Downtown Campbell’s bar scene is about to get a science experiment of its own. A modern cocktail bar and restaurant called TRIAL|ERROR is moving into the former Lira space at 368 E. Campbell Ave., pairing a specialty-cocktail program with tapas-style small plates and putting chef Manuel Santillan in charge of the kitchen. The team is aiming for an October opening, with room for roughly 110 guests.
According to Palo Alto Online, owner Jason Seele, a bartender with about 24 years behind the stick, is planning a very modern interior built around an illuminated white-marble bar top and a double-helix logo meant to symbolize the kitchen and bar working in tandem. The outlet reports that the cocktail program will lean on globally sourced ingredients such as black cardamom, tonka beans and galangal, and that some drinks may show up in unconventional vessels like a Philippine conch shell or a glass bird. Hours will likely run around 4–11 PM.
Chef, Menu and Cocktails
Seele has tapped Santillan to run the back of house, bringing a résumé that includes Alexander's Steakhouse, Morton's and Michelin-starred Chez TJ. The idea is not just big flavors but layered ones. “All of our cocktails have a beginning, a middle and a finish,” Seele told Palo Alto Online, describing a drinks program built around texture and development rather than a single, flat note.
Early menu development is centered on tapas-style small plates designed to play alongside those drinks. One in-progress idea already on the board: a lobster corn dog paired with a sweet corn bisque sauce, a fairground classic reimagined for a cocktail bar crowd.
Where It Fits in Campbell's Dining Scene
TRIAL|ERROR is taking over 368 E. Campbell Ave., which has been empty since Lira closed at the end of 2025. As reported by Hoodline, the shutdown followed a mid-2025 break with the restaurant's headline chef, and the Silicon Valley Business Journal also noted economic pressures around the decision.
When TRIAL|ERROR opens, it will join an already cocktail-friendly block. Downtown Campbell's dining guide lists neighbors such as The Vesper and Wild Rose Eatery and Bar, meaning the new spot will drop into a ready-made circuit of places to grab a drink, per Downtown Campbell.
The TRIAL|ERROR team is now pushing to finish the buildout and expects to lock in menu details and reservation plans ahead of the planned October debut. More information on soft openings and bookings is expected once the space completes its transformation from empty shell to experimental cocktail lab.
