The Double Windsor

Esquire's 2026 Best Bars in America list covers the full spectrum from cocktail temples to dive bars, and The Double Windsor's inclusion says something specific: this Windsor Terrace corner spot earns its place by doing the neighborhood-bar format with uncommon consistency rather than by chasing trends. Open since 2009 and co-founded by three longtime local residents, it has outlasted several waves of Brooklyn bar openings by staying committed to what it set out to be — a beer-and-whiskey joint with food that actually merits attention.

The draft list rotates through craft selections, and the whiskey range runs broad enough to reward a second visit without repeating. Food sits firmly in bar-kitchen territory — sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken — but the sourcing is local and seasonal, which shows in details like a BLT built around grilled ramp aioli or country toast with pimento cheese and pickled jalapeños. Mussels and fries round out a menu that punches above the usual pub-grub baseline without pretending to be something it isn't.

The room itself is dark and close, positioned at Prospect Park West and 16th Street on the park's edge. Pricing falls in the moderate range, which, combined with the walk-in format, keeps the crowd genuinely mixed rather than filtered by occasion. For a neighbourhood that has seen considerable turnover in its bar stock, The Double Windsor's fifteen-plus years at the same address is a more reliable indicator of quality than any single write-up.