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Posted on the shuttered door of short-lived restaurant Lira in downtown Campbell now hangs a sign with the words TRIAL|ERROR and a cocktail shaker with a double helix.
Expected to open in October, TRIAL|ERROR (pronounced “Trial and Error”) is a modern specialty cocktail bar offering creative small plates. The concept comes from Jason Seele, owner of Los Gatos Soda Works and a bartender of 24 years. Cocktails will feature global ingredients, modern techniques and unique presentations, he said.
“All of our cocktails have a beginning, a middle and a finish – like a good story would, not a cocktail that is monotone in flavor that just tastes one way the whole way through,” Seele said.
While the cocktail menu is still being finalized, Seele noted that some flavors patrons may taste at TRIAL|ERROR include black cardamom from Ethiopia, tonka beans from Venezuela and galangal (similar to ginger) from Southeast Asia.
The cocktail programs at Los Gatos Soda Works and TRIAL|ERROR both feature unique ingredients and presentations, but the cocktails at TRIAL|ERROR will have “a much more modern edge,” Seele said. Expect a cocktail served in a Philippine conch shell or a glass bird served with a nest featuring a food pairing garnish.
“Alcohol gives you a medium to work with where there’s no limit to the creativity,” Seele said. “It’s kind of like being a liquid chef.”
The double helix in the logo of TRIAL|ERROR symbolizes the concept of two pillars of a great restaurant, Seele said.
“We believe that the kitchen and the bar work cohesively together, and not as a separate entity,” he said.
Helming the kitchen is chef Manuel Santillan, who previously worked at Alexander’s Steakhouse, Morton’s The Steakhouse and the now-closed Michelin-starred Chez TJ. Like the cocktails, the food will utilize ingredients and techniques from all over the world. The menu is still under development, but one dish in the works is a lobster corn dog with a sweet corn bisque sauce. All dishes will be served tapas style and are meant to share.
“You don’t have to get married to an entree that’s 45 bucks that may or may not be good,” Seele said. “If you can go out and get a bunch of small plates that you can share, and then you get to try different things, different textures, different flavors, and you don’t have to stick with just one thing.”
The interior design is also going to be very modern, Seele said, noting that the bar top will be made of an illuminating white marble. The space, including outside dining, seats 110 total. Hours will likely be 4-11 p.m., Seele said.
“We’re looking to … bring something that’s really unique to downtown Campbell,” Seele said. “We’re looking to elevate the area and the dining scene in that area, where they’re missing a place that you can go and get some really creative cocktails and creative dishes.”
TRIAL|ERROR is opening in the former Lira space, which debuted in January 2025 and was helmed by celebrity chef Tucker Ricchio until June 2025. The restaurant permanently closed in December.
TRIAL|ERROR is set to join other downtown Campbell cocktail bars, including The Vesper and Wild Rose Eatery and Bar. Scottish Californian beer garden Ainsley’s Spout House is another eatery coming soon to downtown Campbell.
TRIAL|ERROR, 368 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell. Opening October.
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