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Absinthe and oysters are the draw at this immaculately-executed, old world charmer from La Barricou’s Joshua Boissy. A U-shaped marble bar frames the room’s centerpiece: a Napoleon-topped absinthe fountain; the top-notch staff will be happy to explain the history of its laborious construction. There’s dollar-an-oyster happy hour (4-7pm, 30+ varieties), over 25 absinthes, and an otherwise compact, yet superb beer and wine list (bottles available). Such popularity necessitates a maitre d’ (this ain’t no Coney Island buck-a-shuck) who efficiently get patrons seated, drink and oyster menus in hand. And while the real people-watching takes place up front, the tables in back offer a little extra elbow room and view of the oyster shuckers at work. True, the fixed-gear crowd is out-numbered here, but the democratizing happy hour and moderately priced drinks doesn’t make this just the purview of the Williamsburg Condo Club. — Patrick Siggins

The South Is Rising: Williamsburg, or part of it, anyway, is undergoing yet another wave of change. (9/9/12)

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