2 Jefferson Street
(between Myrtle and Bushwick Ave)
Brooklyn, New York 11206
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(347) 915-2717

Cuisine: No food
Hours: Mon-Thu 6 pm – 2 am
Fri 6 pm – 4 am
Sat 4:30 pm – 4 am
Sun 4:30 pm – 2 am
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L train to Jefferson
Website: www.facebook.com/bizarrebushwick

Gothamist says:

Bizarre Bar is the newest drinking hole to open in an increasingly lush Bushwick, but it’s more than just a place to knock back a few divey beer-and-shot combos. Located just off the Myrtle-Broadway JMZ stop, the eclectic lounge has a lot going for it: killer cocktails, decor straight out of a Tim Burton film, and a decidedly offbeat atmosphere that makes it a fun (though pricier) new addition to the neighborhood.

Bizzare—which takes its name from Greenwich Village’s Cafe Bizarre from the beatnik days of yore— is the brainchild of French directors Jean-Stephane Sauvaire and Greg Baubeau, and the design reflects their eerie cinematic influences. The dark space is outfitted with red lights and chandeliers, and day-of-the-dead skeleton dolls are scattered atop the bar and in various corners. Films like The Last Tango in Paris are occasionally screened silently on a wall in the back, the wall’s exposed brick creepily distorting the actors’ faces. The bar itself is pretty sizable, and the owners plan to host DJs, parties and musical acts—they even kicked off Bizarre’s opening last week with a massive three-day party complete with costumes and erotica.
Bizarre boasts a pretty hefty drink menu. They’ve got draft beers like Left Hand Milk Stout and Leffe Blond for $5-$6, basic mixed drinks for $9, and absinthe cocktails like No. 4 (Saint Germain, pernod, absinthe, grapefruit juice, simple syrup or champagne) for $12. But the discerning yupster gentrifier will be drawn to the $13 specialty cocktails. Try the Abominable Snowman (aged rum, dry curucao, honey, ground cinnamon and a whole egg), part eggnog, part boozy beach smoothie, and the Johnny Mad Dog (espresso liquore, domaine de canton, tequila, sliced jalapenos and a lime twist) has a citrusy, super-spicy kick.

Those house cocktails are a little out of Bushwick’s typically toned-down price range, especially considering the bar is so far away from Roberta’s Morgantown. But they’re also delicious, and the bartenders don’t skimp on the alcohol, so for a drink or two they’re worth the extra bucks. And there’s no extra charge for the tiny plastic skeleton demon who stares you down while you drink it.

Metropolitan

559 Lorimer St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.4444

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Daily 3pm-4am
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: BBQ’s on weekends
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Daily 3pm-8pm: two-for-one domestic beer and well drinks
We say:

This bar is primarily for gay men and women and their straight friends (and it truly is mixed). It has the unique distinction of being the first gay bar in Williamsburg (Fun is the other) creating a much needed space for the gay contingent of the neighborhood’s arty/hipster set. The vibe is laidback, friendly and fun with video games, a pool table and even video bowling. Also, and perhaps most importantly at this time of year, Metropolitan has an awesome backyard complete with a grapevine and two floors of drinking fun.

NY Mag says:

An oasis of space and playfulness in a scene that has little of either. The sprawling backyard, a vine-tangled patio spattered with picnic tables and hard-resin lawn chairs, is the draw at this Williamsburg gay bar, and it seems to bring out the mellow sun-worshipper in everyone. A free summer Sunday-afternoon barbecue (with veggie burgers and tofu dogs available, natch) that attracts a crowd as gregarious as it is ravenous doesn’t hurt, either. Boys and girls, who all seem to know each other, patter around in sandals and sunglasses or flirt at the long, serpentine bar, while a DJ (or jukebox) spins indie rock. Until things warm up enough for the backyard, two roaring fireplaces surrounded by après-ski-style sofas inside are just as cozy. It’s enough to make you want to get a civil union and retire to suburbia.

Sugarland

221 North 9th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.4044

Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Daily, 3pm-4am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave. or Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Saturday Happy Hour 4p,-9pm: 2 for 1 domestic beer & well drinks
Sunday Happy Hour 4pm-7pm: $3 bloody mary pints, $3 Miller High Life all the time
Citysearch says:

A seductive newcomer in Williamsburg sweetens the pot for gay-friendly locals. Moody strains of disco house tunes lure fashion students inside to show off their hemlines, while tattooed bar-boys in hot pants do Red Stripe honors. A hand-carved saloon-style bar and outdoor smoking deck caked in graffiti (both relics from former tenant, the late dive Capone’s) give the feel of a well-worn neighborhood hangout, but Sugarland’s agenda is more ambitious: its art performances and celebrity DJs are drawing downtown luminaries and club kids from across the pond. The outdoor smoking deck sets the scene for heavy flirting. Off nights during the week are best avoided, and drunken frat boys still pop in looking for Capone’s free pizza.

NY Mag says:

Taking over Capone’s and substituting free pizza for lissome go-go dancers may seem like a direct affront to Metropolitan, Williamsburg’s reigning queer hipster destination. But Sugarland shares an owner with its divey counterpart and offers a few things Metro can’t: a vast, spotless, split-level space with a stage for weekly performances, sleek alcoves lined with banquettes, and a designated dance floor and D.J. booth. Yet, a tidy outdoor crow’s nest for smokers, sublimely friendly bartenders, and generous drink specials ($3 wells on Wednesday) separate Sugarland from faceless Manhattan gay clubs. You may feel more at home at Metropolitan, where everybody knows your name, but this late-night playhouse is always waiting.