The Spare Room, a truly hidden hot spot found on the mezzanine level of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, is a modern day gaming parlour and cocktail lounge with everything from handcrafted chess and backgammon to jenga and connect four. It’s a place built on social interaction that fuels the competitive spirit with two restored vintage wooden bowling lanes.
Owners, Marc Rose and Med Abrous provide patrons with a novel experience based on their own nostalgic memories at this Prohibition-era inspired lounge. They bring together groups based on their appreciation and passion for innovative cocktails, music, design and the camaraderie of gaming.
Between their renewed cocktail menu and creative promotions, the attention to detail exudes a sense of authenticity, permanence and comfort. Rose and Abrous are driven by the quality of their product and the exceptional service they provide.
The proliferation of well-made drinks has made diners and imbibers not only want the best, but expect the best and the Spare Room has had a long reputation for serving up some of the best drinks in town. The cocktails at the Spare Room are a mix of classic and whimsical house creations that correlate with the overall theme. The syrups are house-made, the garnishes fresh and seasonal, the spirits often small batch.
“We use stone fruit, berries, fragrant herbs and edible flowers with gin, cognac, vermouth and sherry,” explains Rose. “Tropical fruits go well with rum, and we make many rum drinks all summer long.”
In addition to their seasonal cocktail menus, the Spare Room offers not only the use of their menus for private parties but they “work with our clients to customize menus based on their clients’ event and pallets,” says Rose, through their custom cocktail catering program.
The Spare Room Off-Site works closely with clients to design a cocktail and service experience specifically tailored to individual events. From intimate holiday parties to weddings and large-scale corporate events, The Spare Room Off-Site delivers a bona fide cocktail affair to clients and their guests. The highly skilled, knowledgeable, and clever staff adds an unprecedented level of service designing cocktails for individual palates, while educating interested guests on spirits and contributing to the overall party environment.
Back on-premise, “once a month (May-Sept), we are joined by a guest (or sometimes guests) who represent some of the country's greatest bartending talents for our ‘An Evening of Tiki’ event,” explained Abrous. “We showcase a different rum partner for each one, and create custom menus that include both cocktails and punches. Our food and music are also "island inspired" and we have even had hula dancers stop by for a performance.”
This is their opportunity to pay tribute to tiki culture, and the prominent history Hollywood has played in tiki culture over the years; tiki was in fact invented in Los Angeles.