Head Bartender

About Dragonne

Dragonne is a contemporary New York bistro opening at 13 Barrow Street, in the heart of the West Village. Rooted in classical French technique, layered with subtle Asian influence, and shaped by a distinctly New York sensibility, the restaurant is designed to feel elegant yet deeply warm — grounded in hospitality, restraint, energy, and precision.

The food is seasonal and ingredient-driven, offered through a concise, focused à la carte menu designed to be shared. Seafood and vegetables anchor the menu, while exceptional meats appear thoughtfully and seasonally. The beverage program centers around wines from both classic benchmarks and thoughtful, low-intervention producers, select sake offerings, timeless cocktails rooted in classic structure and subtly reinterpreted through seasonality, and an evolving by-the-glass program designed to move naturally with the menu and the rhythm of the room.

The 61-seat dining room — 53 seats in the main room and 8 at the bar — is anchored by an open kitchen and intentionally scaled to feel intimate yet energetic. Dragonne will launch as a dinner-only experience Tuesday through Saturday, with measured expansion to seven-day service and brunch over time.

We are seeking a Head Bartender to join the opening leadership team and help lead the bar program and guest experience behind the bar from the ground up.

About the Role

The Head Bartender will lead the daily operations of the bar while executing and helping evolve a cocktail program rooted in classic structure and subtly reinterpreted through seasonality and ingredient quality, in partnership with the Beverage Director. This role requires a balance of technical craft, operational discipline, and genuine hospitality.

The ideal candidate is a strong bar leader who can build systems and structure without losing warmth or humanity in the room. We are looking for someone who leads with humility, composure, professionalism, and curiosity — someone capable of building a high-performing bar team while helping create a guest experience that feels polished, personal, and alive.

This position will work closely with the Beverage Director and ownership to build the opening bar team, establish service standards, oversee bar inventory and cost controls, and shape a guest experience that feels collaborative and emotionally resonant.

Responsibilities

Bar Leadership & Guest Experience

• Lead and oversee all bar operations with consistency, professionalism, and warmth.
• Uphold high standards of craft, presentation, and guest experience at the bar.
• Actively bartend and lead from behind the bar during service while maintaining composure in a fast-paced environment.
• Support a seamless relationship between the bar, dining room, and kitchen.
• Create a welcoming, engaging guest experience at the 8-seat bar — where a guest sharing a bottle of wine and a few plates receives the same warmth and attention as one settling in for a full dinner.

Beverage Program & Execution

• Execute and help evolve the cocktail program in partnership with the Beverage Director — restrained, intentional, and ingredient-driven, rooted in classic structure and reinterpreted through seasonality.
• Fresh juices must be pressed daily without exception. Oversee the daily preparation and quality control of all bar mise en place, including juices, syrups, infusions, garnishes, and other house-made ingredients, ensuring all items are prepared to recipe, properly labeled and dated, and maintained to Dragonne’s standards for freshness, consistency, and waste control.
• Contribute to the development of timeless cocktails, seasonal features, and by-the-glass offerings, alongside a wine list organized by style that balances low-intervention producers with classic benchmarks.
• Oversee bar inventory, ordering, and vendor relationships for spirits, beer, and bar consumables.
• Maintain bar pricing, costing, and portion consistency.
• Stay current on trends, techniques, and ingredients relevant to the cocktail program.

Hiring, Training & Team Development

• Train, and develop the opening bar team.
• Establish bar service standards, recipes, and operational systems.
• Foster a culture of mentorship, education, and curiosity behind the bar.
• Lead staff education through tastings and training sessions.
• Help build a collaborative and highly engaged team environment.

Operations & Financial Performance

• Build and maintain SOPs for bar service, cash handling, and restocking.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cost controls for the bar program.
• Collaborate on strategies to maximize bar revenue and guest engagement.
• Help prepare the bar for inspections, licensing, and opening requirements.

Qualifications

• Genuine passion for hospitality and guest experience.
• Strong leadership presence grounded in humility, professionalism, and craft.
• Ability to build, mentor, and retain a highly engaged bar team.
• Deep knowledge of classic and contemporary cocktails, spirits, and bar techniques.
• Strong understanding of bar inventory, costing, and vendor relationships.
• Calm, organized, and solutions-oriented under pressure.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• High-quality NYC restaurant or bar experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience leading or supporting restaurant or bar openings preferred.
• Minimum 3-5 years of bar leadership experience preferred.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.

What We're Building

Dragonne is intended to feel timeless, intimate, and alive — a restaurant grounded in rigor without feeling rigid. We care deeply about atmosphere, rhythm, music, materiality, and emotional warmth just as much as technical execution.

This is an opportunity to join the opening leadership team of a chef-driven restaurant at a foundational stage and help shape its culture from the beginning.

Position Details

• Full-time
• Tuesday through Saturday schedule to start
• Dinner service only at opening
• Competitive compensation based on experience
• Opportunities for growth within the company

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation: Competitive compensation based on experience.