Junoon's team opens a honey-fueled speakeasy that's oh-so New York

"The team behind Junoon has officially gone underground-literally and figuratively. Room 207, a new speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar, has quietly opened in the East Village, marking the first standalone bar from restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj, the force behind the Indian fine-dining institution and its sister spot Jazba. Found at 207 2nd Avenue by 13th Street, Room 207 is intimate by design. The 26-seat bar leans into old-school Prohibition vibes-low lighting,"

"Hemant Pathak, Junoon's longtime chief mixologist and an 18-year veteran of the cocktail world, leads the bar. At Room 207, Pathak has complete creative control and the menu reflects it with its assortment of classics, forgotten drinks and reworked standards. The most New York-specific flex comes via honey. Pathak partnered with fifth-generation urban beekeeper Andrew Coté to source honey harvested from rooftop hives in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Each borough's honey gets its own Bee's Knees variation, with subtle flavor differences shaped by local flora."

"Elsewhere on the menu, there's an Old Fashioned made with burnt butter-washed bourbon; a Flip topped with a silky hot egg foam and poured tableside over an icy base; and a boozeless Garibaldi made with a Campari-inspired reduction instead of alcohol. For guests who like a little mystery, there's also "Enigma," a three-cocktail preset experience that unfolds like an omakase, guided by spirit categories rather than drink names."

Room 207 is a 26-seat speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar located at 207 2nd Avenue in the East Village. Restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj opened the standalone bar with an interior by Wid Chapman that channels Prohibition-era aesthetics through low lighting, wood paneling, leather seating, velvet drapes and antique mirrors. Hemant Pathak leads the bar program with full creative control, offering classics, forgotten drinks and inventive reworks. The beverage program highlights borough-specific honey from rooftop hives in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens used in Bee's Knees variations. The menu includes inventive takes like a burnt butter Old Fashioned, a silky Flip, a boozeless Garibaldi and an omakase-style "Enigma" tasting.

Read at Time Out New York