Beauty Bar
249 Fifth Avenue at Garfield, Park Slope, (718) 788-8867
Getting There: N,R to Union Street
http://thebeautybar.com

If you have ever walked around New York City’s Union Square area and passed by what appears to be an old school salon then Beauty Bar should sound familiar. Opened in 1995 in what was once an active beauty parlor, this kitschy home celebrating all things style and cocktails has been keeping the downtown spirit alive for close to twenty years. Founder Paul Devitt and his team believed that the combination was too good not to expand it across the country. After opening outposts in places like Austin, Portland, and Los Angeles, it seems that fortune has once again smiled upon the Big Apple. The latest opening of Beauty Bar has come to Park Slope, one of Brooklyn’s ever changing and fun neighborhoods.

LocalBozo visited the newest Beauty Bar shortly after it’s opening. With the same well worn looks, in the best possible state of the word, the space sits in what used to be part of a coffee shop. Instead, we find a massive ’50s era salon, equipped with a large ornate bar smack dab in the middle. Besides bar seating, Beauty Bar boasts several areas to hang out with friends, dates, or even by yourself while thumbing through a magazine. One such place to sit, is the manicure station, one of the bar’s trademarks. Here patrons can can enjoy a professional ‘mani’ and a drink for just $10- a great special for all the busy Park Slopers who need to multitask even while imbibing.

And speaking of drinking, Park Slope’s Beauty Bar has some deliciously innovative cocktails for your consumption. They are each $10, and match the bar’s casual yet refined style. The ‘Vidal Sassoon’ embodies the beauty, as a cocktail that just looks so good in one’s hand. Prepared with lime juice, simple syrup, Campari, Gin, fresh sliced cucumber, and Absinthe rise, this certainly seems like the perfect cocktail to sip on while spring now in full swing! We’ve become big fans of any combination involving cucumber slices in drinks. They present an all around fresh and satisfying flavor. Other eccentric salon-themed cocktails include the ‘Paul Mitchell Swizzle’ and the ‘Blonde Redhead,’ also just $10.

Along with these cool cocktails, happy hour specials are available, offering $2 off most drinks. We can tell you first hand that this place looks great and is admittedly sort of a time warp. But do yourself a favor and come see it for yourself. With its huge windows and a ton of space inside to hang out and imbibe, the new location is an ideal spot that brings you back in time and delivers a solid buzz.

- Jay Rubin