c/o Grub Street

138 N 8th St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.384.1904

Cuisine: Italian/French/Spanish
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★★
Cards: All Major
Price: Moderately Priced
Hours: Daily 5pm-1am
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Delivery: No
Time Out New York says:

Jason Denton (‘ino, ‘inoteca) takes his menu of shareable Italian plates across the bridge with this bi-level Williamsburg restaurant. The industrial space features exposed brick, concrete floors and a graphic mural of Italy. Chef Shaunna Sargent—transferred from Denton’s West Village trattoria Corsino—draws on Union Square Greenmarket produce for a seasonal menu that also features French and Spanish flavors. Gather some friends for one of the family-style plates, like a whole roasted saddle of lamb or spaghetti with brisket-and-pork-belly meatballs.

Time Out New York says:

When it comes to trendy openings, Williamsburg seems to be ground zero these days. The latest? A bi-level Italian restaurant from restaurateur James Denton (‘ino, ‘inoteca, Corsino) called Betto. Boasting his Corsino chef Shaunna Sargent, the 60-seat newcomer has a Greenmarket-heavy seasonal menu that, while focusing on Italy, includes Spanish and French flavors for its long list of shareable small plates—think grilled plums and burrata ($10), mackerel a la plancha ($8) and spaghetti with brisket-and-pork belly meatballs ($18)—as well as for its “large format” options, which includes whole-roasted baby lambs, ducks and whole fish by the pound.

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.

Burnside

506 Grand St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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347.889.7793

c/o NY Mag

83 North 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.963.1925

Cuisine: Wine Bar
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thu, 6pm-midnight; Fri-Sat, 6pm-1am
Subway: L Train to Bedford
Menu: Click Here
We say:

An adorable wine bar with yummy Italian snacks. The atmosphere is intimate, warm, and charming and the wine selection is wide and reasonably priced. The cheese plate is affordable and a delicious accompaniment to the vast wine selections. An essential for wine lovers. The Mortadella Panino with Fontina, Basil, and Capers on Ciabatta is great.

NY Mag says:

The wine at this rustic Williamsburg enoteca with a Sardinian slant flows like Rheingold at a frat party. Which might explain why the ebullient, mostly Italian crowd is hugging and chain-toasting one another late into the night. For sustenance, try piquant honey-drizzled sheep’s-milk cheese paired with a Sardinian red Cannonau served in a two-ounce glass called a marzianetto, or a delicious pressed panino on crusty Sullivan Street ciabatta. Recommended Dishes: Mortadella Panino with Fontina, Basil, and Capers on Ciabatta, $6

c/o NY Mag

588 Grand Street
Brooklyn NY 11211
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718.218.8555

Cuisine: A fancy cocktail bar with sandwiches, cheeses, and appetizers
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: all major
Price: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 4pm-4am; Sat-Sun 2pm-4am
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
Eater says:

Bars are a dime a dozen in Williamsburg, but the pedigree of the team behind Huckleberry Bar sets it apart from the pack (two clichés in one sentence!). Owners Stephanie Schneider and Andrew Boggs and chef Seth Johnson have all done time in one or more of Danny Meyer’s joints. They are offering, per Lady Strongbuzz, ‘well-valued wines by the glass, inventive seasonal cocktails and carefully chosen imported and domestic beers’ as well as small plates (natch). It all seems a bit fancy for East Williamsburg, but hey, if Wombat can survive over there…

NY Mag says:

The classic-cocktail movement has yet to make many inroads into Williamsburg, that hipster nexus where PBR and its ilk remain the sentimentally ironic quaff of choice. Sensing a void, and eager to deploy the mixology skills she honed at Hearth and Blue Smoke, Stephanie Schneider seeks to raise the neighborhood’s mixed-drink-and-small-plate standards at the just-opened Huckleberry Bar. Schneider and her partner, Andrew Boggs, are both seasoned veterans of Danny Meyer Enterprises, so it’s no wonder their speech is peppered with gastro-cultural signifiers like “seasonal,” “high-quality ingredients,” and “hospitality-driven.”
Apply those buzzwords to an ambitious, high-minded bar, and you end up with house-made grenadine in your Agave Sunrise, fennel marmalade on your homemade English muffin, and red and yellow beets pickled in gin and plated with Stilton and walnuts. A distinct southern accent is evident in chef Seth Johnson’s boiled peanuts and hard-boiled eggs garnished with red-eye gravy or Winston-Salem hot sauce. The obligatory meat-and-cheese plates are on offer, too, as are desserts like chocolate cooked cream with huckleberry jam, and the plan is to keep the kitchen open late into the night. Classic and seasonal cocktails may take center stage, but the owners claim as much pride in their carefully selected wines and beers and invite you to enjoy them, as long as this temperate weather holds, in the serene garden out back.

