Trekked over to Sunny's to check out the Saturday night bluegrass jam and happily discovered that this bar has a lot more to offer than stellar live music. The bar is a patchwork of different rooms that seem like they were added haphazardly over time. There are funky seating booths, to giant bobbleheads and local artwork. There's a backyard patio that has a cool half door opening into the back room, so you can pop your head in to listen to the music. Unfortunately, it tends to get a little smoky outside. Classic mixed drinks, bottled beer (no draft), and lots of $3 Narragansett will quench your thirst and keep you singing along all night. read more

The building dates from 1895. The place is filled with charm and atmosphere. It doesn't carry interesting beers (and there are no drafts), but it's still a very cool place to hang out. I wish I could have gone during one of their music sessions, as it should be a lot of fun. read more

They asked us to mask up which I agree with. One older white gentleman had no mask, I asked why doesn't he have to wear one and the bartender said don't fucking worry About it. My Spanish friend felt really discriminated against also. read more

Don't judge a book by its cover!!! Small but comfy place, cheap drink with a great environment and friendly service. We didn't have the chance to experience the live music but it seems like it's very popular for that. My girlfriend and I had a Mulled Cider and a beer, the cider was amazing! read more

Sunny's is a bar with live music, a back yard, a barnyard door that swings half open during the summer months and allows people to hear the music outside. I have enjoyed the people that work there, the ambiance, and the effort that Sunny's makes. Every bartender has always tended to my needs. I've walked into wedding afterparties, birthday celebrations and just good people all around. 100% recommend. read more

Had drinks at Sunny's Bar on Friday night. Providing a great live music lounge, this spot is not just your average dive. Quality: Walking up to Sunny's Bar I expected a standard dive, but while it has that vibe, it also has a ton of character. The drinks are exactly what you expect, but it is the entertainment that keeps you hanging around. We were treated to some excellent live jazz, which if you don't wander the space a bit, you may not even realize is there. Quantity: Cans and bottles, so you get what you get. Value: Beers are between $5 and $8. Ambiance: Sunny's Bar is located in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn. Along a rundown brick street you will find an old truck in front of a faded awning, this is the place. As you enter colored Christmas lights and creepy statutes welcome you to the dank and musty bar. The front area is the dive bar you expect, but as you move deeper in you will find a small lounge area. It is here a small stage provides fantastic live music. We saw an energetic jazz band going all in on an eclectic mix of tracks. An audience of family members, friends, and folks who had no idea what they stumbled in on surrounded the group. An awesome and unexpected scene, unless you are a regular here. Somehow it also appeared that an outdoor space could be accessed, but with the humidity outside we stuck with the dark, cool indoor area. Crowd: It is a not a huge space, but it filled up once the music started. Not quite the crowd you expect to see at a dive bar. Service: Bartenders having a good time like everyone else. Parking: Street parking is not too bad near the bar. read more

I went to the Christmas party in 2017. They held the best party in NY! I did enjoy all the gigs. Thank you for good timeLoved the people and energy in there ! read more

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good bar, but watch out for the tubby asian bartender in thursday nights. keep an eye on your drinks, ladies

Loved this place, wandered over after eating at the crab shack around the corner. Live music in the back room. Pretty crowded. Bartenders were awesome. read more

Red Hook has no shortage of awesome dive bars. It's a port town, after all. If you want cheap beers, old school vibes, and to swear like a sailor without giving a second thought, Sunny's is pretty legit. There's a courtyard type thing and a back room, so don't be afraid that it's a small place, because it's deceptively large. Cool times all around. read more

