Bar Beau (Photo: Claire Chan)
I know what you’re thinking: Does Brooklyn really need another café? But this is no ordinary coffee shop. Bar Beau, which opened on Monday, works overtime for it patrons, doubling as a coffee shop by day and trendy cocktail bar by night.
The coffee bar’s architecture also lends it an unusual appeal. Crisp lines of marble intersect with the ceiling’s plaster curves, evoking rocky cliffs and turbulent waters in an homage to the Pacific Northwest background of owner Claire Chan, who also operates the West Village café The Elk. The cocktail-slash-cafe is named for her nephew, Beau. “My roots are PNW (Vancouver, Canada), so it was important for me to integrate that into this “home away from home,” says Chan.
The café offers espresso, cold brew and other caffeinated beverages sourced from Brooklyn-based roaster Parlor Coffee; fresh-pressed juices; and a pastry spread from local vendors Bien Cuit, Sans Bakery, Ovenly, and Ra Bliss Balls.
Like the architecture, the cocktail bar is theme-appropriate, featuring The Tall Trees, a hearty concoction of Northern California gin, mescal, gentian, douglas fir, and birch. The bar’s bistro-style dining menu includes a variety of dishes best shared among friends. Choices include udon served in shiso pesto and lemon, along with asparagus topped with toasted bonito flakes and tonnato (a creamy Italian spread of anchovies and tuna).
Sadly, the cocktail bar is not yet open, but word is that it’ll be up and running by sometime in July. The bar will stay open until 2 a.m., keeping you in a steady supply of boozy beverages well into the early morning hours. Cheers.
Bar Beau is located at 61 Withers Street in Williamsburg. The coffee shop is open daily from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Cocktail bar hours will run from 5:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. once open, and its food menu will be available Tuesday-Sunday until 11:00 p.m.