Bar Three Piece

A bar within a bar — barception! We stumbled upon Bar Three Piece while at Seven Grand. If you are a whiskey fan and/​or a speakeasy fan this is your place. Quiet 20’s style haunt in North Park along the main strain. Whiskey cocktails on-​tap were surprisingly good — I enjoyed a couple of Nor’easters, and would recommend them. Any whiskey your heart desires, they have. Pricey, but comparable to other speakeasy-​type bars, so not surprising. We started out at the bar and got lucky to get a back booth after our first drink — prime spot! Would recommend this place for a date, or simply drinks with friends at a low-​key, quiet, intimate spot.

Three stars for Bar Three Piece. Locate inside Seven Grand, Bar Three Piece is a whiskey bar designed to help educate and serve those who appreciate whiskey. Perhaps if I was more into whiskey I would have given this place an extra star. We came by here on a Thursday night with a group of about 40. Don’t worry, we weren’t those people, we did let the bar know we were coming by in advance. However a group of about 20 showed up before us, so it took 25 minutes to get a drink. Although there were two bartenders, there wasn’t any order and most people were served before I was. I wasn’t even standing in an odd place. I was just patiently waiting. I wanted a whiskey sour. Bar Three Piece won’t make it. They have a list of a few cocktails, but a whiskey sour isn’t one of them. They will however make an old fashioned. The bartender asked me what whiskey I wanted. Being overwhelmed by the bottles of every type of whiskey you can imagine, I just let him choose. It was good, but ended up costing $ 15 before tip. Bar Three Piece uses those large rectangular ice cubes where you only need one in a drink. Great idea, but when the bartender grabbed the ice with his bare hands, I cringed. I’m not normally a germophobe, but it freaked me out. Bar Three Piece is better for small groups that want to try different whiskeys and are willing to pay for it. There is a piano where you can play some tunes and a couple of booths.

This is a sexy place to grab a drink, especially if you like whiskey. If you don’t like whiskey, go here anyway so you can learn a thing or two. I loved our bartender, the atmosphere, and the endless whiskey menu. My date and I had some Japanese whiskey for the first time, it was strong and delicious. Try to get there when there’s live music.

This place is whiskey heaven. The atmosphere is amazing, the selection is out of this world and the staff is the best anywhere. We celebrated our anniversary with a taste of Pappy 23, and the concierge waiter comped us a couple of drinks to go with it. They present the bottles with the glass of whatever fancy whiskey you desire. It’s our new favorite spot for a romantic night out and a really great drink or three.

I had the absolute best time at Bar Three Piece.
Stopped in after a recommendation from a friend who is big into the brewery/​bar scene in San Diego/​Vista.
This place is inside another lounge. A door leads into this dimly lit, well crafted «speak easy» if you will. I actually thought it was more like a private place but pretty much anyone can get in. There is a switch on the wall at the entry it says to speak into but I think anybody could just go in.
My friend is an avid whiskey drinker. Being in the military, he has traveled so he has had the opportunity to try some of the best. So needless to say, I trust his opinion and he liked this place.
We were seated behind the black curtain. Nice comfy booths, tables with decanter of water and glasses. Little lit gas lamps to read the menus. The décor in here is simple and tasteful, yet dark and sexy. Perfect ambience. Music is just right to be able to enjoy whomever’s company.
Deerheads are on the walls, dark curtains, extensive selection behind bar. Small enough to feel intimate but just enough to hold a good amount of people.
Now.the service is here is something that you only wish you could receive at other establishments.
We sat and Immediately, John… whom I shall refer to as «John da Bomb» warmly greeted us. He offered us nice hot towels for our hands.
He gave us our menus and offered to explain the different types of whiskeys my date was inquiring about. My date unded up trying a 114 proof, $ 100 Michsters whiskey and I opted for one of their on draft cocktails.
Their menu is SO extensive… Whiskeys & liquors for the ballers on a budget up to $ 400 and up. For connoisseurs, this is normal to spend. It is the appreciation of the actual liquor itself. The main focus here is the education on the drinks itself.
John brough over the drinks and was very knowledgable and told us the history behind it. He remained highly attentive, had some brief but great conversation with us and had such a positive and infectious personality. He was SUCH a great server and you can tell how much he enjoys working there and his appreciation for the whiskey craft itself. Not to mention, a cutie pie .LoL
We then proceeded to order 2 more drinks and I ordered a cigar. You cannot smoke inside but there is a tiny private patio where you can.
All in all, the experience was superb. Some may say pricey, but in all realistic terms, you get what you pay for and I have to say every dime is worth it at this spot. Service proceeds everything else and that is what really made it. I think our $ 60 tip for an hour and just a few drinks was well deserved.
The mix of people was diverse and laid back. It is a place to gather with some friends or have a nice romantic evening.
The drinks were fabulous and I believe I have found a new spot to frequent when I visit from Los Angeles.
To management=John needs a raise…
Cheers!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
What’s this? Seven Grand hopped on the Speakeasy train? Neat! There’s a switch to gain entry, but I’m not sure they were watching the light to let us in. The server came to the door and was surprised to see us there.
THE SPIRITS
The focus of this place is education. Ask the servers anything, but be forewarned that this is an EXCLUSIVELY whiskey bar with a four cocktail menu. The specialty is rare and uncommon whiskeys.
Tonight I had a dram of Ballast Point’s «Devil’s Share Batch 001» bourbon. The nose carried a little surprise: citrusy aromas. The with vanilla and clean oak was expected, but the citrus was not. It almost smelled like clean citrus rind in my old fashioned recipe.
Ever since I learned Ballast Point was distilling whiskeys, I wanted to try it. I found out they also distill a Single Malt which is more of an Irish/​Scotch-​style whisky. I’ll save that for next time.
THE MUSIC
There was a live three piece (haha) jazz band playing. Good stuff to listen to, but as a swing dancer, it wasn’t quite right.
THE VERDICT
This place is pretty neat. It’s a little pricey given their whiskey list, but you get what you pay for: deliciously rare spirits with servers that can allay your fears about spending three figures on the perfect dram. Slàinte!

I recently went on a Saturday North Park bar hop with a couple of friends and stumbled into Seven Grand. Lo and behold, the back space had a new thing going on. It used to be an added bar where there would be a live jazz band playing on stage, but now it’s closed to a «let me bring you the whiskey of your choice to your table while you listen to the music» kind of bar.
We were a party of 5 and had our names put on the list. About 5 – 10 minutes in, we were called right away! We got seated and served hot towels to clean our hands with then served with a full whiskey menu. I have never realized how there were so many different types of whiskey out there! The server helped us decide on what tasted best and what not. Some were cheap and some were truly expensive! You can buy a full bottle of your choice and they can keep it in a ‘liquor cage’ with your name on it to serve you for another time.
It was super dark in there but it totally sets the mood like an old 1920’s speakeasy. The service was good and the host/​doorman was very courteous and he remembered my name on the way out. Not to mention, he had a British accent which made everything sound so regal. Hahaha.
I’d say come and try this place out if you are willing to shell out $ 15 – 20 for a glass of whiskey and good jazz vibes.

Love this place! Bar Three Piece is a great place to learn about whiskey and hang out with friends!

The keeps have more time for education & place is far more relaxed. This is certainly a better environment for whiskey education than up front. It is a higher end experience altogether. We were given steamed towels to refresh ourselves. They only have whiskey back here. Highly recommend giving it a try. We waited 15 minutes for a group of 6 on a busy Saturday night.