review from Rhia P.
5/1/2011
What a fun time! Though it would have been better if I'd won the hotel room stay!
Signature cocktails at the door, ever-flowing beer and wine, freebies everywhere, and all manner of tasty nibblies (though there could have been a few more...)? What's not to love?
The music was lovely, and the conversation ditto. Great to meet some fellow yelpers! -
Review from Sylvia C.
Halifax, NS
5/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Huge props Ben. The night was awesome! I was seriously excited all week to get dressed up and check it out and the party far exceeded my expectations.
Great seeing Hannah from Bishop's Cellar with delicious Peter Lehmann wine. Which I throughly enjoyed... obviously...
Sheva was fantastic and her version of Teenage Dream made me feel like I was on my own episode of Glee minus me having any actual talent myself.
The food was FABULOUS. The calamari was one of the best I've had in quite a while.
So overall great food, great company, great wine. How could you go wrong?
Well done Ben!! -
Review from Jill M.
5/1/2011
Let's review: A delicious cocktail handed to me the moment I entered the party? Check. Great live music? Check. Meeting and chatting with lots of interesting local folks? Check. Delicous food? Check. Finally meeting Ben B. in person? Check again!
I had a great time at the first Yelp Elite party, it was a great opportunity to check out the Atlantica Hotel and it's always fun to go home with some cute swag! I loved sampling wines from Bishop's Cellar all night as well - honestly, who could complain about that?Listed in: This Is Why I Yelp
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Review from Colette O.
Bedford, NS
5/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
A Bishop's Cellar wine table, a delish signature drink, really great apps, fab music and a stellar host? That's five stars right there!
The hightlights:
- Seasons did a killer job of the food and turned me into a fan that wants to come back and try a sit-down experience. I won't wait long to do this.
- As always, Bishop's Cellar delivered. And one of their resident sommelier's, Hannah Stewart, was a delightful addition to the party.
- The Yelp swag is uber-cute and fun. So many companies do this wrong. I LOVE that they got it right.
- Maybe I live under a rock, but I had never heard Sheva Solomon before. She's a true Halifax gem and I hope she comes to the next party!
- And what's not to love about the ever-fabulous Ben B., host extraordinaire and downright adorable fella? Seriously, I'd sit on the front lawn of the public gardens and sign Kumbaya with this guy and be content.
So, can I come to the next one? -
Review from Desiree M.
Halifax, NS
5/2/2011
Congrats to Ben on his first elite event! It was a very polished gathering and good time and drinks were had by all. I loved the atmosphere, and the music. The prize of a night in the executive suite was awesome, even though I didn't win it.
The food was good, but almost like a tease - here you go, have some delicious delicacies. But only one bite! Mua ha ha! I was glad though that they were able to make a veggie option, and the blue berries on swizzle sticks were such a cute touch for the cocktails.
Overall, good times indeed. -
Review from Sue A.
5/1/2011
Ben and Yelp sure know how to make a great day (you know that Royal Wedding business that began very early in the morning?) even greater!
Because I am often late, I had the good fortune of arriving at a peak time--try your luck at winning a hotel room for the night! The suspense was as great as my disappointment at not winning but I enjoyed the tour of the newly renovated executive suite and filed it away as a possible place to stay for guests visiting town.
The ambiance was cool (one of the best kept secret views in the city), the crowd well dressed and those signature blueberry house cocktails delicious! And I loved having my photo snapped by the Twin Bridges photography peeps. I felt like a bit of a celebrity.
My only disappointment was having to cut out early and missing Sheva. She used to cut my hair way back before she was a musicial entertainer to Yelpers.
Well done Ben and Atlantica! -
Review from Breighan H.
Halifax, NS
4/29/2011
Fun fun! I love the Atlantica! A cool view of the commons! Yes, there was one li'l veggie snack (everything else had fish or meat in it) that they brought us (not dairy free) but I sucked it up and ate scraped-away traces of cheese, as it was a special night! The white wine was pretty white-winey. I'm no expert!
It was as loud as a rock show in there which was wild. I'm not used to yelling so loud over anything but a metal band. Good yapping, Yelpers! Was a fun time.
I too am super-keen for the zombie event! If you don't do it, Phil and I will totally UYE it. I'm curious to see what the other Yelp events will be like! Everyone I met was rad! -
Review from Mike B.
5/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Being still relatively new to Yelp, this was my first real Yelp event, though being it was the first Yelp event held for Halifax, I guess I'm not alone in that respect.
