Brooklyn Drinking Guide: Where to Drink Wherever You Are
The Brooklyn Bar Guide:
WHERE TO DRINK ,
WHEREVER YOU ARE
WilliamsburgGreenpointClinton HillFort GreeneBushwick / RidgewoodBed-StuyPark Slope DUMBO / Brooklyn Heights / DoBro South Slope / Greenwood Heights Windsor Terrace / Kensington Carroll Gardens / Gowanus/ Cobble Hill / Boerum HillRed Hook / Columbia Street Waterfront District Prospect Heights / Crown HeightsBrighton Beach / Coney Island / Sheepshead BayDitmas Park / Prospect Park South / Flatbush / Prospect Lefferts GardensBay Ridge/Sunset Park
ICONS KEY
kid-friendly
beerwinecocktailsdivefoodaffordabilitygood for groupshappy hourtriviadaytime drinkingoutdoor arearomancelive musicsports
beer
wine
cocktails
dive
food
affordability
good for groups
happy hour
trivia
daytime drinking
outdoor area
romance
live music
sports
BAR LUNATICO
486 Halsey Street, Bed-Stuy
There are obviously countless venues to see live music in Brooklyn, but it’s a little more difficult to find a place quite like this. Bar Lunatico is basically the perfect little bar for a romantic after-dinner drink with bae. The cocktails are a bit on the pricey side but they’re delicious and it’s worth it to get in on the vibes—plus the music is free! Grab a corner table and get cozy while you listen to the band play—from jazz to Brazilian— and hold hands, maybe even put your arms around each other, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Eugene & Co
397 Tompkins Avenue, Bed-Stuy
As far as restaurants go, Eugene & Co is definitely one of our favorites in the whole borough right now (hint: try the biscuits and gravy for brunch!), but as far as straight drinking goes, it’s also quite a gem: A good range of reds, whites, and sparklings by the glass and bottle; classic, perfectly executed cocktails; a very decent beer selection; and a handful of dessert wines. But it’s really the vibe—dark wood, exposed brick, cozy banquets, hanging plants, always bustling but never packed—that seals the deal for spending your evening there, whether for food, drinks, or both.
Beast of Bourbon
710 Myrtle Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Although the vibe can often feel a little college-bro-y, we have to admit Beast of Bourbon does what it does pretty well: beer hall (over 40 drafts, and all the long beer-hall style benches you could want), BBQ (brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken wings, pig wings—not to mention some really dope mac and cheese), and bourbon ($8 frozen whiskey drinks). If you’re in the neighborhood with a big group of non-vegetarians, it’s worth rolling through.
Brooklyn Stoops
742 Myrtle Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Sometimes you miss simpler days. Days of mismatched furniture, beer pong, and raucous DJ party vibes. Oh, you mean college? Well, now that you mention it, Project Parlor is a little reminiscent of college. But! We wouldn’t say it’s exclusively—or even primarily—for college kids. The cocktails are way, way more sophisticated and delicious than anything we ever drank in college (Try the Chocolate Orange Old Fashioned or the Absinthe Frappe) and no matter how old you get, it’s always nice to take photos in a Photo booth and hang out in a big dog-friendly backyard.
Project Parlor
486 Halsey Street, Bed-Stuy
There are obviously countless venues to see live music in Brooklyn, but it’s a little more difficult to find a place quite like this. Bar Lunatico is basically the perfect little bar for a romantic after-dinner drink with bae. The cocktails are a bit on the pricey side but they’re delicious and it’s worth it to get in on the vibes—plus the music is free! Grab a corner table and get cozy while you listen to the band play—from jazz to Brazilian— and hold hands, maybe even put your arms around each other, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Project Parlor
486 Halsey Street, Bed-Stuy
There are obviously countless venues to see live music in Brooklyn, but it’s a little more difficult to find a place quite like this. Bar Lunatico is basically the perfect little bar for a romantic after-dinner drink with bae. The cocktails are a bit on the pricey side but they’re delicious and it’s worth it to get in on the vibes—plus the music is free! Grab a corner table and get cozy while you listen to the band play—from jazz to Brazilian— and hold hands, maybe even put your arms around each other, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Brooklyn Tap House
590 Myrtle Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Brooklyn Tap House is one of the best sports bars in all of Brooklyn primarily because—with 15 TVs throughout the bar and patio (multiple of which being large-screen projectors)—it’s pretty much impossible to miss a second of any game or match you’re there to see. Also, their mind-boggling beer selection (40 on tap, 52 bottles, and 13 cans) and tons of seating certainly don’t hurt either. And although not necessarily a destination for food, we’d definitely suggest the Tap House Burger to help pad your stomach as you’re working your way through all those beers.
