Ramona

This place would DEFINITELY of been 4.5 stars… IF the bartenders weren’t VERY rude.
I get it… you’re more hip than I am. I live in Queens… you’re prob a brooklynite… I was perky and nice, and that probably annoyed you. They were just rude.
To the GOOD parts.
This bar is GORGEOUS. ABSOLUTELY Beautiful. Its a really nice change of pace from all the other bars in that area. While they were rude, those bartenders 100% knew what they doing. The drink menu is great and service was pretty quick. Best drink I had «2 French Sisters»
I would HIGHLY recommend this as a «date place», a Saturday night place… Just awesome.

Interior is very pretty and the bartenders are very nice
drink menu is creative but I was really disappointed in the snacks
It needs warmth
It has a lot of potential but needs to have a different vibe for the 5 to 8 PM to 8PM crowd

Most instagrammed chandelier in Greenpoint. The drinks are expensive, and this is a «fancy scene» which is amazing when your in the mood… I went here late night on a Tuesday and there was still a decent amount of people here. Great mood lighting. I had a mescal cocktail from the menu which was incredible. Great spot for feeling fancy and having fancy drinks!

Wow. I strolled in here after seeing my favorite indie band perform, and it was the perfect spot for a nightcap. Beautiful design, high ceilings, an upstairs loft, it’s a classy joint, but you don’t get too pretentious of an air.
I hunkered down at the bar, and met the eye of the bar man, and he politely showed me the menu (spoiler…you’re going to have a tough time deciding on a drink, so many delicious concoctions!) I asked for a recommendation with a little kick to it, and your man served up the perfect drink for the evening. He called it «Myopic Dismay,» which consisted of a house ghost-​pepper infused small-​batch absinthe that had a Slovak name (can’t remember it now), with a few random leaves of some sort. It was rimmed with a special mixture of fresh Cayenne, coffee grinds, and a fine Zanzibar nutmeg. It has a major kick, and the finish keeps going. After a couple of these, it’s not just a drink, it’s an event!
I managed to make the acquaintance of a fellow countryman, Gustav, who hailed from near to my hometown, an enclave of Gypsies. We shared a war story or two, and ordered up a round of shots for ourselves and a few dames we managed to cajole into sitting with us. The bar man served up a mixture he coined an «Aunt Jemima,» a shot of their house distilled white lightning with a dollop of Organic Vermont maple syrup dropped in. A very unique taste and texture on the palate!
I will be going here again for their new fall/​winter menu, and hoping for the same royal treatment by the staff.
And if you ever get the chance, be sure to check out Sex Predator when they perform stateside again.

I’ve been here a few times, and every time I’m reminded why this place is so great. It’s obvious that they use the best ingredients for their cocktails. Never have I felt like I was downing some syrupy mass-​produced mixed at Ramona. Even though every time I’m there (and most times when I walk by) the place is full of people, it still seems like a little hidden gem among the delis and dive bars on Franklin.
It has something that not a lot of cocktail bars have, and it’s a strangely welcoming bright, clean interior. Listen, it’s not a blinding sight, but it is inviting and helps to keep you alert after your 4^th drink.
There’s lots of spaces you can tuck yourself away inside, there’s a cute balcony with windows overlooking the street, and a more subdued area toward the back.
The bartenders are fantastic and attentive, and even though I once bought 5 people here, it wasn’t an issue getting everyone’s drinks in a timely manner.

Ramona was an excellent cocktail bar in Greenpoint that I checked out with the girlfriend just before attending a wedding at the nearby Greenpoint Loft. As it turns out, the post-​party was there later in the evening so we had the pleasure of being there both during the late afternoon and at night!
I had never been to Brooklyn before, but Ramona is set up right in the middle of exactly what I imagined hipster Brooklyn should look like based on movies and TV shows. They have a fairly large bar space with several tables in addition to the long bar, as well as stairs leading to another fairly large seating area.
We tried the Old Fashioned and the Sazerac, and each were well-​made craft cocktails that contained a good amount of alcohol. They had a great happy hour cocktail deal going on at that time which included both of our drinks, but if I were to go back again I’d probably get the barrel-​aged drinks, just out of curiosity.
Service was attentive and prompt, and the drinks were made well. Nothing to complain about here, and I’m glad we were able to check it out even though we were on a tight schedule.

