But before we get into the good stuff, let me first acknowledge how offensive the name of this establishment is. I have no known understanding of how the owner chose this name or what message they were trying to send at it’s birth about three years ago, but from the looks of the menu and wall art it seems as if they turned a racist term for a black woman into a theme for something as frivolous as a nightlife establishment.
The term Negrità is Spanish for darling, young black girl, an extension of the male term Negra— I would expect you know the shameful American version already. Both terms have a history routed in racism. I’m going out on a limb assuming the name of this bar is meant as a celebration of black women, however, to reclaim a word that was once used to divide people is a tricky task and I just can’t help but wonder why this bar had to make that choice.
Aside from that, we had a very enjoyable evening there at sunset before heading to dinner. It’s located right in Little Venice, where there are lots of similar small bars, with prime views. The interior itself is fairly big, extending long and narrow onto a wonderfully cozy patio where the water and sunset literally meet the pavement, creating such a magical feeling of being at sea.
Everything else was pure summer magic. Getting a little table for two was fairly easy given we came right before sunset and during the end of high season on a Monday. So if you have more than two people in your party I would recommend starting early so you can hold down one of the prime patio views.
The mounds of pink bougainvillea framed the view so perfectly. As you sit in a tiny booth and enjoy the most delectable drinks. I usually avoid fancy cocktails because of the sugar content but I knew this was one place worth an exception. I had the Mai Thai because they had homemade almond syrup as one of the ingredients and obviously I knew how beautiful it would be. Despite the sugar content and pretty garnishes, it felt like a heavy pour. Perhaps it was just my sea sickness patch, but regardless, it was well worth the 16€ price tag.
After the sun completely set we left for dinner and asked the cocktail waitress where we should go out after, of course her response was “back here” and from the sounds of the DJ I could see why. Unfortunately after a long day of sailing, dinner made us too sleepy to head out anywhere but back home, but if I had had a second wind, this spot would have definitely been my first choice for dancing and drinks without a the large club scene Mykonos is known for.
All in all it was definitely my favorite spot for cocktails and I’m just hoping they open something similar in Los Angeles!
With any other name please.
With any other name please.