Black Swan
1048 Bedford Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Behold the rare place you can take pretty much anyone for pretty much any occasion. Black Swan is cool without taking itself too seriously. With plenty of space, it also manages to feel bustling yet simultaneously chill. You’d be happy to be taken there on a date (whether it’s your first or your hundredth), or by a friend just to catch up, or with a group to watch the game. Your parents would love it. Anyone who likes to eat—especially late at night when pickings are slim—would love it. And whether you’re a sommelier or a beer nerd or wino on a budget or a mixologist or just want a damn shot of tequila (or anywhere in between), you’ll find something you’re excited to drink.
One Last Shag
348 Franklin Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Oh summer, you beautiful, fleeting season of warmth and exuberance and freedom—when the greenery is lush and we are free to be lushes. Don’t leave us, summer. Be endless for real. Pretty please? “Ask and you shall receive,” said One Last Shag. Whether you’re bumping and grinding on OLS’s little dance floor—amongst the tiki vibe and banana-leaf covered walls—in January or July, this place is pure 100% summer.
Tip Top Bar & Grill
432 Franklin Avenue, Bed-Stuy
In Brooklyn, we all know when people call a bar a “dive,” it’s often bullshit. People will call any place that isn’t a reclaimed-wood clad, lantern-candle filled brunch spot a dive. Well, ladies and gentlemen, let us set the record straight: Tip Top Bar & Grill is a real, honest-to-goodness dive. How can we tell? Maybe it’s the handwritten signs that say “Absolutely No Drugs. You are being watched,” or the wrinkled posters of Obama, or the backyard that feels like a junky garage, or the fact that drinks are always cheaper than most surrounding spot’s happy-hour deals, or that the people who work there—especially the family who owns it—are always angels who just want to feed you fish sandwiches and get you drunk.
Dynaco
1112 Bedford Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Aesthetically, Dynaco feels pretty country: A long wooden bar paired with wooden walls, dimly lighted via vintage lamps, armed bar stools, a pair of roomy booths, western tapestries, framed vintage photos, and—the best part—a wood-burning fireplace. But, as far as the vibe goes, it’s pretty rock n’ roll: loud, smoky (granted, the smokiness is because of the fireplace, but still), and frequently packed to the gills on a Friday or Saturday night, with people standing all along the wall adjacent to the bar. There’s a nice little beer selection and, although there’s no cocktail menu, the bartenders know their stuff and will gladly mix up whatever your heart desires. Also, for when all the country-ing and rock n’ rolling gets you famished, there are free Goldfish.
Doris
1088 Fulton Street, Bed-Stuy
Doris is a love-at-first-sight kind of bar. Like, yeah, sure, you’ll fall in love with the bar. But also, there’s a certain energy about this place—perhaps it’s the sultry southwestern vibe or the intoxicating aroma of scented candles and grilled cheese, or maybe the moody lighting or maybe this place actually just happens to attract a lot of hopeless romantics—but, regardless of why, Doris definitely feels like a place conducive to falling in love (or whatever.) So put your social pants on, grab a nice cocktail, post up with some pals at the bar or in the really cute backyard, and prepare yourself for cupid’s arrow—maybe.
Stop Time
1223 Bedford Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Have someone in your life you want to impress? “Look how classy and cultured but also laid back I am.” Then you need to take them to Stop Time. A pretty recent addition to the neighborhood, Stop Time occupies the corner of Bedford and Halsey with some serious curb appeal—panels and panels of frosted glass windows that beckon you in with their soft glow at night. And inside, a smart, vintage lounge vibe with checkered floors, a handsome selection of rotating craft beers on tap and wine-focused cocktails, and live jazz music. The epitome of classy but chill.
