At 61 Local, a new public house in Cobble Hill, a focus on craft permeates every corner, from the exemplary brews and first-rate food to the elegant but understated interior, which was designed with an emphasis on reclaimed and other ecologically responsible materials in mind. The owner, David Liatti, a Brooklynite who also runs an engineering and design firm, has tapped into the desire for all things local in the bo...

Near the end of last fall, Thomas Beisl, the quaint Austrian restaurant across from the Brooklyn Academy of Music—a time-honored place to grab a drink after, or sometimes even during, a performance—closed its doors. But just as softly as they shut, the doors reopened, this time leading into a restaurant called Berlyn.

Banter, a new watering hole on Havemeyer Street subtitled "Williamsburg Public House," effortlessly blends Brooklyn style with a British Isles sensibility in a space that's both hospitable to locals and inviting to an international crowd. The creators of Banter, Victor Boyd (who's part owner of the soccer-centric Williamsburg pub Iona) and two of Iona's longtime bartenders, Conor Carolan and Chris Keller, are fervent...

At the two-month-old location of Crif Dogs in Williamsburg, there is no phone booth. Which means, no secret bar lies hidden behind the junk food faade like at the hot dog shop's East Village location. Without the speakeasylike appeal, you lose the suave suits and hip cocktail snobs, and are left with the menu of 15-plus pork and beef hotdogs to contend with—indeed, the only booze you can get is a pint of Brookl...