The vibes and scenes are exactly what you see. Expect to have a good time, with a variety of genres playing throughout the night. Expect the bar to be crowded but stick it out for your drinks. Went for a late-night party but the bar service seemed to be moving quickly enough to serve whoever was getting drinks. read more

WARNING! - They ruined my night & stole my money I went to Damballa expecting a great night, but instead, I left feeling humiliated, drained, and robbed. It's devastating to have a business intentionally ruin your evening by preying on your trust, but that is exactly what happened here. I had a clear agreement: a $302.00 tab with a $50.00 deposit paid upfront. I was prepared to pay my fair share. But when the bill came, I was charged $461.15. My deposit was never credited, and I was hit with $182.35 in unexplained, predatory surcharges. When I questioned this, I was forced to sit there for 2.5 hours waiting for a manager who never came. The staff stonewalled me, refused to explain the fees, and point-blank refused to provide an itemized receipt. It was clear that they weren't just making a mistake--they were hiding a scam. What they are doing is illegal. By failing to disclose mandatory gratuities before I ordered, they violated 6 RCNY § 5-59. By refusing to provide an itemized receipt and misrepresenting the total cost of my bill, they are in direct violation of the NYC Administrative Code § 20-700, which prohibits deceptive trade practices. I am not just walking away from this; I am fighting back. I have already: 1 Filed a formal complaint with the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) for deceptive billing and refusal of documentation. 2 Reported them to the NY State Attorney General's Consumer Frauds Bureau for their pattern of predatory conduct. 3 Initiated a formal fraud dispute with my bank to recover every cent of the $182.35 they stole. I'm sharing this because I don't want anyone else to experience the stress, humiliation, and financial theft that I did. Do not give this business your money. They don't respect their customers, and they certainly don't respect the law. Go somewhere else. read more

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Damballa is my new favorite spot for a sexy night in Brooklyn. It's a sister spot to Cafe Erzulie and it offers a more grown up vibe. The interior is impeccable and unique. The food is American-Haitian and a nice cocktail list. They host events and have amazing DJs from time to time. The only issue is if you're coming in dressed to the 9s for dinner, check to see if there's a private or ticketed event that night. I visited once and was told that everyone who was in the restaurant for dinner had to leave because of an event afterwards. The food is great; I usually get the steak, Haitian black rice (diri djon djon) and roasted veggies. The service is not always the best due to it always being crowded - I think they could use at least 2 more servers. Damballa is a time when it's late and a great spot for dinner when it's earlier read more

Damballa - Music Venues Near Me - New York, New York

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The dinner service was so delicious! We got the fritters, burger, fries, and rice balls and they were all amazing. Great music, fantastic vibes, love the live dj and armosphere! Thank you Morgan, Marvin, and Alé for making our dinner experience so memorable. I also loved the Rodrigo cocktail the best read more

Super trendy and such a good vibe! The drinks and music are good too. I think I found my new spot. read more

Damballa - Margarita and espresso martini - Music Venues Near Me - New York, New York

loved the ambience and vibes! my drinks were amazing and Dani, our waitress, was amazing! would recommend!

Our server was so sweet & the food was amazing! Def try and get the summer sorrel or the early spring !

From the moment we walked in, the vibes were immaculate. warm, stylish, and full of energy. The dinner was absolutely delicious; not a single dish missed the mark. Our server and Natalia were amazing, recommending plates that felt like they read our minds, and every choice was on point. The music tied it all together perfectly, creating an atmosphere that made the night feel special from start to finish. This spot nails it all: food, drinks, service, and ambiance. We're already planning our next visit! Damballa is definitely a place you'll want to come back to again and again. read more

They play and put the "ball" in Damballa! Music, vibes, service was quick, and the food was tasty. You should absolutely check out this new local hotspot in Bushwick. Fun fact: the same owners of Cafe Erzulie also own this place! So you already know it's hot! read more

Complete sucker for their olives, their bartenders are beautiful!! Music is vibe on Saturdays! Went here one other time on a Friday and the vibes were not the same. Love the space, hidden and discreet. The finger foods were also tasty. I love the intimacy, the space isn't too spacey but still comfortable read more

Ambiance and service was great! They have great mocktails. Will return back sometime soon.

This place is such a vibe! I love the House Salad, ask for extra ginger you won't be disappointed. They always have great music, and the service is phenomenal. read more

I came here and they did not open on time. Then they only have one bathroom this is the reason why they only get four stars. Beside that this place is amazing great music, the drinks are delicious still thinking about the summer sorrel. The service was great the amount of people did overwhelm the bar but it was nice. I would definitely come back and I recommend it. I would tell you be mindful of the bathroom and pack your patience for the bar. Also the food was good and I enjoyed the patties. read more

