Bourbon and Banter

Located one floor below the Statler Hotel lobby, Bourbon & Banter marries Prohibition-era speakeasy vibes with the romantic aesthetic of the 1950s and 1960s—when The Statler version 1.0 was a destination for visiting film stars. Housed in what was once an onsite barbershop, the bar’s covert cred is supplied by a phone booth that opens a hidden door. Inside, the couches are inviting, the shelves are lined with bourbon, and the cocktails range from strong and straightforward (Barrel-Aged Manhattan) to visually striking and hands-on. Channel the space’s barbershop past and order the Pompadour, an Old Fashioned riff made with bourbon, Venezuelan rum, bitters, and vanilla tincture that’s crowned with a creme brûlée candy top—access the liquid by breaking that top with a tiny hammer.