Room for Cocktails
The Elk Room is a newcomer on Baltimore’s craft cocktail scene. It joins a growing list (think Bookmaker’s, Rye, The Bluebird Cocktail Room, etc.) of establishments dedicated to serious mixology.
Situated behind a non-descript door at the rear of a courtyard that it shares with its big brother, Tagliata Italian chophouse, its interiors are dark, refined, and lush.
Duck through the heavy velvet draperies and you’ll find yourself in a smallish, dimly lit barroom. The walls behind the bar are stocked with a breathtaking variety of alcoholic elixirs, all residing under the watchful eyes of a mounted, stuffed…you guessed it…elk.
A handsome leather-bound menu lists the house cocktail specialties as well as a short menu of cheese plates, charcuterie, fondue and sliders.
My choices for cocktails included two classics: a vodka martini…
…and a perfect sazerac. But you really can’t go wrong with anything the bartender here prepares for you.
A step up in the rear opens onto another room that houses some low tables with seating, and a space where small musical combos frequently perform. And if you head down the short hallway, you’ll find a pair of closed elevator doors.
This is the entrance to the private cigar lounge, housed in a large space in back. Members touch a sensor panel and the doors roll back, revealing a small chamber lined with mahogany cigar lockers. Beyond that, the private club offers seating areas, private alcoves, gaming tables, a billiards table and another bar to its members, who pay a fee of $1,900 per year for private access and the privilege of smoking to their hearts’ content. {The Elk Room, 1010 Fleet Street, Downtown}
