Banyan Bar and Refuge

It’s the brave venture indeed that dares to take over the space once occupied by the once-lionized Hamersely’s Bistro. But Banyan is no mere reboot—it’s a complete left turn in space and concept, brought to you from the folks behind The Gallows and Blackbird Doughnuts. Let’s start with the decor, which includes massive branch light fixtures and birch wood walls—actual birch trunks lined up vertically. Then there’s the finger-licking Asian gastropub fare—kick things off with fried pigs' tails before moving on to spicy beef tartare, fried chicken with dried lime chimichurri and duck confit fried rice. The cocktail menu deserves an Emmy for comedy writing; you’ll be torn between the Supreme Leader (Thai chili-infused vodka, coconut, lime) and the Shrub You Long Time (gin, grapefruit shrub, cardamom, rosemary simple).