Sweet Revenge, a slick, retro-inspired neighborhood bar, sits just beyond Clinton Hill proper in Bed-Stuy, playing realtor's friend while being low key enough not to scream gentrifier from the surrounding bodega rooftops. The '60s-era, kitschy decor centers around an eye-catching liquor shelf with its retro-futuristic, aerodynamic curves done up in wood, and a concrete bartop that segues into a cozy nook of a booth. Lending a bit of a Jetsons/Flintstones vibe, these features are careful to add more class than cartoon. Faux-wood-patterned wallpaper, spacey silver light fixtures and ceiling fans, and tiki accents complete the look. Cocktail offerings are modest: the Soft Opening ($6), a mix of citrus vodka and pink lemonade, is a benignly sweet concoction that's been around since it all began, and the Wild Wood ($6), with spiced rum and orange soda, is probably favored by Pratt students who aren't old enough to know any better. The lengthy happy hour means you can throw back $4 well drinks and a $7 combo of Powers Irish whiskey and a Bud bottle chaser until 9 p.m., even on weekends. Tap beers include summery selections such as Victory HopDevil Ale ($5) and Hoegaarden ($5), best enjoyed on the roomy, Christmas-light strung patio. Since beer munchies could strike after a few too many $3 cans of Yuengling Black & Tan, Hot Pockets (3 cheese, BBQ Chicken; $3) are available and served still in the crisping sleeve, so you know they're the real microwaved deal. On nights when the DJ booth's occupied, the music runs the gamut from country to soul to punk and keeps those tailfeathers shaking. With past events like an all-ladies arm wrestling competition (with a professional table and championship belt, no less), if this is what vengeance feels like, we'll take some more.

Sweet Revenge
348 Franklin Ave.
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
(718) 398-2472