image c/o Flickr

600 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.4440

Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Mon-Fri, 3pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 1pm-4am
Price: $
Subway: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: Free pizza when you buy a pint
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: No, but they have free pizza!
We say:

The dive meets frat boy decor is nothing to write home about, but the free brick over pizza (which is actually REALLY good) makes it hard to pass up.

NY Mag says:

Inside what was once the Galleria pizza place, this bar’s turquoise walls, pink flamingoes and Romanesque details don’t quite gel, yet one crucial feature remains intact: the arched, wood-burning oven. Because of the owners’ sensational idea of serving free personal pizzas every night until 3:30 a.m., this unremarkable joint has turned into a loveable hangout that’s a great first or last barhop stop. Young and old Williamsburg folk congregate along the bar, in the maroon, open-angle vinyl booths, and around the green pool table. A booming jukebox and Big Buck Hunter Pro game in back provide entertainment. A selection of 10 draft beers complements the delicious crisp-crust pies, which are on the house with every drink; toppings like pepperoni, caramelized onions and flavorful sweet sausage are available for an extra $2.

Barcade

388 Union Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.302.6464

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm-4am; Sat-Sun 2pm-4am
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full Bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 5pm-8pm & Fri-Sat 2pm-8pm ; $1 off tap beers, $1 off well drinks, $6 Fisherman’s Brew and shot of Jim Bean
We say:

A fabulous bar with tons of classic arcade games like Moon Patrol, Centipede, Frogger, and Donkey Kong,and Zaxxon. Plus, there are a dozen beers on tap and its spacious. Barcade rules.

NY Mag says:

Some people’s idea of a romantic nightspot involves candles, slow jams, and a heart-shaped box of candy. But for girls on the hunt for that elusive small-torsoed, tight-jeaned, floppy-haired species known as the Emoboyis Williamsburgus, there’s no better pick-up spot than Barcade. Here, finding and chatting up prime specimens is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel–or, more accurately, as easy as shooting aliens in Moon Patrol, one of almost thirty vintage arcade games that give Barcade its name. The airy, loft-like space never feels crowded, and there’s plenty of room to sit and watch Union Avenue’s finest compete for high scores of all varieties. Most importantly, the rotating list of more than 20 microbrews includes many local beers on tap. The heavyweight ones, with names like Sixpoint Diesel and higher-than-usual alcohol contents, may be just what’s needed to seal the deal with that dude in the faded Smiths T-shirt–or to sabotage your opponent at two-player Tetris.

Beauty Bar

921 Broadway
Brooklyn NY 11206
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347.529.0370

Rating: ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: 6pm-4am Daily
Subway: J,M,Z to Myrtle Ave.
Food/Menu: Small Bar Snacks
Booze: Full Bar
Happy Hour: Martini and Manicure Happy Hour ($10) is offered Wed-Fri 7pm-11PM & Sat 9-12.
NY Mag says:

In order to build his seventh location including outposts in L.A., Vegas, and Austin, owner Paul Devitt acquired the fixtures of a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, beauty salon for $1,500 (including the crucial dryer chairs) and hauled them back here, along with some finds from a local flea market. Devitt describes the feel of this larger space (about 1,500 square feet compared to 900 square feet in the East Village) as “more seventies soul, Super Fly.” The prices, funny enough, are more in line with the 1996 ones at Beauty Bar’s original location (think $3 to $5 beers, $5 to $7 mixed drinks), and another difference is that “retro finger foods” such as pigs in a blanket are served. Also: Manicures start at 6 p.m.

Metromix says:

The divey and much-loved booze-and-parties-and-manicures chain extends its family tree to Brooklyn, planting a Beauty Bar branch deep in the heart of Bushwick. Larger than its East Village sister, the Brooklyn branch has a ’70s vibe, plenty of beauty-parlor fixtures, super-low drink prices and lovable, old-school bar bites—as well as, duh, dirt-cheap manicures and martinis at happy hour (6-11 p.m., same as always).

c/o Brownstoner

45 Richardson Street
Brooklyn NY,11211
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718.599.1645

Cuisine: Brazilian
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Tue-Thurs 5:30pm-12am, Fri 3pm-1am, Sat 10am-1am, Sun 10am-11pm. Brunch Sat-Sun 10am-4pm. Closed Mondays.
Booze: Full bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

Williamsburg’s Beco is located in a sort of Williamsburg-Greenpoint netherland, and the owners kept the place a neighborhood secret while getting it off the ground. Rather than a full-blown restaurant like Miss Favela, David Giddings says he and his partners envisioned it as a modest Sao Paolo boteco, where you can laze about while popping made-to-order pao de queijo and sip cocktails made with fresh passion fruit and pressed sugar cane. As Giddings describes it, the decor harks back to the days of Pele, and “doesn’t scream ‘Brazil’ in your face, but it’s more like what a boteco is — a real hangout.” You can hang there during brunch that includes acai and granola, omelettes, bife a cavalo (Brazilians refer to their steak and eggs as “steak on horseback”), and a feijoada that’s prepared over the course of two days by a Carioca chef, Casia Steinberg (Fabiane Lima, the Brazilian owner of Fabiane’s, also consulted on the menu).