Larry Lawrence

295 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.218.7866

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Daily 6pm-4am
Subway: L to Lorimer St., J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Daily 6pm-8pm: $3 well drinks, $4 drafts, $1 off everything else
NY Mag says:

It’s easy to miss this underrated speakeasy located as it is down a long, concrete hallway demarcated by the lone word “Bar.” You wouldn’t be the only one to do so. Before 11 p.m., this cavernous loft is nearly always deserted; when it eventually does fill up, the post-grads in attendance are craving a quiet place to chat and smoke. (You can do the latter on the glassed-in upper-deck overlooking the bar.) A soundtrack of folkie-leaning rock reinforces the earthier aspects of the ski-lodge aesthetic that comes with warmly lit wood. And after a few dips into the small, curated menu of beers or wines by the glass, it’s easy to delude yourself into thinking that Larry Lawrence is your own private club. You may be inspired to make up your own password and secret handshake.

Citysearch says:

A slim gray hallway leads passersby to a heavy wooden door with an impressive, lofty barroom on the other side. Exposed brick walls and solid woodwork distinguish the lofty space, which has a warm, golden look courtesy of tiny lit candles. On the ground level, smoothly carved bar stools and reclining wooden booths mark the perimeter, leaving plenty of floor space for bigger crowds. Get there early to grab the more secluded nook in the rear. Late arrivers compete for seats with a flurry of the area’s young, hip clientele. The bar’s most alluring innovation is its upper-level smoking area, glassed-in and on view from the floor below. The small section, decorated with potted plants, opens to the sky. Mixed drinks are nicely and cheaply done—with specialty cocktails on the way—and the small selection of red wines by the glass includes a luscious Rioja.

c/o Blackbook Mag

790 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.387.3797

Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Daily 4pm-4am
Subway: L Train to Lorimer St. or Graham Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Daily 4pm to 9pm: $1 off everything (except any $3 beer), $3 Legion Lager, Schlitz or Schmidts, $5 Schlitz, Schmidts or Tecate & a well shot ($6 for Jack or Jamesons)
NY Mag says:

Formerly the Pourhouse, Brooklyn’s vaguely tragic blue-collar haunt has been overtaken by young professionals and Guitar Heroes filing off the Graham Avenue stop. Dark brick walls, barred windows, and lava-lamp-pink neon light feel reminiscent of a high schooler’s basement bedroom—perfect for Legion Bar’s barely-legal patrons who might feel stifled by the more patrician Harefield Road across the street. D.J.’s spin “Surfin’ Bird” from a booth in the front room on Saturday, while a backroom pool is the draw for mellow weeknights. The beers on tap are standard—Stella and Hoegaarden—but like a cool-kid’s parent’s well-stocked booze cabinet, Legion offers nine varieties of wine, ten bourbons, and fifteen scotches.

Martini Boys say:

There was a time when the Legion was known exclusively as a hang out for American war vets to drown their memories with cheap alcohol and the company of others who have experienced the same horrors of war. The Legion has now taken on a new incarnation as a hip hang out spot, replacing Pourhouse, and the American Legion has yet to file a trademark suit. My only advice: don’t expect any heroes here.

Maracuja

279 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.302.9023

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon-Thurs 6pm-Midnight; Fri-Sat 6pm-4am; Sun 5pm-Midnight
Subway: L to Bedford Ave., Lorimer St., J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Food/Menu: Bar Snacks
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 6pm-8pm: $4 well drinks and $4 drafts
The Village Voice says:

A classic, comfy pub that takes its name from the Brazilian word for passion fruit (maracuja), the bar features a house drink of, naturally, the Brazilian rum Cachaca with passion-fruit juice, alongside a reliable bar menu of cheap cheese fries and meaty sandwiches. The outdoor garden and the pool table in back beckon a bit more than the digital jukebox, stocked with as many misses (Evanescence) as hits (Blondie).

