On Jul. 9, Luis Hernandez and his team opened the bar of their dreams.
Hello Hello, now open in Chelsea, is part café during the day, and part cocktail bar when the sun goes down. Located at 151 W 26th Street, the all-day “high-dive” bar is built for people who love a world-class drink, but do not want to dress up for one.
“We always say that high is how we want to drink, and dive is where we want to drink. We want to do it in a setting where we can come in shorts and a T-shirt and have a really high-end cocktail at a reasonable price,” says Hernandez.
Everything on the menu is curated by a crew of professionals in the world of hospitality. Luis Hernandez — of Seamstress NYC and current brand manager for Ume Plum Liqueur — has spent nearly 25 years in the industry. Working his way up from dishwasher to bartender to educator and now co-owner.
Hernandez is originally from Venezuela and came to the U.S. on his 12th birthday. When he arrived, he found work at his friend’s restaurant washing dishes, bussing, cooking on the line, and eventually bartending.
He officially started bartending six months before turning 21. After a bartender never showed up for his shift, he was thrown behind it and has not stepped away since.
Hernandez is joined by Brendan Bartley, head bartender and beverage director at Bathtub Gin, Dave Oz, Bathtub Gin founder, and Robert Nieves, Senior Marketing Manager of Ten to One Rum.
Together, they created a space where you can sip on classic, yet elevated drinks like a vodka Red Bull on draft or an espresso martini made from a house-made coffee liqueur from the on-site distillery.
What makes their classic drinks unique is the techniques used to create them.
Take the regular martini, for example. Hernandez says it is simple on paper but for them, it is one of the most intricate drinks on the list.
“I think probably what reads as the simplest drink is the most complicated one on the menu…the martini.”
The team starts by infusing avocado pits into gin, letting it oxidize overnight to bring out the bitterness from the pits, then fat-washes it with olive oil and citrus. It is then diluted with a custom tea brewed three separate times to capture the aromatics.
After another night of letting the flavors come together, it is finally ready to serve. Taking three days altogether.
Just like the drinks, the atmosphere is also very playful.
The music depends on the crowd — anything from ACDC to Bad Bunny. The lights get dimmer as the night goes on and the energy picks up.
The space contains big windows towards the front, letting sunlight flood through the restaurant, giving the café a relaxed vibe.
At night, conversations flow across the couches beneath the glowing Hello Hello sign, while music from the DJ booth keeps the crowd dancing.
It is the kind of place that evolves as the day unfolds.
“I just hope this becomes a hangout for people,” Hernandez said. “I think we want to create a spot that’s a judgment-free zone…We want to make it a place for everybody.”
And while Hernandez is not claiming to be changing the world, he is proud to offer a moment of joy to those who do. So whether you are coming after a long shift to unwind or looking for a place to dance, you will always be welcome at Hello Hello.
“People will use the analogy of, we’re not saving lives,” he says. “But we might be serving the person who is saving lives, and on the one day off they have after working 70-hour shifts doing surgeries, it’s cool to give them a good experience so they can be ready to do all those life-saving things.”
For more information, visit www.hellohellobarandcafe.com.
