Courtesy Beloved

New Bar Hopes to be “Beloved” in Greenpoint

The word Beloved, written in flowing gold script, adorns the wooden doors of a new Manhattan Avenue bar. Once inside, you’re greeted by a sleek space, simply designed, with candle-lit wooden tables and a relaxed atmosphere. This is Greenpoint’s newest watering hole, whose aspirations are, as head bartender Rene Hidalgo puts it, to become “just a good neighborhood bar.”

Many new bars around NYC are about flashy ambiance, with little substance. Beloved seeks to be the exact opposite, a down-to-earth venue where people can come to get a good drink. “We want to be the friendly neighborhood bar that everyone goes to,” Hidalgo said. “Like the type of bar I’d want down my block.”

Beloved, which opened on May 3rd, is co-owned by Vivek Sreekumar and Aaron Manheim of Brooklyn. “We’re committed to having a quality place and want to do good by the neighborhood,” Manheim explained. “And we’re more reasonably-priced than most bars around here with similar offerings.”

Beloved currently offers 12 craft beers at $6, such as the Greenport Harbor Ale and Left Hand Milk Stout. Other options include Narragansett Lager ($4) and cans of Tecate for only $3. All cocktails are $10. The bar is also interested in working with small producers, especially those within the community. Two beers on tap are brewed locally—the Sixpoint Righteous Rye and Brooklyn Summer Ale.

“As far as spirits are concerned, I don’t have anything I don’t stand behind 100%,” Hidalgo said. Beloved only sells artisanal spirits, avoiding anything commercially produced. You won’t find the regulars—Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s, Absolut, etc.- on their shelves.

As for the cocktails—“They’re high-end, very well put together,” said Hidalgo, who possesses a classic cocktail background and created the drink menu along with Heather Ash of Allswell. “Nothing is artificially-flavored. All our juices are squeezed-fresh daily, and all of our sweeteners are made in house.”

Manheim added that their beer and cocktail selection will change based on the seasons. “The cocktails we have now are based on summertime, so they’re really fresh,” he said. Currently, customers can order options like The Henry (bourbon, rhum agricole, sweet vermouth, angostura, orange bitters), or sip on the Backhand (rye, coffee liqueur, Campari).

The bar’s 800-square-foot ivy-draped backyard is also sure to become a summer hotspot, providing plenty of patio tables. Customers can look forward to a DJ booth in the back room, and a food menu that’s currently being designed by a kitchen consultant.

But above all, Beloved is about providing great drinks to Greenpoint. “People shouldn’t have to go to a specialty place to get a good Manhattan,” Hidalgo explained. “We offer everything a bar has, but a little bit better without being pretentious. The ultimate goal is to be a resource to the neighborhood.”

Beloved
674 Manhattan Avenue
Sunday to Wednesday 5pm-2am
Thursday to Saturday 5pm-4am

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