Winter den
Stone & Soil (Kips Bay)
BARS • First Round
The Skinny: While New York has no shortage of Japanese cocktail bars, only a few truly adhere to the bartending style’s core principles of restraint, precision, and purity of flavor. Two weeks ago, the city gained Stone & Soil, a transportive drinking den in the former O Ya space (inside NoMad’s Park South Hotel). Led by an alum of Tokyo’s Bar Trench, Hirotomo Akutsu, and partner Rio Azmee, the warm wood-bedecked bar serves clean, ingredient-driven drinks that range from updated classics to matcha- and pandan-dosed originals.
The Vibe: The moody room centers on a long, 16-seat bar crafted from recycled sakura wood running down one wall, with tables opposite the bar. The space feels less industrial and more quietly Japanese than O Ya, defined by clean lines and warm walnut wood. Exposed brick has been painted over, replaced with a glowing back bar lined with Japanese whisky and premium spirits that faces a wooden slat installation mimicking the rise and fall of waves. Japanese floral arrangements and hanging rice-paper lanterns complete the Japanese theme.
The Drinks: The house piña colada, Rum It Up, looks nothing like the original. It’s a split between the classic island drink and a sherry cobbler, with a clarified blend of coconut milk and cream sweetened by caramel-y Japanese kokuto sugar, brightened with pineapple and lime. It’s ultra-floral, subtly nutty, and one of the best drinks I’ve had in the last year.
Then there’s the Pacific Triangle: a seemingly chaotic mix of mezcal, sake lees, kiwi, pandan, matcha milk, and lime that shouldn’t work (but absolutely does). Don’t let the “matcha milk” descriptor throw you — the drink is clarified to an impressively crystal-clear finish.
Fans of brown spirits should order the Black Boulevardier, a rich, layered blend of bourbon, Cynar, PX sherry, fig, and balsamic that’d pair beautifully with aged Parmigiano. As is customary in Japan, drinks arrive in thin-lipped, featherweight glassware underscoring the bar’s meticulous attention to detail.
The Food: While drinks are the main attraction, small plates worth trying include the richly umami-imbued koji-aged A5 Japanese wagyu, and the crispy stack of mashed potato fried filled with cheddar cheese and served beside a rosemary aioli.
The Verdict: Don’t let the slightly unexpected location fool you: serious cocktails are being made here, rivaling the city’s best. –Kat Odell
→ Stone & Soil (Kips Bay) • 124 E 28th St • Tue-Thu 5p-12a, Fri-Sat 5p-1a • Reserve.