RIVANI's answer to what a workday can lead into arrives on September 19. The h.wood Group-led, Japanese-inspired cocktail lounge, Bar Shishi, is officially opening its doors. Tucked onto the third floor of Class X by RIVANI, the $125 million ultra-luxury office redevelopment at 1691 Michigan Avenue that founder Robert Rivani has built around the idea that work, is built around the idea that wellness and nightlife don't need separate addresses.
Just under 2,000 square feet, marked only by a guardian lion at the entrance, Bar Shishi takes its cue from Tokyo's hidden cocktail bars, the kind concealed inside office towers that hum with business all day and reveal something else entirely after dark. Inside, dark wood, stone and marble, custom millwork and sculpted coved ceilings surround a 12-seat bar framed by a sculptural arch, with a vinyl DJ booth and private spirits cabinets where members can keep personal bottle reserves. A collection of 108 private lockers extends that exclusivity further, with annual members getting custom-engraved storage, priority reservations and direct concierge access.
Behind the bar, senior bar manager and certified Japanese Ice Master Kevin Lee runs a program built on precision as much as flavor: hand-carved diamond ice, kakigōri-style shaved ice, Japanese cobbler shaking and cocktail throwing, layered with house-made bitters and infusions. The Guava Kakigōri turns shaved ice into a sculptural serve of rum, guava, yuzu and shiso. The Hakushu 12 Old Fashioned arrives over one of Lee's hand-carved ice diamonds. Food runs the same balance of restraint and indulgence, from Hamachi Crudo with yuzu ponzu and shiso to a Wagyu Katsu that tucks A5 Wagyu into milk bread, with caviar service and a matcha sugar cookie rounding out the table.
Eddie McDonald, musical director for Anderson .Paak's DJ Pee .Wee project, curated more than 100 records spanning deep house, funk, soul, disco and Latin influences for the space, built to shift from conversation-friendly early hours into a later, higher-energy set. "Bar Shishi is meant to feel discovered rather than introduced," said Brian Toll, The h.wood Group's co-founder and president. "Every element, from the cocktails and service to the design and music, has been carefully considered, yet nothing feels overly composed."
Bar Shishi runs as a RIVANI members-only amenity Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m., then opens to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 7 p.m. until close. "Partnering with them to channel the intrigue of Tokyo's hidden nightlife completes our vision for RIVANI as a space where work, wellness and leisure live under one roof," Rivani said.