Sunny's Bar - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Walking around Red Hook, I get the strange pre-epiphanic feeling of a Pynchon novel (especially walking past the Waste Nought store), where everything seems infused with cryptic meaning. The neighborhood's nighttime character has something insidious and Wasteland-ish, but also playful and absurd, like a video game of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, complete with shadowy figures smoking in foggy alleys... That said, Sunny's is a magical oasis of maritime love. Everything about the place, like most everything about Red Hook, has a sightly askew, boozy, water-warped feel that makes me love it all the more: the hardwood floors slant down toward the bar; the springs and stuffings inside the booths splay out in all directions; the back room is junk-full of ropes and old crates of beer from the once-functional kitchen. Nautical artwork is everywhere you look (some of it by Sunny hisself) - even the bartender has a kindly merman charm. Maybe it's the bourbon talking, but it's hard to leave Sunny's without falling in love: be it with the bar itself, the neighborhood, the amazing Wednesday night band or the Saturday bluegrass sessions. I even love the soap in the bathroom. If you can't stomach the trek out here, then stay in Park Slope! It's off-the-grid-ness is part of the charming reward of the place; it wouldn't be such an oasis if it were easy to access, or open normal hours. I am going to come right out and say that this is my favorite bar in all the land. I can't imagine a more perfect evening than heading to Sunny's before sundown with a handsome man, sticking around for the Western swing, then riding through the rain on the back of a bicycle over to Bait & Tackle for a beer and a pork sandwich from the Ice House next door. Swoon. read more

If you reek of corporate stench, or old fuddy duddy-ness like I do, be sure to bring along your favorite hipster when you go to Sunny's, else they may not let you in the door. Be sure you or someone in your party is sporting some unkempt facial hair that they spent hours grooming that day, and some plaid. There's an unpretentious "coolness" about Sunny's that brings back irrational high school fears of belonging, that years of therapy have told me I've definitely moved beyond. Sunny's is the place to go for post dinner drinks. Prices are reasonable, drinks are mixed well and the music is great. It gets VERY crowded in here, so either go early to claim some of the very limited seats, or be prepared to stand and rub elbows with the very coolest Brooklyn has to offer. read more

Sunny's is the bar that you wish existed closer to you, or at least closer to the subway. Only problem is, if that were the case, it wouldn't exist at all. WHOA!!!!!! Did I just blow your mind with my crazy philosophizing or WHAT?? Seriously, though---the reality is that Sunny's would never be the magical place that it is were it more easily accessible to the masses, and those willing to make the trek from the F train or--gasp!--get on a bus are rewarded for it. Like everyone else has said, walking into Sunny's is like walking into a bar in another time, in another city. The walls are covered with string lights, old photos, nautical-themed items and assorted bric-a-brac--and I don't mean carefully-curated-at-the-Chelsea-Flea-Market bric-a-brac a la Rusty Knot, but bric-a-brac that's actually accumulated over decades. Our favorite pieces were a set of foot-high dolls made in the likeness of old famous people, like Mark Twain, Humphrey Bogart and Louis Armstrong. Creepy, but creepy-cool, not creepy-get-me-out-of-here. The crowd is laid back, demographically varied and thankfully not achingly hip. Drinks are affordable and strong, and in the back room anyone with an instrument can join the bluegrass jamboree! We saw about 3 guitars, an accordion, a piano, a mandolin and a drum set, as well as several instruments I couldn't name. How does everyone know the words? The whole scene is just spectacular, and unlike any experience you'll have at any other bar, anywhere. Trust me, it's worth the trip! read more

Did you watch the second season of The Wire? Didn't you secretly wish you could hang out at that longshoreman's bar but that it would be filled with your Brooklyn friends? Yeah, me too. read more

No bar can compete with the experience that a night at Sunny's provides. The unique space has at least 4 areas for drinking and revelry. The room where you walk in has bar stools and tables which are private yet in the mix. The younger people generally hang out to the front and at the tables, while the 10+ year regulars take the rear of the bar. The best way to characterize the clientèle is that they look like The Band when they had 12 members and Dylan joined in and stuff. The second room is an abandoned kitchen with a long table to sit at and get in the way of people going to the rear music room. The adjacent outside area has benches, tables for smoking and windows to the inside so you don't miss any action. A common theme: even the outside feels private, yet inclusive. The back room is a pick-up game of bluegrass. It is the guarded jewel of Red Hook's wharf. Inside are mostly musicians, and when the area gets popular enough everyone in the back room is playing an instrument of some sorts. Last time I went, a man was playing the aluminum can with a fly swatter - he was pretty good at it too! Here, they play for themselves and I'm sure they'd be happy for you to join in too. On a fortunate night, you may be witness to a party boat docking, with clusters of tuxedos and beautiful dresses floating inside Sunny's. You are truly transported back, with a juxtoposition of the golden age. Have I said too much? Is the secret out? The trek to Sunny's is a filter for their patronage. I would not recommend the fearful walking from the distant subway, east of Van Brunt can get a little too quiet... It's out of the way and will always be more neighborhood than tourist. I don't see velvet ropes blocking the entrance anytime soon. One of my favorite bars in history. See you again, Sunny. read more

