Golden Ratio
Bar · Clinton Hill ·
Seasonal cocktails, zero-proof options, and vegetable-forward small plates
Seasonal cocktails, zero-proof options, and vegetable-forward small plates
"From the team behind all-day Cafe Mado and neighboring Place des Fêtes, this Brooklyn bar leans hard into inventive, seasonal ingredients rather than classic cocktail templates, reminding me of West Coast spots like True Laurel or high-concept European programs like Röda Huset. The menu is structured so that each featured ingredient — ranging from “apple” and “Mexican mint marigold” to more unusual picks like “toothache tree” — appears in both a full-proof and a nonalcoholic cocktail, making for 32 drinks in total and an experience that can feel like a lot to parse. With a short list of mostly small plates, the emphasis is clearly on the drinks, though snacks like the chilled cucumber with kombu and a lighter, bright tartare with pomelo and crispy chips made from salsify are very good accompaniments. While the full-proof cocktails are enjoyable, the spirit-free ones stand out most, especially the N/A Wild Cranberry highball, which is nothing like a basic “vodka-soda-splash-of-crans” and instead feels nuanced, layering Meyer lemon and bay leaf. For a boozy option, the Quince, with rum and whey, delivers a satisfying round texture. Because the menu is organized by ingredient rather than style, it can be hard to tell whether a drink will be served up, on the rocks, or long, and sometimes even what the base spirit is, so it’s worth asking your server if those details matter to you." - Mary Anne Porto
"A Clinton Hill cocktail bar built around produce and restaurant scraps, this 50-seat spot from Redwood Hospitality applies a seasonal-restaurant ethos to drinking with a menu of 32 options—16 with alcohol and 16 without—crafted from greenmarket produce, foraged ingredients, and byproducts from sibling spots. Leftover bread from Laurel Bakery becomes a bread distillate, citrus peels from Place des Fêtes are turned into an aromatic, and a collaboration with nearby Acid Spirits enables quick, small seasonal batches. The Fir cocktail riffs two ways ($21 with alcohol; $16 without): the spirited version distills fresh fir needles into a clear, aromatic base for a martini-style drink with clarified grapefruit, while the zero-proof take simmers the needles into a piney syrup, pairs it with a nonalcoholic distillate made from leftover grapefruit peels, and turns it into a soda. A tight food menu from culinary director Daniel Martignon leans vegetable-forward, with a smoked sunchoke profiterole ($11), crispy hake ($24), and a hasselback potato ($9) already stealing the show on Instagram. Seating spans lounge chairs up front, a six-seat bar, dining tables, an eight-top booth, and a standing communal counter in back; more than half the space is held for walk-ins, with reservations on Resy. The name nods to both the classic 1:1:2 cocktail formula and the Greek phi, a harmony the team is chasing in the glass—without the hush." - Melissa McCart
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