Metro Lounge

Oxford Inn owner Bob Higgins has opened the Metro Lounge, a completely separate small-plates operation within the venerable Oxford Inn. Experienced chef Mark Platz presides over that part of the Inn’s kitchen devoted exclusively to the Lounge. It's a dark, spacious barroom with a fireplace, European posters and art deco light fixtures on the walls, and a cozy outdoor terrace, offering more than 20 small plates along with (from the Oxford Inn’s menu) four salads and a soup of the day and, especially, 30 ultra-trendy mixed drinks. While diners next door are ordering Manhattans and martinis, those in the Lounge are selecting such “chocolicious” drinks ($8-$10 for a 10 oz. glass) as a martini composed of raspberry vodka, white chocolate, Godiva liqueur and raspberry Chambord.