The Clock Cafe & Martini Bar
112 Lincoln Avenue
The Bronx
Tel: 718.684.2338
Designer: Gregory Okshteyn/Studios GO

Now serving drinks and light fare to South Bronxites, the Clock aims to provide the up-and-coming but underserved neighborhood with a space to hang out. Designer Gregory Okshteyn of Studios GO explained his task was to make the back of house as efficient as possible, leaving the rest of the room open to socializing.

Before its transformation into a cocktail bar, the 1,100-square-foot space was a hat factory’s warehouse. Gregory said, “I knew there had to be some amazing things behind the Sheetrock. This project was all about demolition.” Indeed, behind the rubble lay many features worth saving, including brick walls, ducts, and structural columns. Gregory explained the choice to keep these elements: “We work very hard to be authentic in our hospitality work—here, the existing character told the story.”

Aged ducts and pipes wind their way through the room, while an array of chandeliers, pendant lights, and scattered bulbs hanging from cords bounce light across the exposed brick. The bar and serving area, clad in slats of reclaimed wood, balance the high ceilings with a horizontality that wraps around the space.