Photo by Claudia Martinez
Pastry chef Claudia Martinez, a two-time James Beard Award nominee, is opening a coffee, dessert, and cocktail bar in Poncey-Highland. Named Bar Ana (using the initials of her parents and sister), it will be located in the space formerly home to El Bar. Slated to launch mid-summer, it will feature Recuerdos Café by Ivan Solis during the day and a full bar led by Mayim Williams (El Malo, Kimball House) in the evenings. Martinez, who brings experience from Tiny Lou’s and Miller Union, as well as her pop-up Café Claudia, will bake pastries and sophisticated desserts.
“I like the idea of having a place to go after a date that’s open late and is elevated and not like a pub feel. Atlanta lacks late-night spots like that,” Martinez explains. “I used to go to the Chocolate Bar when it was in Decatur. I liked that concept a lot.”
Open Thursday through Monday, it will offer counter service during the day and table service at night. “We want it to feel elevated but approachable and be a spot for the neighborhood and industry,” she says. Music will range from merengue and salsa to hip-hop and lo-fi Afro beats, to “create an ambiance that’s not pretentious.”
Photo by Carly Solis
Coffee
Formerly a pop-up at Patria Cocina, Pata Negra, and Space Queen (and currently available at the Morningside Farmers Market on Saturdays), Recuerdos Cafe at Bar Ana will serve drinks made from Mexican-grown coffee beans roasted around the world.
“Coming from a Mexican household, I developed this concept three years ago as a love letter to immigrant families,” Solis says. “We’ll showcase excellent Mexican coffees full of nostalgic flavors.”
Photo by Carly Solis
In addition to espresso, single-origin, batch-brew, and pour-over coffee, Solis will make season beverages such as horchata chai and a mole caramel cappuccino. His signature drink is Café de Olla—a flat white with syrup house-made with cinnamon, cloves, Allspice, unrefined ground sugar, and orange peel. Lattes, cortados, and tea will be available, too.
Martinez is developing pastries and breakfast sandwiches to go with the coffee, while Solis works on a dedicated coffee menu for evenings at Bar Ana.
“It’s super important for the Atlanta community to have a Latino-centered coffee shop that is very community-forward,” Solis says.
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Dessert
Open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Bar Ana will serve select savory snacks, such as cheese and charcuterie, pickled vegetables, and a fried item. There will be five a la carte desserts that will change approximately every 90 days. These may be Latin-inspired, fruit-forward, and/or include ice cream or sorbet—think Venezuelan chocolate mousse with candied hazelnuts and passion fruit, and fried doughnuts with seasonal fruit compote and house-made ice cream. Patrons can walk in and order at the bar or make a reservation for a table.
The former El Bar VIP room will host three-course dessert tastings for five people twice a night. “This is a space where we can have free range to not fit into any one cuisine. We will be able to play with more ingredients,” Martinez says.
Photo by Claudia Martinez
Cocktails
Jamaican by heritage, Williams will create a rum- and agave-forward cocktail menu with a focus on Caribbean-style tiki drinks. There will be a rotating daiquiri, an espresso martini, and a signature martini, plus a clarified or Ti’ punch. Everything will be made in house, and pairings will be available for the dessert tasting.
“I love banana and spiced tamarind for a daiquiri, but it depends on what’s in season,” she says.
A high-end wine list will include a couple red, white, orange, and bubbles served by the glass, plus a rotating list of bottles for sale. Beer will come from local brewers or Caribbean lagers. “I don’t necessarily think beer pairs well with what we’re doing, but it’s something Atlanta does well and is prevalent here,” Williams says.
Photo by Zoe Sanchez
