East Williamsburg just scored a new spot for quick drinks and loud playlists with Dokidoki, a compact standing-room cocktail bar from veteran bartenders A-K Hada and Christian Suzuki-Orellana (who goes by Suzu). Tucked into 160 Havemeyer Street, the roughly 30-person, tachinomi-inspired room leans into Japanese standing-bar culture, Latin beats, and low-ABV cocktails, all geared toward a fast-moving, high-energy hangout where no one stays seated for long.
According to Time Out, Dokidoki quietly opened on July 2 and prices its cocktails at $16, focusing on shochu, sake, vermouth, and fortified wines to keep the alcohol content lower while still packing in flavor. Time Out highlights the Tropi Hai, built on barley shochu, roasted barley tea, grapefruit, and tamarind, along with the coffee-forward Shibuya Cafecito. The bar keeps hours from 4 p.m. to midnight and sticks to a walk-in only policy, so reservations are off the table.
Who’s behind Dokidoki
Eater NY reports that Hada and Suzu met through a mutual friend and set Dokidoki up as a tight, focused project while they plan a longer-term venture. Their résumés include cocktail-world heavy hitters like Please Don’t Tell and Existing Conditions. The pair say the name Dokidoki, a Japanese onomatopoeia for a racing heartbeat, mirrors the pulse they want in the room, according to the bar’s own site. Suzuki-Orellana previously ran Japanese-Salvadoran pop-ups and was a semifinalist on Netflix’s Drink Masters, while Hada served as head bartender at PDT before moving on to Existing Conditions.
Menu and the small-plates program
Consulting chef Daniel Maysonet has put together a compact food menu that runs Puerto Rican and Salvadoran flavors through a Japanese lens, serving dishes such as a cod katsu sando on shokupan and crispy pork belly with yuzu kosho and tamarind, according to The Spirits Business. Drinks lean tropical and inventive, from shochu-spiked martini riffs to a honeydew margarita-style option, and the team has also built in nonalcoholic choices plus rotating pours of sake and wine.
Permits and neighborhood process
Public meeting records show that ASMH 127 East 7 LLC filed an application under the Dokidoki name for permits covering a wine, beer, and cider license as well as a bar and tavern use at the Havemeyer address, according to Brooklyn Community Board 1. The minutes outline the team’s submission to local review and indicate that the owners went through the neighborhood approval process ahead of opening, which is why the project appeared in board listings earlier in the year.
How to go
Dokidoki operates on a walk-in only basis and is open daily from 4 p.m. to midnight, with the bar listing its address as 160 Havemeyer St., Store #S5, on its website. Eater NY notes that the space clocks in at about 300 square feet and fits roughly 30 people, so things could feel cozy fast, especially on weekends. The team shares menu and service updates on the bar’s site and on Instagram.
