Planned for 60 2nd Ave. in the East Village, Friends With Benefits will be a cocktail bar that aims to run the gamut from sophistication to approachability. In fact, Friends With Benefits will have two bars, with one seemingly dedicated to each end of the spectrum. In a recent article from The Spirits Business, co-owner and acclaimed bartender Ben Yabrow indicated that one bar at the new spot will offer technical, “hyper-focused” cocktails. What Now New York has reached out for more information.
A permit filing with Community Board 3 listed one prime example of the sophisticated cocktails to expect: Red Red Wine will be a savory-sweet blend of red berries, tomato, Sichuan peppercorns, and red miso. At the other bar, guests will be able to order more recognizable tipples, such as a classic highball or frozen strawberry margaritas. Yabrow said that these two bars will “play off each other” — with one bar using waste products from the other bar. At a recent CB3 meeting, Yabrow and co-owner Evan Hawkins said they expect the bar to be “reservation heavy.”
A menu of sophisticated plates appears meant to complement the cocktail program. The permit filing listed dishes like yakitori, prawn toast, and hibachi-grilled mushrooms. One of the more adventurous dishes is oysters flamed in chicken fat, signaling a commitment to bold flavors that will pair intriguingly with the sophisticated beverage program. At the CB3 meeting, the owners said they had recruited a “renowned chef” who formerly worked at Le Coucou in SoHo.
The conceptual heart of Friends With Benefits is its dual-bar configuration, with one bar near the entrance and one bar down a short hall, at the back of the space. There is also table seating between the bars. Yabrow told The Spirits Business that he “would never do” a dual concept again, having explored it in his work at Sip & Guzzle and Double Chicken Please. However, he noted that the space “just lends itself to that.”
