Christopher T.
Yelp
The ambiance is perfect. Greeted at the hidden alley door by owner Chris Crow, we were led through the curtain into a cozy, dim sanctuary contrasting the debauchery of Dirty Sixth Street. Just picture a tiny hidden room nestled in some obscure core of the block surrounded by Happy Chicks, Voodoo Doughnuts, and Recess Arcade Bar and you might get a sense of how Eden can serve as an oasis from the chaos.
Opened for about a year and a half, I was very excited when I learned that the owner was tending bar at my absolute favorite Austin speakeasy for almost three years and shocked that this spot had somehow never crossed my radar.
Created in 2011 by Joaquín Simó of NYC's Death & Co, "Naked and Famous" is one of my favorite cocktails. It consists of mezcal, aperol, yellow chartreuse, and lime. When I saw the "Naked and Shameless" [illegal mezcal, epsilon, mango-infused aperol, chartreuse, citrus, fresh banana] on the menu, I was naturally very excited to try Eden Cocktail Room's twist on my go-to. I was very disappointed when I took my first sip and discovered that it was basically a glorified tiki cocktail. The smoke was barely even perceptible.
I had no intention of turning the drink back but it was clear to the server that I was dissatisfied -- he insisted that he resolve the situation. I was much happier with my second choice, "Dust to Dust" [altos reposed, islay scotch, amaro, mañana montenegro, pine des charentes]. But my major complaint about my experience is that -- on bustling Sunday-night-of-a-holiday-weekend -- the entire place was being run by only two employees. So returning a drink and waiting for a replacement ate away at the limited amount of time that we had before leaving for our dinner reservation. If the server had alerted me that their interpretation had a much sweeter profile than the original, it would have saved a lot of time and effort.
"Water of Life" [jefferson's bourbon, salted caramel, demerara, filter coffee, chocolate cream] was a perfect finisher. It is similar (and serves the same purpose) as Here Nor There's "Sláinte." Overall, we had a nice time but with a few minor tweaks, this spot could cultivate a much better customer experience.