BROOKLYN INN • BOERUM HILL, BROOKLYN
[Brooklyn Inn is part 11 in a series of sneak peeks from the chapters of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, published by the good folks at Rizzoli Publishing. You can order it online now at Powell’s, Amazon, Rizzoli, and Barnes & Noble.]
“When we took over the business, we had one mantra…let’s be smart enough not to fuck it up. It’s legendary for a reason.” The words of Jason Furlani, manager, on the responsibility of buying the legendary Brooklyn Inn, one of the oldest bars in a borough that really, really values its old bars. “What is amazing and a true testament to the place is that, throughout time, everyone saw the value in the space itself. There have been minor additions and improvements over the years, but the one thing that is consistent is that no one fucked it up. The room itself is sacrosanct.”
That’s the feeling you get when you walk into the Brooklyn Inn. It’s almost like you’re in a church. It smells like the inside of an old violin. The 25-foot ceilings soar, as does the intricately carved, almost alter-like mahogany backbar. Stained glass glistens, tin cherubs watch over you, and woody gargoyles grimace from the backbar. The place definitely has religious overtones.
What to Drink
- Most Popular: Guinness. They sell an immense amount of it so chances are a new keg has just been tapped, and the beer system itself mixes both nitrous and CO2 for the perfect pint. “One of the best outside of Ireland—perfectly calibrated, perfectly cold and always fresh,” according to bartender Heather Clinton.
- Next: A shot, to go with your Guinness. Pours are heavy and prices are light.
What to Notice
- The gargoyle-like creatures carved into the bar, laughing, maybe screaming at you (Clinton suggests “judging you”) as you knock back your drink.
- The stained glass panels that adorn the main room, including a stately “AZ” from 1885, the initials of original owner Anton Zeiner, a pillar of the local German-American community.
- In the back room with the pool table, you’ll see several little old “doorbell buzzers” above the wainscoting. Decades ago, when the Brooklyn Inn was a restaurant, diners in back would summon waiters with a push of a button, like attendant call buttons on airplanes. People still love to press them, looking around to see what will happen, like naughty little kids. But they’re not connected to anything. Or are they…?
Next up: Corner Bistro of the Manhattan’s West Village, another chapter of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, which you can order right here. Limited-edition signed prints are available here.