A bar with a vegetarian menu and an emphasis on high-quality beer, wine, and spirits opened on February 8th in The Heights. The Alps, located at 351 Palisade Avenue in Jersey City, is another project from the team behind Pet Shop and Riverview Wine and Spirits — and the new bar is hosting its soft opening this weekend. The Hoboken Girl caught up with one of the owners to get all the information back in 2023. Read on for more about The Alps in Jersey City.
Soft Opening
Per The Alps’ Instagram, the new bar kicked off its soft opening on February 8th, from 4PM-12AM. Additionally, the spot will be open from 4PM-1AM on Friday, February 9th, and Saturday, February 10th.
Behind the Scenes
Chris Leo and Kyle Nemick are the main operators of the bar, but the project is backed by the same people who are behind Pet Shop, located at 139 Newark Avenue, and Riverview Wine + Spirits, located at 43 Bowers Street. The space is the former home of Prime Real Estate and Art Gallery. “I love bars,” Chris said. Most important exchanges happen at a table somewhere. It’s a concept similar to what we have at PS, the basement of Pet Shop,” Chris said. “Something I loved at PS was seeing people drinking something like a natural wine sitting next to someone drinking a Tecate. I like that high brow low brow mix in one space.”
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Chris will handle the wines and Kyle will handle the beers and spirits. Chris is a co-owner of Riverview Wine + Spirits, which opened in 2019, with his wife Laura Marchetti. Kyle handles the beers at Riverview.
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The idea to open a bar started like a lot of things do, as a joke amongst friends sharing a drink. “A friend was telling me about how this old school Jersey City restaurant called The Alps had been torn down on Bergen Ave,” Chris said. “So it became a joke that if I were to open a bar it would have to be called the Alps.” The Alps was located at 727 Bergen Avenue and was a longtime staple in Hudson County, serving old-school food and drinks with a German influence.
As far as calling it The Alps, the space won’t have a retro feel or a ski lodge vibe. “The prior Alps restaurant was the inspiration, but there are so many great wines from the geographical region of the Alps that it makes sense,” Chris said. “Many great European wineries are from the Alps, so drinking high-altitude wines is always interesting.”
He continued, “If we do anything about ‘the Alps’ it will be in a tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted way. Maybe something like a shot ski.” Chris pointed out that calling a new venture in The Heights is almost a joke in and of itself, connecting the two based on elevation. The team anticipated the opening in early to mid-summer of 2023, and now the bar will be opening on February 8th, 2024. Chris told us in 2023 that they were working with the City on the plans, and that the space didn’t need a ton of demo since it was “pretty nice as is”.
What to Expect
The bar officially soft opened on February 8th, 2024. The Alps plans to be open on weekends in February, with a full 7-day opening planned for March.
Chris says that the bar will be both a date spot and a relaxed local place to hang out. “It will be adult–y without being pretentious,” he said. “We’re across the street from Low Fidelity so people can go back and forth.” The bar itself is pretty small, but this plays into the desired effect. “It will be cozy and welcoming. It won’t be loud.” Chris said. “It’s not a chateau but there will be wood beams.”
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The space has a small kitchen, so the team has to get creative with the food menu, which will be vegetarian like Pet Shop. “We’re still working on the menu. We will probably have cheese plates, snacks, and paninis, all vegetarian,” Chris said. “Guests can make a meal out of the menu items. For now, we’re focused on the beer, wine, and spirits aspect of things because that’s what we do best.”
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Patrons can expect the same mix of wines, beer, and spirits that are found at Pet Shop and Riverview Wine and Spirits, such as natural wines and craft brews.
