It seems like only yesterday we were peering past drop cloths and climbing over saw horses to get the very first peek at the space soon to be known as The Bedford. Fast-forward one month to Friday night, and we’re back again, capturing the new bar and kitchen on its first night in business. We weren’t the only ones: A line formed outside 1612 West Division Street as eager scenesters waited to descend into the subterranean lair, carved out of the basement of the old Home Bank & Trust building in Wicker Park. Between potent cocktails from mixologist Pete Gugni (take the Edison’s Medicine: honey-infused vodka, Cynar, amontillado sherry, dry vermouth, and orange bitters; $9) and those fortress-like walls of safety deposit boxes, we’re wondering if this den’s unofficial motto shouldn’t be: What happens at The Bedford stays at The Bedford. Browse our photos below.

Photography: Jeff Schear