The Brooklyn Inn

Rosebud. Nothing less. Nothing more. No frills, no frocks. Stay thirsty my friends… and tip well!

5 stars for the attractiveness of the bar. A real neighborhood place.
2 stars for the chill in the air due to the bar staff. They really put a chill in the place. It’s not just sometimes, it’s always like that. Like they’re running an accounting firm where no one ever smiles.
2 stars — beer is never ever cold enough. If you don’t down it fast, it won’t be cold at all. I like beer very cold, not just the illusion of cold. I’m not the only one who likes very cold beer.
Coffee drinks? Ha.
Given all of the competition in the neighborhood, if that was my place, I would quadruple the daily intake of money, because I would make every drink or at least try, like a mixmaster, including coffee drinks.
And there would always be great music conducive to conversation.
And they need more ambient lighting. It’s a tad too dark.

I’m afraid the downward spiral I described in 2012 has accelerated. Now, in addition to banker scum, the staff has gone sideways. What were once a crew of unpretentious, calm and exceedingly pleasant bartenders has been replaced, at least on Saturday afternoon around 6 p.m. on April 23, by a bartender who insisted on making sure everyone could hear her above the screaming woman from Bayridge and the blasting juke box by smashing beer bottles every time she had an empty to dispose of. Teeth jarring, brain rattling bottle smashing, slamming noise, by the bartender, for hours. She smiled each time, too.
The Inn is dead.

Went here for a friend’s birthday and had a great time. Drinks were inexpensive which made up for the fact that it was a cash only bar (there was an atm in the back). I had to give it 3 stars because the bar tender gave my friend attitude for asking her a question (it was such a trivial question I don’t even remember what it is was; if you’re going to work Saturday nights try not to be so cranky, it really can ruin your patrons’ night).

Oh man. Five stars for a number of reasons, but to start with the most important — the pints of Guinness when I visited were near perfection! The bartender knew her stuff — two-​part pull, each part bracketing ace banter. The building is kinda moody and atmospheric (or something, I dunno!!!). Bathroom was very clean and dim (so you look better in the mirror). Jukebox meant eclectic music playing. Wish I lived in the area so this place could be my regular…

Cool old school Brooklyn bar BUT service sucks. The female bartender asked my foreign friends if they heard about tips?! That was a little rude.

Cool Spot
Went here for a couple of drinks last night. On Hoyt off Atlantic in Boerum Hill. It is celebrating 100 years this coming week! Old bar very cool inside… tin ceiling, stained glass, old wooden bar, giant mirror behind it, pool table in back. Drinks were $ 8. Friendly local crowd. Classic rock in the background just loud enough to hear. Easy to have a conversation.
Thanks

What a lovely lovely corner of the universe this is. It is the closest bar to my place these days, so I’ve obviously been there enough times that I’ve almost got seat with my name on it. :)
This place is absolutely gorgious, with vaulted 20 foot ceilings, that remind you of the grandeur of yesteryear. You’ll see these giant mirrored panels behind the bar, and stained glass details throughout. It’s classy & never to disappoint on a date.
One interesting thing is that all the woodwork is original, and very untouched. So don’t ask for anyplace to put your drinks down in the back. Because there are none & won’t be. I know this might sound like a moot point, but the regular routine is hapless customers put their drinks down on the line of barstools. And you know what happens next, they get knocked over, and you have glass all over the floor. This happens every third or fourth time I’ve gone. It’s odd to say the problem can’t be solved. Ah well.
The personalities of the lovely bartenders are also very memorable. Just don’t ask for a cocktail with bitters. I have no idea why this is a no-​no, but apparently it is.
PS: Brooklyn lager yes. Old speckled hen yes. Double-​white beware!

The bar is really cute. The vibe chill. The pool table a huge plus. So why 1 star? If you stand at the half empty bar for several minutes with a careless and clueless bartender who doesn’t even look at you, you would agree with me. Boy… she knows how to make you feel invisible.
If you scroll down, you’ll read countless reviews about the very rude, unpleasant, unwelcoming female bartender. I didn’t want to believe them and totally ignored them. I wish I hadn’t. She is really something else.

Very cool and historic place to have a drink. I love the old, dusty feel with dim lights and an almost secretive atmosphere. And it wasn’t too crowded, at least when we went.

The coolest neighborhood bar I’ve been to in the city. A local told my wife about the place, and we just soaked in the ambience, and a few pints as well. Everyone seemed happy and familiar w each other. Only tell good people about the Brooklyn Inn. It’s one for the ages.

