A Night of Joy – Finally a New Bar Without Taxidermy

I generally welcome any new addition to my neighborhood, especially when that said addition is not another bodega to compete for my addiction to $1 cans of Arizona iced tea. That being said, the new bar Night of Joy finally opened last week and by far exceeded my expectations.  The owners, Jen Armstrong and Henrietta Paris, were looking to replicate the success of their Greenwich Village watering hole, Dove Parlour. Like the Dove, Night of Joy has the same plush surroundings and laid back intimacy similar to the feeling you get when hanging out at your much cooler friend’s apartment with an impeccable eye for interior design.

It’s nice to finally see a neighborhood bar eschew the dive bar taxidermy aesthetic for something a little bit more grown-up but with the same worn in appeal. The general look almost reminds me a bit of my grandmother’s living room but in the best possible way. Art deco with a mix of Asian accents and some gilded bamboo chairs for good measure.  You might not even notice til you throw one back, the celestial mural painted on the ceiling, very reminiscent of the one in Grand Central Station, designed by their neighbors, Graceland Tattoo shop. And like any good Brooklyn bar, they’ll be opening a rooftop space in the very near future so you can eyeball the real big dipper and not just the one on the ceiling.

Ambiance aside, the actual drinks ain’t too shabby either. I splurged on the $9 cilantro bloody mary because I like to support any bar that encourages this brunch time favorite during off hours. It went down faster than you can say “I’ll have another with tequila this time”.  My drinking partner thoroughly enjoyed her cucumber infused vodka with St. Germain, and their beet vodka concoction reminded me a lot of the now defunct Tailor’s similar creation. For the non-cocktail swillers, there’s also a complete wine list and well edited beer list. I always go for San Francisco’s Anchor Steam on particularity hot nights. While the general atmosphere may have a girlish Gatsby feel, the pool table in the back and sparse rooftop will certainly appeal to the thirsty gents in the neighborhood. Its low key vibe on weeknights is perfect for dates, but don’t expect to find a table on the weekends where the throbbing music and general hub-bub was palpable just walking by last Saturday. I predict many future nights of joy will be spent here this summer.

Photo Courtesy of: Jolie Ruben via TONY

Night of Joy
667 Lorimer @ Meeker Ave
[Williamsburg, Brooklyn]