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Bergen St (F, G)
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My first Brooklyn review! Time to up my BK street cred...
Rarely will I make the trek over the bridge to Brooklyn because I am impossibly lazy and the F train does not run downtown on the weekends. However, a birthday celebration at Clover Club prompted me to bite the bullet and make my way to Cobble Hill.
Totes worth it. I am a sucker for the whole mixology, fancy cocktail schtick and Clover Club certainly delivered. I sipped on Sloe and Low - a tart combination of gin, sloe gin, maraschino, and fresh raspberries; Spicy Pete - single malt scotch and ginger beer; and an Improved Whiskey Cocktail - extremely strong, extra helping of bitters.
My boyfriend and I nibbled on various small plates so we wouldn't be under the table by 8PM. We sampled the lamb burger with goat cheese, deviled eggs, and pulled pork sliders. Very tasty savory bites.
With its cozy and charming interior, delicious cocktails, and the right crowd - Clover Club will have me coming back to Brooklyn in no time.
Do not go here if you are hungry.
My friends and I waited an hour for a table for Sunday brunch. Not that surprising, except that we were told our wait would be 15 minutes. This leave-you-hanging restaurant heist doesn't create repeat customers.
Before we became a hungry band of discontents, we were attracted to the bacon tasting. And, for all my frustration with the place, all 3 bacons did not disappoint, even the duck bacon (go figure). But the rest of the food was overpriced, both because of the small portions and disappointing flavor. I had an egg sandwich with rubbery eggs, two pieces of lettuce and mayo. I could have made this at home without spending $30 or standing on Smith Street for an hour. My friends tried the bloody mary's. Stealing a taste, they were spicy and flavorful, but they also took 20 minutes to get to us.
At the end of all this, what looked like cool from the outside turned out to be pretension on the inside.
Wonderfully cozy and charming cocktail bar in Brooklyn. I want to take my dad here when he comes to town, as he will really love this place.
I can really dig on the fireplace in the back and the comfortable setting too. Good guacamole, and other nibblers at a reservation event I attended there as well.
The winner of World's Best New Cocktail bar at the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail awards in New Orleans, and readers choice 2009 for best new Cocktail Bar at the Eat Out Awards.
Fantastic Brunch, even better cocktails and ample seating make this place worth the trek if you are a non-Brooklynite. One of the only big cocktail lounges in New York that could actually host a party of 12 at one table.
Julie Reiner has put together a winner! 4.5 stars.
Please take your ridiculous manhatan attitude out of my neighborhood.
I love to hang out on smith street but this place sucks. I was referred by a friend that works at bartabac but ... What a mistake. She told me that it was a "grown up bar" but boy was she mistaken. If I wanted to go to a place where I would be given attitude to I could have left my neighborhood. This lady can take her 5th avenue attitude and go f*** herself. We don't need this in bk. We know good things, appreciate them, can afford them, but don't like to be looked down upon by short haired blond bartenders who are too good for everyone else. Take that shi* out of bk-- we don't need that!
Please don't let smith street turn into this guys.
I'm a fan of Death & Co. and Flatiron Lounge, so it's nice to see a place like those here in Brooklyn. The drinks are expensive but worth it, and two drinks does its job for me. I enjoyed the whiskey mixes.
Great for dates, lovely atmosphere and service.
went there on a weekday night. probably ten or so other customers. bartender was very friendly and helpful. not at all snobby or pretentious. drinks were varied and very tasty; deceptively strong. the food/bar bites were different and very good. I hate the crisps which were like potato chips cept they had truffle oil and cooked in duck fat. we also got the deviled eggs which were very good. the mac and cheese with bacon had tasty chunks of bacon but was a tad too salty for my taste. i would definitely make another trip to brooklyn to visit this place!
