"In Bed-Stuy, where music spills out through the turquoise door of this tiny bar on the ground floor of a brownstone, you might spot passersby pausing at the cheerful chalk-board sign outside LunÀtico. Founded by three musicians, and still run by two—Richard Julian and Arthur Kell—it's first and foremost a music venue, albeit one that also serves superb cocktails and Middle Eastern plates like kousa mahshi and mahalabia. Easy conversations start up on communal tables or in the standing room behind the glossy white piano, chosen by the late jazz pianist Henry Butler, who used to play there. Today, LunÀtico presents music every night: Spanish singer-songwriter Lau Noah’s melancholy guitar; Yacouba Sissoko’s joyful West-African melodies; Clark Gayton’s exuberant brass; funk classics by former James Brown bassist Fred Thomas; as well as visits from heavy-hitting recording artists like Nick Hakim and Valerie June. A black hat box is passed around for tips (a $10 donation is recommended), as the bartender shakes cocktails to the beat of the music and strangers dance with one another in the cozy amber intimacy of the narrow room."
