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Red Room Bar has, perhaps, one of the best entryways of any bar in New York City, all other vestibules be damned. That's because once you wander in through the Wall Street entrance, you'll first arrive at the Red Room, which gives the bar its name. Designed by Art Deco muralist Hildreth Meière in the 1930s, the opulent room is truly breathtaking with a collection of red, orange and gold tiles lined all the way up to the ceiling. Once a reception area and entryway for Irving Trust and Bank Company, the landmark now serves a new class of moneyed New Yorkers, operating as the luxury shoe room of Printemps.
Follow the river of tiles to the Red Room Bar, a sultry little cocktail lounge from Gregory Gourdet. Given its address inside the French luxury retailer, it's the coolest of the cool who drink here, as the lounge serves as the "it" bar during New York Fashion Week and a stopover for those who casually drop $1,000 on sweaters. But all can soak up the chicness here, over cocktails and bites that lean French and Haitian, mimicking its stellar sister restaurant next door.
The vibe: No, the tiles of the iconic Red Room don't dot the interior of the Red Room Bar. But the bar isn't dwarfed by the landmark either, as the lounge's first hello starts with a beautiful red jasper marble bar, fashioned into a horseshoe shape, with a beautiful chandelier made of bottles. Sit here or take to one of the tulip-shaped marble tables with upholstered chairs to better eye the bookshelves that line the place, decorated with luxe fragrances, massive candles and giant coffee-table books of Coco Chanel and Dior. It's clear that Printemps' clientele find refuge here, as it's common to share footspace with crinkling shopping bags.
The drink: Much like Maison Passerelle, Red Room Bar also balances Gourdet's cooking style of French and Haitian flavors. Haitian coffee finds itself in Earthy and caffeinated-kicked negronis and the pikliz martini is a riff on the classic cocktail, tasting of carrots with a lightly pickled finish, thanks to a splash of pikliz brine and pikliz vermouth. However, the drink misses the telltale spicy bite commonly associated with the Haitian condiment.
The food: Nibbles include house-cut fries with Creole ketchup, crisped-up black-eyed peas and plantain chips. You could also go for bigger bites, including the wagyu smash burger and fried chicken sandwiches with a heap of pikliz, the very one that also is mixed into drinks, plopped on top. And for a bite and a drink, you could order the girl dinner: two dirty martinis and fries to split.
Time Out tip: You can take a little walk and sip, since the entire Printemps has a liquor license. Just don't blame us if you happen to make a buzzed purchase of $1000 shoes.