Went to this place tonight, all i gotta say is WOW. When we first walked in it looked okay, then we were walked by the waitress to the back. The back is soooo cozy (due to its small size) and romantic - there was a fireplace, chandeliers, dim lighting and loveseats. They play music from the 20's, with little singing - more melody. the drinks are so good - they are strong but they make them so you barely taste alcohol. the food there is AMAZING!!!!!!!! Got some kind of country bread with goat cheese and walnut spread with pears on top - SO GOOD!!!! Then got the steak tartar with their unique thin waffle fries (more like chips than fries) - also very good. And for dessert got the bread pudding - WOW WOW WOW, YUMMY!!! i think its the best dessert i ever had!!!!!!!!!!!! they are known for the dessert, its the only dessert they have on the menu. you cant leave this place without getting their dessert!!!!!!!!!!!!! Def coming back here very soon =)
A few months ago, I would've given this five stars. The cocktails and atmosphere are great, but there are so many other great places around I'm not sure this deserves all five stars for the price. Very expensive, and very delicious, though. My favorite drink here, "The Slope", is no longer on the menu, but they'll still make it for you if you ask; rye whiskey, punt e mes, apricot brandy, angostura bitters. Still might be the best cocktail I've ever had.
Go late at night when the ambiance is at its old-school best and it's packed with people having a good time. Sit at the bar, watch the bartenders' perfect craft.
I was definitely impressed by the atmosphere at Clover Club. Very chill and laid back, it was the speakeasy feel with the pub casualness. I didn't have to know a password, do a special knock, do a 20 second presentation on why I should be admitted, or tell the doorman who I knew. Everything on the menu looked really good, but I decided to go with the Gin Blossom. What an incredible Martini! The flavors were out of this world, and it was made very well; it even came served in a decanter on ice how a proper martini should be. After that, I became a fan. Then out of curiosity, I tried the Telenovela. It's Tequila, cinnamon, an egg yolk and something else.
I wasn't too sure about this drink, but the bartender told me to try it. So I did and I should have followed my instincts. Not to say the drink wasn't good, because it truly was. It's just a drink made for someone that likes sweet drinks, i.e. not me. It was pretty much a nog, but you had the spice of the cinnamon and the smokiness of the Tequila. It made for quite an interesting cocktail. I'd reccomend the drink for a few people I know because I know they'd love it. I'll definitely return the next time I'm in town.
I'm angry. Fuming and at my wit's end. How dare there be a restaurant that seduces me into a long distance relationship. I told Serena that I was pissed to have nothing to complain about and truly only one mere suggestion (more on that later).
As those before me have said before, the front doors of the Club are a veritable time warp. The centuries turn back and prohibition is dead. Two points to Anna B. for hitting the divan on the head, as the buttoned leather is precisely the booth to be in to sit back and watch it happen. A vested 'tender shaking cocktails with vigor, elaborate wallpaper and mahogany finishes. Elegant and dark and would-be smoky, if such a thing were still legal.
We started with coffee, which is typically nothing fancy, unless you're here and it's served in your own French press to share. Yum. Rich and creamy I was content until I read all about Liquid Brunch and found myself counteracting caffeine with a Lima Sour, eloquently described by the purveyor as "pisco, yellow chartreuse, lemon and demarara". If you're like me, you might have to Google a couple of those ingredients but I promise that query will point to delicious. Garnished with a strawberry, the dainty glass was sour more than sweet and very, very good to me.
We shared the bacon tasting. Some haven't been impressed, but we were, albeit trying to hide our "oohs" and "aahs". Maple, black pepper and duck bacon on toast. And here's my one critique: it needed an adhesive. We tossed around everything from a chutney to a jelly to a aioli, but any ol' way, it might have been nice to dip. I realize it's bacon, the holiest of holy. . . but that's all I've got.
My baked eggs with chorizo and manchego were ripe with flavor so intense and perfect you'd have thought the cast iron dish they were served it started as a seed and was just picked that morning. The chorizo wasn't as crumbly or spicy as I'm used to, but it made up for it with rich and savory flavor and that zesty marigold, orange oil it emits. Yum.
Even the greens on my plate were dressed to perfection, making me angry that I had nothing to pick apart, size up or analyze. Was it a little spendy? Sure. But if you're a foodie like me, you'll pay. Relationships require an investment, and I'm willing to give this one plenty of time and attention.
This swanky bar on Smith Street in Carrol Gardens tends to get crowded, so the key is to walk through the main room and grab a spot in the back space.
This area feels like a chic hunting lodge with dark wood decor. Was that an elk head on mounted on the wall? Not sure, maybe it was just a fireplace. I can't remember as the pisco sours were taking their effect.
