SIPPING PRETTY
The Robinson in downtown Orlando has two faces, both gorgeous
“Do you think the ceilings are unfinished on purpose?” I asked. I think it was me. It was only two days ago that a colleague and I met up for happy hour drinks and bites at The Robinson Café & Cocktail Lounge, but the past two days have been a hell of a week.
“You know, we talked about that last time I was here,” he replied. He’s a semi-regular.
I noted the sprinklers and speakers and decided it was intentional. A good deal of the place seems that way: designed for Instagram.
I’m not poking fun. What better way to get people interested in coming out than via mirror-selfie snaps under the F-bomb emblazoned signage warning patrons against it? Though unlike Snapchat’s short-term posts, Insta lives on.
And The Robinson’s look just begs for social media immortality.
Downstairs, the cafe is stylish, gleaming and more comfortable than you might imagine if you’ve been stalking the place. The staff
— from the woman at the register to the gent who let me order post-breakfast coffee cocktails at the bar rather than wait on the line again, then cheerily delivered them tableside — is friendlier than a place this fashionable might suggest.
Weeks later when I made it upstairs to the Cocktail Lounge, I couldn’t help thinking of the Upside Down from “Stranger Things.” Not because the place was creepy (sabertoothed tiger skeleton notwithstanding) but because it was like a dark, enchanting mirror of its sister world downstairs.
Let’s call it the Rightside Up.
The exposed brick of the front wall and its broad windows reminded me of the rowhouse apartment I had in the ’90s. Twinkly lights over airily spaced sofas and seating arrangements beckon (I hope they’re an all-year thing, not a holiday holdover) and those high, elegant, 19th-century ceilings made the place feel safe and roomy.
It didn’t hurt that we were there early on a Tuesday evening, I suppose.
Simple shelves showcase some neat vintage items — radios, an old iron — and framed art over patchy, unfinished walls exude capital-H hip. The dark glow of the bar, too, is mighty alluring. As are the cocktails.
To what will be the surprise of no one, I pulled the trigger on bourbon with the Trash Man Old Fash Man ($14), described as a boozy, smooth sipper. Accurate. Our lovely and helpful barkeep was already mixing it when I spotted the Sweat the Technique ($14) on the opposite page and had immediate regret.
“That one’s my favorite,” she said of the latter.
Cocktails here are complex and creative; the menu rotates often. Some prove keepers and the “Sweat” — equal parts mellow and refreshing, less sugary than the Trash Man — was an early keeper.
Bites here are ampler than you’d imagine (a good thing for $8-$9 plates). We sampled the Mongolian glazed meatballs. They were flavorful and not overly sweet; I could actually taste the toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top. “Simmered” was the giveaway in the descriptor.
When I made it upstairs to the Cocktail Lounge, I couldn’t help thinking of the Upside Down from “Stranger Things.” It was like a dark, enchanting mirror of its sister world downstairs.
They felt soft, Crockpot-crafted and could have used a sear but were tasty enough for happy hour,
when mop-up is often of the order.
Same went for the Bang Bang Cauliflower (for $8,
downtown pricing, a very generous plate). Freshfried, crispy and coated with a sriracha-infused crema, the veg beneath was firm and pliant — cauliflower is so often cooked to death.
There’s a museum-like quality to the back half of this bar (yes, that glass-encased skeleton, backlit in purple, adds to that aesthetic), but there’s something wonderfully throwback-cosmopolitan in gazing out from the back corner when there’s lots of room to breathe. Something Gatsbyesque, jazz clubby. Something that says if you’re hungry, get something you can spear with a knotted bamboo toothpick, not the Buffalo chicken dip.
To be fair, it might be good, but it just doesn’t fit the aesthetic.
Downstairs, avocado toast screams appropriate and has the advantage of being enjoyable. The pickled onions, togarashi and sea salt combo was nice with all that “good” fat. And the color would pop gorgeously against all that gleaming white. My companion chose — and really enjoyed — the chicken breakfast wrap, a heartier choice that belies the side-striped jersey joggers and throwback Stan Smiths so prevalent on my visit.
Seating arrangements vary down here, from cozy and cushy (there was a little birthday gathering going on in one of them) to simple and clean. All of it is impressively well-spaced, though I could see both spaces feeling a little closefor-COVID-comfort if it hit capacity, depending on how you feel about being out these days.
If you’re curious, choose a low-volume time and feel it out, but either spot could suit your needs admirably — coffee meetup first date downstairs; hey-I-reallylike-you cocktails up; best girls, work buds or client chat at either.
This place has two faces, each with eyes worth staring into. And man, can they mix a drink.
If you go: 63 E. Pine Street in Orlando; 321-2990904; therobinsonroom. com
Want to reach out? Find me on Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@ orlandosentinel.com. Join the conversation at the Orlando Sentinel’s new Facebook Forum, Let’s Eat, Orlando.