To be fair, I went to Red at 28th for a special event, not a regular visit. Just the same, I was not impressed with what I saw.
Tucked behind Amelie's French Bakery, Red at 28th is a hookah lounge and bar. They advertise themselves as a "multicultural literary lounge," and I'm left wondering what that means. You can find a selection of well-read books throughout the interior, but nothing that really screamed "multicultural" (though, I wasn't probing). But it was brightly decorated, had a small stage, spacious bar, and plenty of tables and sofas for hanging out. The whole place had a trendy feel, without trying too hard to be trendy. I could see it as a place with a lot of "regulars."
But really, it's a hookah lounge and bar. I know nothing of hookah, so I'll stick to the bar. It was mediocre. All their beers were bottled, and all their wines generic. The snacks they had on the menu (which was a challenge to read) seemed to either be packaged foods you can get at any convenience store, or a few treats possibly from Amelie's next door (I could be wrong on that one, though).
The staff seemed hit-or-miss. I encountered three people working. The first was pretty nice and conversational. The second seemed busy at work preparing a hookah. The third, well, let's just say I've encountered nicer people.
All in all, it seemed fairly okay for what it was. If I end up there again with a friend, fine, but since I don't live on that side of town, I'm not really going to go out of my way to visit Red at 28th.