In any case, the drink list is impressive and cocktail-lovers will be in heaven.
By the way, pisco sours - a drink claimed by both Peru and Chile - are not an easy concoction to master, but Mr. Bartender did a fantastic job, even topping the drink off with little hearts of bitters.
For what it's worth, I'm siding with the Peruvians in this controversy (after all, there is a town called Pisco there!) - and I'm definitely marking down Clover Club as a place to return.
When it came time to make evening plans, a friend suggested starting the night at Clover Club, and I'm so glad that we did. Never again will I feel like I have to venture outside of Brooklyn for an expertly made cocktail in a chill environment. I loved the annotated menu, which is divided into descriptions of families of mixed drinks. The explanations were useful for someone like myself who has but a rudimentary understanding of cocktails and the annotations gave me a greater appreciation for what I was drinking. And appreciate my drinks I did, in an atmosphere which was far more relaxed and friendly than other places I've been to that are swept up in the current cocktail craze.
This is definitely new school Brooklyn... and that might not be a bad thing. Great fru fru cocktails. I had some absinthe concoction and my buddy had some mixed tequila thing.
Decor was understated chic - wood and brick. The back room, which I understand becomes a VIP area, has a separate bar and fireplace.
All well and good... but I won't go back for the ambiance or the drinks,,, I will go back for the food. I had baked eggs. Did I say baked eggs? I had a big bowl of cholesterol filled heaven! Man I need Lipitor.
If you like the trendy side of Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill you will like the C Club.
Mehhhhh Mehhhh Mehhhh
This place is over rated, went there for a late lunch with a friend. The place looks huge. Keyword Looks, sat down at a table for two i thought i was in a pre-k sitting area small chairs that are un-comfortable.
Ordered the bacon sampler plate as an app. The bacon was overly greasy with barley no bread on it. Me and my friend where un-impressed by it.
I ordered the lamb burger with there home made fries. I got the lamb burger with a salad. AKA they messed up my ordered did not feel like arguing and waiting for ever to get it re-done. The salad had some sea salt on it. I felt like i was eating the dead sea - so dam salty. The lamb burger was nice though.
My friend got the salmon with a a potato something underneath. The potato thing was to dry, dry like a toast. The salmon was nice though the few bites that i had to try where mostly drenched in the sauce that comes with it. The greens are also in the sauce.
The water was re-filled all the time. My cup was dirty on the outside which was not pleasant but what ever i did not have the energy to say anything.
The atmosphere to some degree felt a bit moody and dark. The music was big band era type which is nice for a bit but than it gets annoying and its like OK the place how it looks plus the sound - not doing much for me.
Over all for the price i was kinda like MEH eh what? not the best impression but not the worst. Not on top of my list of places to go back too.
I'm in love with Clover Club and its ginormous ice cubes. Went on a Friday and a Saturday night and the place was pleasantly crowded. Bartenders were courteous and masterful. I highly recommend the Carrera - even though it comes sans the much loved ginormous ice cube.
These are the kind of drinks you savour, and wish you could make at home. Except they have a dozen ingredients and you know you could just never duplicate it perfectly. Better to get it from the source.
Preeti's Glory Behind the Story - Chapter 1 - Clover Club
Brooklynites began to clamor and wrote to Marty Markowitz "Why can't we gettuh fancy cocktail joint ova hea!?" Manhattanites ridiculed them and told them to "fuhhgett about it," but they persevered on...
After countless letters and calls demanding a fancy cocktail joint instead of more catch phrase ridden motorist signs on the BQE... Marty responded, "Alright, alright, stop bustin mah balls, ova hea youz guyz, you'll get your friggin' cocktail joint!" After all, this is an experience, not just a borough.
Months later, Clover Club opened its elegant doors, revealing a dimly lit interior complete with booths, luxurious couches, multiple bars and a heart melting fireplace. The people of Brooklyn rejoiced, "How sweet it is!" The cocktail menu proved to be unique and inventive enough to draw folks into Clover Club's warmth for multiple rounds. If liquor isn't your cup of jo, "name it, we got it," says their stellar staff and take you through their starry selection of flavorful craft beers, wines or proseccos. You'll leave, head spinning, and eyes twinklin, "Oy ve!"
Raise your glasses to "believin the hype" that is Brooklyn!
