12 Pro-Loved Brooklyn Bars to Add to Your List

Brooklyn is full of excellent drinking establishments, dozens of which could be considered the “best.” So, to narrow down a list of the borough’s stand-out bars, we asked industry pros for the Brooklyn spots that they frequent the most—where they take out-of-towners, where they head after closing down their own bar and where they go for the casual weeknight hang.

The result is a list of surprisingly under-the-radar spots. Some of the most beloved bars in Brooklyn made the cut, while others are simply solid neighborhood hangouts with a thoughtful wine list or endearingly divey vibe.

So, here are 12 bars in Brooklyn that are worth adding to your rotation—all approved by your favorite bartender.

Image Courtesy of Maison Premiere

Best Cocktail Bar

Maison Premiere

Maison Premiere is hardly “under-the-radar,” as it’s been named one of the World’s 50 Best Bars multiple times and earned a James Beard Award. But while some of NYC’s buzziest bars have lines stretching down the block or require a (nearly impossible) reservation, Maison Premiere remains a top-notch cocktail bar that’s actually accessible, making it a favorite among those in the industry.

Nacho Jimenez, co-owner of the East Village’s SUPERBUENO, says it might be his favorite bar in all of New York. “From the absinthe fountain and shape of the bar to the beautifully curated back garden, the whole space is a den for those looking for curated experience based on New Orleans cocktails and food,” he says.

Best Place to Take Visitors

Clover Club

Vintage leather couches, a sleek mahogany bar and regular jazz band performances give this cool cocktail bar a very New York feel. Despite having some of the best riffs on classic cocktails in the city, the Clover Club remains low-key—perfect for out-of-towners who want to feel like they have the inside scoop. Jeff Bell, mixologist and managing partner at Please Don’t Tell, loves the Carroll Gardens bar’s entire program but recommends the namesake cocktail.

“You gotta order a Clover Club while at Clover Club,” he says. “But if you have the chance to have more than one or visit more than once, their list is always excellent, and their talented team of long-tenured bartenders always execute at a high level with warm service.”

Best Dive Bar

Sunny’s

According to Mike Puma, owner of Gotham Burger Social Club, the ultimate Brooklyn dive experience is at Sunny’s in Red Hook. The bar, which has been around in some form since the 1890s, is filled with knickknacks and an impressively vast drink list. “It’s the kind of spot where you can easily grab a simple pint or a perfectly made classic cocktail, but here’s the kicker: They’ve also got a surprisingly great selection of natural wines, which you don’t often find in a dive bar,” says Puma.

Summer is a popular time to visit thanks to its roster of live music, cute backyard and more space out front where people hang out on a vintage flatbed truck, but Sunny’s is “a real hidden gem that feels right any time of year.”

Best Wine Bar

Frog

Frog is a cool kid’s natural wine bar through and through—just look at the pool table, spacious backyard and slate of cool events. But the Bed-Stuy bar has a serious wine list to back up the good vibes, and it’s approved by some of the best drink makers in the city.

let adType_67f04cfbd9d34 = “leaderboard”;
// Create the element
let script_67f04cfbd9d34 = document.createElement(“script”);

script_67f04cfbd9d34.innerHTML = `
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};
googletag.cmd.push(function() {

var mapping;
// Size mapping for leaderboard ads
var lbmapping = googletag.sizeMapping()
.addSize([1024, 0], [[970, 250], [970, 90], [1, 1], [728, 90]])
.addSize([728, 0], [[728, 90], [1, 1]])
.addSize([320, 0], [[1, 1], [300, 50], [300, 100], [320, 50], [320, 100]])
.addSize([0, 0], [[1, 1], [320, 50]])
.build();
// Size mapping for med rectengle ads
var medrecmapping = googletag.sizeMapping()
.addSize([1024, 0], [[300, 600],[300, 250]])
.addSize([728, 0], [300, 250])
.addSize([320, 0], [[1, 1],[300, 250]])
.addSize([0, 0], [[1, 1], [300, 250]])
.build()
//var lbSlots = [[[320, 100], [728, 90], [300, 100], [1, 1], [300, 50], [970, 250], [320, 50], [970, 90]]];
//var medrecSlots = [[300, 600], [1, 1], [300, 250]];

mapping = adType_67f04cfbd9d34 == ‘leaderboard’ ? lbmapping : medrecmapping;
googletag.defineSlot(”, [],
‘div-gpt-ad-67f04cfbd9d34’).addService(googletag.pubads()).defineSizeMapping(mapping);
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); //maybe optional
googletag.pubads().refresh(); //maybe optional
googletag.enableServices();

});
`;

//checking to see if script is inserted in the header successfully
if (document.head.appendChild(script_67f04cfbd9d34)) {
//variable holding the rendering body
document.getElementById(“gptBodySection-67f04cfbd9d34”).innerHTML = `

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-67f04cfbd9d34); });

`;
}

Andrea Grujic, a bartender at Sip & Guzzle in the West Village, is a regular because the wine list is full of “crowd favorites” like funky orange wines. “It’s unpretentious and inviting, with a great selection of natural, unfiltered wines that rotate from time to time,” she says. “So, there’s always something new to try.”

Best Bar That Always Has Something New

Grand Army Bar

Another hotspot for Grujic is Grand Army Bar. The longtime favorite regularly switches up the drink menu based on theme—think drinks named after astrological signs, cats and Mean Girls references—and Grujic applauds the bar’s “meticulous attention to detail in everything from ingredient selection to menu design.”

