Jeff Bell is no stranger to bartending or opening a bar in New York City; he started working at the renowned speakeasy PDT in the East Village back in 2010 and is now a managing partner there. Last summer, the award-winning bartender opened the tequila and mezcal bar Mixteca. Earlier this year, he opened the classic cocktail spot, Kees, both in the West Village. Now, in partnership with Apres Cru Hospitality and Marx Realty, Bell opened Highball Ltd., a bar dedicated to its namesake drink, set in a Midtown office building on the East Side.
Tucked inside an Ely Jacques Kahn-designed office building steps away from Grand Central Station, Highball Ltd. feels cozier than most Midtown spaces and seats 65 people. To get to the bar, one must be somewhat in the know and the discreet design is deliberate. Guests enter on Third Avenue through a dedicated freight elevator entrance (look out for the red light) and a doorman directs you to the 11th floor. Even the journey to the bar feels both transportive and distinctly Manhattan. Then, when the elevator opens, it’s not an office you see, but a modern, elegant space.
“The proximity to Grand Central is an exciting entry for us,” said Bell about his first Midtown project. “The beautiful space reminds me of a luxury Pullman car, and it provided a lot of inspiration for the menu. There is such a rich history to draw from, the overlap in the Golden Age of cocktails and the Golden Age of train travel.”
Highballs serve as the conceptual backbone of Bell’s drink program. For him, the whiskey-soda cocktails are a vehicle for highlighting exceptional spirits. The opening menu features 15 cocktails divided into three sections: five classics, five house Highballs, and five signature creations, alongside a dedicated selection of non-alcoholic cocktails. The beverage service also includes a focus on Champagne and rare spirits, along with a hefty selection of Japanese whisky.
“We definitely have some drinks [on the menu] styled for speed and approachability, knowing some people will stop by for a quick drink before their train ride,” Bell says. “Highballs are such a perfect, sessionable cocktail. We’ll have classics that people will recognize and already love, and [we’ll also serve] some new innovative drinks perfect for lingering over [and] may remind people of PDT a bit.”
Even though Highball Ltd is in Midtown, there’s still very much a Jeff Bell stamp on the bar space, one that many New Yorkers will recognize from downtown favorite PDT, and now Mixteca and Kees.
“My overall approach to Highball Ltd. is really similar to PDT and all my projects,” Bell says. “I have a philosophy at the core that remains the same, and I adapt it to the needs of the respective project.”
He mentioned his key tenets of drink making revolve around the saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Meaning, he explained, that everything must serve a purpose in each drink. Sometimes, less is more and more can be less, he added. But come taste for yourself to get a true sense on what this bar master strives for, reservations and walk-ins welcome.
Visit Highball Ltd. Monday through Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. 708 3rd Ave., Midtown, highballltd.com
