I say bring on the lounges. Because what's not to like about an ambient room created specifically for people who just want to drink cute cocktails and sit on couches from Ikea? I'm all for it.

But is a lounge is a lounge is a lounge?

Absolutely not.

Couches can be thrift-shop, carpets can be beer-scented, crowds can be weird (and/or creepy) and drinks can be watery and expensive.

There's none of that at the newly opened Ichiriki Loft. The late-night counterpart to the popular nabe restaurant Ichiriki is a second-floor respite of warm lighting, sleek Asian-inspired decor, well-mixed drinks, and attentive and friendly service. And it's not trying to be anything else.

ICHIRIKI LOFT

Where: 510 Pi'ikoi St., above Ichiriki Japanese restaurant, 591-5638

Hours: 5 p.m.-2 a.m. daily

Parking? There's an attended lot behind the building that houses the restaurant and loft. The lot is accessible from Kona Street. Parking is free.

The appeal: The place, which opened two weeks ago, is small and coolly inviting. There are a few pods of couches and tables to seat groups, a few tables and barstools for smaller groups and a bar for couples and singles.

The sophisticated decor — black leather furniture, warm fire-red walls — screams adults only, and that's a good thing. This isn't a pump-up-the-volume kind of party place. This is a well-behaved addition to the nighttime scene, and it's a welcome one. It's only a matter of time before it gets ridiculously popular.

What's that you hear? Everything, actually. Rather than discouraging conversation, the Loft keeps its noise levels in check, allowing people to speak at a decent level and still be heard. It's not dead quiet — far from it. It's just not deafeningly loud.

Save your appetite: The Loft's pupu menu is one of those that is simultaneously perplexing, fascinating and awesome. The one-page menu offers Alaskan king crab, pipi kaula, edamame, Caesar salad, mushroom and bacon pasta, peppered pasta sticks and a ton of other unrelated items. It's the culinary representation of the socio-economic makeup of the Islands.

Raise a glass to good cocktails: If the food is all over the place (in a good way), the drinks are right where they should be: creative, well-mixed and easy on the palate.

The Loft offers a long list of signature cocktails. All of them are worth trying, a few of them are worth going back for again and again. The Shiso Mojito, a shochu-based mojito-inspired drink, is cool and subtle, and the Midnight Tea, iced Japanese black tea with lychee liqueur and a twist of lemon, is the only way to drink tea. I'm addicted. To both.

And for dessert? You can have your dessert and drink it, too, with the Loft's take on a milkshake. The Drunken Monkey is an icy blend of Kahlua, Bailey's and apple bananas in a chocolate drizzled glass. It's just sweet enough — and way more indulgent than your typical after-dinner drink.

The happiest hours: Happy hour runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with $3.50 beer (all beers) and free pupu.

The heat factor: The Loft is well-chilled and comfortable. Plus, body heat is kept to minimum thanks to the laid-back nature of the place — there's no dance floor to sweat it out on.

Price of a club soda with lime: $3.