On a nearly deserted stretch of 26th street, nightlife veteran Lesley Bernard’s soulful new lounge seems naked and vulnerable. Without a clipboard wielding doorman or sturdy velvet ropes what defenses does the latest and greatest from the co-owner of celebrity haunts like Clementine and
Pravda have against the weekend hordes? More to the point how can you create an air of exclusivity without actually excluding anyone?
The answer soon becomes evident after you step through a wooden bead curtain and into warm and hospitable environs. Tillman’s is billed as a downtown re-envisioning of a 1970’s Harlem lounge. And while design cues such as prints of jazz legends, big, deep, old school leather banquettes and a rich autumnal palette help to evoke this feel, its real success lies in creating an atmosphere where every patron is the center of an individual universe. Like all of the best lounges, every seat faces out toward the center of the room creating an audience of eyes. Those eyes are then directed via huge brightly lit alcoves to booths along the side walls, or an elevated platform and couches to one end, or a sinuous line of seats cutting through the center of the room. It’s a rare lounge where every seat is prime, add polished table service and precisely crafted drinks and you’ve got the makings of a Chelsea staple.