Melody Lounge is Chinatown's low-key red-lit bar

Melody Lounge sits on N Hill Street in Chinatown without much fanfare. The room is red-lit, Chinese lanterns hang overhead, and the whole thing is smaller and quieter than the neighborhood around it. It does not announce itself, which is part of why regulars like it.

The menu covers craft beers and cocktails, with wine available too. It works for a group but does not feel cavernous or impersonal. Live music comes through on a regular basis, which gives the place a little more reason to linger than your average neighborhood bar.

At 4.4 stars across 444 reviews, it has clearly found its people. The price is reasonable for what you get. If you walk past it and assume it is nothing special, you are probably underestimating it. Worth going inside at least once.