Der Schwarze Koelner
710 Fulton St., Fort Greene, Brooklyn; no phone
We’d been hearing about this spot since the spring back when it was promised to open in June. Well, it’s August and Der Schwarze Koelner — a German beer garden from ex-Cologner Dale Hall and his girlfriend, Randi Lockemann — is finally here. The garden space itself is actually not quite open yet, so for now enjoy the German pretzels, bratwursts, and eighteen beers on tap indoors.
Bia Garden
154 Orchard St., nr. Stanton St.; 212-780-0010
The new spot from Michael Huynh — the man behind BarBao, Pho Sure, and Baoguette — has more going for it than just the novelty of being the city’s first Vietnamese beer garden. The (bánh mì–free!) menu, split into small, medium, and big dishes, offers ample opportunities to stretch the palate with the likes of stir-fried squid, spicy curry wild boar, and, oh yes, sambal-garlic frog. And you can wash your amphibians down with a selection from the all-Asian beer list.
Berry Park
4 Berry St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-782-2829
Former Zum Schneider manager Christina Kornhuber is the woman behind the massive Berry Park, which seats 100 comfortably on its spacious roof and 200 more downstairs. The fifteen beers on tap will eventually be coupled with soccer matches on the projection screen and live music.
The Standard Beer Garden
848 Washington St., nr. 12th St.; 212-645-4646
This spot is a more casual adjunct to the recently opened Standard Grill. It won’t be completely open until late September — at which point a food menu, a second bar, and an official name will be on hand — but that’s no reason to hold off: The Ping-Pong table is already fully operational.