The Michelin Guide finally clued in to what the rest of the world has known all along—Mexico City is, hands down, one of the best places to eat and drink anywhere on the planet.
That’s exactly why Beau du Bois looked to CDMX’s culinary capital—the Roma Norte neighborhood—for the name and inspiration behind Roma Norte, Puesto’s brand-new 21+ bar concept at The Headquarters at Seaport Village, which officially opens Friday, July 26.
Roma Norte’s sprawling interior spans 2,000 square feet, anchored with a moody dark brown marble bar and seating for 60. The vibe feels mysterious, yet charming, utilizing elements like rich velvet furniture, bronze accents, and antique mirrors for an ambiance inspired by Mexico City’s iconic architecture and melded with a modern San Diego feel.
It’s luxe. It’s intriguing. It’s super sexy, no doubt about it, and best experienced sans sunlight. “The meat and potatoes of its personality is after dark,” du Bois promises. From the moment you step inside, he wants you to feel immersed in the experience, starting with an oshibori hot towel service to start fresh, literally and figuratively.
The superstar bar director is already the vice president of bar & spirits at Puesto and Marisi and has created award-winning cocktail programs at places like The Restaurant at Meadowood, the three Michelin-starred restaurant at the Meadowood Napa Valley resort. But he says he’s never created anything like Roma Norte before.
Working alongside director of bar logistics, Derek Cram, the final cocktail menu reads like the pages of a well-stamped passport. Nearly 70 unique drinks are divided between what they refer to as “Technique Driven” and “House,” plus four additional mocktails. Du Bois is already known for his Taco Truck cocktail, a riff on a Negroni using mezcal with Campari infused with cinnamon and pineapple. “For the opening of Roma Norte, we did an NA version of that which is really, surprisingly, very, very good,” he promises.
Developing world-class cocktails with, and especially without alcohol, can be “an extreme challenge,” he says, but one that only helps hone the team’s skills and caters to the growing demand for equally balanced alcohol-free creations. “The tagline for Roma Norte is ‘every day is a school day,’ because we’re just constantly learning.”
Technique-driven dominates the menu, with selections like a Nitro Punch with mango, nitro-muddled hoja santa, lime and lemon juice, Champagne cordial, Park Pineau des Charentes, Macchu Pisco, and singani; or du Bois’ arguably most unexpected addition—his take on a rum and coke that’s perfectly clear. Made with milk-washed Bacardi 8 and Banks 7 rum, house-made cola, clarified lime cordial, and an ice spear, it’s definitely one that’ll use your eyes to fool your tongue.
Even the House cocktails are anything but basic. From a banana daiquiri clarified using a centrifuge “the size of a Xerox printer” to the Rosetta with unaged apple brandy, milk cordial, and a whole bunch of other amazing sounding things, it’s clear that scientists and spirit lovers alike have something to look forward to.
That emphasis on innovation in flavor, technique, execution, service, and even technology and equipment is something du Bois says will set his small team apart from anywhere else in San Diego. He admits he’s asking a lot of them, constantly pushing them to evolve, hone their understanding of chemistry, and experiment with unexpected tools (like said centrifuges). But after training at Roma Norte, “they’ll be in the top five percent of bartenders in the country, easily,” he claims. “These things have to be learned. They have to be demonstrated and shown, and it’s just not happening at this level, [with] this many cocktails, at any bar in San Diego.”
Although Roma Norte is a Puesto-adjacent project, don’t expect any overlap from the menu. Alongside du Bois’ concoctions are chef Erik Aronow’s creations, a collection of small plates specifically designed to go along with the star of the show—the drinks. Expect a few heartier plates like a carne crudo, a prime diced hanger steak with birria-spiced aioli, shimeji mushroom, and radish sprout, or the torta de Milanesa that features veal on a potato roll and topped with spicy cabbage, avocado, cilantro green chile aioli, and pickled onions. There’s plenty of seafood, too, like tostadas with scallops or yellowfin tuna specifically designed to be shared.
For the late-night crowd, Aronow has a few lighthearted bites like Flamin’ Hot Corn Nuts served with housemade crunchy hominy and a cheesy spice blend. Du Bois says that appealing to dinner and late-night crowds, as well as industry folks who get off work late at night is something he believes San Diego’s bar scene lacks, especially compared to Los Angeles, New York, and yes, Mexico City. “It’s just not a cocktail bar if you’re not open later in the evening,” he says. “That’s the DNA of a cocktail bar.” Is Roma Norte the answer? du Bois says yes.
“From the moment you’re seated at Roma Norte, we’re taking you off the streets of San Diego and into the vibrant culture of Roma Norte,” he says. “We want Roma Norte to be a consistent option for people in San Diego to trust that it will be open until two in the morning.”
Roma Norte opens Friday, July 26 at 789 W Harbor Drive, Unit 155 in The Headquarters. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Reservations are available on Roma Norte’s website, OpenTable, and Sevenrooms. Adults 21 years old and up only.
