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 Brooklyn Bowl

61 Wythe Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.963.3369
(Bowling Alley with food by Blue Ribbon)

Cuisine: American/Southern
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Monday – Thursday 6pm-2am; Friday 6pm-4am; Saturday 12pm-4am; Sunday 12pm-2am
Family Days are Saturday and Sunday! Noon-6pm is ALL AGES!
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
We say:

A stunning sprawling space, albeit pricey.

The New Yorker says:

We suggest that you eat with your non-bowling hand,” a note on the menu at Brooklyn Bowl states, in a nod, presumably, to both aim and hygiene, if not to the traditional carelessness of ten-frame dining. This converted warehouse at the northern edge of Williamsburg does triple duty as a bowling alley, a music hall, and a grub house. Its kingpin, Peter Shapiro, the former owner of the bygone jam-bandy club Wetlands, has dreamed up an emporium that combines hedonistic excess (deep-end leather couches, spiked milkshakes, brisket, live music) with eco-consciousness (reclaimed-cork floors, no bottled beer, live music). For the eats, he brought in the Bromberg brothers, the creators of Blue Ribbon, to draw up a rebuke to every limpid water dog and fossilized onion ring you’ve ever downed, then regretted, at Wherever Lanes. They tinkered with comfort-food classics, secure in the knowledge that no bowler will ever crave endive. It’s a menu that begs over-ordering, as well as this remark from your waiter, regarding the procedure for delivering the food: “You guys want it as it fits?” “Fits where?” is one reply; the table is bigger than the stomach.

Still, all you have to do, while stuffed, is take a few steps forward and drop a twelve-pound ball on the floor, so there’s no sin in downing the carefully considered greaseballs the Blue Ribbon boys sling your way. Their fried chicken, dipped in matzoh batter, seasoned with Cajun spices, and accompanied by white bread and honey, has Earl Anthony game. The calamari, commingled with fried jalapeño, is the Dick Weber of fried squid. The San Gennaro, loaded with finely ground Italian sausage, is the Johnny Petraglia of French-bread pizzas: crisp outside, fluffy inside, it has all of the virtue, and none of the vice, of Stouffer’s. There are a few gutter balls; some might find the mac and cheese too creamy and the “Really” Sloppy Joe really actually too sweet. But the score sheet shows more X’s than —’s.

On a recent evening, the lanes were busy but not loud; the pins hang on strings, which helps muffle the din. Giant video screens showed montages from raunchy old B-movies like “The Student Nurses” and “Caged Heat.” Around eleven, the Roots took the stage, the dance floor filled up, and a waiter came by with Nutella-bourbon shakes, a convergence that felt like nailing a spare on a four-ten split. (Open weekdays for dinner and weekends for lunch and dinner. Entrées $9-$19.)

Club Europa

98 Meserole Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
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718.383.5723

Rating: ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Daily, 8pm-4am
Subway: G Train to Greenpoint Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: None
NY Mag says:

Club Europa’s unassuming exterior–wood signage, semi-seedy sidestreet location–belies the nonstop, no-holds-barred, Euro-disco fantasy within. (Yes, there’s a smoke machine involved.) The crème de la crème of Greenpoint’s young, thriving Polish population packs the enormous dance floor amidst elaborately choreographed lightshows, neon faux-stained glass windows, and gilt and red velvet everything. Hilton-twin-lookalike cocktail waitresses shimmy to the beat, toting translucent trays full of vodka drinks and bottles of Zywiec. Though the language barrier impedes conversation (not to mention drink orders) for English-only strays, Europa’s unique ambiance allows you to skip the velvet rope of Manhattan clubland as you catch an Eastern European case of dance fever.

Metromix says:

Long-time Polish haunt just off the main drag of Greenpoint’s Manhattan Avenue, Club Europa, like neighboring Warsaw, offers a mix of old-warm charm with oddball musical bookings—from Jersey hardcore to Eurotrash (and proud of it) DJ nights. That means skin-hugging ribbed tees are never optional.

