Savage Lounge attracts an uptown crowd, including some cast members from “The Real Housewives of New York City.”CreditNina Westervelt for The New York Times
Boîte: Savage Lounge
Midtown
The speakeasy can’t seem to die. There are speakeasies hidden behind phone booths, coffee shops and virtually countless unmarked doors. Savage Lounge, which opened in December, forces patrons to file past a working kitchen, à la “Goodfellas,” before reaching the cool, dark confines of a subterranean bar.
Fans of “The Real Housewives of New York City” may recall this as the former home of Beautique, which Sonja Morgan once described as a place to get “a little tipsy if you want and fall off your heels.” Its latest iteration is not so different, with bottle service waitresses in miniskirts and more than one sighting of Ramona Singer.
The Place
Savage Lounge is tucked way inside the Pomona restaurant, an upscale new American restaurant next to the Paris Theater (and across West 58th Street from the Plaza Hotel). The shiny black space features a mirrored ceiling, colored lights and rows of plush seating that can withstand dancing heels.
The Crowd
It was wall-to-wall party groups on a recent Friday, with more than a few birthdays celebrated with sparklers and flaming baked alaskas. Women in their 20s and 30s wore sparkly dresses and form-fitting denim, and were slightly outnumbered by men in their 40s, who were dressed down in baseball caps, dad jeans and even sweatpants.
Tribes gathered territorially around bottle service trays, but there is a chance to mingle in the center of the room, where people danced and flirted.
The Playlist
D.J.s play an upbeat and danceable mix that keeps the champagne and sparklers flowing till the wee hours. On a recent weekend night, DJ Stoon stuck to remixes of 1980s and ’90s hits by Michael Jackson, Moloko and R.E.M.
Getting In
Burly security guards keep watch at street level, but there are no ropes or lines. Reservations are strongly suggested for tables. Doors open at 9 p.m., and the real action gets going after 11 p.m.
Drinks
A European-style bar trolley offers table-side cocktails ($17) before the crowds arrive. Then bottle service rules, with a table minimum of one bottle (starting at $400 for Tito’s, Ketel One, Grey Goose or Cîroc).
Savage Lounge, 8 West 58th Street, Manhattan; 646-924-6339; savageloungenyc.com. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.; Sunday, 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
