Great spirits selection, a curated and varying tap selection, and now the garden is at least partially open (closes around ten). This is my local and I'm very happy about that. The bartenders make great cocktails and it's easy to slip into that regular feel. Busy some nights but not obnoxiously so. The indoor bar area can get pretty noisy around the evening but the back yard is there if you want more calm conversation.
Review Source:This cute spot has a lot of character, good drink selection and reasonable prices.
The real standout is that the front is a flower shop and I've previously referred to it as "Flower shop" before I knew its name.
The most interesting menu item is a flower and beer combo, I forget the price, but it's exactly what it sounds like. Awesome bar.
Sycamore is definitely my favorite bar in the area though there aren't that many bars. It's not a bad walk from where I live so I come when I want something nicer than shenanigans but don't want to hop on the subway. Bartenders are generally pretty quick though the place can get packed. They have a rotating selection of draft beers and the prices are pretty reasonable. The back is nice when the weather is good and there's a decent amount of seating. Crowd is usually decent as well, I've never seen anything too crazy here and people are very friendly. Â Also you can get any draft and a bouquet of flowers for $10, some of the drafts are $8 so it's like $2 to keep your girlfriend happy.
Review Source:If you ever find yourself in the area, this is the place to go for an afternoon backyard beer. Doubling as a flower shop, Sycamore has the cozy Brooklyn backyard bar thing down solid. The walls on the buildings adjacent to the backyard are even covered in vegetation. Pretty sweet. Service is friendly and prompt and selection of beers and whiskeys is good and plenty.
Came here earlier this year for the annual crawfish boil- which was unfortunately a tad disappointing. Not enough crawfish and seats and way too many grumpy people. Will definitely be coming back for some daytime drinking though!
This is my neighborhood bar and I couldn't be more lucky. Â Bartenders are friendly, whiskey and draft selections are great, and I maintain that I've drank the best Sazerac in my life here. Â
Packed pretty much every night, but they have a backyard thats enormous if you want to have a conversation or whatever.
They also have live music in the basement, barbecue out back in the summer, and the front doubles as a flowershop during the daytime.
it's pretty much perfect.
It must be by some twist of fate (and a series of crazy personal events) that brought me to Ditmas Park and then, to Sycamore. Since moving to the area not too long ago I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a bar that catered to my palate (i.e. whiskey) and social circle! I love that the bar is filled with friendly people in theirs 20s and 30s and the fact that it constantly has shows, stand up or whatever in their basement. It's a great place for virtually everything, be it a first date, get together or for a night out alone after an incredibly long work day.
 Oh sorry, I totally forgot to mention the service! Stellllllllllar! Not just at night either... Come in a little earlier and you'll happen to meet Suzanna, the friendliest, loveliest, great flower marketing person in the world! (Go Stems, worth a whole other Yelp review) Sit down for happy hour and you'll notice the $10 beer and bouquet deal. The bartenders (ladies & gents) will cater to your needs with wit and a smile. And they happen to know every fancy cocktail in the book... Or the origin of their whiskey.
  All in all give this place a shot. I think everyone in the neighborhood has been here (if not, shame on you) and if you're not from here, it's absolutely worth stopping by. There is no "worst thing I have to say about it" because there is nothing bad to say about Sycamore. GREAT whiskey, superb beers (flight night people!!!), attractive, friendly crowd, much seating, anddd affordable prices.
It takes a lot for me to give 5 stars but here it is :)
Great selection of beers. Can't hurt to always have a Guinness on tap though.
Large selection of whiskeys.
Depending on the bartender you can usually get a good cocktail if you want one, but I wouldn't ask for one when it's busy. Bad form in a beer bar. When it's quiet you can pretty much create your own.
Music is usually indie rock of sorts, though late night it's more hip hop. They have live shows and themed DJ nights. Which can be both awesome and painful.
No food, so order in or pickup from the many local restaurants.
Huge backyard.
The vibe is pretty laid back, very steady crowd of regulars. Which means you may feel out of place if the regulars don't like you.
They have a really small TV in the corner which is almost always off, although you can request a game to be played.
