A new cocktail bar called Kinda Nice (168 Borinquen Place) is opening on May 7 in the former home of Black Flamingo, a decade-old dance club that closed a year ago.

According to Kinda Nice’s owners, Patty Dennison and Ally Marrone, the newcomer’s name is an inside joke that aptly summed up their new project. 

“As far as the name goes, it is a phrase that Ally and myself have been saying for our entire friendship and it also does the perfect job of highlighting our highbrow-lowbrow style of bartending and service,” Dennison told Greenpointers.

When they started creating their “high energy” cocktail bar with “nostalgic Americana” vibes, the duo was inspired by “late-night diner culture” and “dive bar spontaneity.” Their aim was to marry “the warmth of a retro diner” with “the polish of a neighborhood cocktail bar.”

Kinda Nice will offer cocktails and comfort food, leaning into to what Dennison and Marrone call “classic diner fare.”

The food menu will feature deviled eggs, grilled cheese with tomato soup, and a fried chicken sandwich topped with pimento cheese.

Kinda Nice’s list of “craveable cocktails” includes the Guava Negroni with Suyo Pisco, Campari, Carpano Bianco, Salers Apéritif, Guava Eau de Vie, and malted milk, plus the Greek Salad Martini with Tomato Crop Vodka, Boatyard Gin, piparra pepper brine, vermouth, Carpano Bianco, dill Aquavit, and cucumber distillate.

The team said guests can also expect “playful, nostalgic drinks” like a banana Old Fashioned with Jack Daniels, Aberfeldy 12, Vicario Nocino, Angostura bitters, and banana water. 

Later this year, Dennison and Marrone will unveil Kinda Nice’s more relaxed counterpart, Shenanigans. It will be a subterranean dive bar located directly downstairs with “the same ethos, just with the volume turned up and the rules dialed down.”

Shenanigans’ menu will have a rotating selection of highballs, boilermakers, and classic cocktails, plus beer. 

Starting May 7, Kinda Nice will be open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight with expanded hours coming soon.