The best cocktail bars in Brooklyn in 2026 are Clover Club in Cobble Hill for classic cocktails, Maison Premiere in Williamsburg for absinthe and oysters, the Long Island Bar for a retro neon setting, Fresh Kills for inventive drinks and Grand Army for cocktails and oysters in Downtown Brooklyn. Westlight has the rooftop views and the Sunken Harbor Club the tiki.
Julie Reiner's elegant, classic cocktail bar.
Clover Club on Smith Street serves superbly made classic and house cocktails in a Victorian-style room with a fireplace in back.
Good to know: Try the namesake Clover Club cocktail.
210 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
A New Orleans-style oyster and absinthe bar.
Maison Premiere has a horseshoe bar, an absinthe fountain, a long oyster list and a lush back garden.
Good to know: Come for the oyster happy hour.
298 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
A restored mid-century diner-bar with great cocktails.
The Long Island Bar revived a classic Atlantic Avenue bar with its original neon sign, serving excellent cocktails and a famous burger.
Good to know: Order the house Cosmopolitan.
110 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
A relaxed bar with inventive, award-winning drinks.
Fresh Kills is a friendly Williamsburg cocktail bar with a creative, seasonal drinks list and a warm, wood-paneled room.
Good to know: Ask the bartenders for an off-menu creation.
161 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Cocktails and oysters at a lively corner bar.
Grand Army is a busy Downtown Brooklyn bar known for its creative cocktail list and oyster happy hour.
Good to know: Handy before or after a show at BAM or Barclays Center.
336 State St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
A 22nd-floor rooftop bar with sweeping skyline views.
Westlight, atop the William Vale hotel, has a wraparound terrace with views of Manhattan and a polished cocktail menu.
Good to know: Arrive before sunset for a terrace spot.
111 N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
A nautical tiki bar above Gage & Tollner.
The Sunken Harbor Club is an elaborately decorated tiki bar upstairs from Gage & Tollner, with expertly made rum drinks.
Good to know: Combine with dinner downstairs at Gage & Tollner.
372 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Westlight, on the 22nd floor of the William Vale in Williamsburg, has some of the best skyline views in the city.