C’Mon Everybody
325 Franklin Avenue, Bed-Stuy
C’Mon Everbody is a place with soul. And not just in the musical sense (although, as one of Brooklyn’s most exciting new venues with a very eclectic lineup, it definitely has that too), but in the broader sense of having a real human core. This is evident by signs that say things like, “We are all one under this roof. Please respect your brothers and sisters,” and, “Respect the DJ’s selections. No requests. Discovery is key.” We love that communal vibe of mutual respect, especially because it’s hard to come by when you’re out drinking.
Chilo’s
323 Franklin Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Aesthetically, Dynaco feels pretty country: A long wooden bar paired with wooden walls, dimly lighted via vintage lamps, armed bar stools, a pair of roomy booths, western tapestries, framed vintage photos, and—the best part—a wood-burning fireplace. But, as far as the vibe goes, it’s pretty rock n’ roll: loud, smoky (granted, the smokiness is because of the fireplace, but still), and frequently packed to the gills on a Friday or Saturday night, with people standing all along the wall adjacent to the bar. There’s a nice little beer selection and, although there’s no cocktail menu, the bartenders know their stuff and will gladly mix up whatever your heart desires. Also, for when all the country-ing and rock n’ rolling gets you famished, there are free Goldfish.
Moloko
705 Myrtle Avenue, Bed-Stuy
You know that warm, fuzzy feeling of being in a really homey place, like, say for example, Grandma’s house? When you’re there, you’re totally immersed in acceptance and comfort and really cute little decorations, and really, really good food. Moloko definitely has that Grandma’s house thing going for it, from the vintage mirror hanging over the bar and the potted plants to the quippy, but very, very kind wait staff. Moloko offers a handful of nice beers and wines and then some truly exceptional cocktails and food (we love the Sinclair’s Quay and deviled eggs). And, although it might sound crazy at first, the Grandma’s-house vibe is really the perfect place for a date—because it’s already so full of love.
Fancy Nancy
1038 Bedford Avenue, Bed-Stuy
We love Fancy Nancy because it’s totally not fancy. Well, it’s not NOT fancy, but, this place feels overtly youthful, from the teal booths to the block-letter font on the menu to the cheese-covered tater tots they serve—which you should definitely try by the way. There’s a great little list of natural wines, delicious cocktails with sassy names (try the Sloppy Seconds!), and a short but sweet beer list. They function primarily as a restaurant and therefore aren’t open super late (11pm during the week and midnight on the weekends), so swing by for a drink after work or make this one of your first stops when heading out on a Friday or Saturday.
Glorietta Baldy
502 Franklin Avenue, Bed-Stuy
With a great craft beer list, perfect selection of seasonal cocktails, lots of seating, and a little courtyard for smoking, Glorietta Baldy is the kind of neighborhood bar everyone needs in their life. But, there is one specific group we think this place might especially appeal to: punks gone moms/dads. We would never say “ex punk” because we know you still have the spirit in you, but you’ve definitely chilled out a lot over the years, probably partially due to a kid or two. And this place is perfect for you because—like you—it subtly hints to its punk spirit with the music it plays (Jawbreaker last time we stopped by) and memorabilia hanging on the walls (Youth of Today, 7 Seconds). So put on your favorite old, ratty band tee and call the sitter.
Moot Bar
579 Myrtle Avenue, Bed-Stuy
Free food is never to be taken lightly. We get pretty excited about free popcorn or even free peanuts, but Moot Bar takes free bar food to the next level with Hot Dog Tuesday, where you get a free dog with every single drink. Every single one! Insane. And there is a great drink selection to help you wash down that dog—or, you know, just to drink if it’s not a Tuesday or if you’re not as excited about these free hot dogs as we are. There’s dozen or so great beers on tap, and another dozen cans, a handful of house cocktails and cheap glasses of wine, and some beer and shot deals as well. Also, Trivia Wednesdays!