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Bembe

81 South 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.387.5389

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Mon-Thu 7:30pm-4am; Fri-Sun 7pm-4am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full Bar
Happy Hour: None
NY Mag says:

Alongside the Williamsburg Bridge, Bembe is a world apart from its concrete, industrial environs. Inside, the bi-level lounge feels more like Miami or a steamy, fun-loving Latin American hotspot, with a tropical drinks menu—mojitos, rum punch, a tasty vodka concoction marinated in and served from an actual watermelon—and an airy, island-like décor of exposed brick and blonde wood. (The slightly exotic, accented bartenders, both male and female, lend another degree of authenticity.) But more than anything else, it’s the sexy, ethnically-diverse crowd dancing (some expertly, some not) to vibrant Latin music, spun by a DJ but sometimes accompanied by live drummers, that really makes you feel like you’re on vacation. Be warned: These booty shakers move with an enthusiasm and determination—sans attitude—that’s contagious.

The Village Voice says:

A refreshing break from the lily-white Williamsburg hipster scene, this cozy brick-walled lounge is a relaxing place to enjoy sweet island-flavored drinks early in the evening. But Bembe heats up as the night goes on, with DJs spinning multicultural beats, often accompanied by hand percussionists as the sexiest people you’ll ever see rub up against each other.

c/o The New York Times

346 Bedford Avenue
(Near South 3rd Street)
Brooklyn NY, 11211
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718.218.7067

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Mondays from 12-10 pm, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 6-10 pm
Booze: Beer and wine
Subway: L to Bedford Ave., J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
NY Mag says:

A few days a week, An Nguyen Xuan, a Vietnamese chef who was born and raised in France takes over Simple Café in Williamsburg and operates it as Bep (meaning “Kitchen” in Vietnamese): “I serve Vietnamese staple dishes like pho, bánh mì, bun, and fried spring rolls.” There are also specials, like caramelized pork belly with pickled bean sprouts. Xuan is using natural ingredients and hoping to offer an alternative to current Vietnamese restaurants, which she says are sometimes too expensive and use too much MSG. Hmmm. We have yet to encounter these expensive Vietnamese joints, but if she claims hers is cheaper and better, we’ll see her soon!

In January, An Nguyen Xuan opened Bep, which means “kitchen” in Vietnamese, at the Simple Café in Williamsburg. At first, the concept was confined to Mondays, restaurants’ day of doldrums. But the experiment proved so popular that last month Bep expanded its hours to Thursday through Saturday nights. Mr. Xuan’s food tends to the Hanoi style, which uses herbs and spices more subtly than its southern counterpart. Texture is key. Cha gio ($4.50), fried spring rolls, are chubby with pork and mushrooms, their rice-paper skins crisp and bubbled without being oily. A steamed rice crepe is tucked around crunchy pork and silky Vietnamese ham ($10). Many of the brief menu’s supplemental specials deserve to be staples, like the catfish, coppery with turmeric and aromatic with dill, atop vermicelli ($10), and a tangy salad of mango, cabbage and banana blossoms ($9). But the pho ($8) lacks character, and the banh mi ($5.50) are filled with too gentle a hand. Still, it’s rare at this price to find such exquisite details as the dried sour plum bobbing among the mint leaves in the house-made lime soda ($3).

Berry Park

4 Berry St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.782.2829

Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-2am; Fri 4pm-4am; Sat 12pm-4am; Sun 12pm-2am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave., G to Nassau Ave.
Food/Menu: Click Here
Booze: Full Bar
Happy Hour: Thu, 5pm-9pm; Win a coin flip with the bartender and get your drink for free.
Time Out New York says:

Williamsburg welcomes its latest beer hall, a bi-level behemoth with a 3,500-square-foot ground floor and a roof deck almost as large. Brooklyn boosters may be disappointed to find that the 15 taps are dedicated to imports (mostly German and Belgian drafts). Other amenities that might make up for it: a 13-foot-wide screen dedicated to soccer, Manhattan (and McCarren Park) views and a forthcoming beer-friendly food menu.

