Pebble Bar has become one of the hottest spots in New York City, after opening up at the newly revamped Rockefeller Center. Now the team behind the Midtown haunt is debuting a more casual watering hole a bit farther downtown.
Jac’s on Bond is taking over the space formerly occupied by The Smile. Set to open Friday, the upscale joint will serve creative cocktails and bar bites by Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra, the duo from the Michelin-starred Contra. The new bar is hoping to be “a relaxed conversation house for neighbors, creatives, and thinkers to share a drink, a bite and a round of pool,” a spokesperson told Eater NY.
Situated in an 1830s NoHo townhouse, Jac’s on Bond pays homage to its history in both name and spirit. The moniker is a nod to the late Jack Champlin, the unofficial “mayor of Bond Street” who was a regular at The Smile. The bar’s design keeps many old-school details intact, including the 19th-century stone walls and fireboxes, while also taking inspiration from New York’s classic ‘90s bars Pravda and Café Tabac.
As far as the drinks go, expect some fun combinations dreamed up by Authentic Hospitality’s Easton Langer. Sesame fat-washed whiskey is paired with poppyseed honey, while rum comes infused with popcorn. For something a bit fresher, a pistachio, beet and dill cocktail might do the trick.
To eat alongside, the Contra boys (who also consulted on the menu at Pebble Bar) have cooked up luxe bar food, like chilled crab dip with Iberian potato chips and a tuna sandwich with pickled onions. Smaller bites include meatball skewers with piparra peppers, herb and pepper salsa with puff pastry and green olives with marinated celery. For dessert, a creamsicle pie recalls that childhood ice-cream snack.
If Pebble Bar has become the place for New York’s Midtown set to see and be seen, perhaps Jac’s on Bond will fulfill that role for the city’s downtown creatives. Champlin, the bar’s namesake, was part of Andy Warhol’s circle, after all.
Click here to see all the images of Jac’s on Bond.
