Bonnie Vee

Somehow Bonnie Vee manages to achieve both a classy upscale cocktail vibe and a comfy neighborhood go-​to vibe at the same time, a very difficult feat. I always end up suggesting it as a meet up spot and we never regret it.
I could have sworn that I have ordered a cocktail called something like The Most Wonderful Drink In The World, and really enjoyed it, but can no longer find it on the menu online. Maybe this was a figment of my imagination and I just attribute the most wonderful drinks I’ve had to the talented bartenders at Bonnie Vee. Either way, you can’t go wrong ordering from their inventive cocktail menu, though they won’t judge you for getting something more simple from the bar either!

When you’re in a pinch and have no idea what you’re going to do for NYE, Bonnie Vee comes through.
I was skeptical at first, but my friend didn’t lie and we had a great laid back evening!
Walking in at 10:30 we somehow managed to grab a whole section and table in the back.
The cocktails were on fleek and the champagne was cheap.
I’ll definitely be coming back again when I need a good cocktail spot in the LES.

I’m starting to wander into the LES for cocktails and I gotta say, it is pretty great. Bonnie Vee is one of the places that should be on your list to check out. The best way to describe this spot is: nice vibes. It’s lowkey and a good change of pace.
I came here right after work to meet up with a friend of mine and catch up. We got there a few minutes after BV opened so it was pretty empty. The staff was really helpful and accommodating throughout our whole time there.
That goat cheese and bread? It’s essentially all you really need with a good cocktail. I got the Flawless Victory which was a great cocktail. It was strong — maybe a little past the Negroni level of strong.
It’s overall a good spot to hit. It has cocktails at the levels of Employees Only and Bathtub Gin but isn’t too much of a crowd/​scene.

Great place. Great staff… Back yard a plus. photo booth was cool too. Awesome owner with cool army stories

Nifty little place just a walk up Chrystie from Chinatown. Cozy outdoor garden in the back allows smoking — but if that doesn’t bother you it’s a comfortable place to hang out with a friend on a sofa (at least on a weeknight).
Happy hour specials on drinks and sandwiches from 5 to 8. Friendly service. A nice find.
After thought. Unisex but clean restrooms in the basement. And a photo booth while you’re waiting.

A good amount of outdoor seating, but if you don’t like smelling cigarette smoke, just hope that no one starts smoking outside. The space is nice, but the staff wasn’t the best. The server made me feel unwelcome and acted as if we were bothering her.

The garden space is a huge plus — it’s spacious and has a lot of seating and is pretty cute. The Happy Hour deals were good, but my wine was quite small and I think that that’s how they made up for the price. Our waitress was cordial and didn’t give us a hard time for hanging around long after we’d finished our drinks, which was nice. Nothing makes me really want to come back, however.

Went back the other week and sat outside in the back garden. It was a lovely and nice surprise to sit outside on a warm night.
This bar keeps getting better and the owners are obviously working hard to make improvements.
The cocktails are excellent, service friendly and it feels really good there like a proper bar. Not a pub, not a wanky cocktail spot, just a really nice drinking spot to hang with friends.

Bonnie Vee’s was nice enough to host an event on a hot Sunday afternoon to commemorate National Rum Month and we were lucky enough to be a part of that and check out they had to offer. They gave the first 150 guests complimentary rum cocktail slushies and rum infused cookies. Both were delicious and refreshing.
In terms of ambiance, there is a neat garden in the back with plenty of couch seating that could fit a party of 7 together. The interior has a great rustic feel and although I thought the basement where the bathrooms were was just a tad dark (or maybe my eyes haven’t adjusted yet from sitting under the sun), there is a photo booth down there where I can see two newly met strangers there have a little fun with.
The other cocktails on the menu were crafted well and with great service, I could see this being a nice date spot.

Good local bar, garden seating in the back. Servers are professional and friendly. Bartender makes a good French 75. Their Rum Old-​Fashioned was very nice (I think it was a special today only).
Not worth a trip but a nice spot to hang out if you are in LES.

If I could give it a 3.5 I would, but a 4 is too much so I rounded down. I know… I’m mean :-/
The vibe isn’t so bad, but the cocktails don’t measure up to the ambiance. The bartender was nice, but I asked for a delicious but boozy gin cocktail and it was just straight up boozy (yes I’m a cocktail snob, but it’s only because I’ve been spoiled by places like Raine’s and Founding Farmers, so I can’t help it).
I might give this place another shot, because who doesn’t deserve a second chance? But… I definitely won’t be ordering gin…;)

It’s so hard to find a cocktail bar for a group in Manhattan. Or, it was. Because Bonnie Vee was the perfect place for a group of like 12 ladies to meet and chat. We got a table in the backyard area without any problem on a Wednesday night. The happy hour is still on the pricey side (wine pours are not particularly generous for the price) but there’s a truffled grilled cheese sandwich on baguette special during happy hour. Mmmm.

