Midtown’s new Hidden Gem (3118 Locust Street; instagram.com/hiddengemstl) is the perfect dive bar to live out your pink, disco fantasies. Lucky for you, it opens to the public at 6 p.m. today.
Walking into the 3,500-square-foot space, you’ll be transported back to one of the most iconic, empowering eras for the feminist movement — that’s right: It’s the ’70s, but pink.
There’s a 60-foot pink-glitter resin bar, custom pink wraparound booths and a photobooth, as well as an upstairs carpeted conversation pit and back room that will be available for private rentals. And, of course, accents of flash tattoos, feminist protest art and almost 300 disco balls.
Think disco dive bar in Nicki Minaj’s Gag City.
It’s the latest project of sisters Amanda Helman and Susan Logsdon. The duo decided to expand their business, Golden Gems — a lifestyle brand that designs and sells accessories, apparel and home goods, many sporting cheeky, empowering slogans such as “don’t call me baby” or “wicked woman” — into St. Louis’ vibrant bar scene after seeing so much success with their retail spaces.
“It's been like a pipe dream for a long time, something that we never thought we'd actually do,” Helman says. “We opened our Foundry location and then our West County location, and seeing the response to our brand there, we knew St. Louis would get behind our wild disco dream of Hidden Gem.
The two reached out to their Midtown landlord about available spaces in the neighborhood because they felt as though the area was in desperate need of a bar.
“When we got off work and wanted to go to happy hour, it was really hard to find a place around here,” Helman says.
That’s when their disco fever dream began.
“We really want this to be an inclusive space that we can bring people in and really build a great community and atmosphere,” Logsdon says. “We love a good dive bar, so we wanted to kind of keep that aesthetic with some elevated elements to it.”
That includes the bar’s approach to classic cocktails and dive-bar favorites.
“I was immediately inspired by Golden Gems as a brand, and that was really my starting point when creating our menu," said bar manager Tiffany Kaltenbach in a statement. “Think of the approachability of your favorite neighborhood dive bar, with a strong emphasis on local products and housemade ingredients to breathe some life into older classics.”
The menu will feature 14 signature cocktails and mocktails, including the Disco Gin Bucket (presented in a hollowed-out disco ball and purported to serve up to six people), the Gay Water (an upscale vodka cranberry with fresh lime juice and a rainbow candy garnish), the Boot Scootin’ Boogie (draft beer and shot of whiskey in boot glassware) and the Barbie With A Buzz Cut (a tequila espresso martini served on draft).
“I love Gay Water,” Helman says. “It’s so fun with a little airhead thing on top, it's really cute. I'm also excited about all of our N/A options.”
Additionally, the menu will feature house-made simple syrups, and Kaltenbach plans to rotate the menu with seasonal cocktails, wines, local beers and canned seltzers. Though the bar won’t serve any food, it will be partnering with local food trucks for some late night snacks.
Hidden Gem will be open from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m Tuesday through Saturday.
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