Billed as a Tokyo-inspired cocktail lounge, Bar Shishi has opened in Miami, mixing Japanese techniques with the city’s flavours.
Bar Shishi comes from Los Angeles-based The h.wood Group, which is also behind US bars including Delilah, The Nice Guy, Bird Streets and Harriet’s.
The 2,000-square-foot space can be found ‘tucked away’ on the third floor of the Class X by Rivani building in Miami Beach, marked by a guardian lion sculpture at the entrance.
The experience is said to be guided by the Japanese hospitality model of kikubari, which anticipates guests’ needs before they do.
“Bar Shishi is meant to feel discovered rather than introduced,” said Brian Toll, co-founder and president of The h.wood Group.
“Every element, from the cocktails and service to the design and music, has been carefully considered, yet nothing feels overly composed.
“The experience is grounded in the pillars of Japanese hospitality, including an unspoken social awareness that allows the service to feel intuitive, gracious and quietly attuned to each guest.”
The interior features a 12-seat bar, a custom vinyl DJ booth and private spirits cabinets where guests can maintain personal bottle reserves.
The design brings materials such as dark wood, stone and marble, as well as custom millwork, amber lighting, bespoke art and banquette seating. The concept is inspired by the hidden cocktail bars of Tokyo and the city’s listening rooms.
Kevin Lee, a Japanese ice master, is Shishi’s senior bar manager.
He leads a cocktail programme that incorporates house-made bitters, tinctures and infusions, and hand-carved ice – plus rum and tropical fruit to capture the spirit of Miami Beach.
Cocktails include the Guava Kakigōri, which reimagines Japanese shaved ice with rum, guava, yuzu and shiso, and the US$100 Hakushu 12 Old Fashioned, which arrives over a hand-carved ice diamond.
Other standouts include a Lychee Martini made with lychee, bergamot and shochu.
As a listening room, music is a key part of the experience. A collection of more than 100 records has been curated specially for the bar by Eddie McDonald, who is a musical director and record curator for Anderson .Paak’s DJ Pee .Wee project.
Spanning deep house to Latin, the soundtrack is said to evolve through the evening.
Robert Rivani, founder of the US$125 million Rivani office redevelopment project, said: “Coming from Los Angeles, I know The h.wood Group understands hospitality in a way few others do, and that is exactly the energy we wanted to bring to Miami.
“Partnering with them to channel the intrigue of Tokyo’s hidden nightlife completes our vision for Rivani as a space where work, wellness and leisure live under one roof.”
Bar Shishi is open from Monday to Friday from 12pm-5pm exclusively for Rivani members and their guests. Public access is from Wednesday to Saturday, from 7pm until close.
In other US bar news from the past week, Masahiro ‘Masa’ Urushido has parted ways with New York’s Katana Kitten.
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