Galapagos Art Space

Such a beautiful venue. I went here to see the floating cabaret show and it was a delightful surprise. The show was trashy and classy at in one and the host of the show was really great.
They also have a great great full bar and creative cocktails. I loved the space, atmosphere and show I will for sure be catching more shows here.
I wish I can afford to rent this space out for a private party.

A fun night. The space was nice but not amazing, the presentor Bastard Keith was very funny and probably the best part of the show. The program had some nice acts but it had too much acrobatics and circusy stuff and too little burlesque, striptease and things that you expect to see at a burlesque show. The drinks were average with little alcohol and grenadine everywhere. Oh, and the toilets were a mess and filthy! I enjoyed going but don’t know if I would go again.

Great! Amazing! Classy and raunchy all at once! This place is the Jewel of Dumbo!
Great location! GREAT LOCATION!!! The space is creative and beautiful and I loved every second of the evening!
When you do something as simple as signing up for their email list you also get free tickets to a show! So nice!
The MC is incredible and for such a crazy night the waitresses had it together!!! They were quick nice and amazing!

I went here about 2 weeks ago with a group of friends. The show was great and worth the money. Every performance fun to watch and I would love to go to another cabaret. The MC (Bastard Keith) was AMAZING and hilarious! Great energy all around.
Now for the not-​so nice part of the review.
Our server was nice but slow. It was a Saturday night, full house, so I’m somewhat okay with it. What truly bothered me was the drinks. The drinks were VERY overpriced and so VERY watered down. If you’re going to drink, drink the wine… since that’s the only thing they can’t water down. I get the the whole «2 drink minimum» but if you’re going to make money off of your patrons, at least serve remotely decent drinks.
So since the drinks were essentially juice or water, I gotta give it a ³⁄₅.

Great space!!!
We came on a Sunday evening to catch a show. Braved the cold but was well worth the trip!
Good thing we came early as the line easy goes out the door for ticketing. Seated upstairs was quite comfortable and the view was great right against the railing. If possible, reserve seating ahead of time to ensure you have good views even for general admission.
Plenty of bars set around around the perimeter.
The vibe is contagious that makes this vast venue cozy and intimate. Even loved the intermission music. We were grooving in our seats the entire night.
Amazing venue for amazing performances.
They have a kiosk set up for free tix to an upcoming show for signing up on their email list. Can’t wait to go back!

The floating kabarette was an AMAZING show and worth every penny. Easily the best burlesque I’ve ever seen and I was very impressed that they had both male and female performers. The MC (Bastard Keith) was very talented and able to deal with a crowd that contained a few assholes. For example, one bachellorette party decided to throw ice at him. Yes, really. He handled it properly, I can assure you.
The downside of this great venue was the service. We had a new waitress (which is fine,) but it took us 50 minutes to get our first drink. Then when she took our order she made sure we knew there was a 2 drink minimum. Then she didn’t come back to our table for 45 minutes. 45 minutes…
Now, I used to bartend and serve, and my friend with me is CURRENTLY a wonderful bartender and we are extremely patient with service industry stuff. However, when I am told about a minimum amount of drinks, and am paying $ 14 PER drink, I expect the service to be faster than ~45 minutes a drink order. Much faster. This bar wants to make money, right?
I don’t mind waiting for a new server to learn the ropes, but on a saturday night she should have been SHADOWING somebody instead of having literally one whole side of the floor to herself. She had no system and was awkward whenever we ordered. I had to bring my drink back up to the bar because I was poured a gin and water instead of a gin and soda. For $ 14. When my friend asked for a «captain and coke» she stared blankly…
I give 5 stars to the show and 1 star for service. I would have drank 4 or more drinks but instead only had 2 in the 3+ hours we were there due to poor service. AND I had to go up to the bar 2 times.
YOU’RE LOSING MONEY, GALAPAGOS!!!

The floating cabaret performers were beautiful, talented, and completing enchanting, and the MC was hilarious, but on the whole, this place seemed understaffed and under-​trained.
When our server had time to take or orders, our patience was rewarded by badly poured, over-​priced drinks. I had to send back my dirty martini because instead of olive juice it had extra vermouth. For $ 25 I expect a well-​mixed drink. They would not need a two drink minimum if drinks were priced lower and poured better.

