For Elbert Cuenca, it all started with two things: First, a space he wanted to sell, and second, his dog Harry, who lived until 16 and was loved until his passing in 2024. At the time, the veteran food entrepreneur was looking to let go of the space where Metronome formerly stood. But when the landlord wanted to demolish the place, Cuenca, perhaps holding on to a little bit of nostalgia and the undeniable pull of the location, decided to take full ownership and turn it into something—whatever it may be.
“I wanted to do something with it, but not necessarily a restaurant,” he says about the initial plans. But after the closure of Elbert’s Collective in May 2025, Cuanca somehow still found himself in food, opening a new chapter for a brand transitioning into its own identity.
At Harry’s Bistro, Cuenca favors substance over sentimentality. Construction started in late 2025. He kept the restaurant’s bones and footprint, as well as the iconic bar, but slathered on muted colors and mounted blocks of wood mosaics on the walls. The idea is to convey a coherent new identity for Harry’s Bistro.
Together with his brother-chef Adrian Cuenca, Bar Pintxos co-founder and restaurant consultant Miguel Vecin, and mixologist Arcadius Rybak of Rosewood Hong Kong and the recently opened Toma Toma at Green Sun Hotel, Harry’s Bistro, which opened in February 2026, solidifies its decision to pivot away from its old fine dining character and into a diversified yet stylish bistro.
Hallmarks of the past, familiar tastes
Vecin’s small Spanish investments on the relatively tight menu—from the reliable tortilla de patatas with chorizo and the orejas de credo (pork ears)—set the pace for the overall experience. He hauls customers in with infectious offerings tailored to Rybak’s cocktails and even captures new customers and potential revenue with irresistible Happy Hour deals.
Cuenca’s presence is also felt in the menu, which still bears hallmarks of Elbert’s Collective. His signature carbonara—triumphantly velvety and savory spaghetti dressed in pecorino Romano and organic egg yolks—remains a standout and a flagbearer of his philosophy of removing complications in food but putting a premium on quality ingredients.
“The guanciale we use is handpicked out of all the suppliers we found based on how we think it should be,” he says.
Nothing new—just improved
The rest of the menu is textbook bistro fare done well. Familiarity is a major factor here, evidenced by a lineup of fish and chips using beer-battered halibut, a chicken kiev that retains a good amount of moisture, a classic burger made with US beef blend and Emmental cheese, and a four-piece selection of steaks (USDA Choice grade cowboy steak and Snake River Farms kurobuta pork tomahawk) and arroz with duck confit.
Cuenca admittedly isn’t reinventing anything here; instead, he is recalibrating Harry’s Bistro through improved ambiance, better service, and premium products amid an industry feeling the economic pressures and changing price-sensitive behaviors.
Because ultimately, Harry’s Bistro is the symbol of somebody who has rediscovered his thunder and momentum after a couple of restless post-pandemic years.