We had just had a meat and cheese board and some drinks at The Jakewalk and weren't quite ready to head home yet, so we decided to check out Clover Club. I wasn't expecting much, because the name is exactly like something Holden Caulfield would have mocked, and there seems to be this huge glut of cocktail lounges lately and most of them are painfully lame. But whatever--we gave it a shot.
There was a stroller parked outside when we walked in. I didn't take it for a stroller kind of place and was rather surprised by this. There was a young family seated at a front table. A well-behaved little kid was sitting and coloring peacefully while a newborn slept in its mother's arms. I was wearing my baby discreetly in a sling and the hostess actually rolled her eyes at me when I took off my coat and revealed his sweet little face.
About five minutes later, another couple with a baby came in. They brought their stroller inside and this time the hostess sighed loudly. As she handed us menus, she rudely commented, "What is this, family night? Look at all those strollers!"
Look, when you design a space with aisles wide enough for strollers, you're gonna get strollers. You can counter this a bit by making the space cramped and zig-zagging, with lots of little steps and a dearth of ramps or stroller-friendly tables. If you're trying to design a faux old-timey cocktail lounge that is reminiscent of Prohibition-era Chicago, it's probably a good idea to keep it smallish and intimate, like a real speakeasy. Clover Club is far from intimate. In fact it's positively spacious, with high ceilings and huge tables and an extremely wide center aisle that is quite inviting to the stroller set.
Don't want strollers? Don't make room for strollers.
And please, if I'm sitting in your bar with a sleeping baby strapped to my chest, I probably hate strollers as much as you do--that's why he's in a cute, discreet little sling. But that doesn't mean I appreciate snark with my cocktail. Spare me your boring, misanthropic disgust and just get me my damn drink already.
I am not a fancy cocktail guy. I come from a family where anything besides ice in your drink insinuates that you are less of a man. That doesn't concern me, as I'm not much of a man anyway; I just don't like sweet drinks.
However, I AM all about trying new things. When in Rome, etc. So I had the signature cocktail, the Clover Club. And you know what? I loved every sip. It was foamy, and certainly a bit sweeter than I prefer, but genuinely delicious.
Next, I tried the Barmen's Bloody Mary, made with rye whiskey, Fernet-Branca, and various spices. It tasted EXACTLY like a Bloody Mary that was made with rye, rather than vodka. I appreciate the ingenuity, but I think there's a reason you don't see more of these. It was manly, in an "I dare you to drink that" sort of way.
Overall though, Clover Club makes me wish I loved cocktails. The place is just BEAUTIFUL. The back room is warm and inviting; all dark wood and soft leather, with a fire burning in the corner. An accommodating woman will serve you any number of appealing drinks, and there are even tasty snacks to be had.
It is like the living room I will have when I am a billionaire. According to my calculations, that won't be for another 317 years or so...but clear your calendar, because you are all invited over.
Take your shoes off though. You don't even want to know what that rug cost me.
If there's a nip in the air, and all you want to do is cozy up in an antique chair in front of a fireplace, with Billie Holiday singing softly in the background, and a classic cocktail in your hand, Clover Club is your place.
Enjoy egg whites in your drinks? Don't miss the Bohemian Fizz (I like it with grapefruit juice) or the eponymous cocktail, the Clover Club.
Service was impeccable. Frankie served our group for the evening and was super sweet and on top of her game.
Fans of the Flatiron Lounge will want to know that Clover Club is owner Julie Reiner's Cobble Hill answer to the much loved Manhattan favorite.
The splendid vibe and topnotch cocktails (and easy F train ride) will no doubt lure me back to Clover Club very soon.
In addition to serving delicious cocktails nightly, Clover Club is now doing weekend brunches.
Stopped in last Sunday for a hearty brunch and was not disappointed.
I had the ricotta pancakes with apple compote. Sounds simple but was melt in your mouth goodness. Tried the bacon tasting with 3 flavors of bacon served on toast. Bacon was a little too fatty for my taste, but still yum.
Coffee comes served in a single serving Bodum press. Nice. And if you're up for it, the cocktail menu is available in full force with 4 different types of bloody Marys offered.
Service was a little shakey, but I'm giving some slack to the new staff.