Situation: Came as my companion’s +1 to the 24 Hour Film Race Gala. The task was for filmmakers to create a short film that was 3 minutes or less and contained key items that was decided by the organization (in this case it was a broom and an «ultimatum»). They screened a total of 24 films that were a wide variety of mediums e.g. silent film, animated, CGI-​enhanced, genres e.g. drama, comedy, but I enjoyed being able to see them all! It was really impressive to see the amazing things that people could create within 24 hours, especially considering how lengthy and tedious the filmmaking process can be!
PROS
–The venue was very clean and posh– the lower level had booths set up in «pods» with mini-​ponds in between each (make sure not to fall in!) and cool mood lighting while the second balcony level gave you a great view of the stage.
–The energy I got from the presenters and the filmmakers/​teams was incredible – it was obvious that they were really passionate about what they did. The presentation of the films and the discussion afterwards was casual enough to feel personal (instead of one of those super formal hoity toity type gala events).
CONS
–The drinks were disturbingly expensive, so we skipped those.
–We were seated on the second balcony level, and for some reason, while the films were screening, the Galapagos Art Space staff decided that was the perfect time to run the dishwasher, making it difficult to hear all of the film audio.
In a nutshell…
My companion and I had a grand time and now have some inside jokes in allusion to those films. Personally I think we enjoyed the content of the show rather than the venue itself.

I came here with a group of eight girls for a friend’s bachelorette. The Floating Kabarette was awesome! Bastard Keith kept the energy up, and actually all the acts were terrific… The right mix of creativity, humor, and sex appeal.
Some of the other burlesques in the city are hit or miss… The Slipper Room is a little too seedy… But F.K. is awesome. I highly recommend this show for a night out or even a date. We loved it!

Great place with great character. The show was fabulous. All the performers were really energetic and seemed like the had fun with what they were doing.
The host was probably the best part though he was funny and kept the energy going.

Really really beautiful venue layout with water everywhere. The only disadvantage is the seating arrangement. The circular tables require a lot of twisting and turning to see the stage.
We came for an «April Birthday» Burlesque show that couldn’t have been more funny and enjoyable. Tickets were half off for April borns. Everyone in the audience, no matter when their birthday was, received a complimentary cake on the house. Would definitely come back with friends for other events.

Had a blast at Galapagos! Galapagos seems as if you have left Brooklyn (no offense BK). Beautiful venue, mature crowd, liquor and boobs. Can’t ask for more. I recommend getting there early as it tends to get pretty full. I think it’s cool to go on as a first date, or with friends. It would definitely bring out the quirky geek in you.

This review is for the Floating Kabarette performance this past Saturday. Overall it was a great show. The women are sultry, fun, and beautiful — they (and the venue) deserve 5 stars. The rest of the night, including the pace of the show, the host, table service, and seating arrangements were EH.
BOUNCER/​CHECK-​IN:
Bouncer was strange. It wasn’t busy at all when we arrived and he made the 4 people in line wait for a little bit as if it was some posh club. Then he asked to the people who walked in just before to shut the door…“YO YO. SHUT THE DOOORRR. YOOO!” It was rude and strange to ask a customer to do that. It’s his job. Rude.
The check-​in lady was neutral. Kind of like a robot and pointed to where we were sitting instead of being a normal host and walking us over. No issues though. We had plenty of time to find our seats.
SEATING:
As for seating, don’t bother impressing your date by buying VIP tix. I purchased two of the best tier tickets. It was $ 36 each plus the service fee = $ 81.80 for both. We were instructed to sit in the front grouping of seats. We just grabbed a pair of seats closest to the stage. We arrived early to grab a good seat within the section… Then 5 minutes before the show we were accused of switching the name signs and asked to move a few seats over (still in the same section)…WHAA? It was rude and somewhat embarrassing.
And on top of that we were stuffed like sardines in that section. It wasn’t a busy night. Guests in the $ 20 per person section seemed to fit quite comfortably and some seats in the back were empty. We ended up moving during the first intermission and sitting in the last row because it was just way too tight in there. It was nice and airy in the back and we could see great. So don’t bother paying for VIP unless (1) you get lucky and it’s not a busy night, or (2) you have a big group and can take over the section, or (3) you like feeling claustrophobic and enjoy breathing in small doses because you might take up too much room if you breath comfortably.
HOST:
It would have been better if the host talked less and just let us enjoy the show… umm we weren’t there to see him. We were there to see the performances. It just seemed like a lot of self-​promotion (twitter handle and over the top singing) and jokes unrelated to the theme of burlesque. Bastard Keith talked about hand-​jobs and other distasteful jokes… we all like a witty dirty joke but none were made. It was like a boy mentioning women parts to his friends for the first time and just giggling at the word. Cmon it’s BK, you can do better than that! Folks in my section were rolling their eyes and you could tell who the new couples were — they looked a bit uncomfortable haha.
TABLE SERVICE:
Table service was extremely slow. It wasn’t her fault. It was understaffed. She had the entire left section of the stage. Way too much for one person. Cocktails were strong. Nice.
BREAKS:
I didn’t mind the intermissions, but it does add to the long show. It was fun because you can chat with your people, use the restroom (very clean), and dance to the upbeat music. They should just cut the hosts time down significantly and the show wouldn’t be unnecessarily drawn out.
Overall a fun evening but don’t expect the VIP treatment by simply purchasing those tickets.

