First Look: San Antonio’s La Ruina unveils upstairs bar with sexy, bespoke vibes

If bespoke cocktails are your jam, listen up: La Ruina has unveiled a lavish new upstairs bar suited to those tastes, and it’s open now.

When news broke that Modernist owners Olaf Harmel and Gerry Shirley had left the bespoke cocktail-focused drinkery — that is, a bar that doesn’t necessarily have a set menu, but instead allows bartenders to create drinks based on what the patron says they enjoy — locals were dismayed.

Now, their newest drinking spot, La Ruina, has a newly opened upstairs space that Harmel says takes the team back to their roots.

“Downstairs is a more set menu, a set process. So you’ll get a mojito, daiquiri, whatever, that’s made the same way every time,” Harmel said as he walked us through the upstairs space. “Up here, the bartenders will talk with each guest to see if they like their drinks sweeter, more acidic. Whatever they like.”

After traveling up a steep set of exterior stairs, guests will reach a patio landing overlooking La Ruina’s large backyard, a tropical oasis leftover from the previous tenants of the building at 410 Austin St.

Contrary to the downstairs area’s bright, South American-inspired wallpaper and color schemes, the upstairs space is decked out in dark paint and gilded accents. The bar area features a cozy bar with seating for about four guests, and a large statue of Archangel Michael, frozen in battle.

A larger space toward the front of the building offers several seating options in deep shades of red, coral and pink, and although Harmel and Co. aren’t done decorating, he says the change of pace has been a draw for many.

“Downstairs is more vibrant, happy … up here, it’s a different side of Cuba,” he said. “It’s not quite finished yet, but we’ve been busy. People have tended to linger up here for quite a while.”

The bar — which hasn’t yet been named — is open Thursday through Saturday from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. to start, with plans to eventually open for more days during the week. The space will also be available for rent for private parties once it’s fully furnished.

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