I'm a Balkan music junkie and we searched this place out. We saw Slavic Soul Party and the place is madness. It's just perfect in size and location. I wish they served some stuff to munch on though. read more

Barbès - Slavic Soul Party - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place is a local casual and friendly hole in the wall bar. Bar tenders are attentive and friendly. Happy hour specials are decent with reasonable pricing overall. read more

Small, sweaty and smelly. Not one of my favorite bars. Crappy music, the drinks were kind of weak and not that cheap. Not to mention all the photos that we took that night had some creeper staring at us in the background. I will definitely not come back unless Kelly forces me to. read more

Named after a Paris quartier in the 18th Arrondissement, to be exact, this tiny space right next door to Colson Patisserie is a cultural powerhouse in the Park Slope neighborhood. Run by a couple of music- and community-loving French guys, it features a fairly high-end list of single-malt Scotch whiskys and sundry refined tipples, although a PBR or a Ricard can be had here for a price considered reasonable in New York. Their draught beer selection is pared down to some outstanding essentials, including a locally-brewed toasted lager and Speckled Hen Ale from England. The real attraction, aside from the impressive drinks listing, is the music. Tuesday nights are considered "brass night", and an assortment of brass bands from around the globe put in appearances here, such as Slavic Soul Party (who hold court here), the Pink Puffers (from Rome, Italy) and Chicago's Black Bear Combo. In fact, each night a staggeringly eclectic assortment of world music regales the visitor. [Due to the staunchly residential nature of the area, music performances tend to end at 12 midnight in order to keep the peace.] Their website is extremely informative, well put together and updated frequently. read more

Intimate, almost "recital hall" feel to the music room. Terrific dedication to great music. Terrific staff. I don't know how to love it more. read more

It is unarguably the best bar in the area. If it were nestled in a more gothic, harder-edged area of the city, it might get more compellingly chaotic as opposed to just busy with fit-ins, meaning the clientele tends to be earnest and normal, which is a bit of a pity since I'm freakish and like it weird. But I gotta give it the four stars because the booker is just brilliant and the back room really transports me (reminds me of a spot in Budapest I loved). The only bartender by whom I've been served is a consummate professional (if a little all-business, but not offensively so). His drinks grow hair on your chest (ladies, you might need to give your boobs a perm! i told you i was a freak). read more

This is exactly what I've been looking for, for quite some time! A simple live music bar, even if quite small, the beer selection offers many great choices (draft, bottles, and cans). And most of all, a tiny, cosy live music space with an international selection of artists. Depending on the day, you can be in Africa, in Latin America or in Europe... A beautiful disorientation for the pleasure of your soul read more

Barbes. This beautiful gem in the Park Slope hinterlands. How lucky are we to have this place? What can you expect? World class music at 8, 10 & 12 every single day of the year. A friendly vibe all around. Music lovers of all stripes. That hip corner of new york that you've been looking for. The one that doesn't make you grumble "hipsters" under your breath. The one that makes you think, this is why I'm here! When they pass the hat around, I feel like $5 or $10 isn't enough. Seriously. Weinstephaner on tap, and full bar. Even Chimay. Never disappointed. :) read more

One of my fave bars in NYC, and it's a hike for me to get there. So that's love. Viola is my favorite bartender-well, she's more mixologist than bartender. She loves to create concoctions and test them out on her regulars. Ask her for a "maker of legends" or "a lovely lady". These are my faves. I've always enjoyed the music, although not from the room since it's so tiny and I'm kind of claustrophobic. I always find someone to talk with and I usually go alone, the crowd is eclectic and after 11 o'clock everyone is tipsy and friendly. It's divey, but cozy and great for dates or just going with a couple friends. read more

Came after a great dinner to grab a drink and some live music. This was the closest live music I saw in the area. Pretty low key hipster bar with a great selection of beer. All the way in the back there is live music playing. Pretty ecclectic set of musical performances and though I originally was noyt interested in what they were playing, the excitement of actually seeing people playing music was infectiousw and I enjoyed it in the end. Come here for a pretty low key-kind of time. read more

Absolutely love this place ! Local bar with great live performance We live 5 min away , every time we came it was very nice atmosphere , great bands ! , interesting crowd Highly recommend ! read more

What a fun little spot! The bartenders the were incredibly cool, the live music kicked my ass (in a good way), and the overall vibe was laid back and friendly. Worth a visit if you've never been, for sure. read more

Returned for a show one night and enjoyed it. Had two good drinks. Solid music in a standing room.

