Hyped to high heaven, this bar could, in theory, be nothing but a bunch of empty words. The drinks could be average and the generously-sized space could, in theory, feel soulless. Lucky for us, none of this is true! Since it first opened in 2013 in the heart of a busy uptown neighborhood, Theory Bar & More has had incredible staying power, while also accomplishing a rather improbable feat: it managed to entice downtown bar aficionados to hop on the bus, car or Metro just to get a drink! The space is a perfect reflection of its overabundant menu, i.e. it has a little bit of everything. A glorious stone-paved courtyard with a handful of miniature palm trees, an extra-long refectory table for communal dining, intimate bar seating, fancy colonial tile work, honestly, we said it, it has a little bit of everything.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
And ultimately, that’s the secret of its success. Two out of the three owners are engineers and have signed their names to a variety of venues around town, but they wanted theirs to be different. They wanted it to belong to everybody. So when a mum pushing a stroller takes a seat in the courtyard, followed by a group of teenagers in chunky trainers and oversized logo sweatshirts, it means they’re doing something right. The philosophy behind the menu is geared towards honesty. This is an all-day hangout, where each and every customer will get his or her money’s worth, whether it’s a generous breakfast spread or an artisanal cocktail. Theory Bar & More invested heavily in up-and-comers, circumventing established mixologists and celebrity chefs and the gamble has paid off. Everyone who works here has trained hard to be where they are and not a day goes by when they don’t learn something new. The same could be said about their customers, as it’ll probably take them a lifetime to eat and drink their way through the entire menu!
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