I read about Ramona in a NYC neighborhood guide, and then a very in-​the-​know friend recommended it as well, so we knew we had to check it out. I read on Unilocal about the happy hour specials, so we headed there on Thursday evening. Every seat at the bar was full, but other than that, the place was empty. It has a trendy vibe, and I’m sure it is packed on weekend nights. They apparently allow you to bring in outside food because a table next to us did just that.
My boyfriend was excited to try the Death of Ladies’ Man because of the addition of tobacco bitters. He sadly wasn’t impressed by the cocktail and didn’t think it was anything special. I opted to try the sazerac that was only $ 7 with happy hour pricing. I had never tried this cocktail, and I also was not a fan of my drink. We had a second round of beers, which are only $ 6 during happy hour. They had one of my favorite local Greenpoint beers on draft – the Greenpoint Brewing Milk and Honey.
It was a nice place, but not my favorite to grab a drink in the neighborhood.

My impression of Greenpoint is maybe an old one – Polish food and sleepy streets and some decent borscht to be had. Ramona taught me that maybe the neighborhood is livening up (or gentrifying, or Williamsburgerizing, what have you.) It’s a spacious, airy, nicely styled and beautifully accented cocktail bar, with a long menu of interesting cocktails and a small selection of beers and food. There’s a long bar, some counter space, plenty of tables in the back and more on a high mezzanine. The floor’s a prettily tiled herringbone. The service was super friendly. Overall it was a lovely space for a fancy drink.
A couple of highlights:
— I asked for the most gingery think they could imagine making. I got a black-​pepper Moscow Mule, frozen. It wasn’t just gingery, it was sharp, it had bite. It was the first drink in a long while that made me question my tolerance for ginger. An adult’s slushy, I want it again thinking about it. (Note that this is on the simpler end of the cocktails offered here. If you’re looking for quirk or uniqueness, they’ve got plenty on the menu, e.g., the Werewolf Season, which involves absinthe, chili liqueur, lime, honey, oranges, egg whites, mole, and cacao.)
— The pies changed weekly or every few weeks, according to the waitress, and the one I had was styled like an extra-​large empanada. Full of summer squash and vegetables, with a side of spicy mustard and pickled tomatillos, it was delicious.

Fabulous place! Love how intimate it is after 1am on a Saturday night. The bartender was super nice and polite. The crowd was also pretty chill and friendly.
I ordered the black book cocktail which has bourbon, jalapeño, honey and spices. The concept is there but something was lacking to make it WOW. So it was an okay drink.
My friend ordered the suburban shade which has gin, muddled mint, and blueberries… it tastes like a mojito and was delicious!
The prices are standard $ 12-​$ 15.
Will deff return to try their other creations & for the ambience :) love that the Elsa team opened this spot :)
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Wow! Talk about good cocktails and good bar! I’ve been here with my boy to go out for a drink, but it’s also one of those spots you can definitely take your girl for a romantic date night. The only thing is if your looking for the perfect date spot, the music was a tad loud for talking for when i had her at a table. They have happy hour on sazeracs and old fashions here which are super solid! Now about the drinks… complexity is amazing. They do things off the popular track. Imagine coxktails with tea or passion fruit that are amazing. You have to give this place a try.

I’ve been here a few times and this place has to be one of the best cocktail spots in the city. Delicious and inventive drinks and well executed classics. I have yet to be disappointed with any of there drinks. The space is really cool. It’s all white. They have an upstairs of sorts. It is almost like a balcony overlooking a courtyard. It’s actually pretty spacious, so I can definitely recommend bringing a group. This cocktail bar is a must try if you are in greenpoint and definitely worth a trip just to try it out.

Yeah, Ramona is pretty damn awesome. They somehow pull off not being pretentious even though everything about the experience is top notch.
The space itself is very nice, like really beautiful, in fact. No idea why Unilocal categorizes it as divey. The bar is all marble, super clean, and actually has an upscale vibe to it. That said, I’ve still never been there in anything but a t-​shirt and always feel comfortable – it is Greenpoint, after all. There is plenty of room, it’s never too loud, and it’s easy to get a drink.
What really makes Ramona stand out, though, is the sheer quality and thoughtfulness of their drinks. The menu is super inventive and the spirits/​mixers are top notch (eg. earl grey gin, rose hip grenadine). They even make a frozen Moscow Mule that is a little spicy and off the charts delicious. Very cool.
Final note, I love the fact they have Bud bottles for $ 4 at such a nice cocktail bar. Nice touch.

