The Soho Spot Making Dinner and Drinks Feel Like a Love Story

By: Meera Rathod
October 25, 2025

At the Club Room inside the Soho Grand Hotel, classic glamour meets live music and show-stopping bites, ideal for a first date that feels effortless and memorable.

There’s something undeniably magnetic about the Club Room at Soho Grand: a two-room lounge where low lighting, plush seating, and a live musical pulse converge to set the stage for more than just dinner. As you sidle into the Parlor with a cocktail in hand, the vibe channels old-New York elegance with a downtown edge. That night we tasted their Gin Blossom and the Whiskey Sour while the live jazz band kicked off, and every moment felt timeless yet relaxed. In other words: the perfect first-date formula.

Walking into the restaurant instantly feels like being invited into a sleek, hidden salon where old-New-York elegance meets downtown swagger. The space is split into two adjoining rooms, aptly named the Parlor and the Bar Room, with chartreuse-hued walls, plush sofas, giant potted palms, and a gilded art-deco bar with murals of peacocks casting a warm, inviting glow. As the evening advances, the light dims to amber tones, the live band begins, and a hush of anticipation settles over the room, and there’s the unmistakable sense that dinner and drinks are part of a performance. Cover charges apply ($25 Wednesday and Thursday; $35 Friday and Saturday) but guests of the hotel are waived, reinforcing the venue’s dual allure of exclusivity and ease. For a first date, the Club Room strikes just the right balance: refined without being stiff, glamorous without being intimidating.

The cocktails arrive as mini performances, each glass a nod to the past with an eye toward the future. On our visit we ordered the Gin Blossom (Dorothy Parker rose gin, singani, grapefruit, lemon, raspberry) and the Whiskey Sour (bourbon, honey, ancho chile, lemon, aromatic bitters), two drinks that beautifully illustrate the venue’s craft-forward journey through mixology history, from 19th-century old fashioned roots to modern-day elegance. The food menu matches that same spirit of sophistication with shareable supper club stars: dressed oysters, petite lobster rolls, club fries and a towering club burger, all designed for sharing, conversation, and indulgence. The bar’s approach feels just right for a first date, luxurious enough to feel special, but relaxed enough to keep the mood easy. With elegant glassware, premium spirits, and dishes that invite connection rather than interruption, each sip and bite sets the tone: elegant, intentional, and effortlessly memorable.

When the dinner plates clear and the cocktails settle, the spotlight shifts from candle-lit supper club to upstairs club rhythm—live musical sets take the stage at 7:30 p.m. and again at 9:00 p.m., featuring electric pianists, sultry vocalists, and jazz-inflected performances that set the tone for the night. Then, as the hour slides past 10 p.m., the room transforms: DJs spin vinyl and the Bar Room tilts toward late-night energy, with a subtly elevated crowd that leans into dance and movement without ever losing the glamour. That dual-rhythm, supper-club intimacy followed by dancing-til-late, crowns the Club Room as more than just a cocktail spot, it’s its own night out in SoHo, perfect for couples who want one seamless venue for dinner, drinks, and dancing.

The Club Room at the Soho Grand checks every box that matters for a first date: it’s intimate without being insular, stylish without being showy, and lively without sacrificing the chance to actually connect. Start in the Parlor with a crafted cocktail, move onto shareables like the club fries and baked stuffed pasta arrabiata, then let live jazz and early DJ sets carry the night forward, no venue swap needed. With a dress-up energy that flows into the weekend and a layout that invites conversation, it sidesteps both awkward silences and over-the-top pageantry. Plus, the location, right in SoHo’s heart, means both ease and elegance. Whether you stay for two hours or four, the Club Room delivers a full evening of ambiance, flavor and rhythm wrapped up in one memorable setting.