Completely forgotten I had been here before until I had flashbacks of a fun night with live music in the back (it was some semi-famous classical guitarist years ago, and the place was jam packed for it). Anyway, they have a pretty good beer selection, and tons of interesting cocktails available. It can definitely get crowded though, but mostly a young-ish crowd, especially if there's something going on at the park. read more

Great little bar that has a regular schedule of live jazz. We came at 6PM on a Friday so managed to get their happy hour deal ($3 off cocktails). It's small but cute, and is very close to loads of great restaurants, so is a good choice for pre/post dinner drinks and music. read more

Came in for the first time on Saturday night and immediately it felt like a really cozy place to come in to warm up. After squeezing through groups of people to get to the bar, backroom, and bathroom, it felt a little too cozy for my taste - I'm not one for crowds. Awesome drink menu and selection. Well stocked bar and creative cocktails add to the 'Paris in NYC' vibe. Also not too pricey for the drinker on a budget. Performance space in the back was small and intimate but still had room to squeeze everyone in and not too uncomfortably. We came to see Mamie Minch - she's highly awesome and I recommend checking her out. The artist lineup at Barbes seemed really diverse and interesting and we'll hopefully head on back to check out more performances soon! read more

A musicians bar that never disappoints. High caliber musicians, friendly bar staff, really good atmosphere and vibe. If you want to sit to watch a show, come early or stand while taking breaks sitting at the bar which has the sound of the live band piped in. read more

Here last night to see a band and it was my first time at the bar. The place was packed, especially the teeeeensy performance space in the back. Standing room only, and since there's not a proper stage for the acts, some of those people were practically standing on the accordion player. (Sidebar and ProTip, if you find yourself in a room so crowded you can feel the change through your neighbor-and-new-best-friend's pocket, do not dance. Do. Not. Dance. Even if you're a woman, even if you're 22, even if you're cute. The crowd will hate you and consider turning your big brown eyes into a pendent ) So the crowd organization was awkward, to say the least. But the bar does bring interesting bands in, especially of you're interested in blues, jazz or men in jaunty retro hats. Drinks were good too, especially my pisco sour. Ordering drinks requires running its own crowd gauntlet, however, so plan to throw some elbows and enunciate clearly to the bartender. read more

Best music scene in all Brooklyn. From free jazz to Moroccan chant to Latin American folk to classical to Gypsy brass. Always something to see here on any given week. Schedule on website kept up to date. Great record label too. And bartenders nice and not snobby on pours. read more

Barbès - Live at Barbes with best in world music - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Have you been looking for a place where, on any given night, you can hear: *Bulgarian wedding music *Turkish calgija *Serbian Gypsy tunes *Klezmer mandolin *Accordionists who do covers of both Stephen Foster *and* Led Zeppelin *Surf guitar-inflected Peruvian pop music And more? While at the same time getting snockered on quality scotches, bourbons, wines and draft beers? Alright, well, when you consider looking for such a place please try Barbes. read more

Awesome live music venue in a quiet neighborhood. They've got multiple shows pretty much every night of the week, and the genres are definitely not your average selection (pleasant surprise.) Aside, they have a great atmosphere, terrific drink selection, and a very likable crowd. Also, the bartenders are very courteous, unpretentious, and provide great service (ie: saw me wanting to get back to the show, took down the name on my tab & drink order, and brought my drink to the back room where the show was at.) I definitely can appreciate that kind of service and will gladly come back again. read more

