Hi there. We’re psyched for spring — officially tomorrow! The turn toward warmer weather means going out more. So today, we’ve got drinks expert Diana Pittet, just back from Tokyo, discussing a Japanese cocktail trend we’re hoping makes its way to New York. We also have news on the fate of a beloved steakhouse, a couple of openings, and more.
What did we miss? Leave a note in the comments. Thanks for reading. — Melissa McCart, lead editor, Eater Northeast
The NYC Bars Channeling Japan’s Fresh-Fruit Cocktails
By Diana Pittet
Cocktail tourism is alive and well in Japan: Anyone who has spent time bending an elbow in the Land of the Rising Sun tends to come home talking about it — the meticulous bartending techniques, the legendary hospitality, and the distinctive cocktail bars where the drink selection begins not with a menu but with a display of market produce.
Often described as “fresh fruit cocktail bars,” these intimate Japanese spots build drinks to order around fruits and vegetables, such as citrus, strawberries, winter squash, and radishes. Customers pick a produce item and opt for a long (taller with more mixers) or short drink. With the selection, the bartender creates something tailored to the moment, often squeezing the fruit or vegetable a la minute.
The approach reflects the Japanese culinary philosophy of seasonality, akin to a kaiseki meal built around ingredients at their peak. While the tradition began in Tokyo, it has spread across the country. In Omiya, a city in Saitama Prefecture just north of Tokyo, many bars operate this way, showcasing local produce. (Some of them include Bar Adenium, The Bar Alcazar, The Bar Vieux Carre2, and Bar Saigetsuan.)
Despite the big impact that Japanese cocktail culture has had on New York bars, the produce-first model has never fully taken hold here. As seasoned bartender Takuma Watanabe of Martiny’s in Gramercy notes, the reasons are practical. The bars in Japan — even in a sizable city like Omiya — tend to have just a few bar seats, making it easier to juice to order, a tricky thing to emulate in high-volume establishments. Also, peak fruit is often more abundant and less expensive than in New York. Still, a handful of New York bars come close.
Odo Lounge
Perhaps the closest New York analogue is Odo Lounge, the intimate speakeasy (just four seats at the bar) tucked behind chef Hiroki Odo’s two-Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant in Flatiron.
On Tuesday, March 31, the Flatiron bar launches a new program, Seasonal Cocktail, rooted in the Japanese concept of shun — the fleeting moment when an ingredient is at its peak flavor, aroma, and texture. Rather than relying on fixed recipes, head bartender Harry Kaufman builds drinks around fruits, vegetables, and herbs often sourced from the same ingredients used in the restaurant’s menu.
The cocktails evolve as the season changes: rare melon and citrus varieties, juicy berries, and root vegetables. The result is an ever-shifting bar program focused on drawing out the truest flavor from peak-season produce.
If Japanese spirits are what you are after, Odo’s recently opened sibling bar, Odo East Village, offers highballs stirred with shochu or Japanese whisky, often garnished with slices of seasonal fruit, such as kumquats.
Martiny’s
At Martiny’s, bartender Takuma Watanabe brings a lineage closely tied to Japan’s fresh-fruit cocktail culture. Before opening his Gramercy townhouse bar, Watanabe worked at Tokyo’s Code Name Mixology, run by legendary bartender Shuzo Nagumo, where displays of seasonal fruits and vegetables guide drink-making. He later spent years at the original Angel’s Share in the East Village, the pioneering Japanese cocktail bar that introduced many New Yorkers to the elegance and restraint of Japanese bartending.
While New York’s ingredient costs and higher-volume service make a pure juice bar model difficult to replicate, Martiny’s retains much of that spirit. Drinks emphasize clean, ingredient-driven flavors and meticulous technique, often served in delicate Kimura glassware.
Like most bars across Japan, Martiny’s also offers a strong selection of Japanese whiskies. In Saitama Prefecture, for instance, bars feature an impressive number of expressions from the nearby Chichibu Distillery, home of Ichiro Akuto’s celebrated whiskies. The same ethos applies at Martiny’s: guests may order a seasonally inspired cocktail, such as a scotch-based Porcini Risotto, or simply savor a carefully poured dram.
