Encore performance
Opera House (Chinatown)
BARS • First Round
The Skinny: A revamp of Chinese Tuxedo’s subterranean space, Opera House is that rare cocktail bar where you can actually have a proper late-night meal.
The Vibe: There used to be an actual Chinese theater here, and the experience pays homage to that history without veering into camp. While drinks carry names like The Flower Princess, a classic ’90s Cantonese opera, that’s about where the theming ends. The space is all dark wood paneling, amber light, and sumptuous black leather rolling chairs comfortable for leaning back and lingering.
The Food: I met my partner here for after-work drinks, but we both showed up starving. Often, when eating elevated dim sum, I find myself wishing I was at Jing Fong instead of spending $16 on dumplings. But Opera House delivers. We ordered roughly half the menu, starting with prawn crackers and cucumber salad before moving on to crispy sweet and sour eggplant, roast duck ham sui gok, and a yin yang-inspired take on spicy sesame noodles. There was, as there should be, a standout soup: a single shrimp and scallop wonton served in a gilded teacup of intensely oceanic broth. Small plates arrived at our table in pleasantly rapid succession, like they do at any great dim sum spot.
The Drinks: The food was so good I almost forgot we were at a cocktail bar — but the drinks here will do a solid job of reminding you as much. Every offering on the illustrated cocktail menu appealed to us, but the Drunken Beauty (a riff on a Naked & Famous with notes of Asian pear and chrysanthemum) and the Dream of the Red Chamber (a duck-fat-washed Boulevardier) won out. Both were balanced, visually interesting, and very drinkable.
The Verdict: As I stepped out onto Doyers just before midnight, I found myself making a mental list of people I wanted to bring when I come back to Opera House, a mark of a great bar. –Caroline Finn
→ Opera House (Chinatown) • 5 Doyers St • Daily 5p-130a • Reserve.