NY Mag says:

After lying dormant for over thirty years this Lithuanian bar was restored to its 1950s less-than-splendor by a Brazilian-born city inspector, Charles Kaim. In the kitchen, his Colombian wife Connie Ruiz, whose paintings of nudes adorn the mahogany walls, prepares empanadas and tostones in addition to the usual bar-and-grill fare. If a snack is all you need, Kaim will hook you up with free Slim Jims or toasted Pop Tarts, and if he has any passion fruit (i.e. maracuja’) juice behind the 100-year-old mahogany bar, he’ll mix it with cachaca for a drink that, as far as sweetness and potency go, beats the many offerings from Brooklyn Brewery on tap. Although old cameras, phonographs, apothecary bottles, an upright piano salvaged from a Bronx basement, and a wooden rotary phone booth loosen up the stiff look of the circular tables, the best place to unwind is the backyard: With its trellises, an array of cooking herbs growing in marble sinks, and the branches of a decades-old rose bush sweeping over the tables, it can rightly be called a garden.

c/o NY Mag

361 Graham Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.387.1245

Cuisine: American Traditional/American Nouveau
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$
Hours: 11am-11pm Daily
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
Zagat says:

‘Best of Brooklyn 2008′: Located in Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg, Oak Wine Bar & Café offers an intimate setting where rustic and fine food come together. Seasonal menus prepared daily using locally made and fresh market ingredients with an emphasis on Romance fare.

NY Mag says:

With seating for only eight pairs and a kitchen smaller than you’d find in a Manhattan apartment, this Mediterranean sliver of a restaurant guarantees an intimate dining experience. Originally conveived as a catering company, Oak only opened to the public in this narrow brick-and-bottle lined space in 2007. The menu highlights local, artisan and organic ingredients while taking inspiration from Spain, Portugal, Germany and France to parallel a European winelist. There are cheese boards and charcuterie plates, a mix and match bruschetta bar (the roasted grapes, shallots and goat cheese makes for a tasty combination), and entrees from stomach-fortifying drunken ribs with greens and mashed potatoes to eclectic fare like chicken rollatini with green beans and couscous. Recommended wine pairings accompany each item, but co-owner/sommelier Paula Maia is eager to field questions from behind the bar. Cliché desserts like crème brulee and flourless chocolate cake are more than well-executed. A fig tree drapes over the outdoor patio for grazing and tippling in warmer weather.

c/o NY Mag

263 N. 6th Street
Brooklyn NY, 11211
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718.782.7171

Rating: ★★★★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Tues-Sun 5pm-2am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave. or Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: Bar Snacks (Cheese Plate + Olives)
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: One Red Wine, One White Wine, and One Bottled Beer on special for 1/2 price
We say:

Pinkerton is our favorite new wine bar in Williamsburg. Serving New World wines by the glass as well as a half-dozen local and West Coast microbrews, owner Thomas Hudson is concentrating on “interesting, fun, good wines that are affordable,” with a focus on wines from Washington, Oregon, California, and Australia. The space is cozy and is great for a date, or a large group of friends-you can actually hear each other speak, which is a welcome change to most places in Williamsburg.

Metromix says:

When Weezer released their second album, could they have guessed it would inspire this Williamsburg wine bar? Does Rivers Cuomo even drink wine? Formerly N. 6, Pinkerton is now dishing out new world wines by the glass. The list is small, there’s around a dozen options for $7 – 10 a glass. The drink menu also contains a selection of microbrews, like the Riverhorse Tripel ($8) from a small brew house in New Jersey. A menu of small plates is promised, the owner is consulting with chefs to bring in goodies like cheese and hummus platters. The bar may have a new rock ‘n roll-inspired name, but most of the easygoing bistro décor was kept intact. Expect a crowd of writerly types, drawn by the journalist who decided to open the spot. They can discuss the tomes of the day at the cushy orange bar stools, or debate the merits of this week’s New Yorker as they sip a Californian craft beer at one of the outdoor tables. With an alt-rock inspired name, the discussions will no doubt trend to the stuff of the glory days: songs about sweaters.