All in all, super-glad to have another top-notch brunch option on Smith Street.
Great drinks and a cozy atmosphere. (Dim lights, candles, wood paneled walls and faux tin ceilings)The drinks are really well mixed and presented beautifully but if they are going to serve drinks like that there needs to be enough bartenders on staff to make them quickly. I waited 30 minutes for 1 drink which is crazy to me. (Blackberry Bramble...very yummy, also tried a drink with prosecco, punt a mes and something else, it was pretty good too)
Only things I didn't like about this place was it seems a little snooty and pretentious and it is pretty expensive. I was with 5 people, we all had 2 drinks and our bill was over $150. Probably won't be back but it was nice to come in and try out the drinks.
There's no loud music, and no televisions. The only food dishes are appetizers. And, there's a male bartender. If this isn't your style, then you wouldn't be able to appreciate the Clover Club for what it is, a refreshingly old-fashioned saloon.
The backroom has booth seating, coffee tables, padded chairs, a fireplace, and..., yes, yes, a second bar. The drink menu is extensive, and intriguing. You couldn't find recipies like this in your run-of-the-mill pub. One thing's for sure, they aren't shy about experimenting with spirits. This is a place where you go for good libations, good conversations, good conversations about good libations, etc...
I'd heard good things about the Clover Club. Good location, right off the F at Bergen (and conveniently on my way home)!
Drinks were about $10 each, but they were artfully mixed and intricate.
I couldn't decide what I wanted so I told the waitress the vibe I was going for and she came back with quite the masterpiece. Some type of cobbler? it involved cinnamon and muddled strawberries and was fantastic.
A 1920's band, Michael Aranella and the Dreamland Orchestra, have been playing regular sets here on Wednesday nights that I would really recommend. Great date place.
When I visited Clover Club, I was treated to the spectacle of an objectionable woman molesting the face of an objectionable man with her tongue. I guess the staff doesn't want to get involved in the romantic sallies of grotesque people, but I'd like to think that at a good version of the place CC aspires to be, these people would have been escorted to the curb by a miniature sad-faced St. Bernard wearing a bow tie.
The drinks were fine. The bartender at the Yale Club (a place I wouldn't mention if I'd actually attended that school) looks like he's been making drinks since 1882, though, and he makes them twice as good and three times as fast. He reeks of Vitalis, though, and the clientele reeks of tennis. So it's a question, I suppose, of choosing one's poison.
Haha I love how Randolph T. is an asshole. He obviously knows nothing about the background of the people behind this establishment and has a misguided and sorry attempt at New York humor, trying to take shots at particular neighborhoods he knows nothing about.
I'm glad that the people behind places like Pegu and Flatiron Lounge have come to Brooklyn because I think any area could always use a shot of upscale, old school verve. I think it's nicely situated on the busiest street the area so nobody misses a beat.
I know that Nate works here, great bartender, really nice guy, the bartenders, excuse me mixologists (oh come on bartender is a great and better word than mixologist) know their stuff and it's just one of those places that gin is prevalent in, and should be.
The crowd is actually in a way a snobby good addition, if that's even possible. Sometimes you need a few fat wallets and possibly bloated egos to perk the place up and give the area a little more superficial snazz.
And at the end of the day, I can still sit with a perfect cold Newcastle and notice the interesting conversation surrounding me.
It's a two part old school; first you walk in, and there are several tables on your right and the candlelit bar to your left with everything elegant and perfect pours all around. Move beyond the drape and there's another section of the bar plus some more room for canoodling. I think I just enjoy the fact that there are certain places where you feel like everyone should be dressed like they were in Howards End or something, more three piece suits, pocketwatches, an occasional monacle, bonnets, and people saying the word "undergarment" and "indeed." Maybe that's stretching a bit too far back, but they really expanded on a Smith and Mills scenery with a little nicer brick and a more sultry atmosphere.
Clover is one of my favorite places to get drinks and food in the area. It's a borderline upscale but casual bar that serves limited food but carries an extensive cocktail list. The food menu is limited but really tasty, and the cocktail menu is extensive. This is a fairly new bar so it's impeccably clean and the interior is spacious and comfortable, probably the largest in the area. They also accept credit cards.
If this bar were a man, I would date it.
Finally got over to Clover Club.
