NYC News

BarChef Brings Cocktail Theater to NYC
June 18, 2025, 8:20.45 am ET

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Photo: Kirstie Fox

Toronto’s groundbreaking cocktail destination BarChef is making its long-awaited New York City debut at 21 W. 35th Street in Midtown. Known for redefining the cocktail experience, creator Frankie Solarik brings his avant-garde drink philosophy—melding modernist culinary techniques, sensory storytelling, and jaw-dropping presentation—to a 3,200-square-foot space complete with a retractable rooftop and Empire State Building views. Guests can expect cocktails served with mojito pearls, saffron ice, and even cryo-poached grass, in an immersive bar where every detail is carefully orchestrated for maximum visual and emotional impact.

Photo: Leanne Solarik
This is BarChef’s first international expansion, brought to life in partnership with NYC hospitality veterans Mino Habib and Mathias Van Leyden (Loulou Petit Bistro, Adelaide’s Salon, Le Petit Village). Solarik, celebrated for his role as judge on Netflix’s Drink Masters and dubbed a “Legendary Experimentalist” by The New York Times, brings years of innovation and his chef’s perspective to cocktails like the Spring Thaw, which combines champagne, vanilla granita, and edible flower petals, or the Golden Honey Penicillin, which blends beeswax-infused whisky with turmeric-saffron ice and toasted chamomile.
Photo: Eugenia Zykova
The drinks are only part of the experience. BarChef also offers a refined food menu influenced by Japanese cuisine, featuring dishes like Mango Sea Bream, Wagyu Tartare, and Oxtail Potstickers. Larger entrées include a seared A5 Japanese Wagyu Ribeye, Grilled Lobster Tail, and Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass, with luxe bar snacks like Truffle Waffle Fries and Tallow Shishito Peppers rounding out the menu.

Photo: BarChef
Designed for both intimacy and spectacle, BarChef accommodates up to 68 seated guests or 150 for cocktail parties. With its inventive menu, dramatic design, and skyline views, BarChef is poised to become one of NYC’s most memorable new drinking destinations. This isn’t just a night at the bar—it’s a curated, multi-sensory experience unlike anything else in the city.


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