4 stars, because it's missing some things I wish they had, but overall a solid neighborhood hangout.
Awesome bar which doubles as a flower shop during the day, great listing of beers on tap as well as on bottle.
BYOB here so feel free to eat some of your leftovers from dinner or anything else you ate outside. We sat snugly in the back of the bar with the couches. In the summertime, it looks to be a pretty nice back garden so I can't wait to come back during warmer times.
They also have live music on some week nights, but alas the night we went it didn't seem to be such a great show.
Worth it to come back though!
This bar was a pleasant surprise for my first night in after traveling from Portland. I can think of no better way than to sense a touch of home as I pop my New York cherry. The concept of a florist-bar hybrid is something I would have expected to see in my hometown, even though I know of no such establishment there.
The layout was seamless, both classic and modern. The back patio looked wonderful, though it was too cold to be enjoying drinks outside. Sitting up front, I watched the florist do his thing; after an initial appreciation of the "simply because" aspect, I discovered some potential utility: perhaps your other half is waiting for you while you detour near home for a drink or two. There is little reason not to like this design feature.
Before entering, I noticed some yelpers were complimentary of the whiskey selection at this establishment, so I was eager to try. I identified some local stills, but found the offering to be merely adequate. The rest of my trip will reveal if it is indeed an impressive selection. I started off with an old fashioned with Bulleit bourbon, and was surprised  to find that it was $10. A modest price, it seemed, for this small town lad on his first NYC excursion. Unfortunately the cocktail was slapdash and light on the pour. This might be excusable if the bar was crowded, but that wasn't the case.
Next came a potentially great omen for me, being the beer lover that I am: a large chalice with Stone's Double Bastard for seven dollars. The price point seemed to confirm something I had heard and suspected, that the local populous might be somewhat under appreciative of great ale. I hope this isn't the case, but if it is, I feel as if I may have stumbled upon a gold mine. Either way, this beer earned this bar an extra star.
I can understand why some people like this place. Amazing whiskey selection. The crowd is young and hip for the neighborhood. Music isn't terrible. The pint and bouquet special.
But none of this has ever made my experience enjoyable.
On my most recent visit, the bartender's grill kept falling out so he constantly had his hands in his mouth fixing it (gross). This also had the added pleasure of making his speech nearly unintelligible, though the poorly equalized music probably had something to do with this.
SIDENOTE TO ALL BAR OWNERS: I've said this in multiple reviews. Human vocal range is between 60-300Hz. Â EQUALIZE YOUR SPEAKERS ACCORDINGLY. The volume wasn't outrageous, but there are a multitude of ways to offend ears.
To sum it up, this place is kitsch. If that is what you are looking for close to home, you can't do much better than Sycamore.
This is one of my favorite bars in NY and it happens to be in my neighborhood. Â My neighborhood is not much for a bar scene but at least it's got my favorite bar in NY. Â A flower shop during the day and bar at night - a crazy concept that works seamlessly. Â There's even a bouquet special - for $10 you can get a pint and a little mixed bouquet. Â
The vibe here is casual, unpretentious, friendly, and sometimes even a little rowdy. Â I've been here during times when people are just engaged in casual conversation and other times I've seen people dancing on the bar. Â
There are some really good live music performances in the basement and from time to time there are some really good DJs in rotation. Â Sometimes in the summer there are live musicians in the back patio.
The outdoor seating area is larger than the actual bar and one of the best parts about this place. Â It's a beautiful patio with plenty of seating and a continuation of the good vibes from inside.
The bartenders are awesome, the whiskey and beer selection are awesome, and....well... there just isn't too much that I can say negatively about this super cute neighborhood spot. Â Sycamore, we are so lucky to have you!!!
After the guy I was with suggested this place I was intriqued. Â I thought it was pretty cool with the flower shop in the day/bar at night set up. Â
I was impressed with the whiskey selection...there is certainly something for everyone and I also liked the selection of beer. Â As more of a beer fan, I opted for a creme one and I thought I was pretty good. Â
The atmosphere is very calm and relaxed - a good place for a summer or cool fall night as the back has lots of seating for couples and groups. Â I found the inside to be a bit cramped and awkward but what can you do?
