Imagine this: “A world traveler goes on a solo tour around Asia and Africa in the 1950s, where he collects art and mementos along the way. After twenty years, in 1970, the same guy buys a house in Palm Springs where he puts all the things he collected and he throws disco parties with great Chinese food and amazing cocktails." That, explains Bon Vivants co-founder Josh Harris, is the theme behind the company's newest bar, Bon Voyage.
Now open on Valencia Street in the Mission, Bon Voyage is full of paintings, wall decor and funky knick knacks that Harris, whose passion for flea markets and estate sales is well known in the industry, collected himself, including a large wooden giraffe discovered at the Alameda Flea Market and a giant elephant's head that covers a wall near the entrance. Of course, true to his 1970s desert vision, there's also a disco ball.
Photograph: Sonya Yu
“We created a number of different environments within the bar so people can have different experiences," added Harris. "Whether you gather in a large group of people downstairs, or interact personally with the bartender upstairs where people can also sit on the couch or dine at a table."
Photograph: Sonya Yu
The man behind the bar, Morgan Schick, translates Asian and African flavors into the beverage program, which features tons of homemade ingredients and a long list of Singapore Sling-inspired drinks. ("[They were] inspired by the famous drink from the Raffles Hotel in Singapore," adds Harris.) Their take on the classic is made with Tanqueray gin, Benedictine, sherry heering, lemon, pineapple and ginger soda while the more modern Slingtini comes with pineapple- and ginger-infused Tanqueray 10 gin, cherry vermouth, Benedictine and grenadine bitters. Beer-lovers should try the Slingshot: a Sling Beer from Oakland’s Ale Industries (a Kolsch-style beer with pineapple, cherry and ginger) and your choice of shot—vodka, gin, tequila, mescal, bourbon, cognac or rum.
Also on the menu: A series of Collinses named after famous Collinses like Joan, Bootsy and Phil and more than 10 original cocktails in the Bon Vivants-style—fresh, fun and homemade.
In the kitchen, executive chef Wilder Marroquin (China Live, Ozumo) crafts a menu inspired by Chinese cuisine with classics like dumplings, buns and the sting roll available to munch on. For the ultimate pairing, Harris recommends the black-and-white fried rice served with your choice of barbecue pork, shrimp or vegetables, with a Bananarac! cocktail, an interpretation of the Sezarac, with Old Overholt Bonded Rye, Brandy Sainte Louise, banana, bananisette and bitters.
Bon Voyage is located at 584 Valencia St. Open Mon–Fri 2pm–2am; Sat–Sun noon–2am