The Spare Room

A bowling alley might not be the first place you’d think to grab drinks in Hollywood, but this isn’t any ordinary bowling alley. Stashed away in the shadowy mezzanine above the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel lobby is the Spare Room, devised to evoke pure revelry. A show-stopping set of lanes dating back to the early 1800s stretch the length of the handsome parlor, oozing with Art Deco elegance and a clear view of Hollywood Boulevard out of big cast-iron arched windows. Though let’s face it: the real reason to visit this covert gaming lounge bookended by two gleaming bars is the ace drink program. While the Spare Room has historically been known for its punch bowls (there are four to choose from), bartenders now has upped the ante with house cocktails that feature surprising ingredients. Based on the half-dozen-or-so drinks our group collectively tried, we can safely say that there is not one bad swill on the menu. Of course, if handcrafted ‘tails aren't your thing, by all means bowl. It just means more room at the bar for the rest of us.