Why Maison Premiere is one of my first tales is quite clear when you walk into this little gem located at Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. A small green sign hangs on top of the entrance “Bar & Oysters” – almost inconsiderable. But the place is well worth a visit and you will see and taste why. A beautifully dressed host meets you when you dive into this seafood themed bar.
Excellent Raw Bar
All you see at first is the dress that suits her perfectly. The stockings, the skirt, the blouse, the hat or the perfect hairstyle and the delicate makeup – you feel seduced and you never want to leave again. It works with me every time I enter this paradise. Attention to detail is the key here and you see it all over the place. All set back in time, you feel you enter a bar from the 1920s. The beautifully conserved cash machine, the fabulous aged walls, wonderful lamps, the playful crockery, just to name a few. Your eyes will not grow tired of the small details that make this place so special. I have been there several times and was always sitting in the back of this lush place on nicely arranged smaller tables with bistro chairs, granting the view on one side to the seafood bar, where staff in white uniforms skillfully open fresh oysters from all over the place and on the other you find a secret garden in the backyard that invites to reside for a whole afternoon. Even the toilet where you enter through a swinging door fits perfectly the old style of the bar. The immaculately dressed and friendly staff are efficient and happy to fulfill all you might desire.
Absinthe Colada
At the beginning of the evening Maison Premiere offers oyster happy hour so if you are a fan of fresh oysters and you like to indulge in cocktails don’t miss that chance. But there is more. A seafood focused menu offers delicious delights such as scallops, razor clams and lobster. But there are other things if you don’t fancy too much seafood. Last but not least the cocktails.. A solid menu with creative names. There is something for everybody. A speciality here are the absinthes, perfectly served with the stylish fountains. An homage to the good old times too. There are roughly twenty cocktails on the menu. Presentation of the drinks in fancy highballs with adequate decoration to classical coupes play a vital role and certainly helps to set the scene in the bar. Clever selected ingredients creatively put together. The cocktail menu changes frequently and has drinks that stay on and some that are exchanged with the new menu. Overall one of my favorite bars in the world. Cocktails and seafood in the most captivating setting you can imagine – what more can you ask for?
Photos: ©Maison Premiere
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