In major cities around the world, many of these venues are concealed behind facades, designed to feel as clandestine as in the 1920s and early ’30s. They usually carry an air of exclusivity, too, through themed menus – the details of which only regulars fully appreciate.
But two people who don’t believe that creating an alluring bar necessitates going overboard on gimmicks are the actor Michael Imperioli and his creative wife Victoria, whose new speakeasy-style establishment on New York City’s Upper West Side – Scarlet Lounge – is proof.
Fans of Michael Imperioli will, of course, most readily associate him with bars through Spider, the charcter he played in Goodfellas, who serves drinks to a boisterous party which enjoys his hospitality (save for Joe Pesci’s hard-to-please wiseguy, Tommy).
Auspicious circumstances surround the origins of Scarlet Lounge, however, beyond his acting parts. During the production of an episode for the PBS documentary series Finding Your Roots, Imperioli discovered that his great-grandfather owned a successful Prohibition-era speakeasy in the 1920s. More importantly still, he and Victoria opened Ciel Rouge in the early noughties, a speakeasy-style lounge which attracted the likes of The Pixies and Madonna.
Scarlet Lounge is located at 468 Amsterdam at the corner of West 83rd Street. With seating capacity for about 40 people, Victoria designed it to be a cosy, elegant space combining engrossing red hues with Art Deco patterns, drawing on French and American wartime styles. Having previously worked in interior and theatrical set design, she even made its furniture. The couple have made it their mission to ensure the bar becomes a favourite watering hole for locals, somewhere people know they will always have a good time.
While the staff at many bars look a little disappointed by (if not outright scornful of) those who order virgin cocktails, Imperioli himself doesn’t drink – so at Scarlet, he strives to give other sober Sallys the full cocktail experience, enjoying the mocktail-making spectacles on display.
The main drinks menu, meanwhile, consists of eight classic cocktails and signature cocktails, you might say, in equal parts. Curated by talented head bartender Matt Burkhardt, these signature libations are made using unique techniques including fat-washing, smoking, and clarification.
Among them are the White Lotus, alluding to the HBO series Imperioli stars in, and the Scarlet Letter, which draws on the bar’s own name. Indeed, there is no pretentiousness in the referentiality here, with focus having instead been poured into the deliciousness of the drinks. The Scarlet Letter, for instance, is a nuanced harmony of pomegranate-infused vodka, red wine gastrique, Luxardo cherry, Cointreau, lemon, cardamom bitters, and thyme.
In case you start feeling peckish, there is also food on offer. And renowned restaurateur Jeremy Wladis, with whom the Imperiolis teamed up to open the lounge, is behind it. Hence you can indulge in such delectable bar snacks as Foie Gras Torchon with vanilla-infused honey, pomegranate glaze and brioche toast, or Seared Sea Scallops with warm curry vinaigrette and apple celery leaf salad.
Nicholas Ross is a traveller, writer and lover of literature
