The Clover Club

Recommends

sdbarkeep

Joined 5 years ago

You gotta try it!. This has been on my "places to go" list since it opened. I'm always looking for ideas to steal for my own bar, and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Clover Club should be flattered I'm taking some ideas home with me. The drinks are fantastic, if not a little mysterious (all the little bottles and made too fast for me to take mental notes), and the atmosphere is definitely more upscale than the rest of Smith Street (and as the other reviewers point out, this can be good AND bad). You're only getting 4 stars out of 5 for the attitude of the bartender; apparently I DON'T need to know what is in the drink. Other than that the staff was extremely over-friendly and I had a great time. Kudos to the Clover Club

Doesn't Recommend

noords

Joined 5 years ago

Poor service, good drinks, uncomfortable atmosphere, bad lay-out of the space. The stars are for the drinks which were good but not worth the annoying experience.

Bad scene, bad lay-out, so-so service, unaccommodating hostesses... couldn't wait to get out of there.

Recommends

jujubee

Joined 11 years ago

Love it!!. WOW, BROOKLYN LOCAL HAS SOME SERIOUS ANGER ISSUES!! The Clover Club is actually bringing some class to Brooklyn; It is unfortunate that you are unable to appreciate that. Lets see, the door man is to check people's id's on weekends. The hostess is there to seat people, and ensure good service. Do you need a lesson on how restaurants and bars work?? I highly doubt that one establishment can ruin a whole neighborhood. I have lived in Carroll Gardens for 10 years, and have been waiting a long time for a place like this. The cocktails are the best I have had in Manhattan or Brooklyn, and they are cheaper than if I were to go to Manhattan! Do yourself a favor and check it out, the food and cocktails are all top notch... the door man is nice too!!

Recommends

huqleberryDOTcom

Joined 5 years ago

eh.... File under Things to Do section because there was no eating involved. I finally went and checked this spot down on Smith Street out. There's been a lot of brew ha since word got out that mixologist Julie Reiner of Flatiron Lounge, among others, was opening a 'pricey' spot on Smith and Baltic in the Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn. Mutterings that the area is no place for $12 drinks etc...I personally am not at odds with it. As long as we are years from the pricing fallout, I'll be a patron. The decor was period (speakeasy), but not over the top. The service was measured, I wouldn't say slow though. The only thing I can definitively say is that I had the best Negroni I have had in New York bellied up to that bar, which by the way was mahogany and resurrected via 1890s coal miners bar of Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania (amazing). Otherwise, typical patron fare for the area, though I almost felt like I was in Manhattan for a while. They have small plate food. All bitters and such are house made and menu drinks are pre-depression/classic cocktails. I will go back and if you are in the area you should stop by.

Doesn't Recommend

brklynlocal

Joined 5 years ago

LOSER CLUB a poor reflection of a great neighborhood. HEY LOOK.. SOMEONE WATCHED A LOT OF HOME IMROVEMENT TV SHOWS AND DECIDED TO F@*%K UP MY HOOD WITH A TOUIST TRAP/ T.G.I.FRIDAYS BAR...COCKTAILS MADE A "MIXOLOGIST"... REALLY? TRICKS ,GIMMICKS AND DRINK MENUS CAN'T COMPENSATE FOR OVERSTAFFED "CLUB?"

THEY HAVE A HOSTESS, FOR WHAT?, AND A "BOUNCER/DOORMAN"...REALLY?... FOR WHAT?...OH YEAH,TO PROTECT THE TOURIST FROM ANYTHING ACTUALLY BROOKLYN-ISH.

Recommends

Rebecca Behan

Joined 9 years ago

With a polite nod to '20s-era drinking, this upscale cocktail den may keep Carroll Gardens' flappers and dandies from crossing the bridge.. An offspring of Manhattan's Flatiron Lounge, Clover Club harkens back to a calmer, more genteel era, serving a curated list of 30 classic cocktails like the Bramble and Jersey Julep. A hostess corrals well-heeled locals into tables, booths and a back room, leaving the large mahogany bar and surrounding area to absorb the overflow. Try the Clover Club ($10), the namesake cocktail that started it all; it's made from a frothy mix of gin, dry vermouth, lemon and housemade raspberry syrup.

Recommends

MrTtwo

Joined 5 years ago

great cocktails, but not crazy about the vibe. cocktails were perfectly executed and delicious, but the place feels a little too too if you know what I mean...too fancy for its own good, not like a comfortable bar to hang out...feels more Manhattan than Brooklyn.

Recommends

PatrickSo

Joined 5 years ago

Awesome Addition to Smith. I just went to Clover Club last night and had an amazing time. I was reading the previous review and I'm always surprised how certain people have this concept of what Brooklyn is. I have lived in the neighborhood for 4 years. I grew up in Bay Ridge. I personally hate reading how if it's nice and done well--that's not Brooklyn. You obviously didn't grow up in Brooklyn. You left Manhattan because you couldn't afford the rent and now it seems you want to be self righteous. I grew up always having to dress nice either for work or for church. That is Brooklyn. Not some style where not shaving and wearing torn jeans makes you think you are cool. Talking to a bartender that shaves is nice than talking to one who looks like he needs a shower. That is Brooklyn.

Quiet, no losers, good service, and quality cocktails. My girlfriend had a great time. The food was good. I like the doorman because he keeps all the hipsters and underage kids out (who usually end up at Brooklyn Social or Angry Wades). I can talk, have a drink without someone yelling or picking a fight or hitting on my girl. And the drinks were perfect. Seriously, the best bar in Brooklyn, and maybe New York. We can't wait to go back.

Recommends

Scott718

Joined 5 years ago

Welcome to Brooklyn. As a former resident of Manhattan (who is now far happier living in Brooklyn) I was very happy when I heard that Clover Club was opening in my hood. I like that someone opened a place with attention to detail and takes the cocktail world very seriously. No one is making drinks as good as these bartenders (not in Brooklyn or Manhattan.) Its upscale, but I have never encountered any attitude there. It is just nice to have options for a great cocktail experience in Brooklyn. I love that Jake walk and the Clover Club have come to Smith Street, Welcome!!!!!!!! I will be back to Clover again and again.

Recommends

QueCera

Joined 5 years ago

Best Drinks Ever.. The drinks are so delicious that they are deceptively potent; don't think because the alcohol isn't burning it's way down your throat that the drink is nothing but mixer, because I assure you that they are not. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. And the late night hours makes this place perfect for the after dinner drink, or nightcap. Will be back without a doubt.