Apothecary Lounge Awards

Apothecary Lounge Restaurant Review:

Located on the rooftop of an idiosyncratic boutique hotel on the edge of downtown --- all minimalist posh in cool hues --- the Apothecary Lounge makes subtly cheeky references to its premises’ history as a sanitarium, from the gauzy partitioning curtains to the old surgical lamp hanging in one corner. While the indoor portion is cozy --- lined with banquettes and strewn with ottomans around a handful of tables --- the patio sprawls to give tipplers a 360-degree panorama of the city and the Sandias beyond, especially striking at sunset. Equally striking is a drinks list that just keeps getting smarter, juxtaposing pre-Prohibition classics like Sazeracs and Aviations with signatures containing fresh purées and house-made syrups; there’s also a small but relatively interesting selection of wines and microbrews. “Small but relatively interesting” is an apt description of the roster of contemporary small plates, too; sesame-crusted calamari with green chile-chive aïoli, sweet potato fries alongside roasted-garlic ketchup spiked with Coca-Cola, and blackened-chicken satay glazed in soy mustard are all par for the course of the lounge trend. We could take or leave the token dessert offering, however.