11 Great First Date Bars In Brooklyn New York City

Locals will swear that Brooklyn does it better—but is that true when it comes to date night? These Brooklyn bars make a positive case (and the likelihood of a second date more possible). From upscale absinthe dens to dives serving cocktails with fried chicken chasers, here are 11 great first date bars in Brooklyn, New York.

Weather Up

Cocktail Bar, Bar, American

Equipped with low lighting, strong drinks, and a lively atmosphere, Weather Up in Prospect Heights is ideal for fun flings. At the Brooklyn outpost of this cocktail bar chain, you’ll enjoy expertly crafted drinks, such as the New York-themed “Daily Mail” and “Black Manhattan,” amid subway tile décor and an outdoor back patio.

Suzume

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Restaurant, Japanese, Sushi

Part cocktail bar, part sushi spot, and part ramen restaurant, Suzume is an ideal fit for any appetite—and object of affection. Shareable plates of spicy butter wings and crunchy potato and tuna rolls are washed down with unique cocktails such as the Hot Sake Toddy and the Yuzu Yuzu with vodka and sake. Also offering an extensive sake and sochu selection and beers from Singapore, Hawaii, and beyond, Suzume invites you and your match to settle in for the night.

The Four Horsemen

Bar, Restaurant, Wine Bar, Australian

Four Horseman, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.

Your wine-obsessed date is sure to be impressed with this Williamsburg bar and restaurant (which recently appeared as the go-to first date destination of Aziz Ansari’s Master of None character). At this small wine bar bursting with bottles from across the globe, the usual sources are joined by uncommon origins such as Slovakia and Australia, providing the perfect opportunity to try something new. Between its exciting selection and its celebrity ties (the bar comes courtesy of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy), The Four Horsemen will keep conversation and drinks flowing.

Maison Premiere

Bar, Restaurant, American, Seafood, Gluten-free

Enjoy a first date worthy of les Français at Williamsburg’s Paris-inspired Maison Premiere. This “Oyster House and Cocktail Den” boasts an oyster list of 30 different varieties and the largest selection of premium absinthes in the city, the perfect combo for a high-end (or just plain high) date night. Tip: Early lovebirds get the worm at la Maison, where oysters can be snagged and slurped at a discount during a weekday happy hour from 4 to 7 pm.

Noorman’s Kil

Bar, Cocktail Bar, American

Bring your foodie fling to this Williamsburg bar known for gourmet grilled cheeses and an extensive whiskey selection. At the North Side’s Noorman’s Kil, alumni from beloved bars Barcade and The Gutter serve up sandwiches featuring ingredients such as double creme brie, ricotta, Mike’s Hot Honey, and Nutella, all designed to be washed down with one of the bar’s 400 whiskey varieties. With this vast collection and a rotating menu of 12 draft beers, Noorman’s provides an easy prompt for planning a second date.

Black Mountain Wine House

Bar, Wine Bar, Pub Grub, American

A romantic getaway for two isn’t a typical first date itinerary, but this cozy Vermont lodge-themed bar will make you reconsider that. Black Mountain Wine House in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood serves a large wine list, cabin cuisine, and serious vacation vibes. Sparks will fly with your snow bunny over the House’s hot mulled red wine, impressive beer collection, and classic Swiss fondue, date night gold if there ever was.

The Commodore

Bar, American

Any bar where fried chicken is ordered as much as any drink is a place promising a good (if not traditionally romantic) time. Still, The Commodore is a great first date destination thanks to its dive-like atmosphere, energetic crowd, and old-school drinks you’ve heard of but never tried. After a few slow gin fizzes, Tom Collins, and a fried chicken sandwich for two, you’ll forget your first date jitters and focus on the fun at hand.

June

Bar, Wine Bar, European

This natural wine bar in Cobble Hill is always in season. At June, a wine list featuring uncommon offerings, such as orange and sparkling red, makes for a memorable drinking (and hopefully, dating) experience. If your date’s enjoying June, which we know they will, the spot easily converts to an all-night attraction with plates such as marinated mussels toast, herbed Adirondack potatoes with malt vinegar, and short rib steak with a barbecue glaze.

Spuyten Duyvil

Bar, Belgian, Pub Grub

Earn points with your beer-buff date by bringing them to this brew-centric Williamsburg bar. At Spuyten Duyvil, beers from Flanders, Belgium, Japan, and beyond come on tap, in cask, and bottled, providing plenty of fuel for lingering conversations in the bar’s year-round garden.

Blueprint

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Restaurant, Pub Grub

Cocktail connoisseurs will love Blueprint, a Park Slope spot treating drink-devising like it’s their craft (because it is). Here, fresh juices, bitters, and infusions are made in-house before being transformed into classic cocktails and Blueprint originals, such as the“The Doctor Is In…” and the“Satan’s Bell.” Experimental ingredients and bar bites, such as pork butt sliders and iceberg wedge salads, make Blueprint a perfect place for pairs who don’t take themselves too seriously.

Night of Joy

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Pub Grub

Night of Joy may be the epitome of the Brooklyn bar. Low lighting, a rooftop patio, and a cocktail collection showcasing “botanical ingredients and herbal infusions” are all on offer here, where borough-based pairs can achieve peak “Brooklyn” while sipping beet and dill vodkas and bison grass vodka, apple, and goji berry cocktails.

About the author

Julia Goicochea

Splitting her time between Miami and New York, Julia is a writer currently based in Brooklyn. She enjoys foreign films, 70s cookbooks, and bad detective novels.