After almost a year of anticipation, Bar Americano (180 Franklin St.) opened its doors yesterday, November 7, in the corner location that was previously Brooklyn Label.
Bar Americano’s team, including co-owners Conor Hynes, David Clarke, Steve Kämmerer and Chef Vicent Iborra, is thrilled to introduce Greenpoint to the European tradition of aperitivo hour.
“We are very excited to be finally operating. All we want is to be a good addition to this great neighborhood and be part of the community,” Kämmerer told Greenpointers.
“It feels great to be in a neighborhood like Greenpoint,” he continued. “We honestly feel like there’s no better place in the city to bring a concept like this.”
The culture of aperitivo hour is the primary focus at Bar Americano. Both the food and drink menus pull inspiration from this tradition, while highlighting flavors from different parts of Southern Europe.
The aperitivo hour concept is especially apparent in the bar program. The drink menu showcases more than 60 vermouths and other aromatized wines from Spain, France, and Italy.
The house cocktails are two different versions of an Americano, the bar’s namesake. Both Americanos, the Classico and the Bianco, are fully carbonated and contain saffron essence, grapefruit oils and Bar Americano’s house mineral water.
The drink menu goes on to include a varied array of choices like gin and vodka martinis, a negroni, a mezcal gimlet, and an appletini. There are a few beers on the list including a Guinness stout and local favorite Talea’s Sun Up Hazy IPA. The drink menu is rounded out with a nice selection of sparkling, white, rose, and red wines, all from Europe.
Bar Americano’s food menu is also reminiscent of an apertivo bar in Europe with a wider selection of small bites and only a couple larger dishes. The small snacks include olives, almonds, and anchovies, plus oysters and cheese.
The menu continues with “cold” section of a caesar salad, a burrata salad, and Brussels sprouts. The next section is labeled “hot” and includes a boudin noir croquette, a whole artichoke, a fried chicken sandwich, and a burger. The menu concludes with a two desserts: a lemon granita, which is very popular in Italy, and a chocolate mousse.
“We always pictured Bar Americano as an old postcard from your last summer holidays in Europe, and we are trying to translate that through our drinks and food in a space that could take anyone back in time,” Kämmerer explained.
With warm wood paneling and cozy booths, Bar Americano succeeds in making guests feel transported to Europe, even during the first cold days of fall in Greenpoint. The newcomer thrives as a destination for date nights, casual bites, and everything in between.
Bar Americano is open 7 days a week from 5 p.m. – midnight.