By late afternoon, the outdoor stools at Tampa Bay Drinkery are filled with regulars watching the scene begin to take shape in the throwback cocktail lounge that opened at the end of last year at 2756 Central Avenue, just steps from such hotspots as Wild Child, Baba, Slim Charmer and Casita Taqueria. Inside, live music and laid-back conversations inform the atmosphere, setting the stage for the evening ahead and serving as a sort of gateway to the Grand Central District’s low-key nightlife scene.
Owner Wellington Moto has conjured this postcard to another era by assembling a scene out of the past, populated by antique couches, Oriental rugs, red draperies, vintage oddities and meticulously assembled artifacts that allow you to feel you have slipped back in time…or at least stumbled upon a storied old watering hole. Moto wanted to ensure that music was the heart of the venue, installing both an elegant baby grand piano perched on a small stage and a vinyl record player. The otherwise nondescript façade beckons with hand-painted exclamations of craft cocktails, live music, beer and vinyl records—like a seductively nostalgic siren’s call.
You can sip Prohibition-era cocktails, bubbly, more than 30 bourbons, boutique French and Italian wines and craft beers. On Sunday nights, Scotty Wright sings while Hiram Hazley and Le Jazz, joined by guest musicians, play sets at 7pm and again at 10pm.
The crowd shifts as the evening progresses. Early happy hour brings a young mix, sipping margaritas and martinis. Later, neighborhood couples and Central Avenue bar hoppers stop in, followed by the late-night jazz fans who also show up at CJ’s for TomKat Orchestra or The Hangar for the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Jam on Mondays.
There’s no food yet at the Drinkery, so it’s best to grab a bite before you arrive. Monday nights feature karaoke from 9pm to 1am, followed by hospitality specials that run until 2am.
Open daily from 2pm to 3am, Tampa Bay Drinkery offers a laid-back setting where eavesdropping on your neighbor’s conversation can occasionally be as entertaining as the performers on stage.
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