Minibar

Cute neighborhood watering hole with 2 tvs, lots of seating, and very low lighting. The drinks were strong & tasty, the service was great, and the ambiance was comfy. This is definitely a nice place to have a drink & chat with friends, not necessarily for dancing.

Was a good hang out after work to unwind. Love the wings. Pitchers of brewski

The bartender is definition of the word “meh”. Socially awkward experience through and through. Only reason why I came in was cause all places next to it were booked up for private events. Atmosphere is nice and has amazing potential. I wish it was maybe an off day for the barkeep, and to be honest I would give it another chance if I happen to be stuck, but the place is tiny and did not offer any food when I was there. Drinks are okay. So take it or leave it. I will leave it.

great place. I am a long time regular. I always feel welcomed and comfortable by the bartenders and owner, Jen. The vibe resonates with the patrons. Everyone is nice and social. Cheers! May this place stay 20 more years! Update: this place remains wonderful. Great place to just stop in, relax, have a few drinks, and socialize. Go here!

The best little (mini!) neighborhood bar with the best people, best prices, and best bartenders. I had so much fun sitting at the bar with Tiffany who bartends on Saturday’s. Delicious drinks, fun music, got everyone talking (and dancing). Can’t wait to come back!

Me and my wife went. We were never greeted at the door or sat at a table. The host just spoke to the bartender the whole time. When I went to place an order the bearded bartender was very rude so me and my wife decided to leave. He yelled out a slur to her while we were leaving too. Wouldn’t recommend.

Great spot for a quick beer before or after dinner across the street. Also great place to hang out on a Saturday night (or any night). Bartenders know their stuff, cozy atmosphere, reasonably priced,. What more could you want?

Interesting setup here with a "mini" bar that is positioned towards the rear and your back is parallel to the street. They've got one TV. Dim lit, bartenders are laid back. It's a small place but one of the better bars in the neighborhood.

Low-key local bar that's quite intimate. When we came, there were a few groups around with some regulars as they were quite close to the bartender. We had some mixed drinks ($11 each), which was pretty standard. This is your typical bar, but they do stay open until 4am.

This is a little gem of a bar! My best friend and I were visiting New York for a week and decided to pop in while we were in the area. It's a great little space! It certainly is "mini", but was so comfortable and welcoming. There is a small 4ish person bar, and just a few small tables. There were a few people at the tables, and one person at the bar when we stopped in, as we took seats at the bar. The bar tender was very gracious and kind. They other patrons seemed to be regulars, and they were all friendly (big plus were the regulars dogs!!!! I can totally get behind a dog friendly establishment!) We had a great couple of drinks here! Thanks!

Visited Minibar with friends on Sunday afternoon. A nice place to just relax with friends and enjoy a cold beverage. Quality: Minibar is a simple and solid dive bar. They have a small, but varied draft beer selection and then a full bar to choose from. No gimmicks, just strong drinks and a fun crowd. Quantity: Typical pours for beers. Value: $8-$9 for Draft Beers. Ambiance: Minibar is a small dive bar located in Carroll Gardens. Located along Court Street, it is pretty low-profile bar. The inside space is very small with just a few stools at the bar and a couple extra tables. Outside they have a couple of tables covered and a few along the sidewalk. A single television hung from the wall behind the bar showing the basketball game. Crowd: Small crowd of regulars watching the game. Service: Friendly and easygoing bartender. Parking: Limited street parking nearby.

Beer from the tap had a rotten smell to it, for a dive bar not very cheap either. Would not recommend

Love this little bar. Great drinks, great prices and good people. Every time I stop by I meet someone cool and interesting. Tonight, my bartender Tone was keeping my glass full and telling good stories. I also stopped by on Saturday-- Mike was playing the MOST FUN playlist. The entire place was singing and bopping their heads. The bar is tiny but the fun is huge. Don't pass by this fun little spot...

Meh. Came here with my fiancé while waiting for a table at Frankie's. The place definitely fits the name - super small, hipster vibe. It took a few minutes before the bartender noticed that we were standing there. We ordered two tequila sodas with house tequila and it cost us $17 for both. We weren't really too thrilled with that. Seemed like 80% of the people in the bar were just waiting for their table at Frankie's. We saw many of the same people there when we went to dinner.

