Another brand-new business has opened its doors – this time, a classy new cocktail bar with a crisp lineup of both classic and modern cocktails, and superb aesthetics to accompany them. The Golden Hour opened on Valentine’s Day weekend to a full reservation list and has been going strong ever since.
Located on Copper and Maple in northeast Fresno next to Mad Duck, and showcasing locally distilled spirits from Copper & Maple Distilling Co., The Golden Hour greets you with its vintage-inspired mid-century modern design from the moment you arrive at the front door. The pale green entrance and bright pops of orange on signage feel very fresh and inviting, and you are greeted by a host outside the door.
Reservations are recommended, though some space is kept for walk-ins as well. When you arrive, you check in with the host and they will show you inside to your table. My husband and I visited during their second weekend open, and once we were inside we were pretty in awe of how cohesive the “golden hour” theme and mid-century modern vibes carried through every element of the bar.
The interior is decorated in warm, rich sunset tones – warm siennas, oranges, golds, sunny muted yellows, rich leather seating, terrazzo tabletops, even the hanging pendant lights show a gradient of golden-hour sky tones.
One of the coolest things about the space is that the room feels full enough to feel finished – warm, welcoming, and complete – but not so packed with seating that you feel crowded. There is plenty of room between you and the next party so you can really enjoy conversation with your group or date. I really love that. (I believe I read there is seating for 26 – so it is a smaller venue, but in a really good way!)
There aren’t windows looking out, and to us that gave the place almost a speakeasy feel – like we were in on a secret once we stepped inside.
Service was friendly, attentive but professional, and though the place was still very newly opened when we visited, the staff seemed to know exactly what to do. They answered our questions about the menu easily, and drinks came out nicely and in a timely manner.
The drink menu has two sides – one featuring Modern Cocktails and the other Classic. Modern options were $18 each and Classic cocktails were $16. In general, the Modern choices tended to include more complex ingredient stacks and fresh fruit infusions, which helps explain the difference in price.
We tried the Solar Flare, described as “tropical, floral & bright,” made with white rum, apricot liqueur, luxardo lime, simple syrup, and orange blossom; the Bananas Foster Old Fashioned, which was a sweet dessert twist on my husband’s favorite cocktail; the Orange Marmalade Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Nonino, Aperol, orange marmalade, and lemon; and a French 75 (a classic option).
There was not a drink we didn’t enjoy. That said, the Orange Marmalade Paper Plane and the French 75 stood out most to us. Their flavors were the brightest, and the Paper Plane’s complexity was especially nice.
We stayed for quite a while enjoying a relaxed date night before ultimately sneaking over to Mad Duck for some late-night tots and sliders. We had a really great time and look forward to returning.
The Golden Hour is open from 5-10pm on Thursdays and 5-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations can be made online here, and if seating is available, walk-ins are welcome too.
Cheers!
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