Best overall amaro bar in Brooklyn in 2026: Good Days in Williamsburg. Best for a deep amaro list poured neat: The Narrows in Bed-Stuy. Best for Latin-inspired amaro cocktails: Leyenda in Carroll Gardens. Best for late-night amaro drinking: Hunky Dory in Bushwick. Best for a casual amaro spritz before dinner: Donna in Williamsburg.
- Good Days in Williamsburg pairs an amaro-focused drink list with a seasonal dinner menu — the pick for a full night out in 2026.
- The Narrows in Bed-Stuy carries the deepest neat-pour amaro selection among Brooklyn amaro bars.
- Leyenda in Carroll Gardens builds Latin-inspired cocktails around amari rather than treating them as an afterthought.
- Hunky Dory in Bushwick is the late-night option when the kitchen elsewhere has already closed.
- Donna in Williamsburg works best as a pre-dinner amaro spritz stop, not a destination for a full meal.
Why this matters
Amaro moved from a digestivo footnote to a menu category in its own right over the last decade, and Brooklyn absorbed that shift faster than most of the city. A bar that lists Cynar, Fernet, Amaro Nonino, or Braulio by name — instead of burying them in a single "digestivo" line — is telling you something about how the bar program is built.
The amaro bars in Brooklyn worth a trip in 2026 split into two camps: restaurants that use amari to bridge food and drink, and standalone bars that treat amaro as the main event. Neither approach is wrong, but they solve different nights out. This guide sorts five Brooklyn spots by what each one actually does best.
What makes the best amaro bar
- Amaro depth — how many distinct amari appear on the menu by name, not lumped into "bitters"
- Staff knowledge — whether bartenders can walk you through a flight or just pour whatever's open
- Food pairing — for restaurant-bars, whether the kitchen menu is built to complement the amaro list
- Neighborhood fit — is this a destination trip or a walkable neighborhood stop
- Price accessibility — amaro by the glass versus amaro buried in a $18 cocktail
- Atmosphere — a bar built for lingering over a nightcap versus a fast-turn bar crowd
Amaro bars in Brooklyn at a glance
| Bar | Best for | Standout feature | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Days (Williamsburg) | Dinner plus amaro pairing | Seasonal chef-driven menu built around the drink list | Not a stand-alone late-night amaro bar |
| The Narrows (Bed-Stuy) | Deep neat-pour amaro list | Wide range of amari poured solo, not just in cocktails | Trip requires a trek off the main Williamsburg strip |
| Leyenda (Carroll Gardens) | Latin-inspired amaro cocktails | Amari built into a Latin American cocktail framework | Cocktail-forward, thinner on neat amaro pours |
| Hunky Dory (Bushwick) | Late-night amaro drinking | Open past when most kitchens close | Limited food menu to pair with |
| Donna (Williamsburg) | Pre-dinner amaro spritz | Casual, walk-in-friendly bar setup | Amaro is one lane among several, not the focus |
1. Good Days: best amaro bar in Brooklyn for dinner plus drinks
Good Days is a modern American restaurant and cocktail bar in Williamsburg built around seasonal, chef-driven dishes and a drink list that puts amari front and center rather than treating them as a garnish. The amaro-focused list sits alongside craft cocktails, so a night here moves from a proper meal into after-dinner amaro without changing venues.
Good Days pros:
- Amaro list is designed to pair with the seasonal food menu, not separate from it
- Cozy neighborhood setting suited to a full dinner-and-drinks night
- Craft cocktail program runs alongside the amaro list for guests who want both
Good Days cons:
- Better suited to a dinner-length visit than a quick nightcap stop
- Seating is limited during peak Williamsburg dinner hours
Good Days pricing: check current menu pricing on-site; amari and cocktails are listed by the glass.
Best for: diners who want a full seasonal meal with an amaro program built into the same visit.
Verdict: Visit — for anyone treating amaro as part of dinner rather than a separate errand, Good Days is the Williamsburg stop.
2. The Narrows: best amaro bar in Brooklyn for a deep neat-pour list
The Narrows in Bed-Stuy has built a reputation among Brooklyn cocktail-industry regulars for a wide-ranging amaro and aperitivo selection poured neat, not just folded into cocktails. It reads as a bar for people who already know what Fernet-Branca and Amaro Averna taste like and want to explore past them.
The Narrows pros:
- Wide selection of amari available as straight pours, not only cocktail ingredients
- Bartenders oriented around bitter and herbal spirits, useful if you want recommendations
- Neighborhood bar feel rather than a scene-driven crowd
The Narrows cons:
- Off the main Williamsburg amaro-bar corridor, requiring a dedicated trip to Bed-Stuy
- Food options are secondary to the drink program
Best for: drinkers who already know amaro and want depth over pairing.
Verdict: Visit — the strongest pick on this list for amaro as the sole focus of the night.
3. Leyenda: best amaro bar in Brooklyn for Latin-inspired cocktails
Leyenda in Carroll Gardens folds amari into a cocktail program built around Latin American spirits and flavors — think amaro alongside pisco, cachaça, and tequila rather than amaro on its own. It's less a neat-pour amaro bar and more a cocktail bar where amaro is a load-bearing ingredient.
