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Bizarre Bar Brings Skeleton Dolls, Fancy Cocktails To Bushwick
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 29, 2013
Modified Jan 29, 2013
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 29, 2013
Modified Jan 29, 2013
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Bizarre Bar is the newest drinking hole to open in an increasingly lush Bushwick, but it's more than just a place to knock back a few divey beer-and-shot combos. Located just off the Myrtle-Broadway JMZ stop, the eclectic lounge has a lot going for it: killer cocktails, decor straight out of a Tim Burton film, and a decidedly offbeat atmosphere that makes it a fun (though pricier) new addition to the neighborhood.
Bizzare—which takes its name from Greenwich Village's Cafe Bizarre from the beatnik days of yore— is the brainchild of French directors Jean-Stephane Sauvaire and Greg Baubeau, and the design reflects their eerie cinematic influences. The dark space is outfitted with red lights and chandeliers, and day-of-the-dead skeleton dolls are scattered atop the bar and in various corners. Films like The Last Tango in Paris are occasionally screened silently on a wall in the back, the wall's exposed brick creepily distorting the actors' faces. The bar itself is pretty sizable, and the owners plan to host DJs, parties and musical acts—they even kicked off Bizarre's opening last week with a massive three-day party complete with costumes and erotica.
Bizarre boasts a pretty hefty drink menu. They've got draft beers like Left Hand Milk Stout and Leffe Blond for $5-$6, basic mixed drinks for $9, and absinthe cocktails like No. 4 (Saint Germain, pernod, absinthe, grapefruit juice, simple syrup or champagne) for $12. But the discerning yupster gentrifier will be drawn to the $13 specialty cocktails. Try the Abominable Snowman (aged rum, dry curucao, honey, ground cinnamon and a whole egg), part eggnog, part boozy beach smoothie, and the Johnny Mad Dog (espresso liquore, domaine de canton, tequila, sliced jalapenos and a lime twist) has a citrusy, super-spicy kick.
Those house cocktails are a little out of Bushwick's typically toned-down price range, especially considering the bar is so far away from Roberta's Morgantown. But they're also delicious, and the bartenders don't skimp on the alcohol, so for a drink or two they're worth the extra bucks. And there's no extra charge for the tiny plastic skeleton demon who stares you down while you drink it.
Bizarre is located at 12 Jefferson Street between Myrtle and Bushwick Ave in Bushwick, Brooklyn (47-915-2717). Follow them on Facebook.
Tagged
absinthe
bizarre
brooklyn
bushwick
cocktails
new restaurant and bar radar
original
Rebecca Fishbein
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