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The West Village has a new destination for Martinis, steak frites and late evenings.
Bar Etienne is now open on Bedford Street, bringing a French kitchen and technique-driven cocktail program to an intimate corner space. The bar is the first joint project from longtime friends Michael Bray, the restaurateur behind Lower East Side spot Bar Valentina, and Keith Larry, a hospitality veteran who spent a decade at Employees Only.
The pair met during Bray’s second day in New York more than 20 years ago. They went on to become bandmates, roommates and colleagues, working together at spots including the Beatrice Inn and Gallow Green while building separate careers in the city’s hospitality and nightlife worlds. At Bar Etienne, Bray oversees the interiors and service experience, while Larry leads the drinks program.
Larry describes the cocktails as “crushers”: approachable drinks made with serious technique. The Martini Tomate, for example, combines vodka with clarified tomato, Parmesan, oregano and vermouth. Coffee, Mate gives the espresso martini a baklava-inspired spin with toasted pistachio and sesame, while the Banana Question mixes aged rum, clarified green banana, Bana Canne and lime.
There are also Teeny ’Tinis, $14 small-format versions of five Martinis, including classic, dirty and mushroom variations. For a particularly French start to the evening, Pastis n’ Panisse pairs a one-ounce pour of pastis with a petite chickpea-flour fritter.
The food can serve as either a quick bar snack or a full dinner. A French onion grilled cheese piles three cheeses, caramelized red onions and Dijon onto bread; larger dishes include steak frites au poivre, grilled branzino with brown butter and the Etienne Burger with raclette and tomato jam. Desserts come from Claude Bakery, including an exclusive tarte tatin and the bakery’s sought-after chocolate cake.
Bray designed the room with Cody Parks, drawing inspiration from Parisian bistros and old-school downtown bars. Original mahogany millwork was restored and paired with a Brooklyn-made zinc bar top, vintage French furniture and a bright red banquette. Look down and you’ll find a pique-assiette mosaic floor with tiny hidden motifs, including lips, hearts, a boot and a Martini glass, natch. In daylight, large windows and limewashed walls keep the bar bright. After dark, the lights dim, the music gets louder and that innocent little Teeny ’Tini may acquire several friends.
Bar Etienne is open Monday through Friday from 4 pm to 2 am and Saturday and Sunday from 2 pm to 2 am.