This feted watering hole serving the creative concoctions of The Indigenous Bartender takes over the lounge above Michelin-starred restaurant Jag
Even as businesses continue to find ways to face the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic, some are proving there’s an opportunity for new working relationships to be found. Just as the lease at their previous address on North Bridge Road for the last two years was coming to an end, specialist cocktail bar IB HQ found more than a new place to call home.
In partnership with Michelin-starred Restaurant Jag, it has since moved to Duxton, occupying the premises above the restaurant (previously The Lounge Bar), and added to its offerings a takeaway menu of bar bites. Made up of small, large, and sweet sharing plates designed and prepared by Jag's chef-owner Jeremy Gillon and his team, these dishes are also being served to visiting patrons during phase two of the easing of the circuit breaker measures.
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“It has not been an easy few months, though (the struggle) had also brought new perspectives to our business and forced us to adapt,” shares IB HQ founder and head mixologist Kamil Foltan. The period, he posits, had afforded him time to get “more fresh air” and work on a post-pandemic strategy for the bar and the brand.
He adds: “We were looking for a new location as our lease was slowly coming to an end when a mutual friend introduced us to Gillon and Jag's co-owner Anant Tyagi. “Both parties felt the synergy in our business philosophies and the rest is history.”
This partnership, he affirms, is a step in the right direction; an upward progression that keeps the spotlight on their shared respect for ingredients. The artisanal approach to creating Jag’s menu, for instance, is inspired by indigenous herbs from the chef’s hometown in Savoie, France. IB HQ’s is inspired by Foltan’s motto of “passion for flavour and respect for cultures” and features infusions made with fresh produce he sources from the local markets.
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