so what if it smells like the inside of a purse filled with armpits? Sunny's is dope. People complain about Red Hook sliding into mediocrity on a sled made of IKEA parts, but this place still feels secret, inviting, and filled with people that can hold conversations about art and life. Next time someone says "your mom hangs out at dockside bars", say "thank you" before stabbing them. read more

Sunny's isn't just a quaint little fisherman's bar in the Redhook section of Brooklyn, it's an original fisherman's bar in the Redhook section of Brooklyn. When Brooklyn had fish... Fish you could eat. This place ain't pastiche and kitsch, no fabrication for the newly relocated hipsters, this is the real f-in deal. Sunny is the long haired guy behind the bar and he serves the drinks. It's his real name and he is cool to tell you about the bar, if you ask him. It's real old as are the murals on the wall. The truth is, the greatest thing about Sunny's is that it just is what it is. It isn't trying at all to impress. It's a place where regulars sit by the bar and their huge grey dog, eyes you with mild suspicion, booths are filled with the kind of people you would love to have as friends, and the music playing from an undisclosed juke plays music you haven't heard in a while. It's got that homey feel that only really old bars posses, booths provide an invaluable oasis for good conversation, and all conversations run long. If I was to pick a nightcap bar in NYC, this would be it. Only problem, it's far away from just about every mode of transportation in the metropolitan area... unless you have a boat... then it's really close. TIP: Sonny's haas strange hours - Call ahead :) read more

I think Sunny's is the best bar in the world. It's at its best on a cold night, when there are fewer patrons of the noisome variety. Still, the location discourages cab warriors, which is good. Because people who have traveled a long way to be somewhere often feel obliged to be, or worse, to make, a scene. It's in a beautiful space, and it's been allowed to age attractively. And once in a while, you might get a stiff drink in a teacup because that's closest at hand. read more

Hix: Sunny began hosting people in his living room over 2 decades ago and has been going strong since. You know the party where is seems like your guests will never leave, well this ACTUALLY happened. He is such the consummate host that he put in a bar...then he opened up his kitchen and developed a 'chit sheet' system of payment (although last i heard this was dead) so that he could get around the legalities for a liquor license - fantastic place and thank god there is no train that goes within miles - cause it does not need any more people..... *shakes fist* you kids get off my lawn read more

Went to Sunny's last night to see the western swing band they sometimes have on Wednesdays. They were terrific - but why am I always the only one dancing?! Sunny's is the reason I don't want to live anywhere other than Brooklyn. It's tucked away on a back street, open only a few days a week at Sunny's whim. Longshoremen, bohemians, the odd dog - everyone congregates in this sepia-toned space, where time seems to stand still. It's my notion of a perfect bar: completely un-sceney but full of charm and character; never too crowded but filled with friendly Red Hook regulars. Friends of the management have their birthday parties here on nights when the bar's closed to the public. There's a little porch for smoking and old-fashioned bathrooms. We spent last night sipping PBR and chatting with old friends and new; when the band went off, my boyfriend and I played along to the 20's soundtrack on an old upright in the back room, improvising jazz parts for four hands. No one minded. It's that kind of place. So special - so Red Hook - so Brooklyn! read more

Places like this seem like they don't exist in NYC anymore, when every week you seem to lose another favorite bar or restaurant to another chain store or over-priced boutique that sells like, 5 useless items. And yet, here, at the end of a desolate block in one of the furthest points west that you can reach in Brooklyn, it exists. And it's wonderful. It also has more character in one antique, unused cash register that sits by it's lonesome at the end of the bar than just about every single bar in Brooklyn combined. This is the type of place that you could never get tired of looking at...it seems like there would always be something "new" to catch your eye, every time you went. And by new I mean something that's probably been in this bar longer than you've been alive. It's also a great bar to get drunk in...I could picture myself as a regular here, getting sloshingly drunk at the bar, telling my life's secrets and woes to the bartender who I've now befriended because I've probably stopped in here every day after work for a drink or two...if only I lived in the neighborhood. And even though I don't, you can be sure that I'll make my way back here in very near future. Oh and the space is massive, the bartenders are warm and friendly and it was one of the most interesting crowds I've been a part of in a long time. Lovely. read more