One fun thing about Sycamore is that you can but a bouquet with your beer. Â Men be warned! Â If you are seen doing this for a girl - every girl around you will look at their guy and demand flowers :)
The smell of whiskey and flowers, when combined, is euphoric... who knew?
This half-flower-shop-half-bar is, hands down, one of my favorite spots in Brooklyn (this coming from a North Brooklyn gal!). Their wall of whiskey is tantalizing and tempting (and intriguingly spotlighted, in an otherwise dimly-lit bar), and their backyard patio is (perfect! lovely! the best! perfect!) enveloped in floor-to-ceiling foliage. Â
Sycamore's basement is great for shows, in that you get that throwback-y, college-days feeling (as if you're actually in a friend's kind-of-crappy basement).
Their prices aren't bad either -- $6 is their cheapest glass of wine, and for $10 you can get a beer & a bouquet, which would be a nice cherry on top of good date. It's admittedly a bit off the beaten path, but it's very worth it. Get their "stoopid shot of the night" -- it's almost always mind blowing.
Oh, Sycamore.... what can I say about you. Â I've spent MANY a drunken evening here since I moved into the neighborhood 1.5 years ago. Â And my love for this bar has waned somewhat during that time, for one reason (and one reason only): the patrons!
Don't get me wrong -- I still frequent Sycamore when I need "just one more drink" on my way home at 2am or have friends visiting the hood. Â The staff is great and takes care of the regulars. Â And the music is pretty good too (indie/hipster before midnight... hip hop after midnight... decent mix). Â
BUT I've noticed the crowd has gotten significantly younger in the last year. Â Maybe I'm just getting old... maybe I'm just becoming more jaded. Â But when I'm at my local bar, I like to kick back with my friends and BS with the bartenders -- NOT hang out with annoying kids who are still in college.
In any case, I still hold a soft spot for Sycamore. Â Go here for good drinks and a fun time. Â (And hopefully it's not the same night the barely-21 crowd is blowing up the spot.)
I think maybe I give too many 5 star reviews... so on a sliding scale this one would be a 6 star spot (it's like a harvard grading curve in here!).
everything about this spot was on-point. my bartender was awesome in guiding me towards some awesome whiskey selections AND he picked up the last round of beer. the garden was super nice with ivy waving around on the wall on the side, AND I wasn't even there for these things as my roommate was playing jazz in the quaint acoustically-awesome, performance space downstairs.
also, the music upstairs seamlessly made the seemingly impossible transition from recent indie rock to c.a. 2000 rap and hip hop at the perfect moment of the evening.
I had never been to this hood, and in all likelihood I won't find myself back here, but at least I'll be mad at myself for it.
It would be better if it had less children and more of that New Orleans vibe.
I will be the first to admit that I'm not familiar with Brooklyn venues, so when I got invited to a flower shop, whiskey bar for a birthday party BBQ I was more than a little confused. It turns out that the bar was confused too.
When you first enter you walk into a little boutique flower shop. At first I thought it was a pseudo store like Beauty and Essex or Sons of Essex...Nope. They actually want you to buy flowers. Walk past the flower lady and you're in a dark cool bar that reminds me a lot of R Bar in New Orleans (which might be the most awesome dive bar ever) with a much better selection of whiskey. If I stopped the review right here, the place would get 4 stars. Unfortunately, the situation deteriorated once we got outside.
Based on my observation, the narrow rear patio had two children's birthday parties going on at the same time as the birthday BBQ I was invited to. The result was a midget zombie invasion of 2-9 year olds hopped up on cupcakes and soda while their parents desperately tried to have adult conversations, drink and balance paper plates on their kids heads. The whole thing was FUBAR due to the tripple booking. We tried to retreat back into the bar but the midget zombies took over that area too. We left after one cheeseburger to avoid falling victim to the plauge.
Maybe 40 kids in a bar is normal for Brooklyn. That doesn't make it right.
Have fun.
