Those who are regulars to the restaurant-cum-bar, LEÓN may or may not noticed a few guests slipping out into the backyard with a gold card in hand, only to appear a few hours later looking merry and gratified.
Supposing that you’re curious enough to ask the waiters about it, you’d find yourself, with a gold card in hand, heading underground, passing the bunker door and into a speakeasy bar called Goldstein. Taken from the name of the infamous Brooklyn gangster, Martin “Buggsy” Goldstein, the bar’s compact size suggests at intimate or hushed conversation as opposed to an unrestrained all-night drinking session.
If LEÓN is akin to the living room of a spacious loft owned by the most eligible bachelor in town, then Goldstein is his private study room where he would host a handful of his close companions.
Scanning over the menu, it is clear that Goldstein is all about its cocktail, where the limited but thought-through selection means that you’ll easily have a favourite pick in no time. Options like Shabba Shakes and Qué Padre is ideal for those who appreciate spicy notes while Juniper’s Outfit and Bergamot Sour fall under the category of lighter, sweeter cocktail.
Food wise, they play a supporting role in Goldstein. The menu is narrowed into selections of light bites, such as paté, cheese platter and pannacotta. A great decision, given that one really should just focus on their smashing cocktails.
Goldstein is made for those who appreciate well-crafted cocktails instead of downing alcohol for the sake of getting drunk. Not to discredit the guests at LEÓN above, but Goldstein is where they separate the wheat from the chaff.