Hell’s Kitchen Now Has a Delightfully Zany ’70s-Inspired Bar

Now open in Hell’s Kitchen is Bar Gonzo, a ’70s-inspired bar with a colorful interior that focuses on peacocks, alongside a very eclectic menu.

Chef R.L. King (Gallow Green, Il Buco) is behind the menu here, which runs the gamut from injera to French bread pizza. Drinks from Tim Cooper (Flatiron Lounge) are tiki-influenced and come in playful glassware. The full food and drink menus are below.

But the immediate hook here is the space. It’s a major departure from the minimalistic, wood- and white-washed restaurants so common around town, with bright pops of pink, green, blue, and gold in the bi-level space. The first floor houses a bar and 40-seat dining room, while upstairs is a 100-seat terrace. Look closely and find peacocks everywhere, including one particularly imposing one as one bar’s backsplash. The ’70s were the inspiration here for designer Turjeman Jaakov, along with “the exploits of literary libertines Hunter S. Thompson, George Plimpton, Ernest Hemingway and their ilk.”

It’s all meant to get a bit wild with entertainment such as fire breathers and burlesque performers on select evenings in the lounge. Bar Gonzo is now open daily from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., with the kitchen closing Sunday through Wednesday at 11 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday at 12 a.m. Breakfast and brunch are on the way.

Photo via Simmer Group

Photo via Simmer Group