Alibi

Cecyl

Was this useful? +2

I like the fact that the developers and operators have attempted to recognize the historic significance of the building through their naming of the hotel (Liberty), restaurant (the Clink), and this lounge (Alibi). Reportedly, they have even sought to preserve the structure by building out conference rooms in the meeting area in a way that allows for easy dismantling of those elements without injuring the core building.

Anyway, I digress...I met a few friends here for drinks on a recent Friday night. They'd been there for a few hours, having secured a table in the front of the lounge prior to the reservation period. Unfortunately, they had a very busy waitress who informed them of the 8 p.m. reservations policy in a less-than-professional way. The good thing is that the GM, Dimitria, quickly diffused the situation and comped my party a round of drinks - standard but appreciated treatment.

Overall, the scene is more akin to the boutique lounge scene that was popularized for the mainstream by the W and Rande Gerber's establishments. As such, you get the feeling that you've been in this place before. Nothing spectacular about it but still enjoyable with the right company. Plus, the people watching is nice.

From a menu perspective, I found that some of the offerings were a bit heavy for a hotel lounge. High-end cheese fries (basically, french fries with parm. cheese), medium-sized pizzas, potstickers, etc. I got the feeling that I was in some suburban or Midwestern cookie-cutter hangout as a result of this. Similarly, the drinks were standard fare - no superb creativity in the drink menu but it was adequate.

The music was a bit quirky, sounding more like my iPod on shuffle than anything else. I prefer a more coherent mix - even if the genres are varied. Going from The Cure to Bill Withers to The White Stripes only works when you have a DJ like Mark Ronson or Diplo ensuring that the mash-up is right. Otherwise, it just sounds like a bunch of songs.

All-in-all, it was a decent experience. I would go back but mainly for the people watching...