Bartender had the personality of a dung bettle whose dung just dried up in the sun and was sad he wouldn't be eating dung cakes for breakfast in the morning. I get the feeling that this place wouldn't make a sound if it fell in the forest.

Went for after dinner drinks and had a blast. Great neighborhood spot with friendly folks in and behind the behind bar. Love the local craft beers.

Reminds me of a place back home in the Finger Lakes region of NY. Love the vibe. The bartender was very nice and provided quick service. The table we sat at was sticky so we had to move. There wasn't a lot of people inside on a Saturday night. The atmosphere was relaxed and I liked the music.

By far, one of the most friendly spots in the city! Also, one of the smallest bars in the city. Prices are good for Carroll Gardens, with some sweet happy hour specials. The tap selection is just okay, but I still think the place is great. Quiet for conversation, which, trust me, in this age is hard to come by and a big plus, and if you're alone, the bartenders will be sure to talk to you, or leave you alone if you want to read.

Ferber method From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Ferber Method is a technique invented by Dr. Richard Ferber to solve infant sleep problems. It involves "baby-training" children to self-soothe by allowing the child to cry for a predetermined amount of time before receiving external comfort. I'm all for parents trying progressive new ways to help their child but please do it at home, NOT AT THE BAR! I came to Minibar one night looking for drinks on the south side of Cobble Hill on Court Street. The beer menu looked excellent! The cocktail menu looked on point! Dim lighting, nice vibe. This is my type of place. I noticed what appeared to be a father with two children at the bar while my friend and I sat down for our drinks. The man was talking to the bartender while he ignored his two children. One who couldn't have been older than two and the other around five, who was playing with a video game. I ordered some hefenweizens and started targeting which cocktail to order. All of a sudden the youngest child starts screaming. Now, I get it. Kids cry and some people want to go out. That's fine. However I have an issue if you just sit there and do nothing. And when the bartender continues a conversation with you and says nothing. There are other paying consumers in the bar and I am not more important than you. My needs are not more important than yours but please have some courtesy and attempt to make things right. Instead of sitting there, doing nothing! After we finished our drinks, we got up, paid, tipped and left. I won't be back here.

After having dinner a couple of blocks down the street, we decided more drinks were in order. While walking up Court St., this tiny bar caught our eye. A bar that is small, sexy, dark, cozy and with plenty of candles usually will entice me to come in. The place wasn't packed and with only a hand full of people. It is local bar and it had a neighborly feel to it. One of my friends ordered a Roman Holiday and immediately we started to chat about Audrey Hepburn. That movie is just brilliant. The drink was also not too bad. I had an MBD, which had rum, lime juice and pernod. A great drink with a hint of anise. We also discussed about absinthe and all things with anise. After a few sips, I went outside for a fag, and a man approaches me. He is clearly inebriated and "wants to have a few drinks with me." We get to chatting and he tells me that the place is called Minibar because the owner is a midget. I look at him incredulously and in disbelief. No way, this can't be true, this guy is just a bit tipsy. Luckily at this point, his more even-keeled less drunk friend pulled him away and they went off to another bar across the street. I rejoined my friends and enjoyed more good conversation. Just as we were about to leave, I spy a man walking in who wasn't very tall. He, indeed was a midget and he greeted everyone in the bar and proceeded to walk behind the bar! Indeed, mini bar is owned by a midget. Interesting stories always abundant in King's Country. People surprise me all the time, and in a good way.

It's a small bar. A mini one, even. But it's not crowded, there's enough tables to put together, and they mix up some mean cocktails. Can't remember most of the drinks I had (it was a loooong night), but I had a Sazarac at some point and it was well made. Bartender was a cool guy too. Very casual neighborhood spot.

Imagine a small bar with great drinks, fine beers and a chill vibe. Great, you've just imagined Minibar. Now, just for fun, go to Minibar to confirm that your imagination is working properly. See you there!

