Photos by Ed Williams
These four new bars and dining areas around the Main Line feature specialty cocktails, elevated food service and fun ambiances.
Jon and Jeanine Amani did more than just revamp their popular corner BYOB after Ida plowed through Downingtown. They expanded it upwards. “Jon and I were always looking for a small, cozy yet upscale bar to go to,” says Jeanine. “And since we couldn’t find any in the area that fit that bill, we decided to create our own.”
Amani’s North Craft Cocktail Bar offers a unique speakeasy experience with innovative libations. Skilled mixologist Brian Burnett concocts a show-stopping Smoked Pineapple Coconut Martini, with aged rum, pineapple-infused coconut rum liqueur, cinnamon bitters, hickory woodchip smoke and coconut shavings. Other standouts include the Apricot Ginger Sour, Grapefruit Goddess and Cafe S’Mores Martini. All seasonal syrups and bitters are developed onsite.
The food menu is a focused list of small plates from Jon’s kitchen downstairs, so guests can an expect an elevated bar-side culinary experience. Make your reservations now for one of the how-to cocktail classes or the already popular wine- or beer-pairing dinners. 105 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, (484) 237-8179, amanisnorth.com
MORE NIBBLES: Sad news from West Chester’s La Baguette Magique: Founder Catherine Session has passed away in France after a courageous battle with cancer. She opened the Parisian-themed cafe in the spring of 2015, and it quickly became a well-loved fixture known for its freshly baked pastries and bread. Local restaurateurs Anthony Andiario and Maria van Schaijik bought the bakery from Session in 2021, and they’re honoring her spirit with a Euro-market vibe, a newly redesigned interior and an expanded menu.
A swanky new dining and boardgame concept recently debuted along Cricket Avenue in Ardmore. Twenty One Pips Game Room & Kitchen offers old-school gamers elevated pub-style fare, craft cocktails, and a curated wine and beer program.
And in Bryn Mawr, the Pullman Restaurant & Bar is on a fast track to open this year. Taking over Tango’s gutted and redesigned space, the eatery takes full advantage of its railside location, recreating the atmosphere of a ’40s-era dining car.
Related: Char & Stave Brings Coffee and Cocktail Specials to Ardmore
