
The team behind the East Village spot Málà Project (one of our favorite Chinese restaurants serving Sichuan cuisine) recently opened a new bi-level cocktail lounge and restaurant that will leave you feeling blue, and we’re not talking about your emotions!
Dubbed Only Love Strangers, the space opened earlier this April and has since been offering nightly live jazz performances, a well-rounded selection of specialty cocktails and martinis, and lots of tasty bites.
The 6,300-square-foot space is divided into two levels, both of which give off retro-futuristic vibes inspired by 1960’s & 1970’s surrealism. The ground level offers seating for up to 24 while the downstairs 55-seat subterranean lounge acts as the host to a rotating cast of nightly jazz performances.

Though beyond the music the lounge is sure to leave a lasting impression as every inch–from the floors and the furniture to even the ceiling–is dressed in Cobalt blue. Like, Blue Man Group blue.
Promising an immersive night of food, drink, and live music, the space brings a dynamic dinner-and-show experience to the Lower East Side.
Guests can sip on a selection of specialty cocktails aptly named after various jazz styles, such as the Bebop, made with tequila, green apple, red beets, pomegranate, and citrus, the Bossa Nova, made with mezcal, pink grapefruit, yellow pepper, pineapple, and citrus, and the Nu, made with vodka, white creme de cacao, Frangelico, and an espresso ice cube.
Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options are also available, along with a full list of spirits and amari.

To eat, a seafood-driven menu drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean coast and pulling influences from Spain, Italy, and Greece is offered.
That’s to say guests will find bites along the likes of the showstopping OLS Seafood Tower, which includes oysters, little neck clams, shrimp cocktail, salmon rillette, scallop tartare, razor clams with chorizo, and gilda pintxos, Shrimp Kataifi with Calabrian chili aioli, and a selection of assorted mezzes including white bean hummus and tomato, beetroot hummus and pistachio dukkah, and tzatziki, among others.

Performance-wise, the line-up includes musicians like Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra, who is known within the city’s jazz circuit for leading the Jazz Age Lawn Party at Governors Island. Additional performances include Charlie Roman Castelluzze alongside some of the finest traditional jazz musicians in the city.
Performances will take place from 7 pm to 9:30 pm to start, but the team plans to expand to later in the night following the opening. The space also plans to launch weekend brunch service in the coming weeks.
You can learn more, check out the performance schedule, and make reservations for Only Love Strangers on their website.
📍200 Allen Street