New York's SoHo has a new excuse to dress up: Bar Leone, a two-level martini lounge that leans hard into the design language of late-20th-century nightlife. Conceived by designer Andy Days, the venue splits its personality across two floors — upstairs channels the 1960s and '70s with rich colours and retro glamour, while the downstairs Italian disco lounge captures the louder, shinier spirit of the '70s and '80s. The idea is nostalgia with a modern edge rather than a themed theme park: expressive details and saturated tones, but executed with contemporary polish.
Flooring turned out to be a bigger part of the story than you might expect. Danish carpet maker Ege supplied its Highline 1100 range with acoustic backing, paired with colours from its Mono palette, throughout both levels. In a two-storey venue where each floor has a distinct mood, the carpets work as a connective thread — adding texture and warmth while letting each space keep its own character. The acoustic backing is a practical touch too, taking the edge off sound in a bar where conversation and music share the room.
For drinkers, the pitch is simple: a martini-forward night out in a setting that actually commits to a look. For anyone who cares about hospitality design, Bar Leone is a neat case study in how surfaces — carpet included — can carry an atmosphere instead of just sitting underfoot. The venue sits in the heart of SoHo, which means it slots easily into a wider Manhattan evening: gallery-hopping, shopping along Broadway, or dinner nearby before heading in for a cocktail.
Why it matters: retro-styled bars are everywhere right now, but the ones worth seeking out are those where the decades are layered with intent. Bar Leone's split-level concept — mid-century lounge above, disco-era Italian lounge below — gives you two moods in one address, and it adds a genuinely new option to one of downtown Manhattan's most walkable neighbourhoods. If your New York trip includes a dress-up night, this is one to shortlist.
