Jeff Bell: Raising the Bar in NYC

The Banter

The Guys discuss a restaurant experience that let the rabbit out the hat.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys catch up with buddy Jeff Bell to discuss the bar scene in New York. From humble beginnings as a barback at PDT to owning it and several other of the coolest places in NYC, Jeff tells about his experiences of becoming a business owner, including (the requisite) major disaster during his first year. 

The Inside Track

The Guys have known Jeff for years and were taken by his wisdom of bartending preparing him for fatherhood. 

“ Being a bartender for years is just absolutely great training for parenthood. There is this volatility you get from people drinking [of] the highs and lows where they can just start laughing for no reason or crying for no reason… or have a bodily fluid mistake,” Jeff Bell on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Jeff Bell has been bartending and running bars for over 15 years. At Please Don’t Tell (commonly known as PDT) in the East Village of NYC, he started as a bar-back, worked his way up to head bartender and, eventually, owner. He is also a managing partner in PDT Hong Kong.

In 2025, Jeff co-launched a new venture: a bar concept called Mixteca, an agave-forward cocktail bar in the West Village. The concept is rooted in tequila and mezcal. He will be opening Kees bar, a different concept in the same location, later this year.

He also was in charge of restoring Peacock Alley in the Waldorf Astoria to “its original grandeur” reviving the space and cocktail offerings from the hotel’s rich history

Throughout his tenure at PDT Jeff has earned numerous accolades including Spirited Award: American Bartender of the Year 2017.

Info

Mixteca bar, NYC

https://cocteleriamixteca.com/

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https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

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