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[title]The Black Rabbit
Sandwiched between Polish discotheques and Spartan tenements, this brand-new old-world bar is nirvana for the brainiacs. Ale-buzzed groups of six or eight twentysomethings rhapsodize about literature, philosophy (no, really, they actually were) and whatever downer is moping its way over the stereo (Joy Division, Arcade Fire), huddled around the fireplace and piled into deep booths cordoned off with saloon-style doors. Couples fuel this intimate party with their quiet chatter at the mammoth cherrywood bar, while a fully restored vintage TV flickers silently in the corner.
TIP: Quiet intellectualism not your thing? Pursue hilarity instead at the bar’s comedian-hosted bingo night, Sundays from 7 to 10pm. Average drink: $7. 91 Greenpoint Ave between Franklin St and Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (718-349-1595).
Black Mountain Wine House
A wooden deck out front welcomes locals to this wine-bar-meets-country-cottage, made picture-perfect with mismatched tables and a fireplace. The labels—including international and vintage varieties at approachable prices—take center stage, but there’s also an impressive array of beers, from Anchor Steam ($5) to Duvel ($15). A disarmingly charismatic bartender sets up a night of happy conversation among cozy clusters of revelers.
TIP: This is a place to preparty; arrive for a $10 plate or two (we liked the menu’s description of niçoise salad with “Really Expensive Canned Tuna”) before the kitchen closes at 1am. Average drink: $8. 415 Union St at Hoyt St, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-395-2614)
Camp
This Smith Street staple boasts cheap beers, a roaring fireplace and a wildly popular s’mores plate ($14). Camp-ers pack in on weekend nights around 1am, but Tuesday’s 9pm to 1am Guitar Hero night is an even bigger draw. Get there early to put your name down, as you’ll have to wait behind the long list of people ready to prove they’re the next Hendrix.
TIP: Ladies, expect to be…attended to. One guy grabbed my pen and day planner and proceeded to graffiti into its pages his name, phone number and an advertisement of his services as street pharmacist for the “914 to the 718.” Average drink: $6. 179 Smith St between Warren and Wycoff Sts, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn (718-852-8086).
The Back Room
It’s exciting to sneak behind the gate on Norfolk Street marked lower east side toy company, to walk through a dark alley and to finally arrive in this wallpapered, tin-ceilinged bar where drinks are served in teacups—to be sipped by the fireplace, of course—and the decor is reminiscent of the library at Manderlay. But the weekend vibe is more boisterous than bookish, as the couches are filled with bottle-service patrons and the modelesque bartenders are pouring $10 “Raines Rickeys” for uptown types.
TIP: Just remember it’s all smoke and mirrors; when we looked behind a fake bookshelf for a bathroom, all we discovered was a storage room and an angry bouncer. Average drink: $8. 102 Norfolk St at Delancey St (212-228-5098).
The Beatrice Inn
For all the talk about clubs where uptown and downtown mix, the Beatrice is one of the only places that does it right. Saunter up to the door on a Friday night and if you’re lucky enough to get in, you’ll be hobnobbing with socialists, socialites and everyone in between. The first floor is fine for quiet conversation and gazing at the old fireplace filled with burning candles, but the real action happens on the upstairs dance floor, where too-cool types let down their guard and give it to the (more often than not celebrity) DJ. Seeing Mischa Barton there didn’t make us think the bar was cooler, it made us think she was.
TIP: Arrive fashionably late; things don’t get kicking until after 1am. Average drink: $10. 285 W 12th St at 4th St (212-243-4626).
Kili
Dimly lit and draped with curtains, Kili is a sexy, firelit lounge where the tunes transition from house to hip-hop at 2am—when the regulars roll in. The only thing we felt was missing was a dance floor, but the singles grinding between the tables might have liked the excuse to get close.
TIP: Work your moves off to the side, where cushy seating enticed this writer and her date to smooch all night. Average drink: $7. 81 Hoyt St between Atlantic Ave and State St, Boreum Hill, Brooklyn (718-855-5574).
Waverly Inn
Be prepared to push and shove for a seat at the crowded bar of this West Village restaurant, where the famous sail past the host to a table in the back while the not-so-famous bide their time with a drink in the low-ceilinged front room. You could come here just to gawk at celebrities (there are plenty to be seen), but we like to stop by the Waverly on cold, snowy nights to warm ourselves with a glass or two of red next to the crackling fireplace.
TIP: Even if you don’t have to, take a trip to the bathroom: Wending your way through the dining room is the best way to scope out VIPs. Average drink: $12 16 Bank St at Waverly Pl (212-243-7900).
Couples
Morgans Bar
If we had a mistress, and that mistress were Karen Darling from Dirty Sexy Money, we’d take her here. The patrons light their cigars with $100 bills, but you won’t mind when you’re making out to chill lounge music on a red-velvet sofa. Morgans Hotel, 237 Madison Ave at 37th St (212-726-7600)
47 E Houston St between Mott and Mulberry Sts (212-343-7251)
Auction House
Okay, so we don’t have a mistress. We don’t even have a wife. But maybe that’s because we’re going to the wrong bars. This comfy-couch haven (two rooms adorned with plush, velvet curtains) really shows your date you care—hard to do on the UES. 300 E 89th St at Second Ave (212-427-4458)