Spuyten Duyvil

Worst Service, Overrated. Spuyten Duyvil has a backyard and a selection of wine, beer, and cheese options. This is true. But it is also seriously overrated and has terrible service. Expect large crowds full of pretension, either yuppies who came all the way in from Manhattan to spend the day touring new condos or badly dressed hipster artistes, a tiny hunk of cheese for waaaay too much money, and frat boyesque bartenders who act like you are rude for placing an order with them.

The first time I went there I placed an order with the bartender for some cheese and a glass of wine. I was served the wine, but told by the bartender that they would bring the cheese out to me (I was sitting in the back.) After waiting twenty minutes for my order, I went back to the bar. It was busy, and I tried (fruitlessly) to get the bartenders attention. When I finally did, he acted as if I was lying about my previous order, told me I'd have to wait, and continued to help others, ignoring my reorder for the cheese. I had to ask the other bartender to get the cheese plate, but it took a bit of a wait to get that as well. There was no apologie for forgetting my order. Rather this macho attitude of, "I"m the man behind the counter, and I decide what happens here. If you don't get your cheese, I could care less." This would be acceptable if this place were serving free peanuts or hamburgers, but you pay a sizeable amount for their tiny servings of "gourmet" cheese and "fine" wine.

In case you can't tell by the name, this place is trying desperately to be something it's not. That is, a fine European style bar. Expect better service at your local dive and leave this one to newbies with fat pocketbooks.…

Worth the short trek to Brooklyn. Always seems to have one really nice 20 oz tap beer for $6. Great selection of bottles, although expensive. Staff is very friendly and will give recommendations. Delicious olives and cheeses as well. Love the atmosphere - kind of wish it was my apartment...…

Beer Heaven. The selection of beer is amazing. What keeps me coming back is the rotating selection of beers on tap. Knowing that there will always be a new, delicious beer on tap that you've never tried before is a great reason to come back to a bar. Plus, the bottle selection is amazing, with beers from all over the world. The cheeses are great, the staff friendly, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Probably one of my favorite bars in the city.…

Belgian ales and well-aged furnishings are the specialty of the house.. Inhabiting a former railroad apartment, this Williamsburg beer and wine bar has a cozy radiance that attracts a crowd of neighborhood regulars. The slender room is decorated with a red-painted pressed-tin ceiling, chalkboard beer listings and an assortment of price-tagged vintage finds--including wooden tool boxes, '50s diner tables, anatomical posters and Chinese checker sets. The bar (whose name loosely translates as "spitting devil" in Dutch) stocks more than 80 international beers by the bottle, six on tap and a rotating cask-pulled ale. Belgian brews make up the majority of the list, which is enhanced by a selection of wines, sakes and even mead--a honey wine with notes of sherry.…