The Establishment’s Adjoining Reservation Bar Opens This Week

by Steven Doyle

Look for the new reservation bar that is attached to the space that will soon become the Establishment to open this week. Brian Williams and Michael Martensen both hosted a sneak preview for friends and family this past Friday evening, and we were able to get a glimpse of the bar.

Currently the bar has no name and Martensen said they are still tweaking the logo. Rumor has it that the space might be named Bar Smyth, but that could change.    

It was evident that the owners did not want this to be an exclusive bar, and that is not what reservations are about here. Instead they want to be able to control the crowd so that the bartenders can spend more time customizing your cocktail without an enormous wait time. There will be  three or four bartenders working at the smallish bar, with one roaming the room to help guests with their orders. There is not going to be a waitstaff.

The cocktails will be customized from the patron’s choice of over 100 liquors, with some wine and beer selections available as well. There will be a seasonal menu, but staff will still depend heavily your particular tastes. Also look for 3,000 year old glacial ice to adorn your glass.

At the door there will be someone to control entries to keep the room down to a minimum. They are expecting to peek out at about 40 or 50 people at a time. Martensen was clear that this person was not a doorman or gatekeeper, but instead someone who could control the flow of people.  He was also clear that although reservations were highly suggested, anyone could walk in off the street if there is space available. The bar will be managed by Cedars Social alum, Omar Yeefoon.

The room is decorated with sleek lines and a cool, comfortable feel. The walls are solid walnut and feature 9-foot wall papered ceilings. Much of the furnishings are being purchased from Leslie Pritchard who owns Again and Again, the furniture source in the Design District that re-imagines quality pieces she finds from across the country.

One particularly interesting aspect to the bar will be a five record changer playing vinyl that they will have custom pressed from their play list. These records will also be available for sale behind the bar for those who enjoy the crisp sound of vinyl.

The reservation bar is located in the old Trece space on Travis near Knox at 4513 Travis.