I'm getting teary thinking about all of the times I went to Sunny's. One time, the husband and I walked down there, got some drinks, settled down in the back room, and within 30 minutes, a bluegrass jam session had materialized around us. Four mandolins, a bunch of guitars, bass, accordion, and probably some more that I'm not remembering, and we got to sit there and soak up what was essentially a private concert. Then there was the time the husband and I walked in, Sunny gave my husband a full-on kiss, served him a gin and tonic, turned to his bartender, and said, "What am I charging for my top-shelf liquor these days?" Then there was the time the future husband and I walked in, had a couple of drinks, and watched a spectacular storm roll in over the water. There was a band playing "Dark as a Dungeon," and there had just been news of a mine cave-in somewhere in West Virginia, and the husband got all teary-eyed, as did I. Then there was our last night in town, when all of our friends made the trek out to celebrate with us, even though for some it was out of the way. Every time, this place is about as perfect as a bar can get. My heart hurts that it's no longer a walk away. read more

Sunny's is the best bar in Brooklyn and possibly all of New York City! I highly recommend showing up with your instrument of choice (i.e. mandolin, harmonica, washboard) and ready to join in on the music. The staff is very accommodating and one of the few bar staff's left that understand the concept of "buy backs." Get ready for some excellent music, a terrific atmosphere, and skipping home drunk as the sun rises. read more

I've been playing here every Wednesday for almost 5 years, so I may be biased but: There is no other bar in NY like it, and when you're there, you feel transported, as though you could be anywhere in America, or maybe anywhere in the world. Not a lot of places like that around... read more

Sunny's Bar is a rare gem in New York City. You need to make the trek out here, and make it on a night that there is live music playing. It might change your life. You see, bars used to be a place where life happened. You go, you meet the new and regulars, you don't focus on the preciousness of the drink selections but rather how your overall quality of life was improved by your going there. Sunny's bar is a quality of life kinda place. I visited Sunny's on a late night that Smokey Hormel's Round Up band (look this up -- sensationally good, and for a reason) was playing on a Wednesday night when the Internet said it was closed (try calling ahead for hours or just going in person if it's not too much of a trek for you). I was transported to another time, another place. There was young, there was older. There were dresses and dressed up, and the laid back t-shirts, too. There was dancing (oh boy, is there dancing here). There was smiling. There was applause. There was more smiling. The pleasures here are simple and sublime. read more

This place literally materialized out of no where in the corner of Redhook. I mean, I am no expert but my 3 block walk to this place from Van Brunt at 10:15pm met not one other living soul. I felt as if I was strolling my home town but in a good way. I figured no one would be there last Friday night because the streets were bare but the open door revealed quite a crowd. This place is awesome. The style, the bartenders and the seats are so old skool cool. There were serious brooklynites mixed with those that dare take the voyage from other parts of the borough and/or city to escape their usual hangouts. The drinks were priced about normal but the live band that played mixed in with the staff and the people watching potential makes all the difference. I am pretty sure I saw the proprietor add coal to the heating unit. Awesome. If you're in the hood, check it out for a sweet hangout. If you're not, well, then it will be hard to get there. read more

Sunny's is a super cozy bar in Red Hook. It doesn't have any draft beers and doesn't offer many craft bottles; however, what Sunny's lacks in beer is compensated for by the coziness of the bar, the friendless if the crowd, and the awesomeness of the musicians. read more

A friend invited us to celebrate her best mate's bday at this little bar. I was a bit suspicious when she told me that We have to go to Red Hook... I've been to this area before couple of times but mainly to visit Ikea and I found the surroundings rather very industrial... we were very positively surprised with the place after all. It's so close to water and you can even see Statue of Liberty if you look closely. Great spot on a warm summer evening. The bar reminded me of some places we visited in Florida Keys actually! Don't bother with wearing your fanciest clothes, it's very laid back and shabby. Good and friendly atmosphere, cash only bar. They do have ATM inside so fear you not. Relatively inexpensive drinks. Cute little open space at the back. They often have live music which sadly we have missed. read more