CoCo66

66 Greenpoint Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222
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718.389.7392

Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Daily, 4pm-4am
Subway: G to Greenpoint Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Daily 4pm-8pm: $3 draft beer and well drinks
Mon-Wed, & Sun, Midnight-2am: $3 draft beer and well drinks
NY Mag says:

Elements of this stylish Greenpoint bar’s former incarnation as a wood shop are still evident: Old window frames now line the rugged pressed-tin walls and the ceiling beams are used as benches. The industrial double doors, concrete floor, and raised loading dock entrance were left untouched by the co-owner, who uses the high-end chocolate in martinis such as the spicy Screaming Mozart, a combination of chili-infused vodka and hot cocoa. In the front room, after-work regulars line the chic metal bar that glows with red candles or gather around one of the polished black zinc tables lit up with embedded light strips. The best seat in the house is a table behind the DJ booth—they spin every Friday and Saturday—that’s warmed by a fake fireplace and watched over by a lone piece of kitsch, a porcelain good luck cat. The atmospheric back room provides more seating between turns at the dart board or at the pool table that basks under an enormous and ornate round skylight

Citysearch says:

Standing out from the neighborhood’s pubbier joints, this industrial bar boasts a construction of completely recovered materials. The zinc bar, skylights, and walls of distressed white pressed-tin help ground the front and back rooms in historical detail, while the dark wood banquettes and inset birch panels add warmth. The group-ready hangout attracts a spectrum of patrons, though Williamsburg’s young Greenpoint neighbors are scouting the territory.
The DJ’s musical choices can be a bit haphazardly mixed–but the bar pays close attention to drinks, muddling ice and mint for a tall and citrusy mojito, artfully serving a duotone White Russian, and nailing down each detail for a fresh lime margarita. Chocolates from next door’s Brooklyn Chocolate & Cocoa Co. accompany wines and armagnacs, and infuse cocktails as well. In back, the pool table sees some action and a dart board is ready and waiting.

Death By Audio

49 S 2nd St
Brooklyn, NY 1122
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No Phone

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Vary
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Beer and Wine
Happy Hour: None
Calendar: www.myspace.com/deathbyaudioshows
NY Mag says:

Out of the tradition of DIY basement shows and illegal loft parties comes Death By Audio, a utilitarian two-room hall neighboring the Diamond Sugar Refinery on a low-traffic, industrial block in Williamsburg. Community performance spaces pop up (and disappear) constantly, and Death By Audio, a recording studio and gear factory by day, feels barely more established since the setup is deliberately minimal, and transient: a low-level stage flanked by large-scale pieces from a rotating cast of local artists; and a secondary room, often utilized as a dance hall (equipped with a projector for ambient screenings of dystopian seventies flicks and other trippy fare). Lineups of obscure noise-rock dudes or experimental electro German drone-pop come together anywhere between three or four days a week or once a month. Ubiquitous Todd P. often pulls the strings.

Don Pedro's

90 Manhattan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11206
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347.689.3163

Cuisine: Classic Bar Fare
Our Rating: ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Wed 4pm-2:30am; Fri-Sun 4pm-4am
Booze: Full Bar
Happy Hour: Daily 4pm-9pm, $1 off everything, $2 select drafts
Subway: L to Montrose Ave., J,M to Lorimer, G to Union Ave.
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

Shrunken jeans and bug-eyed sunglasses have made their inevitable migration to the hinterland of East Williamsburg, but this local Ecuadorian standout has yet to change its menu to accommodate persnickety hipster taste buds. On weekdays you’ll find mostly locals bellying up to the table for one of the neighborhood’s best deals–$6 multicourse lunches that consist of spicy seafood soups, goat-meat stew, or whatever traditional fare the chefs whip up that day. Platos typicos such as stuffed greens plantains, hen stew, and fried pork beef with rice are heavy enough to require an afternoon nap, but Don Pedro’s lightens things up significantly with their outstanding seviches: Unlike the ultrarare, citrus-cured varieties presented a martini glass across the river, these seafood “cocktails” are served in bowls stuffed-to-overflowing with meaty shrimp and tender fish chunks marinated with red peppers, onion, cilantro, vinegar, and olive oil. Pre-meal, dawdling diners can check out prerecorded concerts with famous Latin musicians on the projection screen behind the bar, but those with a hearty appetite would do well to get eatin’: On weeknights the kitchen closes at 7 p.m. On some nights, Don Pedro’s dining room turns into a DIY venue for an eclectic bevy of Todd P-booked shows; check the restaurant’s Website for details.

Duckduck

161 Montrose Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11206
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No Phone

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm-4am; Sat 5pm-4am; Sun 5pm-2am
Subway: L to Montrose Ave., J,M to Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 5 pm- 8 pm: $1 off bar; 2-for-1 Rolling Rock; 2-for-1 well drinks
Metromix says:

Though it resembles a garage sale, don’t look for any price tags on the mismatched, second-hand chairs and couches at this off-the-beaten-path East Williamsburg destination, where locals are drawn in by cheap shot-and-beer combos (and which was a former garage, incedentially). The namesake waterfowl—in rubber ducky, wooden mallard, stuffed and hand-drawn varieties—litter shelves behind the small bar, while a stairwell that ends halfway from the ceiling to the floor and other works from local artists add to the colorful vibe. DJs and occasional live bands lay down the soundtrack to a cast of regulars in attendance.

