Molly T.
Yelp
I'm going to be nice and give Scarlet Lounge four stars despite an inconsistent experience here. Some drinks are medicore, some are serviceable, some are fantastic. The service is slow. The vibes are odd. But Scarlet just opened a week or two ago and I have to give them the benefit of the doubt because I'm sure the kinks will be worked out eventually. There are few good cocktail bars on the Upper West Side so Scarlet's arrival was exciting to many of us who have lived up here for years with a truly barren mixology landscape. Overall, it's a pleasant experience with serviceable drinks, brought to you by the Soprano's own Michael Imperioli (sadly we did not see him there, but I spent plenty of time doing my famous Adriana impression anyway, to the chagrin of everyone around me).
We came here at around 10/10:30 on a Saturday night. There were actually two parties waiting outside when we got there, the rarest of occurrences in this neighborhood. Luckily a few parties left soon after we arrived so we got in after about 10-15 minutes. The space itself is a lot smaller than I imagined, though I can't remember what was there prior to Scarlet. We were initially seated at the side counter area but put in a request for bar seats if/when they opened up, and we ultimately were able to move after about 15 minutes.
The menu of original/specialty cocktails is mostly made up of shaken/lighter drinks, all around $20. A server didn't help us for quite a while so the host said he could help us with our first round of drinks. However, he couldn't really speak to the flavor profiles or give any meaningful descriptors of the drinks, so he had to go find a server to assist. She gave me a solid description of the Hell's Kitchen (Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Blackberry, Jalapeño, Lime, Blue Agave) and also said that it was her favorite drink on the menu, an endorsement I couldn't ignore. It was honestly just okay, something anyone could easily make at home. My husband got the White Lotus (Clarified Don Q Cristal Rum, Pineapple, Yuzu, Coconut Sugar, Champagne), which to me was barely drinkable. He tends to be someone who sips and savors but he finished this one pretty quickly to get it over with.
For our second round, my husband got the Pisco Pink Panther (Pisco, Raspberry, Disaronno Amaretto, Orgeat, Lemon, Rose Water) and I got the Smoked Boulevardier (Barrel Aged Bourbon, Carpano Antica Sweet
Vermouth, Coconut Washed Campari, Angostura, Cherry Wood Smoke, Dark Chocolate), the only stirred/spirit-forward drink on the specialty cocktails list. His was very good (bright, fruity, nutty, floral - good combo) and mine was excellent. I knew I wanted it to be my nightcap as soon as I saw it on the menu. Rich and smoky (they smoke the glass to create an immersive experience), and still well-balanced. It reminded me of the Smoke Gets In Your Eyes from the original Angel's Share, one of the first fancy cocktails I ever tried, one that remains a favorite to this day. Good company to keep.