Metromix says:

The sharp-looking bi-level beer bar and beer garden provides a much-needed alfresco (and unfresco? how do you say indoors in Italian?) drinking cavern for beer-loving Williamsburgers. The downstairs section houses a smattering of picnic tables, a stage and a bar stocked with European brews, while the spacious rooftop garden offers umbrella-ed tables and benches, as well as a secondary bar (also umbrella-ed), providing lovely views of Bedford Park and the city. Maybe start with a round on the roof before heading to The Gutter for gaming?

c/o NY Mag

197 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.2707

Cuisine: Coffee/Tea/Sandwiches/Wine Bar
Cards: All Major
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-2am; Sat, Sun 10am-3am*
Booze: Beer and wine
Subway: L to Bedford Ave
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

Evangelos Roumeliotis of Oleput and Sparrow in Queens planned to open a dive bar in Brooklyn before he came across this corner space on Bedford’s main drag, which he knew “had to be a café.” Furnished with mostly found wood pieces like a massive oak mechanic’s desk that now displays wine bottles, and otherwise built from similarly worn, recycled wood by partner Tom Fade, Blackbird feels like an old-world European coffeehouse. Italy’s Danesi espresso spikes cappuccinos and lattes (with soy and skim substitutions nodding to the hood), treats are sophisticated like eggier-than-usual brioche baked by Manhattan’s Tisserie, and dainty nubs of ground walnut and honey melomakarouna cookies from Artopolis bakery in Astoria (all delivered daily). Meats for a small platoon of panini come from the best purveyors in town; jambon is D’artagnan and chorizo, Despaña. Come nightfall, France and Spain are tapped again for a wine list that focuses on small, mostly unrecognizable vintners, so young, squatting writers (and readers) can spoon up the last of their awesome root beer floats and switch to pinot in the evening.

Metromix New York says:

Cafes and wine bars are as rare in Williamsburg as faux-hawks and sidewalks, but combining the two is a bit more interesting. Hipsters hover here mostly during the day, when the European-style hangout (the owners are Greek) serves dark coffees, loose-leaf teas, grilled cheese and pastries on its central wooden communal table. By night, it gets dimmer and the vino flows.

c/o NY Mag

191 Bedford Ave.
(Near N.7th Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.599.2547

Cuisine: Vegetarian/Vegan
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash only
Price: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-11pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-11pm
Booze: None
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
NY Mag says:

Possibly the most earnest establishment in Williamsburg, Bliss offers simple, well-prepared vegetarian and vegan food in cramped, boho-shabby quarters. Though unselfconsciously hip itself, it’s a perfect antidote to hipster-saturated Bedford Avenue. With a basic herbivore menu–tofu, hijiki, seitan, beans, greens–the tiny open kitchen here turns out flavorful plates that arrive with thoughtful little touches. The wheat roll that accompanies a bowl of sturdy chili comes jauntily wedged on the rim of the bowl. Vegetables in entrées such as curried tofu and seitan in sweet citrus sauce are just this side of overcooked, but firm, fresh proteins provide good balance. Delicious maple-sweetened desserts are all house-made but sometimes MIA; if it’s the pastry chef’s day off, you’ll be lucky to get a vegan muffin left over from breakfast. The mostly local crowd (a veritable parade of hats, bangs, leggings, body modification, and oversized glasses) seems right at home with spacey service, mismatched wooden furniture, a wall of band flyers, and homegrown art.

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image c/o BrooklynVegan
ADDRESS: 1089 Broadway, Williamsburg Brooklyn
CALENDAR: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: JMZ to Myrtle
WEBSITE: www.chiefbodega.com/
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/bodegabk
WE SAY: New bars and venues open constantly in this neighborhood–it almost feels like the community board consists of a solitary robot with a giant rubber “Approved” stamp for liquor license applications. To which I say “Huzzah!” because papa needs his sweet, sweet booze. Anyway, today we take a look at a new music venue in Bushwick called Bodega (1089 Broadway), which is run by those hip souls over at Chiefmag. The space holds 300 people and used to be an actual bodega–one which used to sell crack I am told, which goes great with beef patties and Boar’s Head turkey sandwiches. Most bands they host are of the Todd P variety, including Japanther, The Death Set, Ninjasonik, etc. Shows are usually in the $5-$6 range, perfect for the club’s young, eight-people-to-a-loft crowd. [review by Keith Wagstaff]