Little Grand (771 Grand St.), a cocktail bar and bistro, opened quietly two months ago in the former home of Russian restaurant Masha and the Bear. The fully renovated space serves cocktails, natural wine, seafood, snacks, and bistro fare.
The newcomer’s two owners, Michael Smart and Claudio Coronas, both own other spots in the neighborhood. Smart runs Hotel Delmano (82 Berry St.), and Coronas owns D.O.C. Wine Bar (83 N 7th St.).
Both Smart and Coronas have lived in the area for decades. Smart said he’s been here “since the early 1990s,” while Coronas moved here from Italy in the early 2000s.
“We have been friends for many years and have always talked about opening a place together,” Smart told Greenpointers. “Over the years we have looked at many places, but for some reason, this one spoke to us.”
“We both still believe in the area, live here, and want to keep our businesses close to where we live,” Smart continued.
“It took us a few years to open this place, but over that time we were able to get to know this part of Williamsburg and the people in it. The neighborhood was very supportive of our venture, and we are looking to stay true to the neighborhood.”
Smart refers to Little Grand as both a bistro and a bar. The owners didn’t want to create a “formal” or “stuffy” restaurant, aiming to offer something closer to the atmosphere of a bar.
At Little Grand, “you can have great handcrafted cocktails and a dry aged steak or oysters in a bar atmosphere,” Smart said, noting that there will be DJs adding to that atmosphere Wednesday through Saturday.
Little Grand’s cocktail menu was created by Justin Young and includes drinks you’ll recognize like an Aperol spritz, an espresso martini, and a Negroni.
Chef Salem Williams runs the kitchen at Little Grand. The food menu includes small bites like anchovies, olives, beef tartare, and fritti misti alongside raw bar selections like tuna tartare and shrimp cocktail. Larger plates include chicken skewers, tortellini, and a Wagyu burger.
Little Grand also offers brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a daily happy hour from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. with several deals like $9 – $10 cocktails, $13 – $15 wines, $2 oysters, and $12 shrimp cocktail.
In addition to weekend brunch, Little Grand is open for dinner and drinks Tuesday through Sunday 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. The kitchen closes at 11 p.m.
Open up a trendy, somewhat pricey place and they will come.
At the same time another one will go out of business.
With the exception of Peter Pan donuts and Triple Decker who made the transition from old to new diners, the life span of a new restaurant in Greenpoint is starting to be measured in nano seconds (hyperbole but not too far from the truth).
Good luck to this place, looks nice from the people in it.