“Gilded cocktail, relaxed style” – Review of Flatiron Lounge
BY ELENA MANCINI
37 W 19th St.
Flatiron District, NYC
212-727-7741
flatironlounge.com/
Hours: Sun. – Wed. 5pm – 2am / Thurs. – Sat. 5pm – 4am
Born about a century and a half ago in California, the cocktail is a quintessential New York institution. From the 15,000 + speakeasies and gin dens that operated in Manhattan during Prohibition Era New York, to world-famous cocktail establishments like the Algonquin, Windows on the World and 21 Club, the city epitomizes the ultimate in cocktail-sipping experience.
Grey Goose Vodka Martini with a twist
A fixture of American culture, cocktails are the substance of predilection for ushering in celebration, lubricating social static and “drowning one’s sorrows,” as the all too cliched, but true phrase goes. Cocktails also provide a beloved setting for the exchange of intimacies, commiseration, the birth of dangerous, albeit risky new ideas and the unleashing of bold seductive ploys. Consumed in immoderate amounts and cocktails can bring out the dark side of most of these scenarios, but that is hopefully that’s just stating the obvious.
In recent decades, the art of the cocktail and that atmosphere in which it is consumed has degenerated considerably. Amid the constant proliferation of over-the-top, commercial theme bars, to sleek, trendier than thou types of establishment with staffed by undernourished and attitude-rich aspiring super models to the mega-sports bars, to dive bars, which have been flowering in copious number in recent months thanks to the downturn a relaxed, culturally-refined, conversation-inducing cocktail experience has seemingly become the stuff of historical legend.
Flatiron Lounge’s winning formula consists in its coupling of beyond competent cocktail concoctions– that include contemporary interpretations of classic favorites– with an elegant but low-key scene. Art deco lights and furnishing accents collude with pleasant acoustics powered by Bossa Nova, Big band classics and mood lighting so flattering that could make a slice of Wonder bread seem sexy and set the stage for a delightful evening of soaking in the mood, ambiance, the company of your drinking companion and supremely inspired cocktail mixtures. Made with classic and exotic ingredients that include Lillet, Cointreau, Aperol, Chartreuse, fresh mint and Elderflower to the exacting standards of premiere bar chefs, and served with a complimentary bowl of spicy mix of rice crackers and peanuts, an evening at the Flatiron is just the antidote for an afterwork unwind, an intimate tete a tete, and a decidedly smooth setting for pitching a business proposition.
The menu is vast and contains something for traditionalists and those inclined toward experimentation. For the undecided, the “Flight of the Day,” which consists in a three cocktail sampler made with a common base liqueur is probably the way to go. Otherwise, The Modern Classic (potent yet fresh and vibrant with fresh mint flavors), Four on Four (vodka based with Aperol), Beijing Peach (smooth as sunshine through a parasol with vodka, jasmine, elderflower, and my favorite) and the classic Martini are among the elixirs that I’ve savored here. Atmosphere is great and better still, the drinks pack a punch that won’t leave you paying through your nose.
The only downside, if one could call it such, is that Flatiron Lounge does not have a food kitchen. My advice is to arrive well nourished because once you come, you won’t want to leave.
Flatiron Lounge may be reserved for private parties.
