At street level, 750 Manhattan Ave may just look like a Walgreens. And it is, technically. But through the door to the right and up the stairs is an all-new speakeasy, Wise Guy.
Wise Guy is the new passion project of husband-and-wife duo and hospitality experts Lisa Dollimore and Sonny Valverde, who have decades of combined experience in the industry both in and outside of Greenpoint (most recently 99 Franklin for Valverde and Paloma Coffee and Bakery for Dollimore).
Nestled cozily next to a coworking area in the Class & Co space, the bar and cocktail lounge is open Thursday through Saturday from 6 p.m. until 12 a.m. on Thursdays and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
“It’s been interesting getting people in,” Dollimore admitted about the speakeasy setup.
But once you’re inside, it’s worth it. The bar features $10 martinis on Thursdays, local DJs on the weekends, monthly community artist features allowing them to display and sell their work (February’s was photographer David Imel), and, of course, a menu of specially crafted cocktails. To create the menu, Valverde drew on his years of mixology experience to combine fresh flavors and seasonal elements, resulting in cocktails like the Cold Brew Martini (his favorite) — featuring mezcal, coffee liquer, cold brew, and chili chocolate bitters — and Twilight (Dollimore’s favorite), a mix of tequila, sage, blackberry, pomegranate, agave, and lime.
So far, both the menu and space itself have been well received (including a few coworking space neighbors who count themselves as regulars), and the pair is already looking ahead to future events, spring cocktails, and a food menu (the space has a full kitchen). Two events on the horizon include an International Women’s Day celebration with an all-women DJ lineup and a percentage of specialty cocktail proceeds going to charity, plus a 4/20 party.
Dollimore and Valverde also want to continue integrating with the community and have been ideating on collaborations with Yaro Studio and Comptons.
“We want to create a space where people can just sit and enjoy a cocktail and hear the person next to you,” Valverde said.