So & So’s Piano Bar is Hell’s Kitchen’s new best-kept secret

Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood is a piano bar mecca. Its proximity to the theatres of Broadway means there’s no shortage of audience appetite for ‘dinner and a show’ or talented musicians ready to tinkle the ivories. Joining the list of options is So & So’s, an intimate bar and lounge inside new New York hotel Romer Hell’s Kitchen, where live-music enthusiasts can enjoy a menu of family-style dishes like Oysters Rockefeller and K-Pop Fries, along with cocktails with locally inspired names, from The Big Apple to Bodega Cat, while being serenaded by a roster of performers.

So & So’s Piano Bar, New York

New York design studio Goodrich imagined the space as an elevated rendition of a typical neighbourhood bar, applying a bold red and blue colour palette and combining contemporary patterns with vintage decor to make the space feel familiar and different. ‘The name So&So’s implies the familiarity of a neighbourhood fixture, a place so ingrained in the local culture that people are on intimate terms with it,’ said Goodrich.

Guests arrive at an unassuming blue door, newly cut out of a side-street brick wall, through which they enter into a dimly lit corridor that draws them into the main area. This space is designed around a raised stage for nightly performances, set against a backdrop of upholstered panels and custom-designed decorative lights. A blue-lacquered upright piano anchors the stage, chosen to create a more informal vibe than a baby grand, while a small bar is located on the far side for slinging drinks during showtime.

Half-moon banquettes face the stage, and small tables accompanied by plush swivel chairs populate the centre, giving everyone an optimum view. Lamps with fabric shades and thin metal arms arc over the banquettes’ marble-topped tables, adding to the warm glow across the interior. ‘The sumptuous banquettes, upholstered walls, and custom lighting provide echoes from past generations of New York nightlife, while the welcoming energy creates a space for the whole neighbourhood to connect and commune,’ says Goodrich.

Further seating for those looking for conservation can be found on the other side of a partition wall, though a portal in the middle still allows views and sound through. Surrounding the interior are tufted walls covered in a red camouflage fabric – providing a visual break between the blue ceiling and built-in leather seating – and a bespoke crimson carpet patterned with entwined ‘S’ and ‘&’ symbols as a nod to the venue’s name and hand-drawn logo. ‘The brand design plays with the concept of “high and low”, incorporating a mix of references to local bars that have been in NYC for decades,’ Goodrich explains.

Tourists and locals may be spoilt for choice in the area, but So & So’s combination of distinctive interiors and a wide variety of programming – from pianists to DJs and open-mic nights – offers a unique experience for those who wish to extend their night out after a Broadway show, and are ready to sing along.

Find So & So’s Piano Bar at 302 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019, United States, @soandsosny