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<\/p>\nHi everyone, Happy Halloween \u2013 have you got any exciting plans to celebrate this weekend?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re thinking about going out and enjoying a few drinks to celebrate the spooky season, or looking for somewhere to kick off the end of a busy work week with the \u2018parea\u2019, then I think I might have just found the perfect spot for you to visit in Williamsburg.<\/p>\n
Let me introduce you to Mr. Melo \u2013 an aesthetic, cozy, and intimate listening bar located at 61 Withers Street in Brooklyn, NY, owned by friends and business partners Nikolas Vagenas and Nate Ulsh. Since opening almost three years ago, it has become a popular hotspot in Williamsburg for many reasons.<\/p>\n
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Mr. Melo is a popular listening bar in Williamsburg. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)<\/p>\n
Discovering listening bars<\/p>\n
Now, you\u2019re probably wondering \u2013 what is a listening bar?<\/p>\n
Well, up until this interview, I couldn\u2019t tell you. However, according to Nikolas Vagenas, \u201cIt\u2019s a kind of place where music is curated and intentional.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is also kind of like a third space that people can go to and enjoy a drink or food and listen to music,\u201d Vagenas told TNH.<\/p>\n
The bar itself also carries a unique name that embodies the space perfectly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was originally Bar Melo, and then we changed it to Mr., because there\u2019s too many places called Bar X and I was tired of that, so we went with Mr. Melo, \u201d the owner said.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019Melo\u2019 itself means two things \u2013 It\u2019s like the root of a lot of music-based words, such as melophilia and melody, it\u2019s also ancient Greek for music and lyrics \u2013 \u2018melos\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Interior of Mr. Melo by night.(Photo: Courtesy of Brandyn Lui)<\/p>\n
The drinks at Mr. Melo<\/p>\n
At Mr. Melo, you\u2019ll find a carefully curated cocktail menu with unique flavors you probably won\u2019t find anywhere else.<\/p>\n
The drinks menu features the perfect blend of sweet and bitter drinks cocktails which are cleverly named.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s the \u2018john dough\u2019, the \u2018ryan air\u2019, the \u2018peachy keen\u2019, and the \u2018ginger yuzu smash\u2019, to name a few.<\/p>\n
What I also found unique about this bar was their emphasis on sustainability \u2013 which brings me to their \u2018Compost Cocktails\u2019.<\/p>\n
An example of their \u2018compost cocktails\u2019 is their \u2018feta brine martini\u2019, which features Greek feta, olives, white vermouth and Saintwoods vodka, as well as their \u2018baba rita\u2019 cocktail, which features smoked eggplant infused Suerte tequila, agave and lime.<\/p>\n
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Nate Ulsh and Nikolas Vagenas, the owners of Mr. Melo in Williamsburg. (Photo: Courtesy of Makani Kirwin)<\/p>\n
Discussing the idea behind this element in their drinks menu, Vagenas explained that he wanted to find a way to be sustainable, which led to him incorporating ingredients that would otherwise go to waste.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to create a list of cocktails that were sustainable, and because we\u2019re using ingredients that we throw away \u2013 we called them compost cocktails,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He explained that the concept also allowed him and Ulsh to offer more affordable cocktails, as it allows for leftover food ingredients to be repurposed rather than discarded.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, our \u2018Baba Rita\u2019 cocktail is made with leftover eggplant skins from our Baba Ganoush, which is essentially our melitzanosalata,\u201d Vagenas added.<\/p>\n
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The Feta Brine Martini at Mr. Melo. (Photo: Courtesy of Brandyn Lui)<\/p>\n
The food at Mr. Melo<\/p>\n
In addition to the specialty drinks, some of the delicious, Greek-style bites you can find at Mr. Melo include the spicy lamb mini burger, the Greek drunk fries, the crispy eggplant sando, the pickle plate, the house-made zaatar potato chips which come with your choice of spicy whipped feta, curry hummus, or miso baba dip, and the vegan Caesar salad.<\/p>\n
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The bar. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)<\/p>\n
The vibe<\/p>\n
As a trendy listening bar, Mr. Melo is recognized for its welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, hospitality, ambience, and high-quality sound system, typically attracting a 25-to-35-year-old crowd, although younger and older guests visit as well.<\/p>\n
Over the years, the bar has also hosted multiple listening parties, and is a popular venue for private events, including birthday celebrations, engagement parties, and even weddings.<\/p>\n
When asked what a typical night at Mr. Melo looks like, Vagenas explained that the bar hosts DJs from Wednesday through Saturday, with different DJs rotating throughout the week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have DJs Wednesday through Saturday. Wednesday and Thursday, from 8 PM to 12AM, and then Friday and Saturday, from 9 PM to 2 AM,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFriday and Saturday nights are kind of crazy party vibes. That\u2019s when you get less into the listening bar and more of just a bar vibe. People come, they drink a bunch, they listen to the music, some people come for the DJs specifically \u2013 but that\u2019s the general vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another big focus which adds to the atmosphere and vibes of the bar, is its focus on the \u2018three a\u2019s\u2019, being: \u201capproachable, affordable and accessible\u201d.<\/p>\n
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The Baba Rita cocktail. (Photo: Courtesy of Brandyn Lui)<\/p>\n
Turning three<\/p>\n
As Mr. Melo prepares to celebrate its third birthday, Vagenas reflected on some of the things he\u2019s loved most about running the business alongside Ulsh.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver time, every year has become busier than the last, which is awesome, but I think generally just having really great experiences with guests at the bar has been one of the most rewarding parts,\u201d the Greek-American bar owner said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike whenever someone tells me they had an amazing time, or a friend will say will say \u2018this person went there and had an amazing time\u2019 \u2013\u00a0 it\u2019s this specific interaction, and all those sorts of things which are what I love.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Nate Ulsh and Nikolas Vagenas opened Mr.Melo in 2023. (Photo: Courtesy of Makani Kirwin)<\/p>\n
Mr. Melo goes to Athens<\/p>\n
As a bar recognized for its quality cocktails, Vagenas added how Mr. Melo has also done pop-ups in numerous cities and countries, including in Montreal, Toronto, New Orleans, Arizona, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, and in just a few weeks will also be participating in the \u2018Athens Bar Show 2026\u2019 on November 4 for the first time.<\/p>\n
Vagenas expressed how excited he was to be taking part, while also using the opportunity to spend time with his family in Patras.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always wanting to put this together and I was really excited to be able to go back. More importantly, I just really wanted to see my family and this is the most affordable way for me to do it,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s also really cool to be able to bring all the things that basically quintessentially are Mr. Melo to Greece and then show that to my family because even though they can\u2019t travel here, or they can\u2019t afford to travel here, they\u2019ll get a taste of what it is essentially, which is really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n