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With its Victorian curiosities and contortionists, glossy SOMA nightspot Monarch has never been known for skimping on decor. But when it came time to open up a former storage room to expand the bar's upper level, they decided to turn to crowdfunding to achieve the desired effect. After amassing nearly $24K on Indiegogo ($9K over their initial goal), they've unveiled the result: The Emperor's Drawing Room, a chic cocktail den designed to provide a more refined, mixology-centric alternative to the dance floor. Designers One Hat One Hand, with assistance from original designer Robert Polacek, are behind the look, featuring a custom-built angled bar with built-in lights.
The room, which can seat 50, features an undulating ceiling installation of lights. It's rentable as a private event space, with a giant 14-foot sliding wall that can close it off from the rest of the bar, but will be open to the public the rest of the time. For now, it's serving the same updated fall cocktail menu as the rest of the bar, but in a couple of weeks, the Emperor's Drawing Room will get its own menu, focusing on reinterpretations of classic cocktails.
· Monarch Opens on Sixth Street [~ ESF ~]