G
The best bar I've found south of the park.
I'm biased because I love whiskey (the bar's specialty), beer (always has a great draft selection), and I'm a jazz pianist (Brooklyn Jazz Underground always has amazing live music in an intimate setting downstairs, especially on Sunday nights). But if any of this stuff appeals to you, you may find yourself biased towards this place too.
Great ambiance, low lighting from cool old-fashioned light bulbs, plenty of outdoor seating when the weather's fair, and the flower shop in front you go through to enter the bar is nice and quaint. I'm picky about the kind of people I want around me at my bars and I've only ever met/overheard nice and interesting people (nary a D-bag to be found!) Great bartenders who know their stuff and are friendly. Drinks are very reasonably priced.
Definitely worth the trek to Ditmas if you want to enjoy your night. It seems like a good place to bring and impress your date (again, for the crowd who likes to enjoy their evenings out. Clearly this isn't every persons cup of tea {read: hit up Denny's "steak pub" on Church & McDonald for a not good time out alone}).
Please can this bar be recreated exactly as is, less the millions of children in the afternoon? Â Great beer selection, prices, service, outdoor space, hot dogs, everything. Â I like it all. Â I do appreciate that families have somewhere to go and feel welcome, but be warned that on an given Sunday you will be outnumbered by strollers. Â
Still, such a gem.
NEW FAVORITE SPOT!
Beer - Great selection and GREAT prices ($4 beer without a special? Â Yes Please!)
Other Booze - I'm a beer guy but there seems to be a ton of a unique selection here as well.
Atmosphere - Just awesome really. Â Neat space, very cool bar top. Â You enter through a florist shop, can you beat that?
Live Music - What a GREAT venue to see/hear a live show. Â It's a tiny basement downstairs so whoever you see provides a super intimated environment. Â WE saw Mamie Minch here and she was FANTASTIC in this space. Â Completely acoustic with no mic or amp.
My friends and I refer to this place as Flower Bar. Â A pretty simple name for alcoholics to remember. Â There is a flower shop in the front where you can buy (or stare at) beautiful bouquets. Â The flower arrangements evoke a country farm Sunday morning breakfast, rustic, but fresh. Â I get tricked into buying one every time because the visuals are so stunning. Â The long counter bar is in the back, through an empty door frame, hence FLOWER BAR. Â
-They have this chocolate coffee tasting stout on tap. Â I forget the name, just ask the bartender. Â For a less heavy beer, they have lighter ones. Â They also have wine, and the wall adjacent the bar is lined by a liquor library. Â Glass bottles of all different shapes and sizes sit side by side. Â They have an extensive alcohol selection.
-You can definitely bring a date here. Â The vibe is dark and intimate. Â You can hide in the corner and make out. Â I cannot confirm this as i have never done this, but someone let me know how it turns out.
-You can get a beer and a bouquet for $10, kind of a sweet deal. Â *People on dates, ahem, you know what to do.* Â And they have happy hour starting at 4pm. Â Got there a little early and the bartender let us start early.
-Outdoor seating available in the back during spring/summer/fall. Â You feel like you are in your own back yard. Â They use to have a fire pit. Â O and you can bring take out to enjoy on a picnic bench. Â They also have bingo night and band nights.
Nice small place.
I found it after I stopped off at the health food store and right before I went to eat with the girls. (11/11)
Stopped in after finding a florist on my Iphone (thanks Siri).
Got a small bouquet put together for the guest of honor (dinner with the girls- one of them was her bday)
I originally wanted to spend $15 on a nice bouquet. Wound up spending $25 just to get a few more flowers.
The shop is in front of a bar. Sort of a double establishment.
The girl is very knowledgeable about flowers...in a librarian sort of way.
Cute...and put together a small bouquet.
Probably wont return though.
Sparse amount of flowers and she was stingy with "filling" the bouquet. Have had better..."Blooms on Fifth" is a better bet...pricey but worth it.
This bar could easily be my favorite bar, if it wasn't half way across town for me.
They sell flowers by day, and booze you up by night.
There is actually a sign that says "$10 for beer+flowers".
