The Best Bars In Greenpoint - New York - The Infatuation (2024)

When it comes to bars, Greenpoint has a bit of everything. There are places where you can stay out until 3am and dance with people who make most of their money from Depop and brand deals, and there are also plenty of spots that are perfect for solo outings and low-key dates. If all you want is a jello shot, you can find that as well.

THE SPOTS

The best natural wine bars are always a little goofy, and Lise & Vito is one of the goofiest. You’ll find pink neon, peaco*ck feathers, and chartreuse furniture here, as well as jello shots with edible flowers trapped inside. If you’ve had a long week and want to feel like you’re in a Saturday-morning cartoon featuring an abundance of booze, stop by for a glass of skin-contact pinot gris. In addition to an extensive wine list, this spot also has co*cktails, beer, and, the official snack of 21st-century Greenpoint, tinned fish.

Inspired by the aperitivo bars of Spain and Northern Italy, Bar Americano is a small, attractive place where you can sit at a quartz-topped bar, snack on charcuterie, and drink the finest appletini in North Brooklyn. They also have a great fried chicken sandwich and a long list of vermouths, in case you’d like to sit here with a date and pretend to be able to taste the difference between various fortified wines. To guarantee yourself a seat, book a table in advance.

At this Japanese-inspired listening bar, they take their music seriously. There are acoustic panels and turntables spread throughout the warmly lit space, and you might spot a Japanese edition of Kurtis Blow’s debut album, Kurtis Blow, hanging out behind the bar. If you’re a music nerd, come here, and bring a date. There’s no standing room, and all of the tables in the wood-lined space tend to get booked, so plan a few weeks in advance. In warmer weather, check out the backyard.

Twins Lounge is like a pool hall and a disco bar rolled into one. In other words, it’s got all of the elements of a great birthday drinking spot. The bottom floor has a few pool tables and several big booths, and upstairs you’ll find a much brighter area with another bar counter, a disco ball, and floor-to-ceiling windows facing Manhattan Avenue. Expect crowds and weekends, and remember to bring cash.

Ray’s is a three-minute walk from Bernie’s, which means that after mozzarella sticks at the sceniest restaurant in Greenpoint, you can go have a nightcap at the sceniest bar in Greenpoint. The second location of this faux dive bar looks exactly like its Lower East Side counterpart, with curved booths, wood-paneled walls, and a disco ball. Someone who could be distantly related to Timothée Chalamet will make your espresso martini, and on your seventh sip you might feel emboldened to make a name for yourself at the pool table.

Do you want to grab a drink and catch up with a friend? That's what The Esters is for. This isn't a place for shots and tequila-fueled dance moves—it's more of a mellow spot where you can sit on an outdoor patio and drink a well-made co*cktail. The space is filled with plants, the staff is friendly, and the Detroit-style pizzas are surprisingly great. Order at least one.

Tørst is Brooklyn’s best beer bar, and it looks like that cabin upstate you keep thinking about renting for a weekend. Save yourself $1,200 and just come here instead. Whether or not you’re super into craft beer, you’ll appreciate the Happy Hour and fried chicken sandwich. Open at 12pm Friday through Sunday, this is also a very under-utilized day drinking option.

The Hidden Pearl is a nice little co*cktail bar behind a door in the back of the ramen place Wanpaku, and it serves some impressive Japanese-inspired co*cktails. It’s a great spot for an overachieving first date, or a drink with someone who claims to know every good bar in Greenpoint, and there are small plates like pork buns and crispy rice with tuna for when you get hungry.

The original Threes is the best brewery, outdoor hangout, and baby convention in South Brooklyn. This Greenpoint location is similar—minus the outdoor space (although they do have a bit of sidewalk seating). It’s a great place for a laid-back group hang, and while you don’t need to eat a full meal here, there is plenty of stuff to snack on over the course of your many good beers.

Goldie’s feels like an off-the-strip Vegas bar from the 1970s. Except instead of a crowd wearing skintight leather and five-inch platforms, it’s filled with Greenpoint people drinking beer-and-shot combos and eating free Goldfish. There are big leather booths for your group, plus a U-shaped bar for your solo drinking needs and a pool table for making new friends.

When you walk into Capri Social Club, you’ll feel like you’re in Kansas City in 1978. This is a plain, old bar with relatively cheap drinks and a jukebox, and it's a certified classic. If you just want beer or well whiskey, come here. There's room for groups, and there are usually jello shots available.

Away from most of the foot traffic in central Greenpoint, Achilles Heel feels like a locals-only spot. This bar is from the same people behind some of Brooklyn’s best restaurants—like Diner and —so in addition to co*cktails and interesting wines by the glass, they serve a small, Korean-inspired dinner menu. The space looks like an old, charming tavern, and there's a fully functional fireplace near the entrance.

If you love craft beer, you’ve probably been to Tørst. But you probably haven’t been to Brouwerij Lane, a tiny craft beer shop and bar with a little back patio. Come here to drink something you haven't had before, or swing by to pick up something to bring in a paper bag down to Transmitter Park.

Hanging by yourself in Greenpoint? Grab a seat at The Brew Inn and order the burger, which is infinitely better than you’d expect from a place that looks like it’s straight out of Central Casting for “average neighborhood pub.” If you need to watch a game, you can do that here, too.

If you want to get a relatively quiet drink or read a book in a bar without feeling weird, go to Diamond Lil. It’s a little neighborhood spot where you can get a great co*cktail and hang out on a velvet barstool with whatever novel you’re currently trying to finish. There are a few big booths in the back, and there are snacks like oysters, conservas, and shrimp co*cktail.

Keg & Lantern wins our title for Best Greenpoint Sports Bar for a few reasons. They brew their own beer, the bar menu is surprisingly big, there are plenty of TVs, and—most importantly—you can watch sports outside on their back patio.