Am I in New York?? Fun isolated bar with live bluegrass if you ever wanna trek to Red Hook. See Ben's review; it's quite accurate. read more

I wish I could give 6 stars to this place. It's a GEM and I hope it stays hidden for the most part. All I can say is it's all about Smoky Hormel-his band every Wednesday just brings everyone to their feet for an epic Texas Style Swing dance party. Good to hear some familiar music and I feel right at home. Drinks are totally reasonable and it has that amazing quirky divey feel to it! read more

Awesome vibe. Definitely the place to go in Red Hook. Great atmosphere and service. Everyone had a blast.

I really love this spot. Great drinks, awesome atmosphere. I've never been anywhere like it in nyc. read more

Not really ever open. But when it is it's the best bar in town. Sitting right at the feet of Lady Liberty, far away from Bburg hipsters and Park Slope parents, Sunny's is a place to have a whisky or four and listen to some good bluegrass. Get thee there. Good for Real New Yorkers. read more

I really wanted to like this place, but was very disappointed after the long ride. I don't understand what all of the hype is here....

I made my first (not to be the last) trip to Sunny's on 13 December while visiting NYC. A stop at this iconic watering hole has been on my list for a while and I finally made time on this trip for an early (before 6 PM) and short (maybe an hour) visit. There was hardly anyone there so early , bartender Izzy was nice to talk to, fiscal responsibility was exhibited due to good beer prices (sounds better than saying the beer was cheap though, Good Lord, what visitor can practice frugality in NYC), Francis (a regular, no doubt) and I talked some about a friend of his who had lived for a time in Alaska where I live, and Francis was kind enuf to take a pic of me and Izzy to memorialize my visit - if I don't screw up, the pic will be posted with this review. Sunny's is a bit out of the way and a little "pain" to get to, but anything worthwhile deserves that a modicum of effort be expended to attain it, right? The brevity of my visit and lack of a whole lot of tales to tell about my Sunny's sojourn hardly qualifies as something to use to decide "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" on someone's visit, but I surely did get a good vibe about the place. On my next trip to NYC come mid to late February I will certainly include more time spent, beers consumed, conversations had, and music experienced at Sunny's - along with a review with some real "meat" to it. read more

Sunny's Bar - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Even though I'm part of the Yelp Elite .... AHEMMMMM ... I feel like a review of Sunny's doesn't even matter. The place is an institution for crying out loud (not bad for only being open three days a week). Cheap drinks, friendly service, and the bar feels so "homey" with its warm lightbulbs, cozy seating, and friendly faces everywhere you look. "So why not five stars, cheapskate?" I'll tell you. I couldn't find one barstool that didn't wobble, it's cash only, there's little to no cell-phone reception, and (to be frank) if they didn't have live music that night, I would've been a bit ticked having walked all the way there in a downpour. Cozy and friendly will only get you so far, so try and hit Sunny's when there's live music a'playing or else you'll feel every step of the shlep. read more

This is one of those places where you wish no one else knew about it, but those of you who do all seem to be really cool and laid back. Wed and Friday and Saturday's in the summer. Bring cash and a car service number... Super cool spot that has been there forever. read more

First off I have to say that to get to this place you practically have to be air lifted over there!! If you look on the map, it is literally at the end of the street, right at the water in Red Hook. But once there, it is cozy enough to be worth the trip. Reasonably priced drinks, friendly bartender, strangely earthy vibe, and live music. A bit too hipster-ish for my taste, but I would certainly go back if ever in the area again. There is plenty of parking for your bike, and I suggest riding to get out here as it is difficult almost any other way but cab. read more

Love this place. It's quite the awesome. Quite possibly the place with the most character. It's easy to just sit here drink and hang with your friends and look at all the crazy-awesome decor. It's a hole-in-the-wall that's definitely worth checking out. It's really a place out of time. read more

This fantastic bar occasionally features live bluegrass music provided by a group of talented and adorable men. oh sunny's musicians, won't you be my valentines? its open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Which is why Wednesday night is when my household goes to Fairway and then to this bar. read more