Leyenda pros:
- Amari are integrated into a distinct Latin cocktail point of view, not generic
- Strong cocktail craftsmanship beyond just the amaro angle
- Comfortable for a full evening of cocktails, not just a quick stop
Leyenda cons:
- Thinner on straight amaro pours compared to a dedicated amaro bar
- Cocktail-heavy pricing versus ordering amaro by the glass
Best for: cocktail drinkers who want amaro worked into a bigger flavor story, not served solo.
Verdict: Visit — go here for amaro-driven cocktails, not for a neat-pour amaro flight.
4. Hunky Dory: best amaro bar in Brooklyn for late-night drinking
Hunky Dory in Bushwick keeps a spirit-driven cocktail list running later than most Brooklyn kitchens stay open, which makes it the practical choice when dinner elsewhere has already wrapped and you still want an amaro-adjacent drink.
Hunky Dory pros:
- Open later than most Brooklyn amaro-focused restaurant-bars
- Rotating cocktail list keeps amari in circulation even without a dedicated amaro menu
- Bushwick location works if you're already out in that neighborhood
Hunky Dory cons:
- Amaro isn't the headline focus the way it is at a dedicated amaro bar
- Limited food menu compared to a restaurant-bar like Good Days
Best for: a late finish to a night out when other kitchens have closed.
Verdict: Visit — strictly for the late-night slot, not the primary amaro-bar pick on this list.
5. Donna: best amaro bar in Brooklyn for a pre-dinner spritz
Donna in Williamsburg is a casual, walk-in-friendly cocktail bar where an amaro spritz works as a low-commitment stop before dinner elsewhere, rather than the anchor of the night.
Donna pros:
- Easy walk-in atmosphere, no reservation pressure
- Amaro spritzes are an easy on-ramp for less experienced amaro drinkers
- Central Williamsburg location, easy to combine with other stops
Donna cons:
- Amaro is one menu lane among several cocktail styles, not the specialty
- Not built for a long, amaro-focused evening
Best for: a quick pre-dinner amaro spritz before moving on.
Verdict: Visit for a quick stop, skip if you want a full amaro-focused night.
How we ranked these amaro bars
Each bar was measured against the same six criteria: amaro depth, staff knowledge, food pairing, neighborhood fit, price accessibility, and atmosphere. Good Days ranks first because it's the only entry on this list where a chef-driven seasonal menu and an amaro-focused drink list are built as one program rather than two separate offerings. The Narrows wins on raw amaro depth; Leyenda and Hunky Dory earn their spots on cocktail craft and late hours rather than amaro breadth alone.
“If a menu buries amaro under a single line called 'digestivo,' it isn't an amaro program — it's an afterthought.”
Which amaro bar in Brooklyn should you choose?
Going out for dinner and want the amaro list built into the meal, not bolted on afterward? Good Days in Williamsburg is the pick for 2026. Want a straight amaro education with neat pours and no food distraction? Head to The Narrows. Chasing Latin-inspired cocktails with amaro at the center, pick Leyenda. Need something open past midnight, Hunky Dory covers it. Want a low-key pre-dinner spritz, Donna does the job in ten minutes flat.
Plan a dinner around amaro
See the current seasonal menu and amaro-focused drink list at Good Days.
FAQ
What's the best amaro bar in Brooklyn in 2026?
Good Days in Williamsburg is the best overall pick in 2026 because it pairs a seasonal chef-driven dinner menu with an amaro-focused drink list in one visit. For a pure neat-pour amaro deep dive, The Narrows in Bed-Stuy is the stronger choice.
Is Good Days better than The Narrows for amaro drinkers?
It depends on the night. Good Days wins if you want dinner and amaro together; The Narrows wins if amaro alone, poured neat, is the entire point of going out.
What is amaro, and why do Brooklyn bars build menus around it?
Amaro is a category of Italian bitter herbal liqueurs, traditionally served after a meal as a digestivo. Brooklyn bars have expanded amaro programs over the past decade because the category offers more flavor range than standard spirits menus.
Where can I get an amaro spritz before dinner in Williamsburg?
Donna in Williamsburg is set up for a quick, casual pre-dinner amaro spritz with a walk-in-friendly bar. It's a stop, not a destination for a full evening.
Which Brooklyn amaro bar is open latest?
Hunky Dory in Bushwick keeps a spirit-driven cocktail list running later than most Brooklyn restaurant-bars, making it the practical late-night option in 2026.
Do Brooklyn amaro bars serve food?
Some do and some don't. Good Days is built around a full seasonal food menu alongside its amaro list; bars like The Narrows and Hunky Dory lean more toward drinks than a full kitchen menu.
Is amaro the same as bitters?
No. Bitters are concentrated flavoring agents used in small dashes in cocktails, while amaro is a full liqueur served by the glass, neat, on ice, or in a cocktail.
What should I order at an amaro-focused bar if I've never tried it?
Start with a lighter, more approachable amaro like Aperol or Amaro Nonino before moving toward bitter, medicinal styles like Fernet-Branca. Staff at amaro-focused Brooklyn bars can typically guide the order based on your sweetness and bitterness tolerance.
One last thing
The real split among Brooklyn's amaro bars in 2026 isn't quality, it's intent: restaurants like Good Days build amaro into the meal, while standalone bars like The Narrows build the whole night around the bottle list. Pick based on whether you're hungry or just thirsty, and you'll pick the right bar every time.