Being from Montréal, the birth place of cirque du soleil, I have seen a decent amount of number of acrobatic performances but there was something unique about this burlesque show. It has a certain «Je né sais pas quoi «
Fire breathing, tantric yoga on broken glass and aerial dances. Male also performers were doing something different. the MC, Bastard Keith, coined one dance as «Tron meets cirque du soleil» .
It was humorous and light, the performances were not perfect but that was what made it so beautiful
I found this show quite empowering towards women. Everyone was unique with different body types but they all knew how to work it.

I saw a woman here eat fire. A WOMAN. EAT FIRE.
To what did I owe this pyromaniacal pleasure? Why, to the Floating Kabarette, which seems to be a big ticket at Galapagos. Well, big ticket for little ticket price: at only $ 20, or $ 23.75 with the online surcharge, the show is one of the more reasonably priced options for a titillating Saturday night. Granted, there is also a two-​drink minimum, but it is well, well worth it. The performances were incredible, from the dances that could only be affectionately described as cracked-​out, to the juggling striptease, to the aerial ballet piece that brought me to tears with its beauty. Even the sexy burlesque acts had tricks up their sleeves (see above, re: EATING F***ING FIRE). Between acts, the MC, Bastard Keith, kept the filthy jokes coming at a rapid-​fire, hilarious pace. It was so great. Go!
Also, I’ve got a lot more to say about visiting Galapagos in the below Q&A, which I figured I’d put together because, before I came here for a bachelorette party I helped plan, I had a whole bunch of questions that I couldn’t find clear answers to. (Obviously, the answers are all based on my own experiences.)
Q: A two-​drink minimum? What is that going to set me back?
A: Not quite as much as you’d think, really. I had one of the pricier cocktails (a Sex on the Lake – I highly recommend it) for $ 14 each, but I saw a good range of prices: beers were around $ 9, wines were around $ 10, and cocktails were about $ 11-​$ 15 each. The selection in each category is decent, and all I heard were raves about my friends’ respective choices. There is table service, with appropriately adorable servers, so add tip as well.
Q: How exactly is this place laid out? Is it like theatre seating or???
A: The answer is in the ellipsis. On the main level, there are «islands» of booths and ottomons with tables surrounded by a shallow pool of water (don’t fall in!). There is also a mezzanine, which I didn’t visit.
Q: Is there reserved seating? If so, how do I reserve seats?
A: This query elicited the most confusion. One friend had claimed that there was reserved seating, another claimed that there wasn’t, and an e-​mail to the box office (whose people are AWESOME) came with some language about nothing being guaranteed. I was worried our party would be split up, but such worrying was for naught: when we arrived, I was told that seating was on a «first bought, first served» basis, and since anxious me had purchased tickets weeks ahead of time, we had the best seats in the house, right in front of the stage. Huzzah! However, there are some caveats: I e-​mailed and called the box office to ensure that my party was all together; I bought tickets for everyone in one purchase, making it easier for them to seat us together; and we arrived on time (see the next question).
We had also inquired about the VIP package, which we were told was $ 55 a person, had guaranteed seating, and bought you three drink tickets. Depending on how much you drink, and how concerned you are with respect to grabbing good seats, this is potentially a cost-​effective and risk-​averse option.
Q: The show starts at 10:30, but doors open at 9:30, right? So, when should I get there? And where do I stand?
A: The box office informed me that we should get to the venue by 10 to ensure that we got our reserved seats. We got there at 9:30 on the dot, which was literally a couple minutes before everyone else. Since we had bought tickets ahead of time, we stood on the ticket-​holders line, got checked in at the door, and then got escorted to our table.
Q: Wait, there might be audience participation? Oh God, am I suddenly going to have boobs/​balls in my face?
A: Someone on Unilocal had mentioned audience participation, and while there is some, I (un)fortunately didn’t see any genitals in any faces – unless you count being within a few feet of a bare ass. The performers did touch some people but never in an aggressive or uncouth manner. The MC joked with the audience on the regular, but anything involving committed participation (such as the spanking contest) was given over to volunteers from the audience. If you are one to worry about audience participation, though, the box office suggested to me to ask to be seated in the mezzanine instead.
Q: Are there bathroom breaks? Because, well, you know what I’m saying.
A: Yes; yes, I do know what you are saying. And yes, there are bathroom breaks: there tended to be three performances in a row, followed by a short intermission. I recall someone being miffed about the intermissions, but I actually thought they were great, since they gave people not only an opportunity to use the bathroom and grab more drinks but also a chance to chat with their equally boisterous neighbors and dance to the totally amazing intermission music. (I mean, the DJ played DMX’s «Party Up», how could it not be great?)
And fyi, the bathroom gets a ⁶⁄₁₀ grade. Yay for lots of stalls! Boo for being depressing!

