🫒EXCLUSIVE—NEOVISTA OPENS THE VAULT + IZAKAYA KINKO at 60 STATE
NeoVista Hospitality, who bought up Albany’s historic Jack’s Oyster House at 44 State, is ready to unveil two lower-level dining concepts at their adjacent operations at 60 State, the grand 1903 Beaux-Arts former National Commercial Bank & Trust ("a temple of finance”) that was until recently private event space Sixty State Street. At speed, they’ve transformed the bank’s basement vault into two distinct experiences: Izakaya Kinko, a Japanese bar and restaurant, and The Vault, a Spanish-Portuguese-style tapas wine bar. A soft opening starts this week with plans to open to the public next week. — SDP
Signs of Albany’s night life glow up lie beneath the stunning Beaux-Arts building at 60 State. From the marble columns and terrazzo floors, stairs lead to two beautiful bars playfully themed to the bank’s massive vault.
Story: Susie Davidson Powell
Photos: SDP/The Dishing + NeoVista (provided)
May 4, 2026
As a Japanese bar and restaurant, Izakaya Kinko—kinko is Japanese for vault—has seating for 48 and two semi-private rooms (koshitsu) for quieter, secluded dining. To reach the Izakaya Kinko with its wooden swing doors marked with a single red dot, you must first pass through their second concept, The Vault, which is a Spanish-Portuguese-style tapas wine bar with floor-to-ceiling wine walls. In the middle, is open space where their custom-made illuminated cylindrical wine tower, visible in design renderings but expected to arrive in the next two weeks, will be. It’s shape references the curves of booths, a glass topped bar and an imposing, original bank vault door swung wide on an interior chamber converted into two ante chambers for meetings or private dining.
While NeoVista beverage director, Josh Turo, described plans for “a considerable selection of sake and Japanese whisky,” NeoVista Chairman, John Hwaung, explained: “The idea for Izakaya Kinko is that people will order their drinks and we’ll provide them with food from the menu for free.”
Free? Regardless of what you order? “Well, not exactly,” he clarified. “If you just order a drink by the glass, we’ll send some small plates. But if you order by the bottle, we will send out more from the menu.” Sounds like a plan to me.
The entire space, even while staff worked to complete details, is already stylish, and has been a remarkably fast, reimagining of the space. A short detour leads deeper to a remote private KTV room in yet another bank vault with thick steel door, outfitted with red leather banquettes, flatscreen TVs and a recessed chandelier made from hundreds of suspended tiny vault keys. It’s windowless and cocoon-like, intended for private dining, as a KTV karaoke room, or the grooms’ dressing room when hosting weddings at 60 State upstairs.
🫒 INTEL: While they await the late May arrival of the wine tower and final Code approvals this week, NeoVista is planning a trial soft soft “friends and family” opening this Saturday, May 9, with plans to open fully to the public within two weeks. I’ll confirm when they have a date. - SDP
