Molly T.
Yelp
I think 3.5 is a fair rating but I can't say it was quite a four-star experience for me. A fun Park Slope hangout (though this is coming from a Manhattan person, hold your groans, please), a nice place to come with a group of friends. Pretty chill, slightly-nicer-than-a-dive vibe and decently-sized. There's not much more to say to sum this place up, other than that it's an okay spot to end up at if you're in the neighborhood, but that you ought not go out of your way to come here.
A friend of mine had part of her birthday party here, hence our trek from the Upper West Side (I happen to love this friend a lot, otherwise a 90 minute commute would not be in the cards). I can see why one would pick it to have a relaxed, pregame-type gathering (we went dancing afterwards). Skylark is more spacious than it seems, and its got a warm atmosphere. Plus, there's a pinball machine in that back if you want to make your inner, Dave & Busters-obsessed child happy. And yes, the bf and I made a beeline there, because pinball.
Think drinks here are unfortunately not as good as advertised. I'm not so oblivious that I'd expect a place like this to be labeled a "cocktail bar" (oh my gosh I'm getting that truly this whole review might be one big, pretentious vomit) but I suppose the house infusions got my hopes up. In my experience, bars with selections of infused liquors are of a certain caliber. They tend to be well-crafted and well-thought-out (yup, I'm pretentious and punctuation nightmare, hello world). Not the case at the Skylight. The cocktails are tiny and underwhelming at best.
I suppose it didn't help that there was one lone man behind the bar. Typically I don't feel sorry for a lonely SWM, but this was an exception. It was a Saturday night, the place was bumping with a party plus normal patrons, and the guy looked like he had just walked through a rainstorm. He was doing his best, but overworked and frazzled to be sure.
The first drink I ordered was sadly undrinkable (at least for me). It was meant to be some sort of Old Fashioned, but it tasted like straight Bourbon. No mixer, no bitters, no nothing. Bourbon served with a couple of teeny straws. I happen to be a big whiskey drinker, but when you're expecting a fully-formed cocktail and receive a glass of what seems to be well bourbon, it's not the kind of surprise that makes a person jump for joy. At least not me, a pretentious warthog of a human being.
Next drink was the Salty Studbaker (Basil-infused vodka, fresh grapefruit & a salt rim). Better (meaning drinkable, in this case), but not as good as the description makes it out to see. Part of this is my general aversion to vodka, but the rest is that I tasted no basil and I watched him "salt" the rim, a feeble attempt. I know this is scathing stuff, but I'm a nut when it comes to cocktails so sometimes the hammer needs to come down. Overall, this drink was refreshing and just fine.
My other drink, the Thunderbird (Jalapeño-infused Tito's vodka and ginger beer) was a similar type of experience to the Studbaker. I love *anything* spicy and the bf has a weak stomach, so my one chance to indulge is typically beverage-related. Usually, spicy cocktails only come in the tequila variety, so I was thrilled to see this. Again, refreshing and just fine. Nothing more.
Oh! And they have board games! So if you are supremely board--err, bored (sorry)--for some reason, play some Yahtzee (if all dice involved are still present, that's always a crapshoot). It honestly IS fun here. I just get snooty with cocktails. So try at your own risk.