Long gone are the days when bar food items were limited to chips, pickles, mixed nuts, and the occasional hot dog. Today, many of the world’s top cocktail bars blur the line between restaurant and bar, often offering full food menus filled with dishes that require a fork and knife.
In many ways, the trend is great for a bar’s bottom line. The “two birds with one stone” approach makes guests inclined to stay for longer periods of time, ultimately resulting in more money spent. But many of these cocktail bars simply aren’t designed to accommodate large plates of food from a spatial standpoint. When guests are squished together and seated at small tables, the result can be a cluttered, less-than-ideal dining experience that puts undue stress on staff and customers alike.
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss this rather curious question: While food programs at cocktail bars have gotten more and more elaborate and involved, do these bars actually want you to have a meal there? If so, why aren’t more of them set up to facilitate a true dining experience? Tune in for more.
Zach is drinking: Latta Wines Roussanne
Joanna is drinking: Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2013
Adam is drinking: Smoked Olive Martini at Seahorse
