David Slape

Coming Up

At PDT, David Slape works in a bar program where timing, precision, and restraint carry the same weight as instinct. Behind that counter, the job is less about spectacle than repeatable control: clean builds, measured adjustments, and the ability to keep the glass in line with the room.

Where They Are Now

Cocktails are the current field of work, and in that field the details do the heavy lifting. Temperature, texture, aroma, and balance all shape the first sip before the drink has had a chance to speak for itself. In David Slape’s practice, that means treating each pour as a sequence of decisions, with the aim of refining the result rather than merely assembling it.

Career - bartender — PDT, NYC

Signature

Paddington is the named signature associated with David Slape. In bar work, a signature piece functions as shorthand for a maker’s register: what gets emphasized, what gets held back, and how far the work leans toward recognition without losing control. Paddington sits in that lane as part of his vocabulary behind the bar.

In Their Words That temperature marks a fixed point in process, and the time attached to it shows the kind of patience this work requires. The quote is specific about heat, timing, and the gelling point, which is where technique becomes visible in the finished result. The method is plain, but the choices are exact. Saving the seeds and putting them in muslin keeps the process controlled while preserving what is needed from the ingredient. Read together, the two lines point to a maker working through patience, restraint, and close attention to detail.

FAQ What is David Slape's current role? As of 2026, David Slape is bartender of PDT. What is David Slape known for? Cocktails.