Kosher crowd, rejoice: a new kosher and vegan speakeasy inspired by Mexico City just debuted right below Jajaja Mexicana at 63 Carmine Street near Varick Street by Greenwich Village.
Called Bar Nena, the new destination is found inside a private room at Jajaja Mexicana, also a kosher vegan eatery. Open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the space looks and feels like the sort of drinking den that’s been missing from the local kosher scene for years now.
According to documents that Bar Nena sent to Pretty Kosher directly, the bar boasts an orthodox kosher certification from the International Kosher Council that applies to all foods served on premise.
“Most of the drinks and cocktails are kosher except those marked on the cocktail menu,” reads the certification. Even more specifically, all wines, vermouth, brandy, cognac, Grand Marnier and Salers Gentiane are not kosher.
The relatively compact food menu includes a huevos del diablo dish made with shiitake bacon, cilantro and pickled onions; empanadas prepared with “chicken,” king oyster mushrooms drenched in sour cream; a ceviche of pickled red onion, radish, avocado, marinated watermelon and smoked paprika; and a super interesting looking dish of fruit skewers with cucumber, watermelon, pineapple, mango, chamoy and tajin.
But as is the case at any proper speakeasy, it’s the cocktails that take center stage at Bar Nena. The drink menu here is split into three categories: classic offerings, fermented ones and unique cocktails.
Traditional cocktails include the bar’s own takes on the Mexican carajillo, usually made from espresso and a Spanish liqueur called Licor 43, and the Nueva Moda (New Fashioned), here prepared with shiitake mushroom bourbon, mezcal, sichuan peppercorn and orange.
Among the standout creative concoctions is the Infiel (jackfruit-infused tequila blanco, lime, coconut, agave de pina y lemongrass), the Cuatro Nenas (mezcal, gin, Dolin Blanc, Sailers aperitif, lime and oregano) and the Tamal (tamal-infused gin, corn, lime, agave, Ancho Reyes and poblano).
There are also three fermented drinks on offer, each one representative of the people of Mexico and celebrating the local culinary culture.
Lest you think its status as the only kosher speakeasy in all of New York grants it must-visit ranking, think again: Bar Nena clearly knows what it is doing and very much deserves your attention.
