Jac’s on Bond Pays Homage to the Neighborhood
“It’s not a club. It’s not a bar,” says restaurateur Carlos Quirarte of Authentic Hospitality’s newest opening, Jac’s on Bond. “But it is a place where you can congregate, have a light bite, and have a really well-thought-out cocktail.”
In short: Jac’s on Bond is your new downtown hangout. The project comes from the hospitality team behind other popular nightlife spots like Pebble Bar, Ray’s, Bar Calico and Georgia Room. (Authentic Hospitality also ran The Jane Ballroom, which shuttered last year.) Jac’s on Bond takes the place of The Smile, the beloved cafe that Matt Kliegman and Quirarte opened in 2009; the reimagined concept adds a third partner, Matthew Charles, to the mix.
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“We got comfortable with the idea that this is the industry we’re gonna work in, we need to be comfortable with change,” says Kliegman. “Carlos and I had friends that were like, ‘why didn’t you tell us you’d closed The Smile?'” he continues. “We didn’t want to mourn it. We have a great team, we have a great location, historic building, incredible block downtown — we’re just gonna do something new.”
That something new was built with NoHo in mind. “We really considered the neighborhood and the neighbors, and what they might enjoy,” says Charles.
Jac’s on Bond turned to its community of local creatives to create a vibe that’s hip but low key. The concept is named for the late Jack Champlin, who was known as the “Mayor of Bond Street” and had a multidecade tenure on the block. Iconic photos by hip-hop photographer and NoHo resident Janette Beckman line the walls, and employee uniforms were designed by former Supreme brand director and Awake NY founder Angelo Baque.
The design was inspired by ’90s-era New York bars like Pravda and Cafe Tabac. The intimate room, inside the garden level of a 1830s landmarked townhouse, evokes a Jazz Age-y atmosphere through low-level lighting, wall sconces and a neutral color palette accented by aged brass and warm wood tones. A pool table draws the crowd to the back of the room and keeps the atmosphere casual, and downstairs, banquettes are charmingly situated inside of wine storage caves.
The real draw is the food and beverage menu. Cocktails are served alongside a menu of small plates crafted by culinary partners Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske, known for Wildair and Michelin-starred restaurant Contra. The chef pair are offering snacky items like oysters and dips alongside light bites that can be scaled up into a meal; desserts include a creamsicle Key lime pie particularly primed for a photo opp.
The cocktail menu is led by head bartender Trevor Langer, and includes drinks that incorporate unexpected ingredients like shiso and sesame; a scotch old fashioned is given a banana bread twist.
If the team’s other projects are an indication, Jac’s on Bond is destined to draw a crowd. In the week before opening, the space hosted an understated but high energy dinner and after party for Rodarte. The notable crowd was intimate, creative — and had a great time dancing and sipping crafted cocktails. But Jac’s on Bond isn’t just for the VIPs.
“For most people [in New York nightlife] it’s always ‘exclusive, exclusivity, don’t let this person in.’ We’ve always been on the other side of that,” says Quirarte of the team’s approach (or lack thereof) to the idea of curating a “door.”
“Our thing is we love to have places that are like clubhouses — but for everybody.”
Launch Gallery: Inside New Downtown Restaurant Jac's on Bond
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