Fork Slope: A Review of Quarter Bar

A few weeks ago Marco Canora, chef of Hearth Restaurant and the soon-to-open fourth outpost of his wine bar , told the New York Post that he believes Park Slope is having a “second resurgence” of food and drink.

While the chef was addressing northern Fifth Avenue where Terrior will be located, this resurgence is taking place in all corners of the area. A lot of activity has and will continue to take place on Fifth Avenue’s northern end, but a trip further south reveals that among less trafficked and less trendy blocks, things are changing, if it hasn't already.

The article got me thinking about what has opened recently or is set to open in the near future and what, if anything, the neighborhood lacks. This idea lead me to a few thoughts and thus a few trips around. I realized that while Park Slope offers a fairly diverse and interesting mix of watering holes, cocktail bars are certainly outnumbered. My journey lead me to Quarter Bar located on Fifth Avenue between 20th and 21st street, which is hands down best choice if you’re craving cocktails.

Let me be clear that ; it has been open for a few years. But it is nothing short of a gem and the benchmark for cocktail bars in the Slope.

Quarter Bar is not screaming for attention, it's quiet and modest. There are no old-timey, mustached, suspender-wearing mixologists here. In fact, you might even pass by without noticing it.

A step inside reveals a warm, dare I say cozy interior with a small narrow bar, low ceilings, fake wood-burning stove and dark wood tables. The mellow crowd makes this an ideal date spot or just a place where you can have a conversation without screaming. Their large outdoor area is like the backyard you wish you had with a bath tub full of flowers, Christmas lights and plenty of seating. 

Cocktails are well crafted and varied. Each cocktail is made with the same care and attention that you would expect from a dish in a great restaurant. While David Moo does change his menu, recent cocktails include the crisp and refreshing Greenwood Cooler, a potato vodka based drink made with muddled cucumber, lemon and mint, grapefruit juice and simple syrup.

The Plantation is served in a champagne glass and is made with basil, demarera sugar, Plymouth Gin, Cointreau, lime juice and grapefruit juice. It is like a salad in a glass, but in a good way.

And the spicy Chile Lime is a must try. It can quite possibly haunt your dreams. A split Serrano pepper is added to a glass with lime and a “smidgen” of Matouk’s Flambeau hot sauce, it's then topped with vodka, soda water and Sprite. It's spicy enough that it wakes up your palate, but not too spicy that you’ll have any problem having two of them.

There are also a few beers on tap, wines by the glass and a Yuengling draft and a shot of Old Crow Bourbon for $6.

Several savory pies are available from DUB Pies, in Windsor Terrace, to help soak up some of the alcohol.

A lot of exciting openings are on the horizon for Park Slope, now that a second resurgence is underway. I’m just happy that I discovered Quarter Bar as a result because it has quickly become one of my favorite bars in the area.

Quarter Bar, 675 Fifth Avenue, between 20th and 21st streets, (718) 788-0989, quarterbarbrooklyn.com