Metromix says:

Safely east of the Williamsburg bar scene circus, this local dive features $2 beers and a lack of attitude.

Glasslands

289 Kent Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.1450

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Daily, 8pm-4am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: None
Calendar: www.glasslands.com/
L Magazine says:

Community arts space in Williamsburg features music from a wide variety of local and nationally known bands as well as dance parties, game nights, special events, and ongoing interactive art projects.

Blackbook Mag says:

Underground art and performance space in the shadow of the old Domino Sugar factory. Bands you’re not cool enough to have heard of, DJs stoking sweaty dance parties. Electro-synthpop platters, album releases, benefits. DIY or die aesthetic evident in grungy, über-arty digs. Full-service bar takes credit cards, keeping things one full notch above a squat. Come let your facial hair down, South Williamsburg style.

c/o NY Mag

769 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11226
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718.388.6870

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Mon-Fri Noon-4am; Sat-Sun 11am-4am
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Food/Menu: Click Here
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4pm-8pm: $3 well and select drafts
Citysearch says:

Elusive Pencil Factory co-owner Sean O’Rourke and partners knocked down the Blue Lady Lounge and handbuilt a spacious bar that’s rich with rough-hewn planks and polished dark barstools. The largely unpretentious artists of Williamsburg’s Italian section are sweet on the place’s regional microbrews, among them a well-rounded local selection from the Brooklyn, Six Points and Ommegang breweries. In addition to the 20-seat bar and a number of group tables inside, the back patio stays open all night. Brooklyn beers, which normally go for $4 (a buck less than other pints here), are $3 each from 4pm to 8pm daily. Though beer is the focus, single malts, Irish coffee and hot toddies are a winter signature. Eight wines are served by the glass.

The Village Voice says:

Let’s face it: Williamsburg folks deserve even more options when it comes to places to drink. Luckily, Sean O’Rourke and friends have rushed to their rescue, opening a cozy pub just off the Graham Avenue stop. Being an Englishman of Irish descent, O’Rourke knows a thing or two about adaptability and clearly understands the importance of a warm, inviting drinking atmosphere. Like the Pencil Factory in Greenpoint (which O’Rourke co-owns), almost every inch of Harefield Road is covered with wood, and the large, cavernous space is mostly lit by votive candles and dimmed sconces. It’s the kind of place where bookish-looking thirtysomethings squint at the large chalkboard behind the bar, inquire about unusual beers like Radeberger ($5), and are offered a taste before purchasing. Bearded me–many resembling some of Christ’s disciples–sip glasses of wine (Pepperwood Cabernet, $7) or single-malt Scotch (Bowmore, $7) and discuss nothing much at all, yet nod earnestly. The bartenders make sure the music level is conducive to conversation, and know they can’t lose when playing the likes of Neil Young, Bowie, and Radiohead. Is this aging-hipster heaven? That’s one way of looking at it.

c/o The L Magazine

683 Grand St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon-Sun 4pm-4am
Subway: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: None
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: None
Metromix says:

At this musically inclined bar in the less-trafficked Grand Street area of Williamsburg, locals can stop by for cheap beer (most hover in the $5 range) or try their luck with two pool tables. The real draw hits the ears, though: A well-stocked jukebox and monthly open-mic nights (on the first Thursday of the month) get even the most awkward folks moving and grooving. Fortunately, there’s plenty of floor space to cut loose alongside the long, dark bar, plus a small garden in the back. Expect more live performances in coming months..

Shecky’s says:

The “LP” in Williamsburg’s LP & Harmony stands for “Love, Peace,” but it would more appropriately stand for “Long Play” given the records that adorn the bar’s walls, or even “League Pool” for that matter. It appears to be a typical neighborhood sports bar—tall bar tables, flat-screens in every corner, and pool tables so front-and-center you have to wait until a player is finished shooting to even properly enter the bar (league nights are three times a week). Meander your way farther along, though, and a harmonious marriage of music and sport becomes more evident. LP records make their way into all the décor—the walls, the bar top, even the chandeliers—and a tiny dance floor beside a DJ booth gets going every night after 10pm. Wondering about the hippy-dippy name? Just order a “Love Potion” cocktail (cranberry, ginger, and an aphrodisiac herb-infused vodka) and see if you don’t find a little peace on the tree-filled patio, or—dare we suggest—a little lovin’ in the psychedelic-muraled bathroom? And while the “recession special” shot of booze plus a PBR for $5 may help you feel a little more lovey-dovey, you may have to start anew on the whole “self-betterment” business in the morning.