Check out the Star Ledger's review of Hoboken's hottest lounge...
NINE
333 Washington St., Hoboken
(201) 795-9899
www.ninehoboken.com
Open 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 5 p.m.-3 a.m.
Fridays; noon-3 a.m. Saturdays; noon-midnight Sundays
A little over a year ago, Steve DiPasquale of Hoboken
decided his town needed "something more mature Â? I
wanted a place for my friends to hang, where they could
relax in a laid back atmosphere, not a collegiate pub."
No one could mistake Nine, the lounge DiPasquale
subsequently opened, for a pub. From the leather walls to
the glass tile mosaic in the bar and the plush velvet
couches in the "living room" area, the place oozes
sophistication. Don't miss the giant terrarium filled
with exotic plants.
Designed by David Graziano, who also created the New York
lounges Pangaea and Aer, Nine actually houses several
different party areas on different levels of a Washington
Street brownstone. It's easy enough to drop in to the
front bar area, although there's often a wait behind
the velvet rope to enter (it's a popular spot). To
stake out one of the low, dark-wood tables in the
subterranean-feeling back lounges, reservations are a good
idea. (They offer bottle service, one of few venues in
Hoboken that does so.)
Whichever area of the maze-like Nine you alight in, there
are plenty of indulgences available there: a fusion-tapas
menu offers snacks like little cheesecake
"lollipops" well after most kitchens in town have
closed. The drinks menu is full of unusual offerings;
we'd suggest the Nines Martini, an unlikely but
unbeatable mix of Southern Comfort, Absolut Citron, Amaretto
and pineapple juice. (Skip the Love Potion #9, which tastes
like Robitussin.)
The crowd shimmying from one level to another at Nine tends
to be young and gets younger as the night wears on. After
midnight, when the place is packed and some of the couches
have been pushed aside so there's room to dance to top
40 hits Â? with one hand in the air, and one clutching a
martini Â? the atmosphere is almost collegiate, in fact. But
still nothing like a pub.
Article by Jenifer D. Braun
