Everything at the bar is fresh, there are herbs to muddle, fruit to squeeze, syrups just made ...

skillet-browned bacon lardons and shrimp, seasoned with cayenne, thyme, garlic — bold spices — and topped with salsa fresca, cotija cheese and two perfectly poached eggs. Divine.

At dinner — Alchemy is not open for lunch — the menu is divided in thirds: To Begin, To Share, and Small Plates. But really, it’s all made to share — the concept is hearty tapas and creative cocktails. That’s not to say you can’t order and keep your food to yourself, but come on, don’t be that guy. Part of the fun here is sharing the excellent smoked shiitake salad, the lush bacon-wrapped figs with a salad of spinach and basil in a tart bacon dressing (brand new to the menu), the fried oysters, the sweet and smoky brussels sprouts. The chili roasted fish tacos with toasted cumin slaw are a longtime favorite; the Southern antipasta has gotten a recent revamp and now includes smoked chicken salad, pimento cheese, sweet pea ricotta and house-made pickles, along with the most addictive, impossibly thin crostini in town.

Want something heartier? Mac and cheese is killer, the sliders will fill you up, the grilled cheese and tomato soup will do the same while it soothes what ails you — and if it doesn’t, well, there’s always the bar.

Crowds mingle around Alchemy’s centerpiece bar, where creative signature cocktails are muddled, stirred and shaken, and simple drinks like rum and Coke are poured.

Bartender Curtis McManus mixes drinks at Alchemy’s centerpiece bar.