Hoboken's Mysterious 'Little Bar' Is An Intimate Dining Experience Near The Waterfront

HOBOKEN, NJ — The mysteriously glowing fish and martini glass on 14th Street in Hoboken are just hints that something unique is inside — an intimate seafood restaurant and bar with small plates, tasty cocktails, and desserts.

Located at the north end of town, a mile from the train station but only two blocks from the waterfront promenade, Little Bar is as much an experience as it is a place to dine: the perfect venue to entertain foodie friends or a date. A menu of plates, seafood, cocktails, and wines caters to a unique mix of tastes.

Nova Scotia chef Seadon Shouse, who brought his cuisine to Halifax Restaurant at Hoboken's W Hotel, is the executive chef at Little Bar.

Shouse's recently released memoir and cookbook, "From the Hill by the Sea," talks about foraging and "cooking from theland with heart and soul," and he employs these principles to Little Bar.

A recent visit to the bar — which opened last month — provided an answer to the burning question: How does one turn a former poke joint into a restaurant with seating for groups of two to four, plus a bar?

They've found a way.

For The 'Gastro-Curious'

The menu consists of boards (cures, caviar, and conservas), and bites (dishes, vegetables, and desserts). The cures range from duck liver pate for $11 to Serrano ham, salami, and duck rillettes for $25.

Conservas include house made maple smoked salmon (a delight at $12), mussels in Escabeche ($18), cockles in brine, ($22), and more.

Bites start at $8: Olives, potato chips, sesame-thyme lavash with butter. The whipped ricotta with truffle honey plate was a sweet surprise ($14). For dessert, you can choose from vanilla panna cotta with plum jam and a chocolate pot.

The cocktails have unique names to go with their ingredients: "Sidecar? Take the Ferry Instead," "Martin Served Frank's Way, Joe's Way, My Way." Ingredients range from cognac to Solerno blood orange to cacao.

“The atmosphere [is] reminiscent of a European-style neighborhood restaurant and sophisticated small bar
experience, with an irreverent and slightly decadent signature,” said the owner, Michael Barry. “We look forward to serving patrons with extraordinary drinks and food in this unique venue and new location.”

“The space is designed as an outpost of Halifax’s unique palette, yet focusing on preserved bites, a new kind of venue for an interesting evening out,” said Shouse.

He added, “Offerings include preserved seafood ranging from basic sardines to choices for the gastro-curious, like tuna belly or hand-picked cockles, all complemented by an array of hand-crafted cocktails and fine wines.”

“We plan to serve classics as well as new cocktails, with some surprises," said General Manager Weng Lee.

Visit Little Bar at 1401 Hudson St. and learn more about it here.

Also: Do you know of another restaurant opening or closing in North Jersey? Email Caren Lissner at Patch.