KeBeer
1003 Brighton Beach Avenue, Brighton Beach
With it’s manifestly medieval décor (dark wood, black iron, sputtering candles), and German-leaning tap list (drink five liters in one sitting, and you’ll win free drinks for life), it’s easy to confuse KeBeer with just about any other beer garden in Brooklyn. But consider the food options, and you simply couldn’t be anywhere else but in Brighton Beach—sure, there are chicken wings, but also pelmeni (dumplings), khachapuri (cheese bread), plov (an Uzbek staple of lamb and rice pilaf) and pickled herring.
The Velvet Rope Lounge
3212 Coney Island Avenue
Looking for a low-key counterpoint to the full-on floorshows and extravagant, European feasts at nearby Tatiana’s and The National? What are you doing in Brighton Beach? That said, this thumping nightclub and hookah lounge is positively sedate by comparison—as well as one of the closest things the neighborhood has to an actual, unadulterated bar—although since Russians rarely drink without eating, you’ll still find mayo-gobbed salads, chicken liver in cognac sauce and lamb ribs cooked on coals to balance out the Cosmos and icy vodka shots.
The Freak Bar
3006 W 12th Street, Coney Island
Although way more colorful—in every sense of the word—than your average theatre lobby, this is less of an official “bar” than it is a curved counter and six some-odd stools, serving as a seasonal way station for Coney’s infamous Freakshow. And if you’re lucky, The Human Blockhead, The Sword Swallower or Nati the Patchwork Girl might be nursing a Coney Island lager next to you; sure beats the company at the majority of boardwalk bars.
Ruby’s Bar & Grill
1213 Boardwalk West, Coney Island
While it could have been the greatest casualty of Coney Island’s big revamp, the 40-year-old Ruby’s (the most long-standing bar on the boardwalk) received a last minute reprieve back in 2011, offered an eight-year-long lease by Zamperla USA. No promises on what happens next, but it still provides devoted patrons with a decent enough cushion, for multiple summers left to come spent staring out at the ocean, with a salted margarita or frosty bottle of Rolling Rock in one hand, and a crab cake sandwich or cloud of cotton candy in the other.
Peggy O’Neill’s
1904 Surf Avenue, Coney Island
Well enough removed from Coney’s various, tourist-thronged strips, this Irish pub and sports bar is primarily populated by honest-to-goodness locals (meaning its open for business year-round). Highlights include regular live music, karaoke nights, satisfying pub grub like Irish nachos, plenty of big screens for watching the game, and room for dogs to roam on their vast, umbrella-tabled patio; sneak your pup a bite of your “Kitchen Sink” burger, and offer up some water out of your plastic pint cup.
Margarita Island
1105 Bowery Street, Coney Island
Beer Garden may have been effectively ousted by Zamperla, but it didn’t stop owner Carlo Muraco (also of the venerable Shoot the Freak) to attempt a second act with this frozen drink-focused party spot; currently the largest indoor/outdoor bar gracing the boardwalk. Open from Memorial Day weekend all the way through September, the rollicking watering hole offers live entertainment and regular promotions (ladies enjoy half-priced margaritas on Thursdays), as well as a food court featuring three different trucks — Smokehouse BBQ, the Nacho & Burrito Bar, and Yume Teriyaki Grill, serving steak and rice, chicken wings and crispy gyoza.
Draft Barn
317 Avenue X, Gravesend or 28 Dooley Street, Sheepshead Bay
With outposts in both Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend, this duo of sprawling beer gardens boasts 300 bottles (half of them Belgian or German, such as Corsendonk Abbey Pale Ale, Ayinger Brau-Weiss, and Brasserie des Rocs Grand Cru), as well as 11 taps (Krusovice Imperial, Warsteiner Premium Dunkel). There’s plenty of space to spread out in the dark wood-paneled taverns, but why not settle with your stein in the generously-sized courtyards, fortified with a plate of friga (pan-fried potatoes with bacon), a bowl of housemade goulash, or a trio of juicy sausage; white, cheese, and paprika-speckled Hungarian.
