Boston is bursting with speakeasy-style cocktail bars, but there appears to be room for one more. Retro Room, a vintage-inspired listening lounge, opened last week underneath American bistro Back Bay Social.

The mid-century-ish space taps into a societal nostalgia for a supposedly simpler time. DJs will spin jazz, soul, funk, disco and more from vinyl turntables and guests can sip classic cocktails while listening to Blondie and the Bee Gees.

The vintage vibes don’t fall into an exact decade. The circular wallpaper feels ’70s, but decor like lava lamps date to the ’60s and old Nat Geo issues lean more ’80s. Overwhelmingly, the trendy clientele was not alive during the period they’re nostalgic for.

Sweet-leaning cocktails are modern twists on classic concepts. The Lilac Lullaby features gin, elderflower liqueur, aquafaba and lemon; Olde Towne Scoops comes with an ice cream cone in a nod to soda fountain treats. For groups, there are also larger format cocktails like the tropical Back Bay Killa with pineapple infused vodka, lime, coconut, orange juice and dark rum. If you order the largest size, serving four people, it comes in a disco ball.

On the menu are comfort food classics like cornbread, crinkle cut truffle fries and deviled eggs. A rotating menu of specials dubbed “TV Dinners” ($17) offers things like a sloppy Joe on Wednesday, Salisbury steak on Thursday and fish sticks on Friday. Of course, this Salisbury steak is made with wagyu beef, so it’s gotten a stylish upgrade from the microwave edition. The TV dinners all come with a starch, a veggie side and a dessert.

“There’s truly nothing like this in Boston,” said Tyler Hall, marketing director for Back Bay Social. “Retro Room is a place where music, cocktails and community come together to create a vibe that’s both retro and entirely new.”

Listening lounges spinning vinyl have become very popular in the past few years. Spy Bar and Desnuda Cocina in the South End, Temple Records downtown, Headroom HiFi in the Seaport and more trendy spots offer old-school vinyl beats and a range of ambiance from chic and moody to poppy and fun. Before vinyl DJ spots were rebranded as listening lounges, Bukowski Tavern was spinning vinyl at their beloved Dalton Street dive bar and Hojoko was regularly featuring vinyl DJs at their Japanese-inspired hot spot in Fenway.

Restaurants, too, are capitalizing on their downstairs spaces to bring in new crowds. Witchy cocktail bar Hecate sits underneath the Greek restaurant Krasi. In 2024, Dillon’s opened D16 Lounge & Bar in its basement, serving cocktails and a more upscale menu of bites than the upstairs pub.

The concept may not be novel, but there’s an appetite for these subterranean hangouts. On the Retro Room’s opening night last Saturday, the space was packed. When the world feels chaotic, diners lean into familiar flavors and classic playlists. A disco ball full of vodka doesn’t hurt either.

ON THE WEB

Learn more at retroroomboston.com