In April 2026, on Orchard Street in New York's Lower East Side (LES), \"After Eden,\" a Vietnamese caf\u00e9-bar that changes its face entirely between day and night, opened. By day, its bright interior serves Vietnamese-style drip coffee (phin) and banh mi; when the sun sets, the lights dim and it transforms into a cocktail lounge. The food is handled by chef Nancy Nguyen, an alumna of New York's three-star restaurant Eleven Madison Park. In the cocktail program led by founder Gelo Honrade, a former bartender, the \"Pho-tini\"\u2014a martini re-creating the aroma of pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)\u2014is drawing attention as the signature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Eden is located at 162 Orchard Street in Manhattan's LES. Once known for punk rock and art galleries, this area has shifted over the past few years to the cutting edge of the dining scene. The name comes from the question, \"What happens after leaving paradise?\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its biggest feature is the \"all-day, bar-first\" concept, in which the space itself changes by time of day. In the morning it operates as a caf\u00e9 bathed in natural light, and toward evening the lighting gradually dims and the bar counter takes center stage. Co-founder Kim Lin, who handled the interior design, reinterprets the Garden of Eden in a modern way. In a space where deep green tones harmonize with vintage furniture, a custom mural by artist Eric Ramirez is set in the bar at the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the back of the venue is a private room named \"The Opium Den.\" A space staged with velvet seating and candlelight, it caters to small gatherings and late-night visits.<\/p>\n\n\n
At the core of the food is chef Nancy Nguyen. After working at the New York Vietnamese restaurant Beaucoup NYC, she honed her skills at world-ranking regular Eleven Madison Park (EMP). At After Eden, she designs limited-run banh mi and house-made pastries by day, and small plates paired with cocktails by night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Founder Gelo Honrade, who leads the bar and the business, is from the Philippines. He originally came to the U.S. to take a UN-related job in New York, but switched to the bartender path he had dreamed of since childhood. After seven years of experience as a barback (bartender's assistant), he sharpened his skills at popular New York venues such as the Filipino restaurant Jeepney, the Korean restaurant Osamil, and the cocktail bars Bar 92 and GUI. His signature is the fusion of Southeast Asian flavors with French technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the name, Honrade says, \"After Eden is a story about what happens after leaving paradise. There's curiosity, a little temptation, and sometimes chance.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Eden's menu switches completely between day and night. The daytime caf\u00e9 menu centers on Vietnamese-style coffee and offers house-made pastries. At night it shifts to cocktails and small plates.Like Cicada Coffee Bar, which spreads Vietnamese coffee culture across the U.S.,<\/a>it's drawing attention as a venue serving authentic phin.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDaytime caf\u00e9 menu<\/h3>\n\n\n