Brass Rail
2123 Avenue Z, Sheepshead Bay
Formerly known as the Log Cabin (believed to be Brooklyn’s very first karaoke bar), this Sheepshead Bay stalwart still sees its fair share of amateur belters each night—although perhaps they came for the complimentary buffet, rife with hearty options like chicken, pasta and soup.
Bossa Nova Civic Club
1271 Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick
A true staple for anyone who appreciates dance music (From Berghain-approved techno to bumpin booty house) and/or a good black-on-black outfit. Bossa is one of Brooklyn’s best places to dance pretty much any night of the week, especially if you’re a dance-seeker on a budget. Where other spots like Good Room and Output charge between $15-$40 dollars at the door, Bossa is free every weekday night and only $10 on Saturday and Sunday. The beer selection is nothing special, but their crown jewels are the fresh-made juices they use in their cocktails and, of course, Club-Mate.
Sunrise/Sunset
351 Evergreen Avenue, Bushwick
By day, this place is a cafe with simple, healthy dishes at a decent price ($8 grain bowl with cheese, yes please), and by night a quiet little bar where you can get that same light fare but switch out the coffee for a beyond-decent glass of wine or one of a dozen creative cocktails. All of which makes Sunrise/Sunset one of the best little date spots in the area—if you’re looking for a candlelit, vinyl-playing-softly kind of date. And also we like to think it’s named after a Bright Eyes song, which certainly doesn’t hurt.
Bootleg Bar
1438 Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick
Bootleg is one of those bars that usually feels perfectly populated—not too crowded, but never dead. And there’s always something to keep you entertained: from the pinball machine to the pool table to a diverse collection of jukebox selections (Are you feeling more Patti Smith or more Wutang Clan?) to the occasional live music to—perhaps our personal favorite—the fact that you can bring in outside food and there just so happens to be a Popeye’s across the street.
Bizarre
12 Jefferson Street, Bushwick
Don’t say bizarre if you don’t mean it. But oh, they mean it. Wednesdays and Saturdays are pretty reliable nights for basking in varying degrees of weirdness—from your pretty standard burlesque and drag to a guy that rolls himself up in a carpet and asks you to step on him. The decor also keeps things weird in the best way with velvet couches and a crazy disco ball bathroom. Other highlights include some really well executed cocktails, a perfect little backyard, and one of the best burgers in the neighborhood.
Lone Wolf
1089 Broadway, Bushwick
A lot of people associate Lone Wolf with the h-word (hipster)—which, we suppose, isn’t totally off-base—but, we like it because it falls somewhere between dive and hipster that manages to escape pretension. Like the PBR-drinking hipster stereotype instead of the gluten-free eating hipster stereotype, ya know? And we also love it because that divey hipster vibe goes hand-in-hand with very cheap drinks and DJs playing Morrissey. Don’t mind if we do.
Industry 1332
1332 Halsey Street, Bushwick
There is really no denying that this area of Bushwick is still pretty much a bar and restaurant wasteland, so it’s great to have a recent addition that offers solid Latin American food (including brunch!), wine, beer and—as of the last month—a liquor license. If the game is on and you’re feeling sporty, sit at the bar and hoot and holler at the big TVs, or if you’d rather not get in the hoot crossfire, you can still feel social by sitting at Industry’s gigantic banquet table in the back room. Or there’s always a cozy little two-top facing the floor-to-ceiling windows for an intimate summer night.
The Evergreen
109 Moffat Street, Bushwick
The Evergreen is another recent addition to this far-out area of Bushwick that was long barren of any good watering holes. This doesn’t have all the bells and whistles as a place like Industry 1332—a little more retro and divey—but, rather, just the necessities you need from a good neighborhood bar: moody lighting, friendly staff, good tunes, a few classic cocktails, and atpe least a few good beers that even your beer-nerd friends will deem acceptable. Oh, and we can’t forget cheap. And what do you get when you take $2 off of an already cheap drink during happy hour? A really fucking cheap drink.
Birdy’s
1215 Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick