Sparrow, the rooftop lounge of The Dalmar, has officially relaunched with a focus on new weekly events such as Sparrow’s marquee event, Paradise Found, on Sundays. It is designed to soak in the final hours of the weekend with soulful house music, a pop-up market, and a special menu. It all begins with a ride in a private elevator, which takes you to the Dalmar roof. We were looking forward to this event all week; it was going to be so cool.
Then it wasn’t. My hubby, our friend Ward, and I stepped off the elevator, and the outdoor deck was closed because of rain, so we had to sit indoors. We proceeded to the hostess station and were “greeted” with such disdain and disinterest that I wanted to head home at once. They had moved the DJ inside, and he either didn’t care to adjust the volume for an indoor space with all hard surfaces or didn’t know how to. Our hostess, I’ll call her Wednesday Addams, led us to a small table and three lounge chairs right under a speaker (mind you, the place was practically empty). The sound was so loud that the tabletop was vibrating, so we asked to be moved to the other corner of the room, a loveseat with two lounge chairs with a slightly larger table. She said they were saving that for a larger party. We ended up moving to a table near the entrance, where the music, while still overpowering, was manageable. Wednesday slapped two menus on the table (remember, we were a party of three) and walked away. Then our server came by, she was friendly and efficient (she immediately brought over a third menu, without having to be asked), and things began to look up.
We started with a cocktail (for me) and mocktails for the two non-drinkers. Sparrow has a vast menu of zero-proof cocktails, including Pink Palm Spritz, a refreshing blend of grapefruit, rhubarb, lemon, and Zero Prosecco (although I ordered mine with real Prosecco), the surprisingly fragrant Botanical Paloma, and a martini-like Hibiscus Heat, with hibiscus and ginger beer. Other options include Zen Highball, Dragon Blossom, and Disco Jungle, all $10 during social-hour from 2–5 p.m., $14 otherwise. Food specials that are great bargains during social-hour are the edamame $5 vs. $8, spring rolls $5 vs. $15, and two maki, the Veggie Roll $5 vs. $16, and 3rd Street Crunch, $5 vs. $19. These deals are fantastic, as was most of the food and drink. Sushi rolls are well-made and very fresh, including a lobster roll not on the special menu. It was so good, we ordered a second one. The sole disappointment was the caviar-topped grilled cheese. It was such a poorly made grilled cheese that even the caviar couldn’t save it.
The only dessert available the day of our visit was the chocolate lava cake, so we decided to split it, and I’m glad we did. It is designed for the table and provided enough for three of us and probably could have served a fourth. It arrived on a platter with a good portion of cake in the middle, along with bowls of vanilla gelato, caramel sauce, and tiny marshmallows. We asked for side plates and used the giant soup spoons provided to divvy up the portions. But there were no teaspoons. Did they really expect us to eat something this rich with a soup spoon? They finally found some plastic spoons so we could enjoy the treat. But it is that kind of inattention to detail that plagues Sparrow.
When our check arrived, it was more than double what I expected. A quick look indicated that we had been charged full price instead of the social-hour prices. Our server apologized and brought back another bill. It still seemed too high, but I just paid for it and tipped her well. When I got home, I checked the bill against the online menu and discovered that I had been overcharged more than $20. Loved the food, but due to a rude hostess and the billing errors, I only give this Sparrow one chirp.
Sparrow
Dalmar Hotel
299 N Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale
954-945-9100
SparrowBar.com