We rented out Ramona to hold our 50 person wedding reception. The atmosphere was absolutely beautiful and they were very accommodating with our requests to bring in food and clear space for dancing.
I cannot rave enough about the staff. All the communication leading up to the event was very prompt and professional and on the evening of our event the bar staff were incredibly warm and attentive.
Cocktails were amazing. Overall we had a great night and a lot of it is thanks to Ramona!

Let’s keep this short and sweet:
Been dreaming about that frozen Moscow Mule since I experienced it on Friday night. So delicious. So refreshing.
The cocktail list is lengthy and the prices are right. The ambiance is super romantic and the bartenders are warm and friendly. Shout out to Jon, he’s the best.
If you’re trying to get a table at Paulie Gee’s, definitely hang out at Ramona while you wait.

This happens to be my favorite cocktail bar in Brooklyn. The bartenders are super laid back and friendly, plus they give great service. It is never too hectic, crowded, or loud — the mood is just right.
I have a pretty developed palate when it comes to cocktails and spirits from being a bartender for 13 years, so I can’t say that I’m ever easily impressed; however, Ramona’s cocktail menu is on point. Ingredients are well balanced and there is something on the list for everyone. The bartenders there certainly know what they’re doing and it’s always a treat for me to sit at the bar and have a cocktail (or two or three…) and relax, whether it’s alone or with company.

Beautiful décor, definitely NOT divey, which is how Unilocal for whatever reason categorizes it. Spacious interior with large floor to ceiling windows makes it a great place to take in the outside scenery by day. In the evening, the stylish lighting provides dim lighting and a cool ambiance.
The drink menu is creative and enticing. Perfect if you like artsy cocktails. Of course, there is a solid selection of standard bar offerings as well.
Tip:
It’s a bit of a walk from the MTR

great happy hours every afternoon, so stack up on your 2-​for-​1 until 7pm (I believe). Our bar tender was very friendly and accommodating as well (we came right at the tail end of happy hour but he generously let us partake in the deals — thank you!!) Ramona is a large and spacious cocktail bar with plenty of seating at the bar counters, but there are also lots of little tables at the back. the clean white décor makes the place feel very calm and serene and the candles at each table help set the mood as well. Nice large clean bathrooms too! If only it wasn’t so far away and there were more public transportation options to get here!

I think this is really a 4.5 star review. I came here on a recent Monday night by myself and had a lovely experience. The space is elegant and enormous (no idea why Unilocal categorizes the atmosphere as «divey»). There’s seating at the bar, against the wall across from the bar, and at tables both downstairs and upstairs. I was there for several hours, and it never got crowded. There was a lot of natural light (great for me since I was reading), and when that faded, the light in the bar was appropriately dim, but still acceptable for reading.
For my first drink, I had the S. M. Jenkins Cocktail (gin, Pimm’s, cucumber, lime, velvet falernum, ginger ale, $ 12), which was refreshing and savory. If you’re not a cucumber fan, avoid this drink since it has a strong cucumber flavor. Next, I had the the Handsome Grandson (gin, bay leaf syrup, pomegranate, basil, lime, club soda, $ 13), which was an amazingly delicious combination of sweet and savory. The bartender said the bay leaf simple syrup made all the difference. Normally, I would have ordered something not on the menu for my next drink, but the Handsome Grandson was so good that I just stuck with that. That one drink alone is worth many return visits.

Cocktail bars are everywhere now, but Ramona is a welcome addition to the scene.
It was crowded on a Friday night, but my friend and I snagged two seats along the wall facing the bar. The bartenders were understandably busy but made sure everyone was taken care of. The drinks have some of the best names I’ve ever come across in a bar: I had the Latin Homework and the Beetle Boxer. Both were made well and were strong and flavorful without being overwhelming. These guys know their stuff.
There is plenty of room for groups towards the back of the first floor, and more intimate seating on the second floor. The music was loud enough to hear but didn’t drown out conversation. Could be risky for a date, but perfect for friends starting the evening.

Ramona has a gorgeous interior, and got me shitfaced after only 2 drinks.
Thank you Ramona.