I'm pretty stingy. I love going out, but more often than not I'm that girl who gets a sandwich because it's 3 bucks less than the entrees.
However -- like everyone has said, these cocktails are totally amazing and worth it. Get the French Cowboy! Mmmm! And the homemade chips! They're fried in duck fat! All of these things are delivered to you by a saucy cocktail waitress!
Unfortunately, if you get stuck sitting in the front of the Club, you're tortured by their "olde tyme" heating system, which oscillates between blazing hot and "holy crap where'd I put my earmuffs" cold.
I don't tend to be a "pricey-mixed-drink" kind of guy. I'm more of the "one ingredient, probably bourbon or beer" kind of guy. You know, the one that admires the old alcoholics you can find in a super dive. So I was hesitant when my friend took me here.
I've never had a 10 dollar mixed drink that was worth the money, until I came here. Fresh ingredients, professional bartending in a nice old-school way, and tasty nosh as well. Yeah, the crowds can be a bit much. Just come there with a small group of friends ready to get tipsy on deliciousness. YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!!!!!!
That was enthusiasm there, not a stroke.
This place has it all - ambiance, expertly mixed cocktails, and (best of all) a convenient Brooklyn location on Smith Street. I love coming here after work. One day I'll score a booth and try the "bacon tasting" that another reviewer mentioned. Bacon and awesome cocktails in an early 20th century atmosphere? Yum!
Everyone likes cheap drinks, because, well, they're cheap. They may taste like gasoline (I recently had the pleasure of High-Ten Whisky at the Skinny Bar for happy hour - I think it could easily have powered a Datsun 720) but they get you drunk, which is generally the purpose of drinking.
Anyway - back to CC. So, these drinks are 10 -11 bones a piece and they are worth every penny. I had two: one, a blood orange concoction called the Sorello, which was equal parts tart and potent, and the other, (the name I can't remember, because my brain is paralyzed just thinking about sipping on that sweet, yet not overly sweet nectar) was maybe gin, pear juice, champagne? and a cinnamon stick to make it this a perfectly well balanced, well seasoned drink that i wish i could order at every bar. Alas, I know they'd never get it quite right.
Clover Club is a charming ride back in time. Tim and I were there around 8 on a Sunday night and it was quiet--which was perfect because Billi Holiday was playing. We sat at the bar on the oversized barstools and read through the detailed menu. We peeked in the back room, which is generally reserved for private parties is beeeyyuutiful!
Clover Club is an old school cocktail club with perfectly poured drinks by adorable, friendly mixologists who are happy to school you on their concoctions. How did I not know that margarita (my favorite cocktail) means "daisy" (my favorite flower) in Spanish? Estupido!
Owner Julie Reiner (of the Flatiron Lounge) chatted with us for quite some time about the Clover Club's drinks, decor and her overall vision. She's a woman with a plan and delivers it all (and then some) with the Clover Club.
The drinks are very reasonable. If this bar was in Manhattan they'd each be five bucks more. Every detail is a thoughtful one. All I'd ask is that they'd expand the food menu to include a vegetarian option (or three!).
We'll definitely be back when the weather chills. Clover Club's cozy feel (and working fireplace) will feel like heaven then.
Giuseppe...my charming, handsome and classic mixologist inspired me to love the cocktail even more. You have to come and sit at the bar for the full effect of what this Prohibition style classic cocktail mixing will bring for your visual and sensory pleasure.
Now imagine two hot to trot...if I may say ladies looking to wash away our relationship blues with a sassy yet crafty bartender and a wonderful cocktail that not only tastes so good but was amazing to watch the making of it. Crushed ice of perfection, muddled raspberries and of course a good amount of gin and some other goodies and Walla..I have myself a very good drink.
I could only have one since I had to drive myself home and we started earlier in the slope, but I will be back. The drinks are a bit pricey ranging from 14 and up give or take, but you not going here for just a Rum and Coke...you want a cocktail, an inventive cocktail. One that brings all your senses to their fullest.
So sit at the bar, talk with sexy Giuseppe and be amazed by what you will get. I had to give it four not five stars only bc I like Death and Company's ambiance better but its so worth the trip into Brooklyn or if your a Brooklynite...you don't have to trek into the city. Either way, its a Win-Win!!!