It was held at the Atlantica hotel on the corner of Quinpool and Robie. I haven't been in this hotel since it was changed over from Holiday Inn a few years back so I was pleasantly surprised with how different it was from how I briefly remembered it. Very classy!
One thing about this Yelp event is that it has something for everyone. Lots of appetizers to go around, good music, lots of people and lots and lots of Yelp stuff to take away. Mints, bottle openers, and fun cards to leave behind when paying your bill at restaurants. "You've been Yelped!" Very fun!
Garrison had beer on tap during the duration of the gathering. I'm not much of a beer drinker myself but when I do drink it, I prefer red beer and they had that on. Also kudos to Bishop's Cellar. I'm also not a wine drinker and I mentioned that to the helpful representative from Bishop's. She suggested their red wine (apologies. I failed to make note of exactly what kind of wine it was) and while it didn't fully convert me, it was the best glass of wine I've ever had. I'm not sure what it is but every time I've had wine before, it always leaves a buttery aftertaste. This wine was very light so it was enjoyable.
It was also fun knowing the night was documented by a photographer from Twin Bridges. Looking back on the photos helped show off just how much fun it was!
The music was provided by Sheva, a local singer who I have been vaguely familiar with for a few years but had never actually seen live before. I felt bad that it felt like she was more of background entertainment but I did listen with ease to a number of her performances. She mixed some of her own material in with covers including Teenage Dream (Katy Perry) and Yellow (Coldplay). Is it possible to have her as Yelp's unofficial entertainment?
Part of the night involved a grand prize of a hotel room for the night at the Atlantica along with a gift bag and complimentary breakfast. Us elites were invited on a quick tour of the room. I emphasize the tour of the room since it was actually not just a single room but an executive suite consisting of multiple rooms, a king sized bed, two bathrooms, two televisions, and an office space. It was absolutely fabulous! I couldn't have imagined myself in such a space. ...but alas! I won! I was shocked! The hotel itself will be saved for another review.
The hardest part of winning was figuring out a way to show my appreciation. I figure the best and most efficient way is to simply tell more people about Yelp and write more reviews. Judging by the people who attended this first event, it's a very nice crowd and it's amazing to know that I'm apart of such a community in Halifax. I just wish I was better at approaching people...:/
Yelp! Halifax may be on the new side but I think it's been a great success so far and I highly look forward to future events and meeting more of my fellow Yelpers! -
Review from Jess B.
Halifax, NS
4/30/2011
I love any excuse to get dolled up and do something different, so Yelp and Ben B, thanks for hosting the Elite Party. It's refreshing to see young, innovative businesses team up to put on event that brings like-minded individuals under the same roof. And, Bishops Cellar delivers!? Who knew?
I haven't been to Seasons at Atlantica since it went through all the changes, so I was really excited to try some of the items off their new menu. But, it was not to be, If you weren't standing close to the bar area, the food never reached you. Are the rumours true that there was a poutine in a shot glass? If so, I'm slightly distraught I didn't get to try one.
Anyway, great atmosphere and drinks. I can't wait for the next one. Perhaps the next Elite Party could have a theme or feature some activities to showcase more local businesses such as contests or trivia. Thanks again to Yelp and Ben B. -
Review from Lauren O.
Halifax, NS
Great venue (within sight of my apartment--bonus), amazing food (regretting that I didn't try the fancy poutine), fab drinks, and fun people. A memorable evening. Thank you!
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Review from Kim H.
5/2/2011
I had a lot of fun at this event! Partly because I had the chance to catch up with a few people I hadn't seen in a while, but also because it was very classy! The whole look of the venue and feel of the atmosphere felt very sophisticated, but in a cool way. Everything was really well-organized - food came around regularly and the drink servers were really friendly. Speaking of drinks, that signature blueberry cocktail was delicious - it sure went down my throat fast enough! The food was also delicious, and I loved the cute individual portions served on great dishes. Sheva has a beautiful voice and it lent a great atmosphere to the evening. I was impressed with the hotel renos - the finishes all look really high-end and can't beat the location! Looking forward to the next one!
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Review from Sam A.
5/1/2011
Definitely a night to remember. Well done Yelp! Now I just need to work on becoming elite...
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Review from Joel K.
6/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fabulous event! Fun people, great drinks, and the perfect atmosphere. Huge props to Ben B!
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Review from Nick B.
Halifax, NS
5/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great job on a great event, Ben - this is that has to be repeated. It was great to see a few familiar faces from St. Patrick's Day, and though I couldn't stay long the setup was phenomenal, and I can't wait to but the check in deal to use.
