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Free Williamsburg

The Williamsburg Brooklyn-based culture guide to New York and beyond.

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Food & Drink All

The Best Bars In Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick

April 1, 2019 By Free Williamsburg

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Best Williamsburg Bar

 

George & Jack’s Taproom

103 Berry Street, Williamsburg
We thought we’d miss Brooklyn Ale House when we heard it was going to be taken over by new owners a few years ago, but the transformation to George and Jack’s was actually an upgrade. This fantastic little pub has the feel of an old dive bar, but with a great selection of local drafts and solid cocktails. The bar has a local’s vibe, despite being just two blocks from the Bedford L train and has a very friendly staff. Free popcorn and a great jukebox with a blend of classic punk, old time country, and routinely updated indie favorites adds to the charm. We love George and Jack’s so stay away!

Best South Williamsburg Bar

 

Iona

180 Grand Street, Williamsburg
A Scottish pub on Williamsburg’s southside that is our favorite places to drink south of Metropolitan Ave. Iona opened in 2001 and has weathered the neighborhood’s changes and gentrification without ever slipping into trendiness or pretension. In the warmer months their spacious backyard is open with free ping pong and grilled burgers and BBQ available on weekends. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a London Pride draft and avoid the tourists and bros who threaten to overtake the neighborhood.

Best Lorimer/Metropolitan Bar

 

Pete’s Candy Store

709 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg
Pete’s Candy Store has been a Williamsburg staple for so long, you’d likely forgotten about it altogether — if you’d ever heard of it at all. If you haven’t been in a while, you should go. It’s just as great as ever. The bar has a welcoming front room with a handful of bar seats and a few booths. Specialty cocktails ($11) and a handful of drafts ($7) are available and there’s a small menu featuring serviceable sandwiches. The true gem of the space is it’s backroom which looks like a boxcar and hosts live music, open mics, readings and even church services. Check their calendar for special events and be sure to poke your head outside when it’s warm out. They have a great, under-the-radar backyard.

Best Graham Ave. Bar

 

Lady Jay’s

633 Grand Street, Williamsburg
Looking for a low-key bar with strong cocktails, beer-and-shot specials, and zero attitude? This is your spot. Lady Jay’s has a country-western theme, with lots of Merle, Johnny, Patsy and Hank on the jukebox, but it doesn’t get weighed down in the conceit. The interior is decorated with a large U.S. flag, deer antlers, neon beer signs, and a vintage shuffle bowling machine. Still, the Americana is tasteful enough to avoid feeling like a theme bar. There’s a spacious patio out back, which is great fun in the summer. Lady Jays is a great bar, though of course Pumps was a close runner-up for the neighborhood.

Best East Williamsburg Bar

 

The Narrows

1037 Flushing Ave., Bushwick
The Narrows is a posh, and occasionally crowded, East Willy bar specializing in well-made cocktails. The patio is cozy, with Christmas lights, ivy and lawn furniture that looks like it came from your old backyard in the ‘burbs, giving it the familiarity of home. Plus, they have oysters everyday until 7pm for a buck! The drinks are classy but the vibes are mellow. Even if you don’t live close-by, The Narrows will make it worth the trip.

old_stanleys

Best Bushwick Bar

 

Old Stanley’s

226 Wyckoff Ave., Bushwick
Old Stanley’s is self-consciously trying to be the type of working class bar your old man would frequent in the Seventies. Despite the conceit, or perhaps because of it, we love this bar. And what makes Old Stanley’s even better is their great backyard. Cool down with a draft in a frosty mug or try a slushy Irish Coffee named for the actor who played Kojak: The Ethel O’ Connell. They also have pretzels and hot dogs available on the cheap and a solid happy hour. Old Stanley’s has a great jukebox too with a bunch of classic punk and metal. What else do you need?