Best Cash-Only Bar

Dynaco

“Cash-only” may conjure up the image of underwhelming dives. That’s not the case at Dyanco, a Bed-Stuy bar that’s known for excellent cocktails and its warm, welcoming environment. “I’m partial to my neighborhood spot,” says Ellis Srubas-Giammanco, the wine director at Penny. “It’s dark, cozy, cash-only and no frills.”

There’s no defined menu, but expect stand-out classic cocktails like Negronis, Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and martinis. Go in the winter months for the coziest experience and enjoy the real wood-burning fireplace.

Best Bar for Frozen Drinks

The Commodore

There’s no denying the vibe at The Commodore is all Brooklyn, with its pinball machines and grungy bathroom. But one sip of a frozen piña colada or margarita and you’ll forget all about MTA delays. Delicious frozen drinks alongside a reasonably priced comfort food menu make it a favorite among industry pros like Julia Schwartz, the wine director at Claud.

let adType_67f04cfbda796 = “leaderboard”;
// Create the element
let script_67f04cfbda796 = document.createElement(“script”);

script_67f04cfbda796.innerHTML = `
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};
googletag.cmd.push(function() {

mapping = adType_67f04cfbda796 == ‘leaderboard’ ? lbmapping : medrecmapping;
googletag.defineSlot(”, [],
‘div-gpt-ad-67f04cfbda796’).addService(googletag.pubads()).defineSizeMapping(mapping);
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); //maybe optional
googletag.pubads().refresh(); //maybe optional
googletag.enableServices();

});
`;

//checking to see if script is inserted in the header successfully
if (document.head.appendChild(script_67f04cfbda796)) {
//variable holding the rendering body
document.getElementById(“gptBodySection-67f04cfbda796”).innerHTML = `

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-67f04cfbda796); });

`;
}

“Order a blended mojito and queso—there’s no time or day of the week it isn’t perfect,” she says. Hide away here during a freezing night in January or snag a seat at one of the ’80s-style pool chairs out front during the summer. Just don’t leave before you dig into a fried chicken sandwich—it’s one of the best in the city.

Photography by Studio Szeitz for Gage and Tollner

Best Place to Have a Martini

Gage & Tollner (and Sunken Harbor Club)

A martini goes from good to great when it’s served in an elegant, old-school bar. So there’s no better place to raise a glass than at Gage & Tollner, the historic NYC steakhouse founded in 1879. Enjoy a classic martini with oysters, and take in surroundings that are steeped in history.

“The grandeur of Gage & Tollner provides a sophisticated and historic backdrop for enjoying a martini,” says Henry Doda, beverage director at Rocco Steakhouse. Although the bar upstairs, Sunken Harbor Club, specializes in rum cocktails, Doda says you’ll also find an excellent martini riff on the menu that combines sesame oil, red pepper and a cooling hint of cucumber.

Best Pub

Hartley’s

As the founder of Faccia Brutto Spirits, Patrick Miller might be known for making some of the best amaro in town, but even he has to retire from strong cocktails every once in a while. When he gets what he calls “cocktail fatigue,” Hartley’s has the cure in the form of cold, perfectly poured Guinness in a cozy, laid-back environment in Clinton Hill. “This unassuming Irish pub is the spot for the best pint of Guinness or great to grab a local beer and cheddar popcorn,” he says. “The staff is always lovely, the vibe is always great.”

Best Neighborhood Bar

With Others

Everyone needs that one go-to bar just a few blocks from their apartment. For Eddy Buckingham, the cofounder and operating partner of Tuxedo Hospitality (the group behind Chinese Tuxedo and the Tyger), that’s With Others. Buckingham likes the bar because its wine list is as elegant as the space, which is the ideal venue for parking yourself at the bar or chilling in the backyard.

“I’m lucky enough to live a few blocks away,” he says. “My favorite seat in all of Williamsburg is Table 1. It’s at the front of the venue in front of a bay window, which opens up to the street. It’s best to get there before sunset, pull a couple of corks and watch the world go by. Invariably a friend will walk past and join us.”

Best Dive Bar That’s Not Really a Dive Bar

Minnows

For a chill environment known as much for beer-and-shot specials as for standout cocktails, Jarett Karlsberg, the beverage director at the Wythe Hotel (including Le Crocodile and Bar Blondeau), heads to Minnows in Greenpoint. The relaxed quasi-dive bar is known for its solid cocktails and indulgent bar food like nachos and wings. “I usually just get a shot and a beer there,” he says. “But in the summer, the Hot Bird Paloma and the Pond Water do the trick.”

Best Place to Party

Nightmoves

When the team behind the beloved natural wine spot Four Horsemen opened Nightmoves, a nightclub-like venue where you can hit the dancefloor with a great glass of wine in hand, it was an instant hit. “The commitment to quality wine and sound with a vibrant dance floor is like nothing else you’ll find in Brooklyn,” says Will Rivas, the beverage director for 6RH, a hospitality group with restaurants like Rafael and Miriam.

More Bar Coverage

While you’re in town, check out some of the best wine bars in New York City.
These ten legendary cocktail bars around the world, most of them still open, have had an outsize influence on how we drink today.
Do upscale bars have a hospitality problem? We dive in.
Sip sought-after sparklers at the best Champagne bars in the U.S.
Did you notice that tiny wine glasses are taking over wine bars?