there’s burlesque, an ineffective government, and excellent drinks all over. are we in Weimar Germany or modern America? some days it’s hard to tell, and Galapagos helps blur those lines!
the Floating Kabarette is pretty damn sweet. it’s about $ 20 a head (make a reservation online, and you are guaranteed a seat with a table!) and so totally worth it. hilarious MCs, incredible physical performances from aerialists and jugglers, crazy dancing acts, and of course a little burlesque for some naughtiness! OHHHH MYYYY!
there’s something for everyone, male and female, and it’s a load of fun (for the uninitiated: this means you’ll see lots of skin, but certain body parts will be covered up — just barely). it starts around 10:30 every Saturday and goes quite late (we left around 1 and it was still going strong).
they stamp your hand so if you want to leave for a bit you can. strangely, DUMBO was devoid of anything open past 9 PM, so I guess if you really needed to go stretch your legs outside (to be fair, the cushioned stools hurt a little if you don’t move for long periods of time), that helps.
all kinds of groups were here, from date nights to larger groups.
drinks are moderately priced — 6 or 7 bucks for beer, 10 for wine, 12 – 15 for mixed drinks in a big honking glass. the small but respectable selection of craft beers (plenty from 21^st Amendment Brewery) made me a happy camper.
the layout of this place is interesting. an indoor lake with small islands with a few tables on each and a central walkway on the ground level, basic table/​booth seating upstairs. lots of red and black gives Galapagos a sleek, sexy look and feel.
I’d certainly love to return here and check out the Floating Kabarette again, as well as other events.