Best Greenpoint Bar (Nassau Ave. G Stop)

 

Lake Street

706 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint
A neo-Dive with a Midwest theme owned by members of Hold Steady and Spoon – but don’t let that deter you. This is a great little spot with checkered tile floors and a comfortable bar where everybody immediately feels at home. Named for a street in Minneapolis, the bar has twelve beers on tap and serves an assortment of Midwestern beers, hot dogs, and bratwurst. If you’re sports-averse you may want to avoid Lake Street when there’s a big game on, but otherwise this is a great bar to down a few beers. Or better yet, try one of their frozen specialties which include frozen Strawberry and Peach Margaritas and a Frozen Negroni cocktail.

Best Greenpoint Bar (Greenpoint Ave. G Stop)

 

Black Rabbit

In a city where most English and Irish Pubs feel pretty cookie-cutter, we’re happy that Black Rabbit exists. The bar is dark and cozy, with a long bar and a handful of booths, each having its own saloon-style door on the outside for privacy. Drinks are strong and the beer list is anything but typical, with a rotating list of local drafts like Other Half and Bronx Brewery. Best of all, there’s a cozy fireplace in the back which adds to the overall charm of the joint. Don’t miss Trivia Night on Tuesdays. The only downside is the small bites menu — which consists of sliders, Frito pies and sausages. It, quite frankly, sucks. Come instead for drinks and you will be delighted.

Other Besties

  • By Nabe
  • Williamsburg
  • greenpoint
  • bushwick

Williamsburg

  • BEST WINE BAR
    D.O.C. Wine Bar
  • BEST KITSCHY COCKTAILS
    The Commodore
  • Best Honky-Tonk Bar
    Skinny Dennis
  • BEST GAY BAR
    Metropolitan
  • BEST FANCY COCKTAILS
    Hotel Delmano
  • BEST BOWLING ALLEY
    The Gutter
  • Best Speakeasy
    Mezcaleria La Milagrosa
  • BEST GIN BAR
    The Shanty
  • BEST CRAFT BEER BAR THAT ALSO HAS Great WINE
    Spuyten Duyvil
  • Best Wine Bar Owned by James Murphy
    Four Horseman
  • Best Design
    Donna
  • Most Douchey
    Kinfolk 94
  • Best Sports Bar
    4th Down
  • BEST HIPSTER SPOTTINGS
    The Levee
    Union Pool
  • Best Happy Hour For Avoiding Well Drinks and Crap Beer
    Night of Joy
  • MOST BRIDGE-AND-TUNNEL
    Berry Park
  • BEST BEER HALL
    Radegast Hall & Biergarten
  • BEST LOW-KEY PLACE TO TAKE A DATE
    Huckleberry Bar
  • BEST WHISKEY BAR
    Noorman’s Kil
  • BEST Authentic DIVE BAR
    Turkey’s Nest Tavern
  • BEST ROOFTOP
    The Ides and Westlight

Greenpoint

  • Best Neo Dive
    Oak and Iron
  • Biggest Meat Market
    Broken Land
  • Biggest Meat Market that smells like a meyer’s lavender candle
    Ramona
  • Best Polish Dive with Jello Shots
    Capri Social Club
  • Friendliest Staff
    The Moonlight Mile
  • Best Bar Food
    The Drift
  • Best weekend drinking for parents
    Spritzenhaus
  • Most Cozy
    Achilles Heel
  • Best Design
    Alameda
  • Best Metal Bar
    Saint Vitus
  • Best Bar Close to McGolrick Park
    Goldie’s Bar
  • Best Craft Beer Bars
    Brouwerij Lane
    Torst
    Greenpoint Beer and Ale Company
    The Diamond

Bushwick

  • BEST MORGAN STOP BAR
    Pine Box Rock Shop
  • BEST JEFFERSON STOP BAR
    Three Diamond Door
  • Best Cocktails For Under $10
    Yours Sincerely
  • Best Bar to See an Ariel Performance
    House of Yes
  • Best Trivia
    Cobra Club
  • BEST CRAFT BEER BAR
    The Sampler
  • Best Dive Bar with a Comic Book Theme
    Gotham City Lounge
  • Most Outlandish Decor
    The Keep
  • Best Local’s Joint
    Pearl’s Social and Billy Club

Related: Drink Outside

See our full list for outdoor drinking

Filed Under: Bushwick, Greenpoint, Guides, Williamsburg



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