Lavender Lake (53 Broadway), an understated bar with elevated food, opened last month in Williamsburg after relocating from Gowanus.
Owners Mandy and Adam Sober told Greenpointers that Lavender Lake was open in Gowanus for 11 years, but their success took a turn when the neighborhood was rezoned. The block Lavender Lake occupied was torn down to build condos, something Greenpointers are all too familiar with.
“We tried to stay local but had a really hard time finding a spot that was right for us,” Mandy Sober said.
A friend of the Sobers introduced the couple to the space at 53 Broadway. The owners found the move slightly daunting as it meant leaving their comfort zone in Gowanus, but they saw a lot of potential in the Williamsburg locale, so they decided to go for it.
“We were drawn to the indoor/outdoor capability of the space and also embraced the blank canvas of the space to create a new vibe while also retaining our OG warmth and hygge of the old location,” Mandy explained.
Williamsburg’s Lavender Lake opened last month on March 4 with many of the same staff from Gowanus, including the chef. The Sobers are enjoying getting to know their new neighbors and happy to see guests from Gowanus visiting the Williamsburg location.
“We are committed to having a space that is welcoming to everyone,” Mandy told Greenpointers.
“We don’t believe in gimmicks and we don’t have TVs so that people can focus on connections,” the owner said. “We have long been a spot for first dates and a place to hang with groups of friends while eating elevated bar food and drinking good beer and cocktails,” Mandy said.
Lavender Lake’s beverage menu includes an array of cocktails, wines by the glass, and beer on draft and bottled. The cocktails are approachable with just enough unique touches. One standout is the Mime is Money with gin, lemon, lavender, and soda. Another is the David St. Hubbins with rye, absinthe, bitters, and a luxardo maraschino cherry. The Love Pump, with tequila, espresso, and liquor 43, is also a popular choice, as espresso martinis are having a moment.
The five categories of wine include white, sparkling, red, and rosé, plus natural and skin contact. The section with draft beer includes local options from Threes, Grimm, and Other Half. The bottled and canned beer list also includes local breweries and some from the Hudson Valley.
Lavender Lake’s food menu is fairly extensive for a spot that considers itself a bar first and foremost. The menu is divided into four categories: shared plates, salads, sandwiches, and entrees, plus there’s a small note at the bottom that says “ask about desserts.”
The shared plate section includes traditional bar food like a pretzel with mustard and beer cheese and fries with aioli. But it also lists more elevated options like radish on sourdough, burrata with heirloom tomatoes, and hummus with quinoa tabbouleh.
The two salad choices include a spring salad mix and a kale caesar, both with the option to add chicken, steak, or shrimp. The sandwich selections include grilled cheese, a patty melt, a vegetarian reuben with cauliflower, a fried chicken sandwich, and a burger. The entree section offers steak frites, roasted chicken, and homemade fettuccine with shrimp.
The brunch menu consists of a breakfast burrito, chicken and waffles, French toast, a pastry plate with scones, a fruit bowl, a yogurt and granola parfait, and biscuits and gravy. Brunch drinks are also offered, including a bloody mary, a mimosa, an Aperol spritz, a paloma, and a passionfruit Bellini.
Lavender Lake is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 PM-midnight, Friday 4 PM – 1 AM, Saturday from noon – 1 AM., and Sunday from noon – 8 PM.
$9 for a pretzels? GTFO.