Neighborhood Gem. Great people with great stories, everyone is very welcoming and kind. Good assortment of local brews and cocktails by request. All the bartenders have their own style and bring great jams each night. Make sure to check out their rooftop pool in the summertime, too.

Love this spot. Great beer selection and all the wines I've tried are very drinkable. Low key, great neighborhood spot!

Went for the first time last night and really enjoyed it. Great chill spot with friendly staff and customers. Would recommend if you're in the area.

(Just for you folks exploring Carroll Gardens, this is _not_ the last bar on Court, as the other reviewer described. Down about four blocks you have the insane Sofo Bar & Grill.) The name is dead-on. It is an extremely small, but nicely appointed, brick box. The owners only had so much space to work with, but they did a solid job. The walls, shelves, speakers, etc., are all nicely detailed. They have an extremely limited tap selection, but they make up for it with a good selection of wines and your standard liquors. I've only met one bartender, but he was hella cool. And just his demeanor told me that the place would be fitted with good people. I guess you'd have to all get along in such a tiny place. I always think of Mini Bar as a good place to go for one or two drinks. Unless you rolled really deep and basically took over the place, which would not be too difficult, you probably wouldn't hang for long. However, it makes for a good after work type spot if you are going alone because it is bright enough for reading. So go by yourself, or with a big crew and make your own fun. But for hanging with 2 or 3 people, walk up to Abilene. Or go down to Sofo and start a fight.

Went here after my friend's wedding. Bride, groom and about 15-20 guests joined. We were the entire clientele save for maybe 1 or 2 people sitting at the bar. This place is super small, hence the name. The bride went up and asked if we could play some music of our choosing the and bartender/manager said no. Ok, you want to be a jerk to a bride making a simple request, fine. This place has French door style windows that open up to the street and our booth was right up against them. The manager just starts closing them on us, hitting our arms and backs in a severely rude manner. He was clearly upset that we were there. So my boyfriend says "oh, sorry we are here giving you money" and the guys gets up in his face, pointing his finger at him and YELLING "respect my club! I have neighbors to think of and you're all being loud!" Club? It's a 60 square foot bar. So obviously this guy cares more about his neighbors than his customers. If it weren't for us, there would be NO ONE at this place at 10:30pm on Labor Day weekend and instead of being thankful for the patronage, he is pissed the people PAYING HIM are noisy in a bar atmosphere. He should have been super accommodating or, at the very least, nice to his only customers. positives? I asked for extra lime with my gin and tonic and got it. That's about it. I would not go back there. Who knows, I might sneeze and wake the neighbors. Wouldn't want to disrespect the club.

The best bar in my neighborhood. Want a low key pint without mixing with meatheads at PJ Hanley's or fighting the stroller mafia at Abilene's? This is the place. Good selections, great service, and good music.

I always end up here waiting for a table at Frankie's across the street. If there is a long wait you can tell the hostess where you'll be and Frankie's will call the MiniBar when your table is ready. This place is a decent bar with a good wine selection and it is small as the name implies. I've never seen all of the tables occupied and outside of Friday and Saturday nights it seems like there are always about two customers in here. MiniBar is located at the bitter end of the trendy shops and restaurants on Court St. Ever since Sparky's closed this is the last watering hole on Court. MiniBar isn't a bad bar and it does seem to have a stable of regulars, but I think customers waiting for Frankie's are what keep this place alive

I'm a fan. Normality in Carroll Gardens, finally! Went on a Friday night, because Brooklyn Social was bananas, Abilene was too crowded to squeeze up to the bar... MiniBar was just what we were looking for. Helpful bartender, too. We'll be back.

I really wanted to like this place but..... Screaming babies (please stop taking your babies to dive bars white people!) , loud baseball games and more testosterone fueled screaming . A bit of a nightmare really . With this atmosphere , you should be charging 5 bucks for bad red wine , not 10 . Where's my Xanax ?

