A new cocktail bar opened on the corner of Grand and Humboldt Street with upscale cocktails and a petite food menu.

The small space is cozy with a bar and tables lining the walls. Overall, Little Grand is bringing a classier type of bar to the strip of dives along East end of Grand Street.

Renovation of the space began more than a year ago in the former corner space that had served as the home to Masha and the Bear.

The menu features complicated versions of classic cocktails. The bartender was still learning the menu last night spritzing absinthe into our Manhattan.

There’s a mix of limited food offerings– just enough to satisfy a hungry drinker rather than serve as a dinner destination.

Among the small plates was a stuffed Jimmy Nardello pepper. It’s rare to see bell peppers named by their varietal. If you’re wondering, the Nardello is popular in Connecticut, brought to the United States by Guiseppe and Angella Nardello from their Ruoti, Basilicata in around 1887. The family settled in Naugatuck where they raised eleven children, one of whom, Jimmy, grew the peppers well into the 20th century eventually donating the seeds to the Seed Savers Exchange.

There’s also a short raw bar menu, but with oysters at $4.50 each, we’ll have to pass. (It’s still East Williamsburg, a block from NYCHA housing, guys).

With dinner plans elsewhere that evening, we skipped the food, instead sipping strong cocktails at the bar.

Overall there were good vibes at the bar, and while it wasn’t overly crowded, many of the tables were filled at 8pm on a Friday. It’s a pretty place to sit and sip a drink, but whether that’s enough to make it a neighborhood spot or a destination bar is yet to be seen.