Nice, little bar. Good music in the back. I like the bar (long and narrow), I like the crowd, I like the beers, and I'm impressed by the scotch selection. I think it's among the very best in Brooklyn. I like the bands in the back--great music! I just wish they only charged $5 instead of $10 to go the back and see the band. No bother, though. We could hear the band at a pleasant volume while up front at the bar, thanks to some speakers that seem to project the PA mix forward to the bar. read more

Four stars seems about right. I like that Barbes continues to exist and to foster different kinds of music and art. Last night I saw a friend perform some historical songs, and his opening act was a Vaudeville style ventriloquism act. Along with ragtime piano. Good stuff. I was also impressed by their beer selection. Six Point Righteous Rye is a current favorite of mine, and I was happy to see it on tap. The crowd there is generally cool, if not a bit pretentious. But on the whole it's a good time, and worth checking out. read more

Randomly found this place on my first trip to Brooklyn. Everytime I'm in the area I make a point to visit Barbès for a drink. But the thing that keeps me coming back is the music. They book really good acts, like really good and I never know what I'm gonna get. One time I saw a band called Slavic Soul Party, was not expecting this large band with that type of sound. The space is intimate and you're basically standing right next to the band. 10/10 I'll be back. read more

This place, lucky for us, is in walking distance to our apartment. I've been here twice and I feel like I could come here on any night and hear some really great eclectic/funky/fun music and have a good time. Last Friday it was the Jack Grace Band which I would describe as rockabilly-country with a mariachi twist. Fun. They have a nice beer/wine/spirits menu and last time I ordered a Barbes cocktail which the bartender described as a Cosmopolitan with Campari. It hit the spot. Cost $8. The only problem is they ask for a "$10 donation" for the musicians, which I slightly resent, even though the musicians are usually great. If you want to go here a lot, it would get pretty expensive... too expensive. Especially if you hear music at the 8 pm show and then the 10pm show or want to go multiple times a week. It's just not sustainable. Nevertheless, I love this place and will keep coming back for the music in the small back room with excellent acoustics. You feel like you're listening to a VIP concert in your living room and the band is playing just for you. (I guess they are.) The back room holds about 45 people, max, so you're definitely getting a special kind of show. Check it out! read more

Stopped in Monday and Tuesday this week while in town. Chicha Libre on Monday and Stumblebum on Fat Tues. Totally different atmosphere and crowd each night. Bartenders were friendly and efficient. Drinks seemed like normal prices to me. Selection of beer, wine, booze was diverse for a smaller bar. Yes, the back room does get crowded and hot, and yes there is a smell (like wet brick/musty sewer lines) but, it reminds me of having a party in someone's parents' basement when you were a teenager. It's a little cramped and a little loud, but the music is fantastic. If you're not ready to rub shoulders and enjoy yourself in this setting, you should look elsewhere. Personally, if I lived closer I would probably be here a few times a week. read more

Barbes...my home away from home when I lived in Park Slope. Could not have a bad night here if you tried. The best of the best always played and were always spot on if there were 2 or 3 people in the house or packed to the rafters. Excellent gem in Brooklyn. read more

Horrible. (Actually, I loved it so much!! please stay away and don't let it be swamped with people! ) read more

Cool neighborhood bar distinguishes itself by having live music in the back room. How is that a big deal? The music here is both more interesting and just plain better than many other joints, even Manhattan joints. So much so that I'll make the trip to Park Slope from Manhattan just to catch shows here. That's saying something, as I'll freely admit to not being much of a fan of Park Slope in general. I've also had the pleasure of sitting in with some bands playing Barbes, and the audiences and staff were both cool. So I'd have to say that if one were looking for where the cool is in Park Slope Barbes would have to be near the top of the list. Warning: gets crowded. read more

