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by Carlo
Niederberger
Piper’s Lounge
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A row of parked S-class Mercedes and Porsche
911s facing a façade of cascading water and a carpeted
stairway leading underground let us know exactly where we
stood on a recent night out in High Touch Town. The entrance
to Piper's Lounge, the latest bar from Skymit International
(owners of Lounge Bar 911, Hideout Bar, Bar and Grill Lagoon
and M ad Mulligan), showed all the signs of impenetrable Roppongi
glamour. But the beat of Blink-182 and the smell of fresh
paint provided enough incentive to venture into undiscovered
territory, where we encountered a pitch-black interior with
dazzling blue lights shining from above and from inside the
refrigerator of the ultramodern bar.
At first, we thought we had beaten the crowds. But once we
had taken our seats at a spot-lit table beside a wall covered
in peacock feathers, we heard the murmuring of a discreet
group of guests, mostly foreigners, from inside a quasi-encapsulated
booth back in the rear. Ordering a draft Asahi (¥800)
and a Jack Daniel's on the rocks (¥1,000), we allowed
our eyes to adjust to the darkness, and gradually made out
the details: a massive mirror hanging on the opposite wall,
futuristic stools mimicking rollercoaster seats with solid,
arching backrests, and a plasma TV broadcasting the latest
Animal Planet program.
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Our waiter, who brought us a complimentary
basket of popcorn, told us that the large dance floor behind
the counter would usually fill up on weekends, when Piper
Lounge transforms into a thriving club. Weeknights were usually
quiet, and as we launched into our second round with a somewhat
lackluster Tom Collins (¥1,000) and a pint of Guinness
(¥1,000), hip-hop, which had taken the place of pop punk,
was the only source of acoustic interference to our conversation.
Hidden from view was a chamber for private functions and VIP
gatherings that holds 20 people, and a quick peek before we
left revealed a laid-back lounge with plush couches and coffee
tables. The sound of the waterfall back outside was almost
an anticlimax to what felt like an extended ride on Space
Mountain downstairs, and we made a mental note to return on
a club night to witness the big transformation.
Photos courtesy of Skymit
International
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