The venue is designed for listening and lounging. Every detail has been thoughtfully designed to elevate the music. Photos: Chris Emeott
DDP Restaurant Group turns a basement vacancy into an atmospheric listening lounge.
Through an unsuspecting entrance on 50th & France lies a cocktail bar that transports guests to a high-end listening lounge. noma hi-fi (purposely spelled with no capital letters) opened in January, and offers quality cocktails and snacks, a curated atmosphere and a quality sound system to enjoy music in one of its purest forms—on vinyl records.
noma hi-fi is the latest endeavor by Daniel del Prado and DDP Restaurant Group, joining the French brasserie Thérèse and Dexter’s at 50th & France. Del Prado took the available space—a basement suite—and crafted a vision centered on Japanese listening lounges.
“Everything is so digital now, and so [artificial intelligence]. I don’t know what is real anymore. And vinyls are real. It’s not like you play music and you forget about it. You have to stand up every three songs and change it, so it’s more engaging. I’m getting tired of how everything is so easy nowadays,” del Prado says.
After descending the stairway to the entrance, the atmosphere is set with a dark hallway, leading to the lounge. There, guests will find an intimate space with acoustically minded wall curtains, cozy rounded furniture and warm orange lighting over the bar that fades into dark blue for a more private feel.
Guests unwind at noma hi-fi, where expertly crafted cocktails and high-fidelity sound create an elevated listening and culinary experience.
noma hi-fi creates a cohesive experience for the senses with intersecting warm and cool visuals, partnering with a Japanese-inspired cocktail menu curated by beverage director Megan Luedtke for the taste buds and an ever-changing local DJ line-up for the eardrums. “I think the mixture of the cocktail culture and the music culture coming together is something special and something that doesn’t really exist around here,” Luedtke says.
The Kissa Kissa is a refreshing blend of lime, lychee, umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur) and vodka. Its signature garnish is definitely a conversation starter: A chain connects the metal cocktail skewer to the stem of the glass.
The menu ties into noma’s vibes in various ways: The Kissa Kissa references the name of Japanese listening lounges (jazz kissa or ongaku kissa), the Dr. Pepperu features scotch-inspired Japanese whiskey and the Kuromi is topped with matcha white wine cold foam. The Haystack is garnished with cookies. Bar snacks have Japanese influence as well, with plates like Pork and Shrimp Gyoza, Miso Roasted Eggplant and Spicy Salmon Donburi.
Miso Roasted Eggplant, Pork and Shrimp Gyoza, and Spicy Salmon Donburi are just a sampling of snack plates on the menu.
The main draw for noma hi-fi is its high-fidelity sound system with turntables meant for records and an analog setup. The wall of records behind the booth is del Prado’s collection, which now lives at 50th & France for visiting DJs to spin, crafting a different vibe from night to night based on who is spinning records. “I wanted to be curated … We wanted to captivate the people into music,” del Prado says. “I trust these guys to manage it and have control creatively.”
Music is at the forefront of the noma hi-fi experience. DJs curate playlists that take customers on an immersive listening adventure.
Another highlight is noma hi-fi’s In Rotation, a ticketed event for attendees to listen to one album from start to finish. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours kicked the series off, and there are plans to spin more iconic records and craft cocktails inspired by the pick of the night.
noma hi-fi also hosts private events, like Accredited Investors’ Celebration of Women panel, featuring local foodies Zoë François and Stephanie March. The panel focused on bringing people together through food and community.
The Haystack is a cocktail with lime, rum, summer orange sake and crispy noodle orgeat.
“There is more of this quieter nighttime vibe; it’s unique. There’s really nothing like it in the 50th & France area or even the neighborhoods around it,” Accredited Investors’ managing partner Becky Kreiger says. “So it’s a really special place. It’s not live music, but it’s a different type of listening experience because they always have these really wonderful and talented DJs.”
noma hi-fi
Instagram: @nomahifibar