UPDATE:
This is my local hangout...Nate/Ryan/Brad/Julie-the owner and of course Giuseppe are #1 in my book. The cocktails are beyond fantastic. What a great place to go anytime, date, business, hanging out with friends, family..whatever. I go each and every week (which don't know if its a good thing since we are talking alcohol here but I Heart Clover Club sooo much I can't resist.) Sit at the bar--it adds to the experience.
I'm not sure if anyone has been anticipating the opening of Clover Club more than me. While the 11201 zip code has a few go-to spots for the hard core cocktail enthusiast, Brooklyn Social is too small and crowded, and Jack the Horse Tavern closes too early. More fancy drinks in Brooklyn, please!
Enter Julie Reiner, mastermind behind Manhattan's cocktail haven Flatiron Lounge. Now, if you're expecting the low-key speakeasy scene you'll be disappointed with Clover Club--no secret numbers, no unmarked doors. But what she has done is create a larger-scale bustling neighborhood brasserie/pub scene that happens to serve top-notch cocktails and perfect bar snacks.
Tonight was opening night, and CC was busy, but not annoyingly so. I got a seat at the bar while I waited for J, and had the signature Clover Club cocktail--gin, lemon and raspberry syrup. A little sweet, but tasty and super-frothy, just how I like it. The main space is lovely--hanging lanterns, tile mosaic and hardwood floors, textured wall paper and high pressed-tin ceilings. Unfortunately, when J arrived, we were squeezed in at what was most likely the worst table in the bar, a tiny two-top between two other tiny two-tops near the front of the room. It was loud and cramped, and definitely dampened our experience.
However, the drinks and food were fantastic. J had the Black Mamba, a rye-based drink with a distinct herbal taste to it, and I had the Slope--also rye, but much more in the traditional Manhattan vein, and garnished with a brandied cherry, my favorite! I was also famished (and more than a little tipsy after my first drink), so I ordered the deviled eggs from the small but quality food menu.
Excuse me, I need a minute.
I can't even talk about how fucking good the deviled eggs were, I think my heart might break. Four beauties on the half-shell, each topped with an exquisite garnish--bacon, truffles, yowsers. I hit. The jackpot.
Although we couldn't be seated there, I took a peek into the back room, and honestly, it's stunning. Another, smaller bar, plus antique furniture, rugs and a fireplace. One trillion times nicer than the main space in front, which is really saying something, as the main space is quite nice. When we go back, we'll settle for nothing less than the back room. And neither should you.
Ah Brooklyn, when I hang out with you, you never let me down! I spend 40+ hours a week (working) in this bourough, but never get to throw down proper on a fun time in its many 'hoods. (One night I'll be found passed out on the inbound F-train, just wait)
Clover Club embodies what strikes me as cool about Bklyn... good beer, cool people, unpretentious yet stylin, with just the right amount of gutteral class. But seriously... awesome beer. I must have asked the bartender five times who brews it. I can't remember anymore.
Clover Club, I'll be back to drink your beer, bask in your fireplace, and chat up your patrons!
If you're in the mood for prohibition-era cocktails and killer appetizers, this is pretty much the only place to be in Brooklyn.
The drink menu is a tiny mixed-drink history lesson, and the atmosphere is chill and relaxing. The staff is incredibly attentive and friendly, and the service really couldn't be better.
Everyone should ABSOLUTELY try the steak tartar... it goes down easy, especially with the "improved whisky cocktail".
I would advise going during the week, though... the weekend crowds can get a little manhattan-y.
The drinks are fantastic. My girlfriend and I came here for a Tuesday evening cocktail, because it was a Tuesday, and had a great time. We sat at the bar and Giuseppe the bartender was obliging and talkative, answering questions about the drinks and making recommendations.
The cocktail menu was sizable and educational, dividing drinks up into categories and giving a little bit of history about each. The food is limited to appetizers, but those are good as well -- we had the fried oyster po' boy and chips.
I tried the Remember the Maine (a cross between a Sazerac and a Manhattan, and a really great drink) and a Sazerac, while my girlfriend had a Gin Blossom and a Widow's Kiss (at the bartender's suggestion).
