Hampden’s upscale Bluebird Cocktail Room is ready to pull back the curtain on its lower-level concept, with plans to open on Friday, May 10.
As promised when Little Bird closed abruptly back in February, its successor will feature an expansive whiskey selection and traditional pub fare with an elevated twist. A release describes the space as “handsome and familiar, like an upscale neighborhood bar designed to reflect a simple, classic, and timeless experience.”
The locally sourced menu features, among other items, a foie gras burger with bacon-shallot jam ($23), a house corned beef on rye ($14), a Scotch egg ($10), a signature burger ($11 single patty/$17 double), a short rib sandwich ($12, with mushroom substitute option for vegetarians) and a vegan-friendly broccoli sandwich on baguette ($10). There will also be brunch staples like French toast and a traditional English breakfast when The Pub is open from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays.
The drink menu is whiskey-fronted, with cocktails like an Old Fashioned, the Rusty Nail (Drambuie and Scotch whiskey) and house barrel-aged cacacha sour. And in good pub fashion, they’ll have Guinness on draft, to go with canned and bottled beers, wine and cider.
The Pub, located beneath Bluebird and Belgian beer hall De Kleine Duivel at the corner of W. 36th Street and Hickory Avenue, will be kid-friendly until 5 p.m., after which all guests must be 21 and up.
Owner Paul Benkert said in an interview in February that the new bar would give Bluebird a chance to accommodate guests who end up waiting in lines to get into the popular upstairs space, particularly on weekends. “We just need room to grow,” he said.
Benkert and his wife, Caroline, shut down Little Bird this winter after six months. The restaurant served espresso and coffee drinks, adult beverages like wine, spritzes and beer, and breakfast sandwiches, pastries and other light fare.
While Little Bird’s hours were 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, The Pub will keep its doors open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, in addition to Sunday brunch.