Imagine a scene in a movie where it is snowing outside and you and a friend (or date) are looking for a drink to escape the cold weather. You two are walking through the slushy streets and stumble across a bar at the corner of the street. You walk through the doors and what you find is a cozy, dimly lit bar with jazz music playing softly in the background, and candles on tables. That is Brooklyn Inn to me after visiting this place for a night-​cap.
My friend and I came here on a Wednesday night after dinner around 11pm and Brooklyn Inn was surprisingly busy. When we left around 12:30, it was even more packed at the front! I would break the bar into 3 areas– one is the front, with the bar and many high-​top tables, the second area is a cozy room in the middle (oh if only there was a fireplace in this room, it would make everything even more perfect), and the third area is a place to play pool and more small tables.
My friend got a rum & coke, which was too strong for her to finish for $ 5, and I got a beer on tap for $ 5 too. I can’t wait for the Holiday season to come… this is a gem in Brooklyn. Too bad I don’t live in Brooklyn or else I would be a regular here!

Place architecturally is something else. Super old full of creepy looking cracks. Truly has a great vibe when you are in this place. Pool table in the back is A+ always some people to challenge and have a good time. Pretty much all the bartenders are great and it’s the best bar I’ve found in the area.

Great little bar in Brooklyn. An oasis of reasonably priced drinks in a cool atmosphere. The sign on the wall «celebrates 130 years.» According to he bartender, they have been open since 1885…

This is my favorite bar in all of Brooklyn. It’s warm and cozy in the winter, and great to sit by the windows when it’s nice out. The bartenders are always super friendly, and I love the local feel to it. A few years ago I left a scarf here, and the bartender made sure to take my number and call me if she found it — I got it back a week later!

I worked in Downtown Brooklyn for almost two years and I went through nooks and crannies all over the area. And with all my walking I still happened to miss the Brooklyn Inn. It was always frustrating to find a low key neighborhood bar. Recently I was invited to come here by a friend, who explained that it’s one of Brooklyn’s oldest bars, if not the oldest. You had me at oldest bar. At the end of the day, I love a bar that is not full of amateurs. My friend’s buddy Terri was bartending. She was an absolute sweet heart.
When I walked in I instantly love the look of the bar. And the entrance was also beautiful, detailed and literally the corner. The bar is nice and dark and candle lit. I came back here on a Monday and it was just perfection. There was all kinds of old school tunes like Mac the Knife playing overhead. And there was only regulars, the bartender Tom was familiar with most of the people sitting at the bar. I was able to squeeze on to the bar stool and order a IPA and a water. I enjoyed soaking up the detailing of the bar and the unique carvings. The high ceilings and stained glass were stunning. You just don’t see bars like this anymore. As I sat there, Kevin another bartender that works at the Brooklyn Inn was enjoying a beverage next to me. Kevin was super chatty. He explained the history of the bar and pointed out a gargoyle and some of the pieces that are still original to the bar. He was a great conversationalist. He said the best time to come was in the winter, the fresh, flaky white snow is falling and it’s reminiscent of a giant snow globe.
I will undoubtedly be back and I have to bring my older brother here. He loves playing pool and old bars.

This place fucking sucks. On the bright side… ask Kevin to make you one of his famous old fashioned drinks. They’re the best in town.
Are you new in town? Do you like whiskey? Are you looking for New York City’s finest old fashioned drink? Kevin is your guy. He hooks it up with the extra oranges. #sogood.

HELP WANTED: KEVIN NEEDS A FRIEND. I ordered an old fashioned and his words were as follows:
Me: can I please have an old fashion with makers?
Kevin: we don’t have oranges.
Me: that’s okay. How about orange bitters instead?
Kevin: we’re not a cocktail bar. We’re a SALOON!
Me: I see orange bitters behind you…
Kevin repeats himself…
I walk away and ask the small portly blond woman collecting glasses what the bartenders name is.
Small portly blond woman: I’m the bartender.
Me: no I mean the other–
Small portly blond woman has already walked away.
Moral of the story: BYOO (bring your own oranges). Also, Kevin and the blond biddie are the worst
P. S. Apparently Kevin and portly blonde aren’t fans of hearing «silver bells» 11 times consecutively over the juke box. #youowemesixdollars

The Brooklyn Inn is a wonderful neighborhood spot. It’s on a quiet block, very unassuming from the outside, but the inside sure is something else.
I’d been to their sister restaurant Roebling Inn on Atlantic, and the two couldn’t be any more different. While Roebling Inn is a dive with skeeball, The Brooklyn Inn is more classy, with a pool table and a semi-​private seating area in the middle.
Great selection on their jukebox (lots of 80s records), and the bar has a decent whiskey selection.
Cash only, but they have an ATM inside!

A tiny gem in my neighborhood.
It’s so tiny that I always walked past it. The place is very neighborly and every one seems to know one another.
This place is a perfect place for catching up with friends, or just for a night cap.
There’s no loud music to annoy you (wow, I hate music?!, I must be getting really old).
The bartenders are genuinely friendly. I love to order my double Jameson on the rocks here.
There’s a Billiard table at the back, and 2 unnoticeable bathroom doors.
I could not find fault to this place not that I am looking for any.
A must when you are in Cobble Hill neighborhood.