Restaurateur Richard Tang is poised to open a new restaurant within the next month, with plans to open his first Beltline concept late next year.
Bar Diver, a sister concept of Tang’s seafood-focused Reynoldstown restaurant Girl Diver, will open in the Westside Paper development at 950 West Marietta St.
While several items from the menu at Girl Diver, which debuted in the Madison Yards development in 2020, will make an appearance, the Bar Diver will have a much stronger focus on Asian-inspired small plates and its bar program.
Small plates will include Sriracha patatas bravas, scallion pancakes and tamarind sticky short ribs, along with dim sum dishes like shrimp lumpia and beef gyoza. The menu is rounded out by several tempura and bao options, as well as entrees such as shaking beef and desserts including basil creme brulee.
Though Tang is still finalizing the cocktail list, he said to expect about 15 “spirit forward” drinks with Asian flavors served from the restaurant’s 40-foot-long bar, along with beer and wine.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Tang described the interior as “dark and lounge-y, with lots of floral accents, a combination of the South Beach and Wynwood neighborhoods in Miami.”
Bar Diver will open for dinner service only at first, with weekend brunch to be added in the following weeks.
Tang, who also owns Char Korean Bar & Grill in Inman Park, initially planned to open a second Girl Diver location at Westside Paper, but decided to pivot “because the current client base isn’t as committed to paying for a $36 entree. They want more of an experiential one-stop shop where they can start with happy hour, have a good dinner and stick around afterward for a drink.”
Westside Paper will be home to several other food and beverage concepts, including Boxcar Betty’s, Elsewhere Brewing, Pancake Social, El Santo Gallo and Ancestral Bottle Shop.
After opening Bar Diver, Tang will turn his focus to a space on the bottom level of the Penman Apartments at 680 Hamilton Ave. SE in the Chosewood Park neighborhood. Though he’s still ironing out details, Tang said the Eastside Beltline-adjacent space will likely house a New York-style deli with a full bar.
“I see it as being a local neighborhood joint that also caters to people on the Beltline on Fridays and Saturdays,” Tang said of the project, which he anticipates opening in late 2024.
Scroll down to see the full menu for Bar Diver:
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
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