I don’t always travel into Brooklyn, but when I do you’ll likely find me here.
Galapagos is a beautiful venue with a wide variety of events taking place thought the week. I’m not exactly what you call local so I only make it out on random weekends to see nerd nites and other similar events.
Nerd nites are worth the trek. They are quirky, fun mini TED talks from experts (some clearly self proclaimed but that can slide…) plus alcohol! Why hello, you’ve got yourself a fan. Topics include but are not limited to: flatulence, history of video games, roadside space oddities, Brooklyn history, how to not suck at Photoshop, aliens, the psychology of twilight, the future of automobiles and anything else your heart (or brain!) may desire. Crowds on nerd night are a pleasant mixture of geeks of all spectrums that are chatty and friendly. This is the type of event where you can lean over to your table mates and discuss the physics of Star Trek… Or the nearby Grimaldi’s pizza. Yum.
I’ve also had the chance to check out the floating kabarette as well. It was definitely was a nice change to nerd nights. A myriad of talented performers will stun you with everything from crazy acrobatic-​oh-​my – sweet-​baby-​Jesus-​did-​he – just-​do-​that to cool visuals and pleasant tunes. My only complaint was with the ragtime band’s sound quality. Not sure what your sound guy was doing but your mic placement wasn’t ideal and you clearly had the gain turned up too high. Then again, most people in the audience wouldn’t have picked up on the small nuances so, I’ll just suck it up and say it was all good. Oh! Did I mention boobies? Yeah, those are tastefully in there too. The cabaret dancers have a very beautiful and classical appeal with 40s inspired outfits, feathers and the whole get up. Very cool to watch.
The biggest downside of Galapagos is the big crowds and the service. Unfortunately, the service can be more spotty than a 5 year old Dalmatian. I’m hoping that the newbie waitresses either step up or step out of this place. I’ve had too many mishaps with drinks and bills here. Note: No Food! None! Nada! Zilch! Either chow down beforehand or make sure you have a few take out numbers handy before walking in.
Steph’s quick pro tips:
–Book early AND get there early. It’s fun and its crazy popular so don’t be lazy!
–Be social, people are cool here.
–Plan to eat beforehand or get takeout delivered.
–Don’t get boozed up and fall into the water. You’ll look like a fool.
–Do get boozed up on mojitos, they are most excellent.

I came here to watch what I thought was an improv show. Well, it was part improv but full talk show. Ugh.
The guests were David Cross and 2 other folks who I didn’t write the names of because I really just came to see David Cross perform. Or so I thought…
The show was pretty good. David Cross was hilarious. How can a guy who is on Arrested Development NOT be funny? And married to a hot actress too? EFFIN awesome. Good for him.
The venue itself is PRETTY KICK-​A$$.
From waiting on line even if you have your tickets you have a grand view, well a under the bridge ground view but better than what a troll would have of the Williamsburg Bridge. The surrounding buildings seem fairly new even if the stone roads are not gives it sort of an edge but timeless vibe to the area.
Inside the venue is decorated in plush red. Think American Beauty rose petal red.
The seating areas are nicely coordinated with water moats. Save yourself a lot of trouble and don’t lean over that ledge with your phone like you do at the toilets. You will drop it in the water. You will most likely have to get a new phone. Some poor waitress is going to have to fishnet that shyt out of the pond. Let’s just avoid all of that.
There are seats by the bar, tables in between the bars and the moat seatings and for your viewing pleasure upper deckers that can see EVERYTHING below. I guess I can’t pay my bills while enjoying the show.
The pond serves as part COOL factor and part well COOL factor as in temperature. It literally adds a bit of cold mist into the air like a humidifier.
This is the only venue that I’ve ever been to that the men’s line for the bathroom was not only longer but the extra long. I think even Stadium lines have a shorter wait time.
They have floating Cabernet every Saturday. You can find me in that bytch the next time I go. = D.

Really cool spot for a variety of things. I came here the other day for a art display as part of the dumbo art festival. The place is spacious and spread across mutiple floors. They also rent out the place for weddings and private events. They always a number of cool events happening here all the time. The staff here was friendly and accomodating. Will definitely stop by soon to experience the floating Kabarette!

**This review is for a private event/​wedding**
Galapagos Art Space is both gorgeous and versatile. We attended a wedding here last summer. We were supposed to be just be inside for the reception and outside for the actual ceremony, but rain killed that plan so it wound up as the ceremony spot for the wedding as well. Honest, it couldn’t have been better.
The indoor water pond with the «bridge» to the stage made for the most beautiful wedding aisle ever, and, though the space is narrow and a bit small, it has two floors, so you can take it all in. Speaking of the the stage, it went from a) ceremony stage to b) sweet heart dining area to c) dance floor in no time. AMAZING!
An aerialist performed at the reception as well, which you could never do in a space that wasn’t set up for it (she was fantastic by the way). The bar was busy and tucked away in the back, but not cramped at all. Perfect set-​up.
As for the guest seating for reception, it was comprised of round tables with plush seating and felt like a very big lounge. Honestly, if your wedding can fit here, do it. It’s an inspiring space for those with creative minds and tastes. Enjoy and your guests will enjoy as well!

Salle polyvalente (concert, one man show, etc.) branchée sur 2 étages. La salle du rez-​de-​chaussée propose des espaces tables séparées pas de l’eau. Serveuses mignonnes et sympathiques.