Meet Bar Bastion: Manhattan’s New Hidden Gem Above Le Jardinier
With the opening of new celebrity-backed hotspots like Georgia Room and Pebble Bar, now more than ever, New Yorkers are fleeting to midtown, some even dubbing it the new downtown. The latest to set up shop in the on-the-rise neighborhood is Bar Bastion, a sleek new cocktail bar from Michelin-star restaurant group, The Bastion Collection. Nestled on Lexington Avenue above the group’s fine dining restaurant, Le Jardinier, Bar Bastion awaits its guests on the second floor.
The cocktail bar offers a selection of playful, yet refined cocktails in a sophisticated space designed by award-winning French architect Joseph Dirand. “We are thrilled to introduce Bar Bastion to Midtown Manhattan, and launch a new curated cocktail program in a striking setting,” says Deleon Pinto, Chief Operating Officer of The Bastion Collection. “Bar Bastion marks the growth of The Bastion Collection, which includes Michelin-starred restaurants in Houston, Miami, and Geneva.”
A monumental marble staircase greets visitors leading them from Le Jardiner to Bar Bastion’s intimate lounge with impressive double-height ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. The bar evokes Art Deco glamor with a dramatic mix of rich materials like Alcantara fabrics, dark woods, and mirrored glass. Custom-designed furniture like velvet banquettes and armchairs welcomes guests to enjoy their drinks at sleek black mirrored tables.
Helmed by Head Bartender, Rachel Prucha, the cocktail menu consists of five classic cocktails and five rotating seasonal offerings as well as a selection of mocktails. Classics are comprised of ubiquitous staples with Prucha’s personal spin using modern techniques and inventive flavor combinations, such as the Old Fashioned, made with cinnamon-infused bourbon, Amaretto, rich demerara, orange and chocolate bitters, and the Martini made with olive oil-washed Gin Mare, dill infused dry vermouth and orange bitters. Mirroring Le Jardinier’s seasonal and vegetable-forward ethos downstairs, the seasonal cocktail list will be a rotating list of ingredient-focused libations, such as Carrot Me Away, made with carrot juice, honey syrup, chamomile infused scotch, and a Laphroaig rinse or Off Beet, made with beet juice, lemon oleo saccharum, caraway seed-infused dry vermouth, shochu, and nigori sake.
“As a bar professional who values quality and freshness at the utmost, I am thrilled to be leading a cocktail program that is largely inspired by and focused on seasonal produce. We’ve worked hard to create a menu utilizing fresh ingredients, the best spirits from around the world, and innovative techniques for a superior cocktail experience,” shares Head Bartender Rachel Prucha.
Bar Bastion is located at 610 Lexington Avenue and is open for service five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday.