If I'm going to spend $10 on a drink anywhere, I'm going to make it the Clover Club. I'm afraid it will be too packed to be fun on Friday and Saturday nights, but that's the way of good bars in these parts.
I feel like I'm just echoing the others here in saying how wonderful the cocktails were (extremely strong, so you get 3 drinks in 1).
I had a great experience with the service, from the moment I walked in they were attentive and gave recommendations based on our tastes. Next time, I'll try the bar and the deviled eggs. The oysters on a half-shell were yummy, but only 6 for $14 way too pricey.
My book discussion group just met at the Clover Club for the last time.
We chose it for the atmosphere, the class, the tasty cocktails, and the selection of comforting appetizers and desserts. We met there three months in a row, and both the cocktails and atmosphere seemed special and worth the price. But last month our small group was coming up short on the the bill and we couldn't figure out why, so two of us threw in an extra $5 to cover the difference.
On the way home on the subway I took out the bill to study it one more time, and realized we'd been charged for a drink that had been ordered, but not served, because they were out of one of the ingredients. That explained why we were still $10 short when everyone put in their fair share!
So I called the manager and explained what happened. It was clear because we were charged for a drink that they weren't serving that night. And the manager was totally nice and flexible about refunding the money. I chose the easiest option for me, getting a refund when I came back in a month with my book group. She said she would remember me.
Tonight I reminded the manager who I was and she said no problem, any drink you want on the house. The menu had completely changed for spring. I ordered something that sounded sweet. It tasted like rancid Tang. I wasn't sure if it was me, so I had my friends taste it. My two female friends thought it tasted sour and my two guy friends thought it tasted "OK." One of the guys offered to switch drinks with me, but I wasn't crazy about his drink either. It was embarrassing to ask for something else, but I couldn't drink it, one sip soured my stomach. The waitress said no problem, we'll get you something else, and quizzed me about what I liked and tried to help me order something I would like. A long time later she brought me another drink. It also tasted like rancid Tang. I couldn't believe it. Was it me??? Again, I had my friends taste it, and again, the girls thought it tasted sour and actually rancid, and the guys thought it was "OK." Nobody wanted to drink it. I was willing to just not drink it and leave it at that--I was a little nauseated at this point--and did not want to be difficult. But the waitress wanted to please, and made a point of asking if I liked it, and quizzed me some more about what I liked. None of the drinks I'd formerly enjoyed were on the menu anymore. I had lost my thirst by this point but I said "I just want something sweet." A really, really long time later she brought me yet a third drink. It looked divine. It tasted...like rancid Tang with some raspberry syrup in it. Again my two female friends agreed; one of the guys said "It's strong, but it's OK." He drank it. Then the waitress started to take away one of the girl's drinks before she was done. At this point we felt like they just hated us.
Did they get a new bartender? I see that everyone has written nice stuff about the cocktails. All of their drinks were yummy the other few times we have met there. I think we will be moving on now to a new venue. I don't know if they will miss us.
It's a shame because the space is beautiful, it transports you to the jazz age. It's a nice date spot if you can find a cocktail you like. Tonight my three different choices all tasted bad and the same. I guess you are pretty safe with wine.
Sorry to be the one "sour" review, but that's what happened.
Oh, my. The ambiance here, though most likely meant to emulate the popular speakeasy-Cuban social club trend, falls somewhere closer to a sanitized, Applebee's version of Socialista or Little Branch. I really couldn't tell you about the drinks, because the service actually prevented us from getting that far.
A group of us entered and proceeded to the back room, where some of our friends were already seated at the bar. The front room was fairly crowded, and the back seemed a logical place to congregate, as there was plenty of open space, and just a few tables with seated couples. Not five minutes later, a staff member asked the whole group to move back to the front as they "didn't really want people just sanding around here". When my friend asked if it was a bar or not, and thus something people would naturally expect to be able to do, the staff person replied "Yes, this is a bar. But we want to keep it civilized back here."
Hm. Did I mention that none of us were panhandling, particularly fragrant, and that most of us are architects? Well, maybe she's right. Them crazy architects always goin' all crazy and shizz.
Needless to say, not coming back here.
Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens
Category: Lounges
Brooklyn, NY
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Boerum Hill
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens
Category: Wine Bars
Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens
Category: Wine Bars
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