This new bar in Seaboard Station offers classic cocktails and Mediterranean-inspired street food in an airy earth-toned atmosphere
by Catherine Currin | by Forrest Mason

Hospitality has always been part of George Ghneim’s DNA. When his family immigrated from Palestine to San Francisco in the 1980s, they opened a corner store deli — and Ghneim was behind the counter almost as soon as he could reach it. “I worked since I was a little kid, weekends and summers,” he says. “It was really all about the relationships.”

Ghneim ended up going to veterinary school, moving to North Carolina for work and practicing in Raleigh, but he still longed for that vibe. In 2006, while still running his practice, he opened Riviera Mediterranean Resto & Lounge downtown, but it closed a few years later.

Fast forward almost a decade: Ghneim, by then a partner in Oak Heart Veterinary Hospitals across Raleigh, got to talking with bartender Geremy Prichard when he was behind the counter at The Blind Barbour, a whiskey bar across the street from an Oak Heart clinic. Prichard was studying bioprocessing at North Carolina State University, with dreams of opening a distillery. “We finally decided to pull the trigger,” says Ghneim. They enlisted Aaron Lambert, who was previously the general manager at Whiskey Kitchen, to run the business day-to-day, and the three, along with seasoned bartender Zack Thomas, worked together to bring Boatman Spirits Co. to life — a concept that would be part cocktail bar, part distillery.

Because they wanted Boatman to have a fully functioning distillery, they had some pretty specific building requirements, like high ceilings, and found a fit within the newly redeveloped Seaboard Station area. Boatman Spirits Co. opened in June.

The 7,000-square-foot space, which was designed by Bryan Costello, is now an anchor of Seaboard’s reinvention. Sprawling, inviting archways and domed ceilings are highlighted by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the natural light.

The entryway is highlighted by geometric terrazzo tiles in alternating shades of pink, cream and brick red; each column is clad in rich brown tiles, bringing intimacy to the space. Lambert says the space was meant to transport you: “I wanted it to feel like you walked into another country or time, but couldn’t put your finger on which one — though you might see a flash of Marrakesh, Istanbul or the Basque region.”

The name “Boatman” is also leaves room for varied interpretations. “We chose the name because it allows us to pay homage to many cultures,” says Lambert. “The boatman takes you from our world into a different world,” says Ghneim.

“And there are so many different variations of this. A popular one is the boatman on the River Styx in ancient Greek mythology, but you have versions of this idea throughout the Mediterranean, as well as in Asian cultures and the Celtic world.”

Even within the vast space, guests can find intimate corners or watch the action at the bar. The menu spotlights classic cocktails like the Sazerac, gimlets and sours. “Our first mission is to bring a lineup of drinks that show off our prowess while still being approachable and familiar,” says Lambert. Martinis and boozy cocktails are served in a mini carafe, resting on ice, for freshly chilled refills as you take each sip.

As for the food, “we decided to focus a little bit on my heritage and bring in Mediterranean-inspired street food, but we wanted the menu to be something we continue to explore,” says Ghneim.

“We’re trying to show that Mediterranean cuisine is so much more than Greek and Italian food,” Lambert says. The bar plates and dinner menus include fresh, vibrant flavors — like a zesty gazpacho and herbaceous Fattoush salad — as well as heartier savory dishes like a shawarma platter with basmati rice and pita, plus an array of entrees to choose from, like falafel and lamb kofta.

Bar patrons can graze on crispy halloumi bites, marinated olives or fried chickpeas. “From the drinks to the food, our entire menu has nods to different Mediterranean ingredients, cultures and mythologies,” says Lambert, nodding to the Watermelon Hex, a cocktail with vodka, St. Germain, mint and prosecco. “For example, watermelon is a national symbol for George’s home country of Palestine.”

Since its opening, Boatman has welcomed guests with regular jazz nights, weekend DJs, supper-club collaborations and boilermaker nights (with different beer and spirit pairings on the menu). “And as the distillery gets up and going — hopefully in early 2026 — we’re going to make spirits with methods and ingredients from all over the world,” says Lambert, “so our boatman can continue to evolve and change.” 

This article originally appeared in the Decembe, 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.