Bar Chica is a Havana-style speakeasy tucked in the back of Bodega on 1180 Central Ave, St. Pete. A true hidden gem, there’s no sign for Bar Chica. To get in, make your way through the sliding panel-wall in the back of Bodega, or down the alley on the right-side of the building. You’ll see a velvet rope, planter, wicker chair, and warm light spilling out.
Important note, reader: Bar Chica stays open after Bodega closes. Boasting intimate seating, moody atmosphere, and distinctive cocktails, you’ll want to unwind here long into the night.
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The bartenders at Bar Chica, Matt, Lauren, and Billy, are great improvisors. Most of the drinks they’re mixing this evening do not even have names—yet. It’s all jazz, verve, and vibe. “I think of a cocktail as a musical progression,” says Matt. “I’m looking for the sustained note.”
Bar Chica plays with unexpected flavors
Like any jazz worth its salt, delight derives from the unexpected note cutting against the others. And at Bar Chica, those notes are out there: miso for the salty, tangy, umami flavor, rye bread syrup made from caraway seeds, mezcal that uses the dripping fat of pechuga (chicken-breast) during the distillation process, freshly juiced green bell-pepper, fermented tepache made from the peel and rind of a pineapple. Despite the surprising ingredients, these drinks taste complete, balanced, and inevitable.
The owners, George and Debbie Sayegh, allow the bartenders total creative freedom.
“I don’t think micromanaging makes for a happy environment,” says Debbie. “And I believe they are very talented.”
At Bar Chica, each bartender approaches an empty glass differently. Lauren is “spirit first”, highlighting the natural taste of the alcohol. Billy dabbles with whatever calls in the moment, often dashing into Bodega to grab oregano or strawberries, and the bar manager, Matt, is partial to the evolution of flavor, “the new, weird ingredient,” he says.
Inspiration comes from everywhere
If you’re indecisive about what to order, you can spin a toy-wheel and the bartender will craft a cocktail on the spot, depending on the spin, the person, and the feel of the moment. The wheel is an immersive, tactile element, notes Billy. It’s fun to spin when you’ll always win. My kind of gamble. If you prefer to go on script, the menu features cocktails like “Love Bird”, which uses fermented tepache, or the “Bebop”, inspired by the anime hit-classic Cowboy Bebop.
Inspiration comes from everywhere at Bar Chica. Even the décor and ambiance were designed around the brass parrot statue that perches on the bar. By the time you leave, you might start hearing that brass parrot coo some slow Latin tune. Bar Chica induces that kind of mood.
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