There are certain bars that just have a constant stream of 80s classic rock going (sometimes mixed in with Top 40, or just on its own as a buzzkill i.e. my Mad River review). Bay Ridge perhaps, or a bar such as Angry Wade's, or numerous B&T infested places in the city. At Minibar, you're sure to get the absolute best of 80s classic rock AND regular eyeliner-enhanced pop, with a dose of sweet bartenders, enough space for 30 people, Pork Slap, PBR, and a nice, compact beer list. It's not just the space that's small, it's the atmosphere. Everyone is well behaved, but there's still a comfortable energy to it. It literally is the top-notch alternative especially with wonderful albeit very loud bars such as Hanley's and Abilene two blocks away. It's cozy, it's dark, and if you're settled, you might be there for a while. It's the place you go to get away from everyone and enjoy the muted sounds of your own gulps far down Court street and maybe the faint sounds of Dancing in the Dark.

Had the most delicious gimlet here last night. The whiskey ginger that was also ordered at our table was extraordinary and that's hard to say about such a simple drink. Dark and hip atmosphere perfect for a cocktail before dinner at one of the excellent surrounding restaurants.

It's only alright here...fine for killing time waiting for tables at restaurants in the neighborhood...and it's a late night bar, so that's always a plus. I have been in here a few times in the past 6 months and overall it hasn't made much of an impression on me. Also, the last 2 times I stopped in I was hit in the face with a very strong smell of urine...it smelled so badly I could almost taste it. Maybe I just wasn't drunk enough to not notice? I'm not sure what was going on with that but there are enough other places nearby to try that I likely won't be back again.

This is the cutest bar I've ever been too. Hole in the wall has a whole new meaning. The place is truly mini. The menu is great, good beers and great cocktails. The bar is cozy with plenty of seating without it feeling tight. I would highly recommend this place for a stop during the evening.

This is my biggest watering hole since moving to Brooklyn. I work right down the street, and have gotten to know the bartenders well who are very accommodating, funny and friendly!!! The mini bar is the venus fly traps of bars. I am always going there for "just one drink", but before you know it I am helping the bartenders close the place down! Really good collection of music playing, and if you are at that point of the night with a few drinks in ya, and you need a song to howl along to, they'll find it and put it on for you, if you're not an ass!

One of my favorite bars. Always has a great tap list with local neighborhood beers and cocktails are also very tasty. They don't serve food but they don't mind if you bring your own/get food delivered. Friendly atmosphere as well.

With the class at Brooklyn Brainery starting at 8pm, my friend and I had time to kill so we came here for some drinks before taking a class on the story of alcohol. Very fitting, yes? The place is tiny but cozy. The bartender was friendly and efficient. Even though they didn't have cider for me, I was more than happy to see that they had Lindemans Framboise! Great little bar that I wouldn't mind frequenting again.

Great local hang. Met a friend who lives in the area. No Maker's though?

Judging strictly by the one Rum cocktail I had, this is a fantastic neighborhood gem. It was expertly prepared: not overwrought with 15 ingredients, just a handful of the best ones that made a transcendental drink. Quaint enough to meet up with friends for a drink before dinner somewhere else, or just stay there all night!

Minibar - I just love the name. Really, really good name. Basically, an extra star just for good naming. This is my 'local' as I live right around the corner (although I may have to not show my face there for a couple of weeks due to rather excessive alcohol consumption last night...) I really appreciate the fact that you're welcome and even encouraged to bring food from outside - such a great way to save $$. It's not super-crowded or super-loud, and the bartender is awesome. He is totally receptive to my way of ordering beer: "So I like strongly-flavoured beers which do not taste like IPA or Guinness" - he lets me sample a variety of beers until I find the one I like. And the beer is served in a frosted glass! We also had whiskey sours last night which were v. good. A great place to come with a couple of BFF's and just hang out for the greater part of the evening. And then stumble home which is right around the corner! It doesn't get any better. Oh, cash only. Just so you know.

This place is the definition of a neighborhood gem. They serve straightforward cocktails (negronis, old fashions etc) and a thoughtful selection of beers. I had an Allahagash tripel which I haven't seen serve on tap anywhere else. The space is smaller but more cozy than cramped. The bartender is really accommodating and has no air of pretense in this establishment.