Awesome music (the night I was there, the show was canceled, but the bartender was playing jazz from the 30's.) Great cocktails. Was weird to be at a bar at 7pm and have only a handful of people there. My gripe: the place smelled like the YMCA pool. Why didn't the bartender prop open the door until the smell dissipated? Oh well. I'd go back. Their happy hour is: $3 cocktails until 8pm so basically their $11 drinks are $8, and they pack a good punch. read more

Came here after getting dinner with my bf and his friends. Cool atmosphere and they have live music in the backroom. I wanted to try a cocktail, but they ran out of the ingredients, so I got a Peak beer instead. Overall, cool place to bring out of towners. read more

I've been here a few times now and at first, I wasn't really a fan. But now I have to say this place has really grown on me. Maybe all it took was to see one good show there, and the Stephan Wrembel "gypsy jazz" night was just the thing to do it. The shows can be hit or miss, but for $10, and the intimacy of the space, you can't beat it. You always end up chatting with those around you because the space just lends itself to socializing. Good drinks, a friendly staff, definitely "regular" potential on my rotation. read more

We met with friends here after a Thursday night show. At first I wasn't really feeling it, but then I realized that I could actually hear the ongoing conversation. The candlelight and small, scarred tables offer a rather charming and intimate atmosphere for hanging out and chatting. Barbes has this kind of divey, old school feel that I really dig. The crowd was an interesting mix of local regulars, indie kids, hipsters, and middle-aged scenesters still trying to be cool. The service was fast and friendly even though the bar was slammed. Prices were very reasonable. The bathrooms weren't too scary and the beers tasted clean. When I'm already tipsy, that's all I really need in a bar. read more

This place is amazing! A friend who lives in Park Slope introduced me to Barbes over the weekend and I was instantly in love with it. We saw Smokey's roundup -- which was fun -- and I reaaaallly want to go back to see Slavic Soul Party. The atmosphere is great and the beers are actually reasonably priced! I had some sort of Ommegang beer that was $5 (which I'm way happier about than, say, a $5 Heineken). Plus I like that the music takes donations, no cover. read more

Oh my gosh - what great music!!! Went here for the Brooklyn Qawwali Party this past Saturday and it was amazing. Even the most stiff spectator was moving to the music. The back room was small, crowded and very hot, but the music made you forget all of this. I hope to go back for the next Brooklyn Qawwali Party - it is not to be missed. read more

Such a great spot Perfect music and bar scene, The music changes almost every night. read more

If only it wasn't so difficult to find - and I live only 5 blocks away! Even so, what a great vibe! Atmosphere is perfect, definitely top of the list as far as local bars are concerned. Sunday night Stephane Wrembel is amazing. Django style gypsy guitar. Fantastic to be able to have a conversation without shouting. Great scene. read more

When I first arrived in New York--having been used to many, many jazz bards in my former hometown--I was not that impressed with Barbes. Very cramped and claustrophobic, it is nonetheless the hub of the diminutive jazz music scene in South Brooklyn. It has food and a rotating venue of small jazz trios..but its tiny, worn, faded, and down-at-heels. These last four adjectives are usually desirable in a jazz bar but this jazz bar is trying to be bigger and more important than it is. Swank city people come-and-go ..making sure everyone notices them coming-and-going.but without any of them becoming weeknight regulars. Its all rather like a phony movie set. Its got character but not enough *characters*. Now--a few years later sloughing along in the malebolge of despair that is New York --I think I begin to value a bar like this in increasingly salubrious terms. At least it holds its own, at least it remains constant. I wouldn't diss it so lightly as I did before. I'd even recommend it to newcomers. read more

Just the kind of local bar I like. Great music, chill crowd, and good drinks. I get carded too, which is a form of flattery for me! read more

The bartender wouldn't serve us after we can in because the doorman didn't see us come in. He was surrounded by girls and didn't bother checking our id's. We went back to him and he ignored us and the bartender proceeded to get angry with the doorman... very unprofessional. The bartender could have just asked for my ID himself. It's a shame because we were there for the music and would have paid the cover. read more