The hotel bar.
A fixture of business since … business.
But all hotel bars are not created equal.
On one end of the spectrum, your out-of-necessity airport Hiltons. On the other, hidden gems like the newly opened Gaspar Brasserie, housed in FiDi’s Galleria Park Hotel.
The newest Francophilic offering from the Café Claude and Gitane team, Gaspar is two levels of plushed-out bar and dining space mere blocks from the boardroom.
With an all-star cast of behind-the-scenes players, including Chef Chris Jones (Napa’s The Girl & The Fig), the Slanted Door Group’s veteran pastry chef and the man who built the Burritt Room’s lauded cocktail program, these banquettes are for closers.
Plus: bars upstairs and down, a cocktail list with plenty of low-alcohol options and a cornucopia of bar bites.
You could almost forgo the table altogether.
Don’t.
The full menu deserves your attention. Veal. Salmon. Oysters. Duck.
The chickpea cakes with marinated feta are a standout place to start.
And the wine program plays both sides of the pond, bridging the Napa and Loire Valleys by the glass and bottle with plenty of bubbles on offer.
The case for the hotel bar: closed.
Join America's Fastest Growing Spirits Newsletter THE SPILL. Unlock all the reviews, recipes and revelry — and get 15% off award-winning La Tierra de Acre Mezcal.