The flowers are actually very pretty.
And if you ask me, I'm sure it helps that they offer flowers, especially for the guys who want to try to seduce some drunk girl with some flowers and beer.
The back patio is amazing, spacious and apparently every other Sunday they have Sean come out to play some excellent music. He is simply amazing.
The ambiance, people, and whiskey selection is amazing.
It'd be nice if they'd regulate the skeevies up front, seriously.
Color me impressed!
I love this place, just recently discovered it a couple of months ago and I've been coming back ever since. Â Great prices, drinks and Marcos is my favorite bartender.
I'm not digging the hipster families bringing their babies.......the outdoor patio should be for smokers and you can't really do that while there are babies and their mothers out there (at least not while in good conscious anyway)
I'm a pretty laid back guy so I prefer to be there on Tuesday when it isn't so crazy.
Last night was my first excursion to Cortelyou Rd. Â It's kind of pretty down there, with the tree-lined streets and whatnot. Â And, the Sycamore seems to be *the* bar. Â That has a double meaning, though. Â It's the place to be because it's a really solid bar. Â And, it's the place to be because it seems to be the only game in town. Â
Being the neighborhood's go-to hang means it probably gets packed, although it wasn't terrible last night. Â There's a nice, spacious outdoor area that serves to disperse the crowd. Â The interior is understated and dimly lit. Â There are a few booths for larger parties, and surprisingly, one remained empty the entire night. Â
The bartenders were very attentive. Â My only gripes were my martini was too wet for my taste and the baby carriages made it feel a little too Park Slopian. Â (Did I just invent a term there? Â I dunno.) Â
And, there's a guy who's only job it seems is to replace the candles on the tables. Â He hustles around the bar like a ball boy at the US Open.
Flower shop by day, bar by night. Daily special: Order a beer and get a bouquet of flowers for $10.
Bartender was quite of an ass. There was a Dude who walked away from the bar stool. I waited a couple of Mississippis before I swooped in. I debated very quickly on my beverage of choice. Tokyo Tea, please. Bartender wasn't sure and he asked me what was in it. Heck, I don't know? It's green and it's good. The final product came close but after having it settle in, taste doesn't matter.
45 minutes later, Dude came back. Bartender had the nerve to tell me it was his seat and to get up. Excuse me? If it was a seat solely intended for Dude, why didn't you say so in the beginning instead of having me get comfortable and asked to move? I found that extremely rude. Dude was nice though because he saw my evil eyes glaring at the bartender that he told me I didn't have to move. I chugged my drink and walked out. Jerk.
Ah, the single life.
Bored? Lonely? Sick of siting on a laptop on a bunk bed? Call your friend and meet up at a local bar! This might mean you have a 20 minute walk in 100 degree weather, but when you are heading to Sycamore to meet up with a sexy lady, that aint no thang.
I've been to Sycamore twice. Once I was so wasted that I could only remember 3 things about the place.
1) They take cards
2) The bar is on the right side of the room
3) They gave me a free shot of tequila.
Since then, I've come to learn that they've got board games, a sweet ass back yard, super sweet bartenders, and a fucking fabulous whiskey selection. I'll  have my bourbon and drink it too.
I can't wait to spend more time here while I'm stuck in my parent's hood. It's the good kind of avoiding my problems. I think.
Though I'm not totally sold on this place yet, I have a feeling that I will be with a couple of more visits under my belt.
The first time I went to Sycamore, I was not impressed. I wanted the bartender to give me a beer recommendation, which he did do, but he also made sure to give me a look that suggested I was retarded. And eventually a really shitty beer. And though I tried to engage him in conversation (I came alone and was just looking to have a post-I-Just-Got-Off-From-A-10-Hour-Kitchen-Shift beer) it seemed like he was more content to sit and stare at the beer taps than anything. Super unfriendly. Or maybe I'm just that lame.
And the bar was filled with bikers (???) which for some reason seemed confusing to me.
The second time was lovely though. They have Lagunitas (yay) for about the same price that everyone does, which is cool by me. And the bartenders there this time were friendly AND entertaining. And were playing good music.
