The Historic Star Lounge has slipped back onto the scene atop the Hyatt House in Midtown, trading rowdy late nights for a more polished, cocktail-first dining room. Set inside the 1928 Eastern Star Hall, the revamped space keeps its dramatic bones intact: a soaring dining room with roughly 30-foot ceilings, gold accents and teal velvet seating. The volume, however, is turned way down. Chef Galice Ryan runs a compact kitchen that turns small plates into tightly composed dishes built to shine alongside a drink.
As reported by The Sacramento Bee, Ryan took over as executive chef in May 2025 after seven years at Hook & Ladder, bringing a French-leaning style that pulls from Mediterranean, Spanish and Italian cooking. The Bee notes that the kitchen is essentially two burners, a small flat top and a konro charcoal grill, which nudges the menu toward small plates and exacting finishes instead of big-format roasts. Smoke, quick sears and carefully timed starters do most of the heavy lifting.
Menu Highlights
Per the Historic Star Lounge, starters include hand-cut steak tartare ($19) and duck liver mousse with maraschino cherry gelee ($17). Mains run from pan-roasted halibut ($45) to a double-cut pork chop ($52), plus a few shareable sides and a house rigatoni for a less meat-heavy option. It is a concise lineup clearly designed for mixing and matching plates with cocktails or a glass of wine rather than a sprawling, marathon dinner.
Bar Program and Cocktails
The bar is the clear engine of the operation, with a cocktail list that plays with texture and clarity, including clarified drinks and foam-topped milk punches, according to The Sacramento Bee. The menu itself calls out drinks like a Key Largo finished with an ube-and-coconut-water foam and a rotating milk punch, signaling a program that is experimental but still approachable. Manager Jocelyn Jones and bar manager Kevin Williams are credited with steering the bar toward those vivid, playful flavors.
Where It Sits
Perched on the third floor of the Hyatt House Midtown, the Star Lounge leans fully into the hotel-lounge vibe, complete with elevator access and a hushed dining room that favors conversation over clamor. Hours are focused on late afternoon and evening, with weekday service starting mid-afternoon and later closing times on Fridays and Saturdays, according to the venue’s online listing. The site also provides phone and reservation details for larger groups.
Midtown Fit
Local diners seem to be on board with the quieter approach: Yelp shows a strong rating, and reviewers regularly single out the polished, low-key atmosphere as a sweet spot for date nights and relaxed meetups. The mix of historic architecture and restrained service gives Midtown another option that is not trying to win any volume contests, which may help the Star Lounge build a steady, evening-focused crowd…