LOCAL Houston | The City Guide APRIL 2016 | Page 26

CLUB•ICEHOUSE•LOUNGE

THE NIGHTINGALE ROOM

A SMALL NIGHTCLUB AND LIVE MUSIC VENUE
Now that it’s all but official, we figured it was time. Time to let the five people in town who don’t know, know. We’re not sure if it happened when
the drink menu came out, or if it was when they started booking live music
on weeknights, too, or when the disco ball was installed, or when … eh,
you get the point. The Nightingale Room has hit the big time.
Here is our quick three-sentence description. Clumsy Butcher-owned (Anvil,
Hay Merchant, Julep) so you know it’s primo. Main Street, on the northside
epicenter of Downtown. Neon sign adorns airy, industrial design inside
favoring the old building, a bar laid out for domination and spotless bathrooms. Now, on to the recently revised nightclub style (think fast & fun) drink
menu with an Anvil twist. Which really means, efficient f’ing good drinks.
The 3–4 person bowl cocktail. Yep. A nitro cuba libre? Sweet Jesus.
Midori sour? Damn, we blew up the dance floor when we last drank those.
Guess what? Nightingale does the Midori sour, and it’s deceivingly delicious. No syrupy flavor; just a crisp citrus blast. Do you like shots? Of
course you do, you’re at da club! Get the Lemon Drop and let it and the
cinnamon/sugar lemon after help fuel another hour of party.

We went brief on description to talk a bit about music, so here goes.
Music is the heart of Nightingale Room, and Mr. Criss (Mike, if you are
lucky) is the man with the plan. Bands from Houston to Austin and beyond
are vying for time on the Nightingale’s upper balcony stage, and why
wouldn’t they? This place is slammed on the weekends and is an ideal size
for live music. No better way to play than to a house full of partiers on a
stage equipped with a dumbwaiter straight from the bar below. Acts are
strategically booked/scheduled, with rap and DJs even getting in on the
variety, so keep an eye on their calendar for almost nightly shows. On the
off nights or between sets, you’ll relish in the vinyl collection that’s over 1k
strong and categorized like a fine wine (just ask for the list). On the schedule every night? You, enjoying the party!

308 Main St. | 832.968.3370
www.nightingaleroom.com
Weekdays 4–7pm
twitter.com/nightingaleroom
www.facebook.com/NightingaleRoom
By Mike Cook | Photography by Julie Soefer

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L O C A L

| april 16