And Sycamore is a totally sexy place to be, by the way. I like it. Definitely need to hit it up again though just to be sure. I still haven't been on that patio. And yay for the beer and bouquet deal! Love it.
Talk about off the beaten path. After making the exhausting, epic, frankly Homeresque, journey from Prospect Heights to Ditmas Park I was ready to be wowed. Those four train stops took a lot out of me. Thankfully when I arrived Sycamore did not disappoint.
We were there for a friend's birthday party, so I didn't expect much. But Sycamore has a selection of whiskey and bourbon to rival the palette of Sam Peckinpah. I was stoked, jazzed, and ready to get a little happy. So I did, for $7 a pop. Not bad considering some of the whiskey they had to offer would run up twice that in Manhattan. The trouble is, I paid $7 for a Jameson and ginger and while that's not beyond the pale, its not stellar either. So be it. Sycamore makes up for that with a nice neighborhood vibe, fostered by a sweet clientele of people who were redefining the phrase "cold chillin."
No, really, the AC was jacked in that place.
Its apparently a florist shop (haberdashery?) by day and that was not a selling point for me. Those of us with allergies don't stop to smell the roses, we run screaming. I made it through the night okay, though, with only a slight bout of sneezing.
The backyard at Sycamore looks out on the sky and satellites in low orbit around the earth. Looking up at those quasi-celestial bodies can make you rethink everything about a place like Brooklyn. Its a city to be sure and a vibrant one, but its also a sleepy little town. On the right block, in the right backyard, with the right drink you can feel like you're tucked away in a cozy part of the world where the only thing people take seriously is the drink in their hand and the girl on their arm.
Bars and restaurants are definitely barometers of how neighborhoods change. Ditmas Park isn't known as a hip place... yet. Gentrification? Maybe. And his bar may be a piece of evidence. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing...
It's almost darlingly cute. The walls are steely-blue. The juke-box is actual vinyl records (It kept skipping during "Build Me Up, Buttercup.") It has a good beer (no Miller/Coors/Bud Lite) and bourbon selection. They sell pretty bunches of flowers (roses, freesias, etc.) with the beer: $10 gets you a beer and a bouquet. The people who created restaurant know their audience, for sure!
Loverly. I just moved from Park Slope to Ditmas Park, and this is my favorite neighborhood "whoops I'm an alcoholic" weeknight spot. Beer and flowers, both for reasonable prices: Genesee Cream Ale is $3 and Honkers Ale is $4 - can't really beat that. And they've got a great special on a beer + a bouquet of flowers for ten bucks. Pretty impressive bourbon selection, too.
It's got quaint ambiance and a really friendly bar staff with a kick-ass iPod rotation. Nice seating nooks, if you get there first, and in warmer weather the back patio is gorgeous. Even if you live a little further out, it's absolutely worth the trek.
Great selection of whiskey, friendly bartenders, free juke box (AC/DC and Gastr del Sol together at last?), and a warm and welcoming aesthetic.
I'll also say that I live in Clinton Hill and I enjoyed this place so much that the long trek on the Q out to Flatbush seems totally worth getting to spend another relaxing night in this gem. A+
I realize a good credo for a review is to visit the place in question more than once, but I feel confident in giving Sycamore five stars even though I visited it on a sleepy Monday evening shortly after it opened. Â The bar has already has numerous things going for it:
* Sycamore is owned by Gary and Allison Jonas, the people behind the amazing restaurant (and nearby) Farm on Adderley. Â Every time I'm at the Farm, they come across as the nicest people ever.
* An extensive selection of bourbon. Â Also the beers on tap run the gamut from high-brow Belgian imports to low-brow $2 (during happy hour) Budweisers.
* While it could come across as gimmicky, Sycamore doubles as a flower shop during the day.
* A chill, relaxed vibe that assures you that this will be your favorite watering hole even before you order your first drink.
And speaking of drinks, mine was a Manhattan (with Maker's Mark) and not only was it perfectly made, but rang up at the completely reasonable, recession loving price of $6.50.
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