Chalk It Up
SoBe’s New Ping-Pong Lounge

2011: in the books. 2012: off to a promising start.

We see more covert back rooms. More tequila. More ping-pong. (One of your New Year’s resolutions did involve improving your backhand...)

More of something called Chalk, a gleaming house of booze, billiards and table tennis now soft-open in South Beach.

Stepping in from the Washington Avenue fray, you’ll find what feels like a cross between a rec room and Mokai. To your left, glossy blue walls, five pool tables and a huge bar. To your right, seven Olympic-quality ping-pong tables. Because you only drink Dropkick Murphys (tequila, muddled pepper slices, cilantro, lime) near gold-medal-worthy sporting equipment.

The place is housed in a 1960s-era bank, so the VIP billiards room is carved out of an old vault. Inside, you’ll order drinks via wall-mounted iPads and control the music from your phone.

Oh, and because the place plans to stay open until 5am Wednesdays through Saturdays, you can look forward to gin-soaked pool marathons and late-night ping-pong tournaments.

Remember to wear your best headband.