(Photo: Cocktails at Rye Restaurant via Serious Eats)

Who says you have to leave Brooklyn to find the ultimate bar experience? Fools, that’s who.  Whether you’re looking for a laid back bar to chill out, a killer cocktail or you’re on the prowl for Mr. or Mrs. Right, Brooklyn bars definitely fit the bill. 

Best cocktail menu: Rye Restaurant

It is hard to commit to a $15 dollar cocktail, especially if you have no idea whether you will like it or not. This is one of the reasons why the bar at Rye Restaurant is a failsafe. The cocktail menu consists of thirteen simple concoctions, each plainly described on the menu and carefully prepared by the bartenders/mixologists. For ten dollars you can enjoy a “Southside” (gin, muddled cucumber, mint, fresh lime and soda water), or a “Havemeyer Cocktail” (overproof rye whiskey, antica vermouth, fino sherry and bitters), or a simple “Daiquiri” (rum, lime and sugar.) And if you get hungry the bar offers tasty accompaniments like a cheese board, duck rillette, crab croquette, or the Scotch egg.   241 S 1st Street, Williamsburg

Best dive bar: The Levee

Although it is often crowded and sometimes overrun with non-residents, The Levee offers three of the most important dive bar requirements. One, a jukebox. This one is filled with punk and rock with a bunch of newer favorites, old classics, and local band albums smattered in the mix. Two- free snacks. Cheeseballs and lollypops, enough said. Three- cheap drinks. With specials like The Texas Two Step ($5.00 for a bottle of Lone Star and a shot of tequila,) it is hard to find a reason not to get deliriously drunk. The Levee also offers games; both of the pool table/big buck hunter and scrabble/connect four variety. As with all dives the bathrooms are horrendous, but hey, you get what you pay for.  212 Berry Street, Williamsburg (Photo: The Pint Glass)

Best bar for free food with your beer: Lulu's

The offer of a free personal pizza with the purchase of a beer at Lulu’s is enough to bring you out to this Greenpoint favorite, but the bar adds on extra points by actually offering up a pretty good pie. A brick oven churns out the cheesy goodness at a moderately rapid rate, and the “bakers” ring a bell when your pie is ready for consumption. Food aside, the beer selection is something to be admired. Seasonal drafts rotate regularly and a huge variety of international brews are on hand for your palate pleasure. Unlike its sister bars (Alligator and Crocodile Lounge), Lulu’s also offers up one heck of an atmosphere with a large stage area, upstairs balcony seating, and small private rooms/nooks. Dim twinkle lights strung along the high ceilings complement the setting, casting a rather romantic glow on the patrons below.  113 Franklin Avenue, Greenpoint (Photo: Lauren Chapman, via Flickr)

Best bar with an activity: Floyd

It isn’t often that you find an indoor bocce court in a New York bar, but when you do you should certainly put it on your go-to list. Floyd is one of those spots, boasting an alley that is open for daily public use and is regularly utilized by teams and tournament play. The setting is anything but expected; the interior is decorated with black and white portraits, upholstered sofas, and antique signs. The bar menu offers something called “beercheese”, but Floyd also allows patrons to bring their own snacks and food. During the day it isn’t uncommon to see families hanging around the back area, but later large crowds of young professionals also fill up the space for football games or bocce tournaments.  131 Atlantic Avenue, Cobble Hill (Photo: via Floyd)

Best bar to meet singles: The Woods

If you see a lost looking girl in a short dress wandering the south streets of Williamsburg chances are that she is looking for The Woods. This busy bar often features the most eclectic variety of patrons, mixing local artists, international visitors, and city dwellers out for the night. The large outdoor space is a smoker’s haven, complete with benches, covered areas, and a taco truck. Men and women alike are there to meet other people, and the chances of standing still without having someone come up and hit on you are slim to none. A dance floor and DJ allow the bump and grinders to shake their booties all night long, and a large bar offers up a variety of hot and cold cocktails. 48 S 4th Street, Williamsburg (Photo: via NY Press)

Best hidden gem: Franklin Park

Franklin Park has the magical ability to mix Crown Heights locals with nearby students/young professionals and make it all work beautifully. A beer garden full of tables is one of the main appealing factors for everyone; the space features spot lighting and trees that cast shade overhead. Inside the space itself is large and copper plated, complete with booths, a fireplace, and a separate game room. A steady stream of DJ’s turn the tables nightly, offering up a wide range of beats. Franklin Park also hosts a monthly reading series, featuring local writers reading selections from their books.  618 St. John’s Place, Crown Heights (Photo: via Bklyn Green Drinks)

Best bar for a concert: Glasslands Gallery

To an outside eye the quiet stretch of Kent Street can look quite dangerous. With the abandoned Domino Sugar Factory on one side and warehouses on the other, it seems as if no one is occupying these empty spaces. In actuality there is an abundance of activity humming under the guise of abandoned spaces, including galleries, movie theaters, and offices, with no spot attracting more of a crowd than Glasslands Gallery. Built inside of a warehouse space and constructed from donated and recycled materials, this bar boasts a stage and sound system that makes it the ideal intimate spot to catch some of the best local (and passing through) bands. On any given night you can find Glasslands pouring young people out onto the street, be it for a concert, dance party, or interactive art project.  Decorated with art pieces and the random stuffed (fake) animal head, Glasslands is a reflection of the surrounding community, and their commitment to the arts. Thankfully founders just installed central air, making this space tolerable in the summer as well.  289 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg  289 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg