Tiny blocks of wood crash to the table and a crowd gathered round cries out, Jenga! At a nearby booth, two men strategically drop small wooden circles into slots, vying to be first with four in a row. Over by the bronzed industrial bar, a group of young, aspiring actors huddles around a wooden board, lying down lettered game pieces in hopes to earn a triple word score. And there are bowling lanes that flank the gaming tables, run by an official suspender-clad bowling attendant who keeps score on a wall-hanging chalkboard.
Hard to believe all this was once a dusty storage space on the mezzanine level of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Quite aptly named, The Spare Room, the stylish gaming parlor and cocktail lounge opened last January, and quickly established itself as one of the area’s most popular upscale nightlife destinations. Like so many other recent additions to the local craft cocktail scene, The Spare Room draws heavily upon the past, modeled after the private gaming parlors found in 1920s Rockefeller and Vanderbilt properties. It’s replete with vintage furnishing, flatiron style arched windows, custom-designed games and an old-school photo booth.
“We’re trying to emphasize social interaction,” said Med Abrous, co-founder of The Spare Room. “The best way to do that is to get groups together, especially with games. You never really get to know someone until you’ve competed with them.”
Abrous and his team are also keen on providing high quality cocktails. The recently released fall menu, designed by Beverage Director Naomi Schimek boasts a variety of warm, seasonal variations on classic cocktails that comprise a broad spectrum of spirits.
“The basis of our cocktail menu is spirit forward,” Abrous said. “We work with high volume but also incorporate fresh juices and appreciate the craft of cocktails. Our goal is to educate – not only the staff here but people who come in, and turn them onto gins and ryes; it’s not just Jack and Cokes.”
The Smoking Pistola is a one of the new drink menu’s highlights. With Del Maguey Mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, cilantro, pineapple syrup and lime, the drink hits you with a smoky taste up front and eases into a subtle pineapple finish. On the sweeter, more savory side, the Thanks Grandma! is a dessert-like concoction made with Jamaican Rum, Hazelnut and Allspice Liqueurs, Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin, cream and nutmeg.
“It’s basically a deconstructed pumpkin pie; you feel like someone’s given you a nice treat,” said Schimek. “Fall is my favorite menu to do because it can be so warm and inviting and you get to work with a lot of aromatics and that sort of Indian Summer vibe with things like cinnamon, apples, pears and sage.”
Gin lovers will be drawn to the Ode To Aude, a nod to celebrated cocktail guru Audrey Saunders. who recently guest bartended at The Spare Room. It features Japanese Cherry Green Tea infused gin, Green Chartreuse, lemon, egg white and Jasmine Essence. A light, frothy and floral combination, if this drink were bottomless, there’d be nary an empty barstool.
Though it’s easy to get lost in their tastiness, these cocktails come priced on par with their quality. Expect to shell out $14 a drink, while an hour of bowling with up to 6 people (including shoe rentals) will cost you $100, and “renting” any of the board games are free. An appreciation for quality and fine detail will do you good to justify a night out that’ll set you back more than a few hours at Big Wangs or Cabo Cantina.
“Nothing here was put together haphazardly; everything is authentically tied in together,” said co-founder Marc Rose. “Everything needs to match – from the games to the cocktails, down to the design of the room.”
Hell, even the pencils received attention. Look closely at the Number 2 and even smell them and you’ll feel like a kid back in grade school learning cursive, still able to swing your legs back and forth without scuffing the ground. These are the original Number 2s made by General Pencils, the oldest pencil manufacturer in the country.
Keeper of these pencils is the Gaming Ambassador, who on this particular night was a charming English woman with knowledge every and anything you’d ever want to know about the games here. She holds the key to a locked cabinet that houses these custom-made games – everything from Scrabble to Backgammon, Dominos and Connect Four. She’ll recite the rules for each, and will count each Jenga or Scrabble game piece following your game before you get your collateral credit card back.
Such attention to detail can be seen throughout lounge, but without the feeling of pretentiousness or exclusivity. This is the kind of place where you can go with a group of friends on the weekend or some coworkers after the 5 o’clock whistle, kick back in a cozy booth with a deck of cards and a couple of cocktails that probably won’t suck. It’s got that loung-ey, home away from home feel to it, except way cooler since most of us don’t have bowling lanes in our living rooms or access to homegrown herbal-infused spirits and hand crafted cocktails coming out of our kitchens.
The Spare Room at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles CA
323.466.7000
http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/la/hollywood-roosevelt/drink/the-spare-room
