VinylBase: Mr. Melo Listening Bar

3 minute read

New Greek cuisine, compost cocktails, and excellent music can be found at the friendly and laid-back Mr. Melo listening bar in New York City, (specifically Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

The VIBE

It’s a bar that takes the classic elevated listening bar format, but re imagines it in an affordable and universally accessible experience.

The space boasts an immaculately clear and full Hi-Fi sound system, and hosts vinyl DJs every week, Wednesday-Saturday and invites the community to come together and share cocktails and bites while exploring analog sounds both familiar and obscure during monthly record store takeover events.

Mr. Melo’s extensive vinyl collection has something for everyone, from the most seasoned bin shakers to those just starting to expand their listening, making it the perfect spot for audiophiles and everyday music lovers alike. Unlike some other listening bars that have arrived on the scene lately with overpriced cocktails and loud sound systems, here you can listen to the music AND also have a decent conversation.

Owners:

Co-Owner Food & Beverage Director Nikolas Vagenas is a service industry professional and self-proclaimed cocktail wizard with over a decade of hospitality experience in NYC. He has helped open and operate multiple bars and restaurants including Lullaby, Bar Meridian, Apotheke and helped open and consult for Babel Loft and Gordos Cantina. Nikolas’ experience and dedication to cocktail culture in NYC will inform his role as beverage director at Mr. Melo.

Co-Owner and Music Director Nate Ulsh is also a hospitality industry veteran and an avid vinyl collector, musician, and DJ. His passion for service landed him at such bars and restaurants as Smith and Mills, Five Leaves, Cafe Mogador and Bar Meridian. His music programming experience and passion for vinyl will shape his role as music director at Mr. Melo.

Co-owner Claire Chan was the owner of Bar Beau, the beloved bar that formerly was housed in the space that is now to be Mr. Melo and is excited for Nikolas and Nate to embark on their creative vision for Mr. Melo.

Cocktails:

Co-owners Nikolas Vagenas and Nate Ulsh cut their teeth at some of New York City’s most iconic institutions, and their tasteful, intentional cocktail menu speaks not only to their vast knowledge of spirits and cocktails, but also to their dedication to intention and authenticity.

Highlights include Compost Cocktails including the Baba Rita, which is made with the kitchen’s smoked eggplant skins infused in tequila, and the Feta Brine Martini, which features brine leftover from their whipped feta dip. Their compost cocktails are a sustainability effort to re-purpose the byproducts from their high-quality kitchen into an imaginative cocktail program.

Their cocktails on tap go down dangerously easy, like the Staten Island Iced Tea, which combines eight Italian Aperitifs and house-made cola, and the John Dough, an oat milk clarified passion fruit and mezcal martini.

Their natural wine list and beer offerings are straightforward and specifically curated to harmonize with the space and its food menu.

Design:

Mr. Melo was designed to be a friend to the ear and assiduously leans into the curvature of the space, which allows sounds from dead-stock vintage Klipsch speakers to effortlessly fill the room.

Their La Scala speakers from 1979 look as sleek as they sound, and if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in the “sweet spot” (the best sounding location in the bar), we suggest you stay there all night.

Mr. Melo’s front bar — affably coined “The Dive” — is ideal for intimate conversation over natural wine and the bar’s main room is the hub for music listening, dancing, and everything Melo.

Photos by: Brandyn Liu