Great neighborhood bar, all local people good vibe and excellent bartender Nick! Great to go with friends or with a date.

Came here with a few friends in the wee hours of the morning. This place was amazingly cozy and the vibe made me feel like a hip but down on his luck beat poet barfly...yeah I don't know what any of that means but I just felt cool sitting here. I think the drinks were good but I was too lost in laughing with my friends and enjoying the vibe to remember more than that.

Stumbled in on this bar last night, it was so cozy and warm. They had a really impressive cocktail and beer list for a smaller place, but everything was good. The clientelle were all very friendly people, people hanging out. Music was good and not too intrusive. It just felt like a warm place to go and have a conversation. Simple and well done.

If you want a great cocktail, chill atmosphere and great bartenders... come here.

Found this place while waiting for a dinner reservation and I'm so glad I did. Its so hard to find a bar that actually makes cocktails most just pour shit in a glass and serve it either too strong or too fruity, because I guess they figure the modern Hipster doesn't even care. MiniBar is the place you come if you want an actual COCKTAIL and not just well liquor with juice or ice. Although the bar is no more than a store front cleverly retrofitted for our drinking pleasure its cozey and welcoming with mellow tunes and did I mention they make one hell of a cocktail...I did? well my mezcal gimlet with so damn good I think it's worth mentioning TWICE!

Weird place, man. I walked in during "happy" hour to wait for a friend, and while the prices made me happy ($4 for a tom collins! heck yes!) the atmosphere did not. The bartender was in a grim mood, almost sighing at my order despite the plethora of cocktail ingredients presented on the bar. The bar itself was filled by sad-looking regulars, all bleary eyed and quietly boozing at 7pm. The space itself is probably nice when there are people there... but I felt like I awkwardly busted in on somebody's wake. Probably won't go back off-peak hours despite the great prices.

It's mini. It's a bar. I love truth in advertising. This is a nice place to go for a quiet drink on a weeknight, and for a less quiet drink on a weekend. The staff is friendly, the drinks well poured, and the music (usually) good. They showcase different artists on a rotating basis, and though it's an elegant space, there's zero pretension. Good stuff.

A friend of of mine lives in Carroll Gardens next to this place and we always make a point of going by for at least one cocktail. It's super-tiny, but I mean come on, it's called Minibar. Great selection of bourbons, great cocktails, nice atmosphere. Just an easy place to feel perfectly at home. 5 stars.

Cute and tiny bar to bring a friend or a date for conversation. The bartenders are very friendly and that makes me very happy. Why aren't bartenders personable anymore?

I love this place. It's cozy, simple, and no-frills, which makes it oh-so-appealing. Good drinks and good people. Good music, too.

I seem to have made a habit of going to Minibar for a few drinks while I wait for the phone call saying my table's ready at one of the nearby (overcrowded/over-hyped) restaurants (read: Buttermilk Channel, Frankie's, etc.). I've found myself at Minibar at least 7 or 8 times in the last year or so, and every time I got a seat, had great service by friendly bartenders, listened to music that's atmospheric enough to enjoy but quiet enough to talk over, and swigged delicious beer (usually one I hadn't tried before). If I'd been during happy hour I might give it five stars, but the four stars are due to the lack of inexpensive options during peak hours.

Great, local bar close to whatever restaurant you're waiting for a table at. Equally perfect and cozy for a date or to grab a drink after work. Friendly bartenders! What more do you need? I try to stop by whenever I'm in the area.

Minibar was the perfect place to grab a drink while waiting for a table at Frankie's. Very chill atmosphere, plenty of open seats and the bartender was super friendly. I liked that Minibar seems like the kind of place you could go by yourself, with a book and enjoy a few glasses of wine in peace. I will definitely be back!

This is the best bar in my hood. Great music and I am a SNOB. Great wine list and cool beer. No pretentious crap and the bartenders are cool.

Visited Brooklyn/Carroll Gardens for 6 nights. Came here 3 of those nights. If you want to experience a small intimate bar and feel like a local. This is the place for you. Be sure to grab food at Frankie's across the street too. You can wait at minibar and they'll call you when you're tables ready.