I went to Damballa on a Wednesday night, and it was almost impressively bad from start to finish. The place was basically empty, yet somehow they still had the nerve to charge both me and my girlfriend $10 each just to walk into a near-vacant venue. It only got more ridiculous from there. We were told coat check was mandatory and had to pay for it. Meanwhile, literally no one else in the place had checked their coats. People were wearing them, and the rack was empty aside from ours. So apparently the "rules" only apply if they feel like singling you out. Then came the drinks. We ordered a Topo Chico, a bottom-shelf tequila shot, and a sorrel cocktail... and got charged $60. For that lineup. At that point, it stopped feeling like incompetence and started feeling intentional. When I asked the coat check attendant why we were the only ones forced to check our coats, she brushed it off with a vague "just following the rules" excuse that clearly didn't apply to anyone else in the building. When we decided to leave (after about five minutes), she then asked for our coat numbers, as if we weren't the only coats on the rack. On the way out, security asked why we were leaving. I told him exactly what I'm writing here. This wasn't the worst night out I've ever had but it might have been the dumbest. Empty venue, arbitrary rules, wildly overpriced drinks, and treatment that felt targeted for no reason. Hard pass on ever going back. read more

This spot is a must visit and I will be back. From the ambiance to the food and experimental drinks, everything was a hit. Service is top tier -- super friendly. Drop in and prepare to be teleported into an experience that arouses all of your senses. I came for the DJ Corey Townes and will surely be back for everything else. Cheers! read more

Danielle was amazing loved the reggae vibe nice to see it without a line or big crowd

The food, the music, and the vibe were great! I want to come back and experience the place when it becomes a club.

The food was delicious but a bit pricey for the portion. The service was amazing. Everyone was super friendly. The ambiance is 10/10. read more

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My friends and I all went here for the first time on a Thursday night & let me tell you 11/10 night. The drinks and they were pretty fast at making the drinks too! The place has a cute dance floor in the middle and loved the interior! read more

On 08/30/25 while waiting to enter Damballa I was observing the young lady ( blonde wig) accepting payment being brash and snide with lounge goers... when it was my turn she said" Cash or Venom"! ??? No greetings ... she didn't ask If I had a ticket ( I had a ticket) ... and what's said about this is this appears to be the same staff person that was at Cafe Erzulie on 08/283025 who a work colleague told me that she was snippy with her. Smh read more

Had multiple people waiting in line and asked them to do "trivia" let some people that they wanted who answered go in, but others weren't allowed in without paying. Did not seem to want females allowed in without paying an extensive amount of $$. read more

great space and vibe. Jordan took great care of us and showed amazing hospitality!! Def a recommendation for a date night or a night out!

Love this spot ... so chic. Great vibes and music. Dont sleep on coming early and getting the chill vibes before it turns up

Great drinks/bartenders, but the vibes are off. We were there during dinner service and they let us know that they needed to clear the room to reset, but we could finish our drinks and they'd let us back inside in a few minutes. The bouncer has some beef with the bartender and gave us completely contradictory information (encouraged us to chug our drinks that the bartenders just poured in to go cups for us, then said we couldn't stand where we were just instructed to stand and that we'd have to go to the end of the line), and kept dismissing whatever the bartender said. It was very strange that we were put in the middle of it, and everyone should get on the same page so that it doesn't affect patrons. read more

I love this space. Always great energy and amazing service. It's one of my favorite weekend spots.

Had an incredible experience at Damballa for light bites and drinks after work. Chef Bobby's perfectly curated menu offers incredibly diverse flavors. Sinn the bartender offered incredible service with a delicious St. Germaine spritz and a dirty martini that will knock your socks off. Nila had incredible menu knowledge and helped us make the best wine pairings with our prawns and vegetables. The music and ambiance are out of this world -- such a gem nestled inconspicuously in BK. Would recommend! read more

Lowkey, middle of the block kinda vibe but ambiance, service, & cocktails were great. Our Mackenzi was attentive and incredible

Very vibey. Food, service, ambiance and music is hitting on all cylinders. Food was somewhat slow to come out but understandable.

Loved the ambience, the food and definitely the drinks! DJs are great too, so it's always a vibe here

Beautiful space and decor! Danielle was our server and she was great. Had the old fashioned, will be back.

Amazing spot. The Mac and cheese was incredible and the drinks are delicious. music is also incredible, sound is so nice

One of my favorite spots I come here all the time. Great service great food great drinks.

Great vibes and music drinks are pricey though once inside the ambiance is nice with an open space to dance

Has a nice ambiance and the DJ was great the night I went. My drink was also pretty well made. I could see myself coming back for sure

Went to damballa for the first time last night. Found it through social media. Very pretty venue but it was very crowded which could be excusable. But the service was a bit chaotic staff where ripping and running through people with over excessive urgency and at one point caused me to spill my drink. The drinks themselves were good but after placing my order I waited about 25 min if not more for a bartender to make the drinks. Also coat check wait time was also a bit excessive and upon pick up my coats had been dropped on the floor. The group I was with all held their coats and I checked mine. I probably could have just held onto it. Lastly the vibe was smooth, just wish song selection had a bit more cohesiveness. There was a line out the door when we had left around 12:30ish. And the staff were chasing after someone out the door which was kinda hectic. Music selection gave girls night out vibes. Im not a huge drinker very much love vibing to good music but once people started getting sloppy drunk and pushy it was my sign to head inside for the night. Location seems relatively new so hopefully will get better over time. May try again once it's more established. read more