Not only will Perch mark the return of Downtown’s Coly Den Haan and Rachel Thomas when this French bistro-inspired lounge hits the top three floors of The Pershing Square Building in May, but the two owners will also reopen their popular shuttered wine bar, The Must, this coming fall. Perch is shaping up to be three levels of event and dining space with sweeping, glassed-in views of the city and warm, bistro-style decor that features hand-painted tiles, wood accents, and iron furniture on an outdoor patio. Here, Gallic-driven recipes, cognac, Armagnac, champagne, and French beer and wine will compete with live, burlesque-y entertainment, DJs, and cabaret acts.
Meanwhile, The Must will anchor the building on its ground level, serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, and slinging drinks into the wee hours. The space will be bigger than the original and comes with upgrades like a patio and wine cellar. But Den Haan stresses that the original look and feel of The Must, along with some proximity to the original, are being preserved as best as possible, since the bar was snatched away from its fans a little prematurely. Coming back with The Must will be theme nights and favorite dishes like “Yo Mamma’s” pan-seared Jidori and The Fluffernutter, even as the menu will grow, along with the bar’s hours. After its sudden, quasi-legal eviction last July, it’s nice to hear the popular bar is plotting its own happy ending and fresh beginning.
