Nov 10 2005
New Bar Alert: Camp
Went on a mini bar crawl last night. Started at the new Camp on 179 Smith Street. It used to be a salsa-y place, and it’s just been converted into a urban lodge. They definitely went all out on the camp theme–some antlers, a stuffed deer head, another strange creature’s head attached to the wall that reminded me of something out of Star Wars, tree bark on the ceiling. I overheard someone way that the friendly bartender used to work at Bar 4 in Park Slope. I guess time will tell whether the trick will sink or swim. Beers during happy hour are two-for-one (Blue Point on tap), so you can’t argue with that.
Next, headed to Boat to get in a little shuffleboard bowling action, only to find–GASP–that it is no longer there. Apparently it broke, and the owners replaced it with a pinball machine (that is also currently broken, no doubt by angry indie rockers taking out their bowling aggression on the poor pinball machine). Happy hour at Boat, by the way, is $3 beers, so take that, Camp!
Last, but definitely not least, I hit up Ceol, which is basically Smithwicks painted green on the outside, except with nicer people. If you go, you must go on Wednesday, and you must make immediate friends with the Irish bartender. This will not be too hard, and she may climb over the bar to hug you. With an energy drink in one hand and a few bar tricks up her sleeve, this lady is by far the most entertaining drink-slinger I’ve experienced in Brooklyn. A little crazy? Sure. But with not-too-annoying live Irish music (two fiddles and a guitar) in the background, and Guinness flowing from the tap, you’ll think you accidentally hopped a plane to some small but raucous Irish town and never look back.
8 Responses to “New Bar Alert: Camp”
It’s the old AmBar. It was a Domonican salsa place. It was very good place to go out and dance. Not many other places like that on Smith other than Bar Below. Ceol is a good place too. The food is much better now than when it was Smithwicks.
Really? I’ll have to check it out.. I heard Smithwicks had good pub food but it was a little expensive.
Did the “hipsters” give birth to the “angry indie rockers”? Or was it the other way around?
I stopped by Camp a couple of weeks ago with some friends and had a decent time. The crowd seemed a little stuck up, though, and the music was terrible! Bad euro club hits, and Cher’s “Live after Love”, not once, but twice!
I think I’ll stick with the Zombie Hut.
Doh! Should have previewed!
Ceol has really good food. we ate there when it was smithwicks & again when they painted it green (we spent 15 minutes looking for the place, cause we were looking for a red bar)…. AND talk about nice people! I don’t know what they were celebrating that night, but I guess there is always a reason to celebrate. they were giving out free beer samples – guiness, harp & something else. can’t remember because we drank too much… when they ran out of little sample glasses, they started handing out free pints! nice!
the old ambar? wasn’t ambar only there for like a month? One of the bartenders at Camp is Bill, the very popular bartender ex- of Boat. They’re having dj’s sometimes including some serious music geeks, so maybe they’re working that angle.
samantha and all the lads in ceol are really nice they welcomed us straight away i recomend every1 go there for food make sure u try the corkcaisan steak yum yum very good ! i hope they still have it on the menu and the fish and chips to all my love paula