SHADE-O-METER RATING
3 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “NO SHADE, BUT SHE DIDN’T TURN IT OUT”
What’s the Hotel Colonnade? It’s a vintage gilded-age hotel – circa 1926 – that’s located on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. What’s The Lobby Bar? It’s the one, and only, bar in the hotel. However, she ain’t in “the lobby” but on the second floor.
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How was the maître d’? There was no maître d’ for the bar. What was the décor like? The lobby bar marries modern architecture with a vintage design—predominately, with Art Deco. Ditto for the décor in the rest of the hotel. However, the design in the rotunda was the exception; it was neoclassical.
What was the seating like? We got there at about 5:30 p.m., on a Saturday, and the bar was crowded with wedding patrons. However, there were more than enough seats for everyone. What was the atmosphere like? Moderately upscale and chill. What was the crowd like? It was composed mostly of wedding patrons, but peppered with a few regular hotel patrons and guests.
How was the cruising? Zero, point, zero. When is happy hour? It’s from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on Friday. What libations were ordered? A sidecar, which was $11, and Mountain View chardonnay, which was $9.
Were they served timely? There were no servers; you could only order at the bar. How were they? The wine was fine. According to the hotel’s website, the bar serves handcrafted cocktails. Considering this, I’ve certainly had sidecars that were stronger and more complex.
What was on the menu? The hotel only servers breakfast – in the Aragon Café – to 11:30 a.m. For room service, or anything beyond 11:30 a.m., guest and patrons can order from a restaurant that’s next door, and the hotel delivers it to you for free. We didn’t order any food. However, there’s a little Argentinian market/café around the corner, called Graziano’s, that has fabulous empanadas.
How was the service? The bartender was friendly enough, with a breezy sort-of air about him. What stands out about the place? Obviously, the history and the décor. If it wasn’t for that, it really wouldn’t be worth it.
What could be improved? Now, here’s where we start with some complaining. Wedding patrons had essentially co-opted the EN-TIRE hotel. They proliferated in the lobby, the game room, the bar, as well as the main staircase that leads up to the bar. Not only were they all over the place, but as it got closer to the time that the wedding was about to begin, one was muscled – by hotel personnel who didn’t speak English, to add insult to injury – away from the staircase and the staircase railing (conceivable, to preserve the integrity of the wedding pictures). Um, methinks that any non-wedding guest and patron should have full access to the hotel, particularly, when considering that the rooms are $300 and up. The nerve.
What was surprising? The locale of the hotel. It’s sandwiched in between contemporary building. Vintage photographs in the lobby show that it was originally free-standing. They should have left it that way.
The Lobby Bar at the Hotel Colonnade is located at 180 Aragon Ave., in Coral Gables, Florida. The bar is open from Monday through Friday, from 4:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday, from noon to 1:00 a.m. It’s closed on Sunday.