Photo credit: @berwicksbirdofparadise
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Shake it up this season at Berwick’s Bird of Paradise. Owned by established mixologist, Robin Berwick this past July, Berwick’s Bird of Paradise is a tropical – but not Tiki – bar in The Heights, that’s been hailed as one of the best new bars in the U.S.
The high praise comes from PUNCH, a libation-centric online magazine that covers the various personalities, culture, and creativity of the world of mixology. While, unlike some other online listicles –we’re guilty, too – the publication didn’t provide any sort of sophisticated algorithm as to how it conducted its ranking system of the best new bars in the country, but instead adhered to expert curation and vetting PUNCH editorial team.
Photo credit: @punch_drink
Featured on the short list of the nation’s best new bars is Berwick’s Bird of Paradise. The bar is a concept from veteran mixologist, Robin Berwick. If the name rings a bell, it’s because Berwick has tended bar as some of our favorite Houston haunts, including Westheimer dive, Poison Girl, and revered cocktail bar, Anvil. Berwick is also the owner of the beloved, caffeine-centric Double Trouble Coffee & Cocktails.
“After years of helping to usher Houston’s drinks into the national spotlight, Berwick is adding her own vibrant stamp to the landscape,” PUNCH writes.
This past summer, Robin Berwick opened her latest endeavor: Berwick’s Bird of Paradise. While the menu prominently features elevated takes on tropical drinks, Berwick is adamant that Bird of Paradise is not a “tiki” bar, but rather an homage to her years traveling as a child. Furthermore, Berwick has stated that the bar is a representation of a non-existent hotel – the one genre of bar that Berwick has never worked in.
Photo credit: @punch_drink
In its write-up of BBOP, PUNCH lauded the Berwick’s tropical cocktails, naming the Crocodile Tears Martini and Day-O’ Fashioned. Here’s what PUNCH had to say:
“Berwick’s cocktails put a tropical twist on classics, like the Crocodile Tears Martini, which adds coconut water, dried limes and sea salt to a base of vodka, while the Day-O’ Fashioned, an ode to Civil Rights hero and artist Harry Belafonte, throws banana liqueur and Double Trouble’s cold brew concentrate into the mix. The food menu, from Joshua Peterson and Jacob Pate, offers a lineup of bar snacks with personality and is just as impressive as the cocktails”.
For eats, PUNCH also spotlit the venue’s cucumber salad, smash burger, and jerk chicken wings.
Berwick’s Bird of Paradise is located at 2020 Studewood St. in Houston. The venue is open from 4 pm to midnight, Tuesday through Thursday; from 3 pm to 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays; and from 2 pm to 10 pm on Sundays.