You know how Justin Timberlake suddenly went from singing in a boy band with blonde frost-tipped hair in baggy white jumpsuits to wearing neckties on stage, playing a keyboard, and sporting a bowler hat? Feel free to witness said transformation in action at The Randolph, Little Italy’s latest attempt at nightlife.

The crowd consists mainly of first-job, out of college, money-to-burn cool kids looking to put those beer pong days behind them by sipping mildly expensive cocktails in mildly expensive apparel in exchange for some witty conversation. And you know what? It totally works. Hell, I not ashamed to admit I liked SexyBack.

Outside sits a doorman and a velvet rope, although from my observation, it’s no real hassle to get inside. In other words, this ain’t the meatpacking district where a crisp $20.00 bill (the very minimum) is the answer to a strict door policy. Inside the aesthetic is moody and romantic with a dark, polished wood bar, Edison lights that hang from a tin ceiling, and a small lounge space across from the bar that’s something out of a Crate & Barrel showroom – not exactly conducive to pitchers of beer, right?

Try pitchers of cocktails. The Randolph specializes in them, including the Dark & Stormy, a tasty rum invention, and the Michael Derry, a winning lemon vodka concoction. Cocktails are upwards of $10 and there is also a nice list of imported beers to choose from. Just don’t ask for English gin with your dirty martini as I did. It took until my third order choice of gin before the bartender had something on shelf that we could agree on.

Finally, here’s a smidgen of advice to a bar that clearly wants to appeal to the knowledgeable drinker and the sophisticate youth: turn the volume down a touch on those speakers, huh? Ipods are already doing enough damage to the population’s cochlear. The Randolph features live DJ’s who spin an assortment of Hip-Hop, 80’s hits, and contemporary rock on any given night, but those solid grooves feel in direct competition with the overall look and presentation. Cocktails are meant for sharp conversations and witticism, not screaming matches and dance maneuvers. All I’m saying is Noel Coward wrote plays not musicals. -M.C.N.