The striped lamp¡¯s swirling motion evokes a barber¡¯s pole, assuring me that I¡¯ve found the right spot ¨C not for a cut, but for an expertly mixed drink. As I push open the heavy door at the bottom of the staircase, a dapper fellow sporting a fedora greets me with the air of a circus ringmaster. It¡¯s clear that something special is about to happen.
Indeed, from April 24 to July 10, the Barcelona-based speakeasy is taking over , the subterranean cocktail lounge adjacent to the Spanish restaurant Tinc Gana in Tokyo¡¯s Ichigaya neighborhood. Jerome Quilbeuf ¡ª who, in addition to Tinc Gana and Abajo, runs Gracia in the Hiroo area and in Kamakura, as well as his in Ginza ¡ª approached Bobby¡¯s Free owner Eric Basset with the idea of doing a pop-up after opening Abajo in late January.
¡°I¡¯m a chef, not a bartender, so this is an opportunity to learn from one of the best bars in Barcelona,¡± Quilbeuf says with a laugh. ¡°Plus, we¡¯re both French guys with businesses in Spain, so we have a lot in common.¡±
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