Sip & Guzzle
Located in Greenwich Village, Sip & Guzzle also has a strong Japanese pedigree. Shingo Gokan, one of the most globally recognized Japanese bartenders, and Steve Schneider, a New York City industry veteran, teamed up to create a bi-level bar where (downstairs) Japanese cocktail refinement meets (upstairs) New York exuberance. The cocktails aren’t bespoke, but the menu frequently rotates with drinks that showcase East Asian ingredients. In colder months, Sip has poured the Strawberry Hotpot, a warm cocktail with mezcal, strawberry, sesame, and chile oil. The approach reflects the same attention to ingredients and technical finesse that have made Japanese bartending so influential worldwide.
Golden Ratio
Opened less than a year ago, Golden Ratio isn’t a Japanese bar, but its minimalist aesthetic and produce-forward cocktails echo the same sensibilities. The Clinton Hill spot keeps things simple: a restrained interior, a curated selection of New York spirits displayed on a single shelf, and a cocktail program built almost exclusively around seasonal ingredients.
Where Golden Ratio comes closest is its dedication to highlighting produce at its peak. Drinks often revolve around ingredients such as persimmons, mandarins, or parsnips, prepared to emphasize the natural flavor. The menu changes frequently. Nearly every cocktail also appears in a nonalcoholic version, allowing the produce to shine either way.
Attaboy
Attaboy may be New York’s purest expression of the conversation-driven cocktail experience that defines the bars of Omiya and other Japanese cities. Since the bar at Attaboy doesn’t have a menu, customers tell the bartender what they’re in the mood for, and they’ll make up a drink on the spot.
The bar occupies the former home of Milk & Honey, and continues the bespoke philosophy championed by its founder, Sasha Petraske. That philosophy was shaped in part by the influence of Angel’s Share. The result is a similarly intimate experience where cocktails begin with dialogue rather than recipes. Depending on the season, fresh watermelon or apple juice is available, a touch of that produce-driven approach that defines Japan’s celebrated fresh fruit cocktail bars.
Diana Pittet owns Night Owl Hospitality, a cocktail catering and education company in Asbury Park, N.J., and leads walking tours in New York City about Prohibition and the birth of the cocktail. Certified in WSET Level 3 Spirits, Diana is the current president of the Central Jersey chapter of the United States Bartender's Guild and writes about cheese, cocktails, and whiskey. She's traveled to over 50 countries and has enjoyed cocktails in almost all of them.
Intel
Say it isn’t so! Donohue’s Steakhouse in Midtown is on track to close after 76 years. When I called to check in on the final day, they said they don’t know yet, but it’ll be by the year’s end.
In the vein of other three-in-one spaces like Cote’s 550 Madison, another is on its way, this one at 345 Park Avenue, at East 56th Street. Celebrity chef Cyril Lignac, the Paris-based restaurateur behind most recently Bar des Prés, is opening a trio of New York restaurants in 2027. It will include French East Asian Bar des Prés (which has locations in London and Paris, among other places), along with a bakery and cafe. It’s in partnership with D.ream International, the group behind Zuma.
Georgian restaurant Chama Mama has opened two new bakeries, one next to its original location (149 West 14th Street, at Seventh Avenue), and the other next to its new Bushwick location (81 Morgan Avenue, at Ingraham Street). Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Let’s Chama! seats 14 and serves khachapuri, mushroom pie, chocolate cigaretti, and more.
Thai restaurant Kru (190 North 14th Street, at Wythe Avenue) has a Women in Sake pop-up on March 25 for their Laab Bar. Food is a la carte and comes with a menu of rare and limited sake pours from women producers. Tickets on Resy.
Fun roundup - in this vein, I am giving Cocktail Omakase a whirl when I'm in town in a couple of weeks - excited!