Bar Kada, the sake and small-plate lounge from Michael Collantes, has closed

Bar Kada, a Top Table of 2024 and winner of Best Windowless Restaurant honors, has closed. Staff were informed of the closure prior to Saturday’s shift, with an official announcement made on Bar Kada’s Instagram page late Sunday morning.

“With gratitude in our hearts, we’re closing our doors. It was an honor to serve you, grow with you, and share countless memories together,” said the post.

Bar Kada closed after Sunday service and I made it a point to pop in for one last tipple on that final night, seeing how big a fan I was of the concept. Chef-owner Michael Collantes, whose Michelin-starred tasting menu concept, Soseki, and recently opened pie house, Perla’s Pizza, straddle the venue, said it was a struggle for Bar Kada to catch on from the get-go.

“It’s been a hard concept from the start. We tried our best to keep it going, as we believed in the great work of the team but, financially, it just became increasingly difficult to continue.”

Collantes says that Bar Kada’s staff have been absorbed into his other operations or offered severance. Still, the closure couldn’t have come at a worse time. When asked why it had to happen during the holiday season, general manager Colin Burke echoed Collantes’ sentiments.

“We just weren’t financially viable. We would have consecutive days when no one would walk in and that made it very difficult. I just don’t think a sake bar was something this city was quite ready for.”

As far as what will move into Bar Kada’s space, Collantes says he and his team need to take some time to figure it out but, according to Burke, a full liquor bar will be a part of it.

Another Collantes concept — Chez Les Copains, a modern brasserie that he ran with chef D.J. Tangalin — closed earlier this year inside City Food Hall.

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