Everything You Need to Know About Evan Funke’s New Cocktail Lounge, Bar Avoja
Published:
Walk to the very back of Mother Wolf, through the palatial dining room, past the 3,000-square-foot open kitchen, and you’ll find the elusive Bar Avoja. A collaboration between chef Evan Funke and managing partner Giancarlo Pagani, the lounge is extremely tucked away, unusually dark and intimate, and tables are available by reservation only.
“Bar Avoja was inspired by the idea of creating a hidden Roman escape,” says Pagani. “It blends the casual elegance of a Roman residence with the energy of a ‘terzo spazio’: not a bar, not a restaurant, but a ‘third place’ to gather.”
Here are five things you should know before visiting the new Hollywood hideaway.
MORE FROM RESY
The mood is pure velvet-draped drama
Think crimson curtains cascading down the walls, oversized gilded mirrors, plush seating, low-hanging chandeliers, and tables flickering with tiny crystal table lamps. It’s giving Fellini and a little Eyes Wide Shut. One wall is lined with dramatically backlit liquor lockers, offered to close friends of Mother Wolf and Bar Avoja — including regulars and special guests — who want to store their special bottles. But even if you’re not a VIP with a liquor locker, you can still spend your night feasting on Roman street food and sipping cocktails and spritzes.
There’s a truly next-level spritz
One night during service at Mother Wolf, Funke concocted a refreshing spritz bianci featuring citrusy Italicus liqueur and bittersweet Cocchi Americano, and added it to the bar menu as a special. Guests loved it so much, the team knew they had to put it on the permanent menu at Bar Avoja. “Italicus felt like the perfect base as it’s a Roman staple and brings this really beautiful brightness and citrus note, especially with the bergamot shining through,” says Adolfo Garcia, general manager at Bar Avoja and Mother Wolf. Cantina Globale Prosecco adds just the right amount of crispness, effervescence, and dry finish to balance everything out.
Plus a reimagined Vesper martini, made with Mother Wolf olive oil
The Duchessa is Bar Avoja’s playful spin on the classic Vesper martini, made with both Japanese vodka and gin, and a touch of limoncello for brightness. It’s finished with the same olive oil used in the kitchen at Mother Wolf. If you’d rather not have a spritz or Vesper, and are looking for something non-alcoholic, fear not: there’s a dedicated non-alcoholic section, which includes a N/A Groni as well as the calming Effetto Placebo, made with rooibos tea and ginger.
There’s an homage to Wolfgang Puck
Anyone who’s been to Spago — or knows its lore — is privy to chef Wolfgang’s Puck’s then-groundbreaking smoked salmon pizza, topped with dill crème fraîche and a healthy dose of caviar. At Bar Avoja, Funke pays homage to Puck’s now-iconic creation, with his own spin on a Roman-style, thin-crusted, rectangular pizza topped with smoked salmon, trout roe and herb cream — a super-fresh mix of dill, parsley, chives, and finely diced cucumber and red onion — all folded into crème fraîche. “It adds a cool, herbaceous contrast that pairs beautifully with the smoked salmon and roe,” says chef Cris Soriano. Puck would be proud.
There’s Roman-inspired street food for every mood
Maybe you know about Evan Funke’s famed sfincione, a Sicilian focaccia that Funke spent nearly five years perfecting. You can get the sfincione at Bar Avoja, only this version is doused in butter and garlic, as opposed to olive oil and rosemary. Another snack that goes particularly well with cocktails: the frittatina di carbonara, spaghettone pasta tossed in a rich carbonara-style sauce that’s packed with guanciale and pecorino, then breaded and deep fried into a finger-friendly fritter. (Think fried mac ‘n cheese balls.) If you want something lighter, try the tender, smoky octopus charred over the wood fire in the Mother Wolf kitchen, paired with a garlicky, vinegary, salsa rustica. And for dessert, there’s warm and buttery brioche filled with housemade vanilla, chocolate, or pistachio gelato.
