Passing The Bar: Ella

Downtown newcomer ella seeks to capture the classic elegance of its namesake, Ella Fitzgerald.The long, narrow space that used to house gay hotspot Boysroom has been completely remade, replacing gyrating go-go boys with a different type of fruit on the bar—the kind you use to make fancy cocktails. Priced at $12, the bar’s signature drinks are ambitious, as are the bartenders; “none of my drinks are sweet, and none of them are sour,” one boasted. A sip of my Ritz Carlton from its glass goblet proved him right; a foamy concoction of muddled plum, light rum, dark rum, simple syrup, lime and pineapple juice, it had just the right balance of sweet, tart and strong, with no one flavor overpowering the others.

Likewise, a plum gin fizz made with Hendricks gin proved a modern take on the Southern standby.The bartender’s skill was enough to reassure me that Ella’s specialty drink, made with watermelon, simple syrup, lemon juice, St. Germain Liqueur and Absolut 100, tastes nothing like the nasty watermelon vodka drinks of my youth.

In terms of ambiance, the upper level has a lush art-deco theme, with booths, round couches, plants, chandeliers, giant mirrors and vintage perfume bottles creating a campy, almost department store–like feel, as if Bloomingdales circa 1930 had been emptied of clothing racks and turned into a lounge. Red is the dominant color, with accents of black and white.There was plenty of open seating on a Sunday, though the space was so cold that patrons had to keep their coats on. Also problematic was the noise leakage between the two levels; the hot jazz playing downstairs clashed with the mixture of new wave and R&B playing upstairs at conversation-encouraging volume. If they can fix these issues, the upstairs will be a nice place to savor a drink and catch up with friends on an off night; I can’t vouch for what it’s like when the horrid hordes invade the East Village on the weekend.

A trip downstairs found warmer climes and well-dressed young dames and fellas dancing to a soundtrack of jazz and swing. A few girls had feathers in their hair, and one couple even looked as if they’d practiced their moves.

Two live sax players added to the Harlem Renaissance vibe, roving through the crowd as they riffed along to the music. A cushioned booth with no dividers ringed the room, creating a cozy, communal feel and focusing attention back toward the center.Wallpaper printed to look like curtains formed a trompe l’oeil set against the real curtains flanking the stage, which regularly plays host to live music.

Is the whole retro 1920s-1930s thing a bit cheesy? Of course. But as a reaction to the corporate excess of millennial New York, with its slick, throbbing clubs and $10 well drinks, one could do much worse.There’s a reason the Jazz Age lives on in notoriety: it was pretty goddamn cool. Once it irons out its kinks, Ella should be a hopping, boozy little joint that Fitzgerald herself would approve of.

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Ella
9 Ave. A (betw. E. 1st & E. 2nd Sts.), 212-777-2230