The Alchemy of Jac’s on Bond Cocktail Bar
Authentic Hospitality’s new restaurant venture transforms a subterranean space into a world of sensory pleasures
There’s no exact formula for the alchemy that produces a Manhattan hotspot. Of course location matters, as does interior design, along with culinary and cocktail development. But there’s always something else—something other—that’s more of a feeling than a fixed state. Whatever it is, Jac’s on Bond has it—along with an electric mix of all those other attributes. There’s the exclusive NoHo location in the subterranean level of the landmark 1831 townhome that formerly housed The Smile, impeccable design by Gachot Studios, delicious dishes invented by chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske (both of Wildair and Michelin-starred Contra) and clever drinks imagined by Trevor Easton Langer. Together, it’s upscale but welcoming and centered on sublime sensory stimulation.
Jac’s on Bond is the latest venue to debut from Authentic Hospitality, the team behind the beloved high-end dive Ray’s, the sophisticated Rockefeller Center escape Pebble Bar and more. They also happened to have developed The Smile. “The one thing we carried over was the sense of community. As for design and food, we think it was important for this to feel new and different,” Carlos Quirarte, a partner at Authentic Hospitality (and a legendary figure in NYC), tells COOL HUNTING. “This beautiful bar and restaurant is a place to escape and find old friends and make new ones.”
Christine Gachot, co-founder of Gachot Studios (who also helmed the design of Pebble Bar), met with Quirarte and Authentic Hospitality partner Matt Kleigman to gather what they thought the venue (and the neighborhood) needed. “At this point, I think we all need things to be brighter and softer,” Gachot tells us. “Lighting always sets the tone for a space. We coupled a warm glowing light program of scones, lamps and votives with limewash-painted walls and a super-high-gloss ceiling to bounce the light around the room. It’s smooth. The space is anchored by dark furniture and richly upholstered banquettes for more intimate moments.”
As for how the subterranean space was divided up and activated, she continues that “Jac’s is a neighborhood watering hole—it is only right to access a great cocktail easily. It also allows guests to feel intimate whether there are 10 or 100 people there. This is a community story, and the pool table is all about encouraging community play. We need to bring back the opportunity to meet over spontaneous analog moments like playing a game with someone you don’t know.”
Adorning the walls are artistic works by pioneering hip-hop photographer Janette Beckman, a longtime NoHo resident. “We’re lucky to call celebrated photographer Janette Beckman a friend and neighbor,” Gachot says. “We selected this body of work because hip-hop music from the ’80s and ’90s still drives culture and is quintessentially New York. Jac’s is New York, then and now.”
Whether cozied up to the beautiful bar top or settled into one of the banquettes, a glimpse at the drink menu reveals another level of surprise and delight. There’s a banana bread-inspired variation of an Old Fashioned with rye and scotch, a vodka tipple with beet and pistachio, a bitters-enhanced cold brew cocktail and other beverages with enlightening ingredients like popcorn-infused Diplomatico Rum and sesame-fat-washed Toki Whisky. “The inspiration behind the program was inclusivity and originality, similar to the program at Bar Calico, where we have approachable and adventurous offerings,” Langer tells us. It’s about “having something for everybody whilst still being original.”
Though the most sought-after may likely be the caffeinated Bitter Love (pictured above), a personal favorite happens to be the verdant Caprese Martini, which features Grey Goose, Lustau Blanco and balsamic vinegar and comes with a skewered cherry tomato garnish. “The inspiration behind the Caprese Martini was to bring something new to the savory cocktail world,” Langer continues. “Gone are the days when the only savory Martini you could get was a classic dirty or a Gibson. I personally love Caprese salads, and I love drinking, so putting them together was a no brainer.”
The scrumptious food selection—which ranges from a chilled crab dip to a shrimp and avocado salad and a sampling of meatballs—is designed to complement the cocktails. “It’s going to be a great menu to order off of slowly; offerings are easy to snack on and not too heavy,” Stone tells us. “Fabian and I focused on curating dishes that pair well with the fun cocktails and make sense in a busy atmosphere. There’s a lot of inspiration from different small plates and drinking cultures—tapas, Cicchetti, American bar snacks.”
Stone insists, “You have to get dessert. Jac’s on Bond will be the first bar menu in NYC where people will want a martini and then a dessert!” Our agreement with this sentiment is due entirely to the fact that we sampled their luscious Creamsicle Pie, which tastes exactly as it has been named. “We wanted to create something that felt like it was a classic already, had lots of nostalgia and was also visually striking,” Stone says. “It’s one of those moments with the food and cocktails where we hope people see them coming out to other tables, and it looks like something you can only have a Jac’s.”
Though there’s glitz and glamour (and a surprise back room beyond the pool table that guests to The Smile may have never known about), Jac’s on Bond—as Gachot states—is designed to be a neighborhood haunt at its heart. In fact, that’s where its name comes from: an homage to the enigmatic Jack Champlin, a downtown resident known as the “Mayor of Bond Street.” NoHo is having a hospitality moment—with Zero Bond down the cobble-stoned street, and The Nines, Temple Bar and Great Jones Distillery each a few blocks away. Jac’s on Bond complements all of those destinations with its own unique blend of relaxed elegance and satisfying creativity.
Hero image by William Jess Laird
