Paint it Black: Black Flamingo
Photo by Jane Bruce
Black Flamingo
168 Borinquen Place, Williamsburg
“If nothing else, at least the music will be good,” I thought, rounding the corner on my way to Black Flamingo, a South Williamsburg bar and dance venue that’s been garnering lots of buzz thanks to its premium sound system and a whole lot of musical muscle, including Eli Goldstein of Soul Clap. But there’s a lot more to like about Black Flamingo than just the music.
The space nails its intended retro-groovy vibe and features vintage wallpaper, vinyl flooring, and tons of mirrors upstairs in the drinking and dining area, with the downstairs dance space boasting floor-to-ceiling wood paneling, strategically placed gold lightning, and pleather seating. The bar menu is an all-vegetarian, Latin-inspired selection of small plates; we loved the Guava Jam Grilled Cheese, Jackfruit Crab Cakes, and Tiramisu.
Happily, the drinks are just as on point as everything else. Cocktails like the Blood on the Sun (light rum, dark rum, lemon, orange, apricot syrup, orgeat, bitters) and the Ginger Caipirinha were exactly the dance-inducing elixirs we needed. The attentive bartender also won us over with the love he put into every drink as well as his friendly, unpretentious chatter. All of this is why, even on a Tuesday night, the bar and dance floor were packed with bodies eating, drinking, and moving—all contributing to Black Flamingo’s undeniably good vibe.
