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In lesser hands the décor of this lounge would have amounted to Pier 1 generica, but crafty husband and wife Freddy and Angelika brought back the Thai and Moroccan furniture (as well as the smiling Buddha who presides over it all) from their travels abroad, and made the chandeliers and gleaming bar themselves. A raised wooden platform in back with silver tray tables encourages intimate conversations, and the palatial garden—where hammocks make for even more horizontal lounging—is a luscious oasis on an otherwise grungy block. In addition to value-priced specialty drinks like a dessert-like Caratini made with homemade caramel sauce, the chummy bartenders proffer refreshing capiroskas (vodka-based capirinhas), numerous well-priced wines by the glass, and a quality beer selection. Sultry down-tempo grooves and world beats like Fela and Manu Chao are natural matches for the décor and similarly global tapas menu that includes peanut M&Ms, Carribbean codfish fritters, and olive-and-cheese plates. — Deborah Goldberg