Located at 218 West 35th Street on the fifth floor of the Renaissance hotel, Rock & Reilly is a spacious indoor/outdoor bar. The outdoor potion fronts 34th street, so patrons can watch the rush-hour crowd head to Penn Station or, looking east, get a glimpse of the ‘thin’ view of the Empire State Building. Overall, Rock & Reilly is a great spot for outdoor drinking in the summer of 2016 and beyond.
Located at 42 West 48th Street in Midtown Manhattan, Sean’s Bar and Kitchen is a great new genuine craft-beer bar / Irish pub for tourist central. Across the street from Rock Center, Sean’s is a spectacularly different take on the dime-a-dozen midtown Irish pub. The fifty beer taps must be the most by far in the immediate area. Some standards beers are offered, but most of the beer is a mix of local and other regional craft beers. Food menu has a wide variety of offerings from standard bar fare to Irish pub entrees. Sean’s is the early leading candidate for our Best New Manhattan Bar opening of 2016 and we can’t wait to return here.
Located at 221 N. 4th in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Golden Years is a reincarnation of bars that have lived at this address previously (Old Rooster Bar and Kristophe), though a remarkably different vibe from the previous occupants. It seems to be primarily a cocktail spot that serves 12 craft beers. Golden Years is a fairly spacious spot with a sizeable bar area. Food menu includes several small plates that lean toward seafood (oysters, mussels and shrimp). There’s also brunch on weekends. Golden Years is a good spot and we wonder how the spot got its name, being in the hipster capitol of the U.S., if not the world.
Located at 10 Hope Street in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, Belle Shoals is a solid whiskey / amber-colored liquid bar. The layout is very similar to the two previous occupants, Good Company and Hope Lounge. Along with a vintage juke box, the spot is supposed to bring the soul of the South to Williamsburg. The limited food menu can be best described as Southern-style comfort food. Like the previous spot, there’s a large outdoor area by the side door. Overall, we found Bell Shoals to be another great spot for Williamsburg bar hopping.
On a recent NYC pub crawl through Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, we stopped in at the bar/coffeeshop The West Brooklyn (located at 379 Union Avenue). The photo below details the spot’s tap beer selection.
Located at 596 Grand street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Starlight is another neighborhood bar for the strip of Grand Street that leads to the eastern edge of Williamsburg. Retro vibe at Starlight includes some wood paneling and glass lampshades. Seven tap beers plus another ten out of bottle/can. Limited full bar. A solid addition to any NYC pub crawl along the eastern half of Grand St.
Located at 295 Flatbush Ave on the Prospect Heights / Park Slope border, Rose’s is a spot from the same owners as the solid pizza place, Franny’s (in fact, 295 Flatbush was the original Franny’s location before it moved across the street). Limited food selection makes us believe this spot is more of a bar than a restaurant, even if the spot closes somewhat early for a bar (midnight or so on most nights). Four draught beers plus a full bar; food menu is mainly small plates, a burger and some sandwiches. Good spot and worth a visit in your next NYC pub crawl along Flatbush Ave.
Here are two photos from our recent visit to Brooklyn’s Strong Rope Brewery, located at 574A President Street, just west of Fourth Avenue (aka the Park Slope / Gowanus border). We can’t wait to return here!
Located at 286 Third Avenue in Brooklyn, Givers & Takers is a solid neighborhood hangout for Gowanus. Twelve taps of quality US craft beers, friendly staff and a small outdoor area make this a great spot for your next pub crawl along Third Avenue in Brooklyn!
Located at 67 Clinton Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Garfunkel’s picks up where Second Floor on Clinton left off, basically another speakeasy-style cocktail bar. A doorman greets you at the entrance on street level. Prior to your visit, it’s a good idea to make a reservation at Garfunkel’s. After the doorman confirms your reservation, you ascend one flight of stairs to a second floor space. It’s all lounge-style seating with no standing room at the small service bar. Groups of two to six can be seated at Garfunkel’s. Staff is friendly and the cocktails tasty!
