It’s 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday as I step up on the curb at South Bemiston in Clayton. My destination: Area 14 Lounge, a clandestine sake lounge largely unknown to the throngs of Polo-clad barhoppers making their usual rounds on nearby Central Avenue. Like any good speakeasy, no neon signs beckon foot traffic to this hidden establishment. There’s only a door embellished with a geisha face, lorded over by a menacing, ever-present bouncer.
“Enjoy,” is all he says after giving our party a quick once-over and pushing open the door. Inside, a dark hallway, illuminated only by miniature red specks of light, leads to the recesses of the building, where the pulsing sound of house music draws us forward.
The spawn of adjacent Tani Sushi Bistro, Area 14 is a slick late-night lounge smartly dressed in a New Age Asian style; it’s smooth, solid and glossy. Black walls are offset by white leather couches and ottomans meticulously arranged throughout the small space. On a central wall, a backlit oversized portrait of a geisha throws light on the dim room. Intimate, stylish and equally pretentious, Area 14 is the type of place that keeps you eyeing the entrance for the arrival of fashion models. Decidedly exclusive, small and fun, the newest Clayton hotspot is an enjoyable distraction from reality for patrons who (with a little imagination and a lot of sake) are transported from a dreary night in the Midwest to a posh club in central Tokyo.
Intimacy does, however, come at a price. As the night progresses, it’s nearly impossible to find a seat and the bartenders at the bar by the entrance are backed up with orders, leaving grimacing patrons standing about with glasses of dry ice cubes.
Though small, the bar at Area 14 packs a serious selection. Sake is the definite showcase on the menu. Start off with a small carafe of hot rice wine (about 4 ounces) for $6.50. Cold bottles of various Japanese sake brands, each with different hints of various fruit, go for anywhere from $19 to $60. The bartenders also attempt a few specialty cocktails, like the Flirtini, a $9 concoction of mandarin vodka, Chambord, cranberry, simple syrup and lime, which, despite looking great, falls flat in the taste department. Much better is the Plum Saketini, a mix of plum vodka, sake and pineapple juice. Regular cocktails are well-executed and generously doused with call brand liquors for all tastes. And thankfully for Asian beer-lovers like me, the menu offers a number of Sapporos and Kirins at more-than-reasonable prices. Bottle service is available for various vodkas and/or champagnes.
Despite the cosmetically enhanced gold diggers and their obnoxious prey that regularly inhabit the lounge on weekend nights, the venue appeals to both young professionals and the more mature, after-dinner crowd, all of whom make for great people-watching in extremely close quarters. And with decent prices, the lounge is hardly exclusive, although I wouldn’t advise walking in wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
Regardless of the few hiccups (expected in a fledgling drinking establishment), Area 14 Lounge is a more-than-welcome addition to a Clayton bar scene that has woefully too few newcomers. Sure, it might be cramped. And OK, the people can seem a bit pretentious. But it’s an ideal spot to throw back a Martini and impress a first date. Get there early enough, grab a couch, order a tall, cold one, and enjoy the view. It’s definitely worth the price.
STL AFTER DARK
Where: Area 14 Lounge, 14 S. Bemiston Ave., Clayton, 314.727.8264
When: Tue. to Sat. – 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Check It: The Gateway City’s first sake speakeasy.
Hipster or Hoosier: Dress to impress and you’ll blend into the crowd of Clayton socialites, high rollers and thirsty 30-somethings.
Suds or ‘Tinis: Start with a small carafe of sake chased with a tall, cold Sapporo.
This article appears in February 2011.
