Located in The Wallace Hotel, tucked away just off Broadway on West 76th Street, The Wallace Lounge is a stylish cocktail bar and piano lounge that opened on March 1. Seeing an opportunity to support the Upper West Side’s vibrant cultural community, Concept Creator and Operator Andrea Loscalzo—owner of Upper West Side mainstay Salumeria Rosi—had a cocktail bar and piano lounge in mind from the moment he first saw the space. Loscalzo has tapped into the cultural roots of the neighborhood’s history with opera, jazz and theater, empowering creativity and deepening the art of live music and bringing its essence to The Wallace Lounge. Situated one block from the Beacon Theater and a short walk from Lincoln Center, it is the ideal location for the community to enjoy great music, cocktails and light bites in a beautifully designed space for a night out, or a pre- and post-theater destination.
The Wallace Lounge is separated from the hotel lobby by a brass mesh curtain. Designed with a Neo-Deco fashion that marries the concept with the history of the hotel, the lounge area walls are bathed in a deep blue with walnut wood tambour accents with royal blue, brown and forest green velvet seating to allow guests to feel comfortable and relaxed, complete with a Lilac Marble fireplace and 5’9” Mason & Hamlin Grand Piano that was built in 1926 and has been tuned and restored by Ingo Hofmann. The bar area is anchored by a beautiful dark walnut and leather service bar that sits in front of a botanical-themed hand painted mural from acclaimed artist Jean Larson.
To curate The Wallace Lounge experience, Loscalzo is drawing from his hospitality background that has helped to solidify Salumeria Rosi as a neighborhood staple and maintain its high quality of service and food. He has enlisted Beverage Director Simon Sebbah (Grand Tour Hospitality) to design the cocktail program and Sommelier Chris Miller (The Lambs Club) to develop the wine program.
The cocktail program was built for connoisseurs to indulge in the classics—with a twist headlined by the house signature, The Wallace Martini, a choice of Grey Goose or Tanqueray No. 10 with dry vermouth and bitters. The rest of the drinks are a play on a storied beverage, like The Gin & Tonic, made with Amazzoni Tropical Gin, grapefruit and tonic water; the UWS Sparks, made with St. Germain, yellow grapefruit, bitters and Champagne and the Baïka Martini, made with Grey Goose, olive brine and caviar.
Andrea has carefully curated the menu of light bites to pair well with the elevated cocktail and wine programs. Under the snacks section is a well-chosen selection of imported salumi and cheeses from Salumeria Rosi. Cold bites highlight hickory Smoked Beef Tartare on a rice cracker, topped with poached quail egg, gold leaf and nasturtium, presented in a smoking cloche; Caviar Brioche, comprised of Petrossian Caviar on a toasted butter brioche bun from Balthazar Bakery with a dollop of house made crème fraiche and The Wallace Garden, comprised of brightly colored seasonal vegetable crudité with fresh salsa verde consisting of parsley, anchovies, vinegar, capers and egg yolk. The warm bites section features Tempura Shrimp, four oversized prawns fried in a very light rice flour batter served like lollipops with ponzu aioli; Wagyu Beef Sliders, a pair of two-ounce wagyu beef patties topped with brie cheese, lettuce, tomato and smoked sauce on a brioche bun; Classic Club Sandwich, double layered with grilled chicken, tomato, lettuce, honey-glazed bacon and mayo and Truffle Potato Croquettes, served with truffle mayonnaise, topped with sliced fresh black truffle.
Petrossian Caviar Program:
The Wallace Lounge also showcases a Petrossian Caviar program, served by the tray accompanied with egg whites, egg yolks, shallots, chives, capers, crème fraiche and mini blinis. The options include 50 grams of Royal Kaluga, Royal Ossetra and Royal Alverta caviar, as well as 250 grams of Classic Baïka. To pair with the caviar, The Wallace Lounge will offer Champagne by the glass utilizing a Coravin Sparkling Wine System so guests can indulge in Lanson, NV “Le Black” Champagne and Perrier Jouet NV “Blanc de Blancs.”
Sweet bites include Pistachio Cheesecake topped with roasted pistachios and Maldon salt as well as Millefoglie, a mini puff pastry with vanilla Chantilly cream, topped with fresh raspberry.
Rounding out the experience is a concise, global wine program that offers 13 wines by the glass, one rosé, four red and white wines including Benton Lane 2021 Pinot Noir, Iconoclast 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Feudi di San Gregorio 2021 Falanghina, Botanica 2021 Chenin Blanc, as well as four sparkling wines and Champagne. Included in the wine list is a selection of certified Kosher wines.
