We don’t find ourselves up in the fruit-named streets of Brooklyn Heights that often, unless we’re romantically strolling along the Promenade, or have gotten lost on our way home from Grimaldi’s. And we can very safely say that we’ve never ventured up there to drink. Brooklyn Heights might be one of the most beautiful stretches of the city, but it’s dining options, not to mention bars, have also ventured towards the safe and reliable, not to mention the expensive. But we heard about some impressive cocktails that were being mixed at Jack the Horse Tavern and figured it’d be fun to find out.
The restaurant opened over the summer, and has had some decent press about the food, which does look quite good. But we were there to drink, and so, apparently, was everyone else. The restaurant tables were nearly all empty, but five minutes after opening, the bar was about half full.
Eager to sample some of these famous concoctions that had brought us there, we kindly ordered a couple of original creations, set down the menu, and waited for roughly 5 minutes as he slowly went about the process of constructing our intricate drinks. The amount of time at nearly any other bar would have been excruciating, but watching the clearly talented bartender mix was fascinating, and showed the level of care they put into each one of these drinks.
And you’ll pay for the attention. At $9 a pop, the cocktails aren’t a steal, and at such a clean, well-lit place we didn’t feel the need to ask if there was a happy hour special. But, really, the prices aren't excessive, and in Manhattan, drinks this lovingly made would cost significantly more. And for those that care about expertly made cocktails, Jack the Horse can appear as godsend: A gorgeous bar on one of the most idyllic streets in the whole city that is actually as good as the atmosphere. And if we could have afforded another drink, we might have liked it even more.
Can anyone recommend other Brooklyn Heights bars worth a shot?
Jack the Horse Tavern
66 Hicks St.
718-852-5084
