So many tropical bars in the U.S. offer escapism. But Bar Kabawa, a den for Caribbean drinks and some of the best bar food in New York City, makes you feel like you’re exactly where you want to be. Down an alley in the East Village, the sibling bar to fine dining restaurant Kabawa is built for hanging, impressing out-of-towners (or your date), playing dominoes and dreaming of being a regular. The theme is simple: Everything’s made with rum (save for the N/A drinks), and half of them are Daiquiris. You might think that working within such specific parameters is limiting, but one sip of the punchy, floral Bay Leaf Daiquiri or bite of a short rib and conch patty would prove you very, very wrong.
The cocktail list is a collaboration between creative bartender Kathryn “Pepper” Stashek and chef Paul Carmichael, who channels the flavors of his upbringing in Barbados. To develop recipes, Stashek researched Caribbean cocktail history via sources like Jeff Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean and old manuals from iconic bars like El Floridita and Sloppy Joe’s. While nods to that long history are a through line (there’s a deep-cut Daiquiri called the Golden Glove on the menu, and a shaved ice machine to channel the original frosty Daiquiris), the cocktails also feel fresh and new, revamped with novel techniques like flash freezing and nitro muddling. Describing one of its drinks, a guava-infused rum Old-Fashioned, Bar Kabawa says, “[it’s] how we do things in the Caribbean: simple, or not so simple, but full of flavor, full of life.” That could very well describe the place itself.
Bay Leaf Daiquiri
Bay leaves, which are also used in Bar Kabawa’s bar snacks, are the star here.
TK Caption
MAKE IT
Bar Kabawa’s patties come either baked or fried, and stuffed with everything from geera goat to curry crab duck and foie gras.
Bar Kabawa calls itself a “wine and Daiquiri bar,” and you shouldn’t sleep on the wine list, curated by beverage manager Eitan Spivak. There’s always a “chilled red of the day” and the menu also features quality N/A options.
To make the Bay Leaf Daiquiri, the star ingredient gets nitro-muddled for concentrated flavor.
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So many tropical bars in the U.S. offer escapism. But Bar Kabawa, a den for Caribbean drinks and some of the best bar food in New York City, makes you feel like you’re exactly where you want to be. Down an alley in the East Village, the sibling bar to fine dining restaurant Kabawa is built for hanging, impressing out-of-towners (or your date), playing dominoes and dreaming of being a regular. The theme is simple: Everything’s made with rum (save for the N/A drinks), and half of them are Daiquiris. You might think that working within such specific parameters is limiting, but one sip of the punchy, floral Bay Leaf Daiquiri or bite of a short rib and conch patty would prove you very, very wrong.
The cocktail list is a collaboration between beverage director Kathryn “Pepper” Stashek and chef Paul Carmichael, who channels the flavors of his upbringing in Barbados. To develop recipes, Stashek researched Caribbean cocktail history via sources like Jeff Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean and old manuals from iconic bars like El Floridita and Sloppy Joe’s. While nods to that long history are a through line (there’s a deep-cut Daiquiri called the Golden Glove on the menu, and a shaved ice machine to channel the original frosty Daiquiris), the cocktails also feel fresh and new, revamped with novel techniques like flash freezing and nitro muddling. Describing one of its drinks, a guava-infused rum Old-Fashioned, Bar Kabawa says, “[it’s] how we do things in the Caribbean: simple, or not so simple, but full of flavor, full of life.” That could very well describe the place itself.