The Standard, the Court Avenue district’s newest member, opened its doors at the end of February and aims to serve up modern martinis and live music.

The two-floor bar and restaurant is located on 208 Third St., and serves salads, sandwiches and tapas alongside martinis and other cocktails.

With daily food and happy hour specials, owners Dante Heck, 26, and Brendan Kelly, 25, hope their first business venture will be a success.

Heck said he and Kelly previously worked as bartenders at various establishments before meeting downtown at the Liar’s Club and deciding to go into business together.

The pair chose to set up shop in the Court Avenue district rather than in the East Village or the Western Gateway Park area, because they felt the downtown scene was missing an upscale martini bar.

“I had bartended and taken on different management duties, but I was looking for the next step,” Heck said.

“I love this industry’s lifestyle, and owning a restaurant is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

But getting to this point has been a challenge, Heck said, adding that now that the restaurant has had a successful opening, their focus will shift to increasing their marketing.

Besides classic and modern martinis, the restaurant specializes in live music, with acts performing everything from jazz to classic rock songs, Heck said.

Additionally, the second floor turns into a nightclub during the evenings on weekends, complete with a DJ.

Menu items include olive plates, crab cakes and tilapia tacos, with the average cost hovering around $8 per item, Heck said. Drink prices range from $6 to $8.

The restaurant and bar is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Happy hour specials include $3 beers and half-price martinis and half-price bottles of wine.