I’m surprised I haven’t seen this place before, but came by for a friend’s birthday and definitely loved the vibe. Not your typical Friday night bar, but more of a classy bar that will still let you get wild and let loose.
While they do have your typical jack and cokes and gin and tonic, they have an interesting cocktail menu with some different drinks. Most of the cocktails are specialties, but they’re open to making you a concoction of their own. One of your higher end bars, but nice for a change of pace on a rare night out.
The place is a big small and it does get packed, so get her a little earlier to enjoy some drinks and the vibe. Definitely check this fun, cool place out!

What a place to find on a Saturday night! Bonnie Vee is a great candidate for a first date drinks or late night cocktails. The décor and dim lighting evokes a off-​the-​beaten-​path respite during the WWI era. The soundtrack is «indiestream» (e.g., Phoenix) and upbeat, but never overbearing. For a bustling bar, the service was attentive and speedy (and with a great sense of humor). Beyond a rotating selection of beers, Bonnie Vee offers some interesting and inventive cocktails. Strong, but tasty. (I particularly recommend the Midway.) This is a lovely new bar, I hope it becomes a standard!

What a lovely find! I came looking for a craft cocktail bar that didn’t have the pretensions of a speakeasy (despite loving them) as I was just meeting up with friends to catch up and didn’t want to deal with the anxiety of playing the «will we get in and how long will it take» game. Bonnie Vee fit the bill perfectly.
For a Saturday evening, it was crowded enough for the bar to not feel dead but allowed for ample breathing/​walking room. My friends and I were able to get a table within 5 mins of arriving.
What else? Ambiance is relaxed and intimate. Décor evokes a wonderful 1940s charm that oddly enough, turns into 1940s Cuban charm when they start playing salsa music and you suddenly notice the wooden ceiling fans and indoor palm tree… though no one else seemed to agree with me.
The cocktails themselves were pretty good, though I wouldn’t say they necessarily stand up to those from other speakeasies/​craft cocktail bars I’ve been to. I personally had the Midway and Clara Barton. Both had some sort of bitters in them, weren’t overly sweet, and were fairly refreshing.
It’s slightly off the beaten LES path, but I’ll definitely be returning. Plus, I still need to check out their patio area. Thank goodness spring is coming.

A cute little venue for cocktails and ambience.
I recently claimed the back corner of the lounge space for my bday party of around 10 people. Waitress service was efficient and quick, and we generally had a good time.
Cocktails. Drinks were a bit off balance for a place that bills itself as a mixology place. A friend had to send back a drink because it was too tart and had no resemblance to what was ordered, and I had to ask for more simple syrup for mine.
About 2 and a half hours into our party, we were asked to clear the area with about 15 minutes’ notice for a reservation. This, after we spent about $ 300 in drinks. Waitress made no effort to accomodate us further.
So in a nutshell, go for one standard drink (beer or wine) during happy hour at the bar and go elsewhere for the cocktails.

Stopped in on a Friday evening for happy hour. Crowded, but not Manhattan crowded… surprising for a Friday. Got a drink menu at the bar and there was a $ 10 daily special cocktail. This particular day’s special was an Old Fashioned. SCORE, my lucky day. FIVE STARS JUST FOR HAVING MY FAVE drink on special!!!
Onto the boring stuff:
— Service was fine, attentive. Bartender looks like Ross from friends with a dash of Clive Owen
— Décor was standard LES, rustic, hip, but not Brooklyn hip
— Nice addition to the neighborhood for a happy hour that has a cocktail menu

Bonnie Vee is the best new neighborhood spot! It’s bigger than it looks from the outside and has a lot of seating…
I came with a group of friends. The drink of the day was an Old Fashioned, which I had and it was delicious and since that’s my fave drink, I’m a bit picky.
I also had a drink with bourbon, red wine and absinthe, which seems like the nightmare hangover of the century waiting to happen, but was surprisingly tasty and I felt great the next day.
For food items, I tried the cheese plate which we shared. The Brussels Sprouts are surprisingly delicious, as were the tater tots. I was expecting whatever bar food, but the selections were all excellent.
The best thing about this place is the awesome vibe and the friendly staff. I felt like I was right at home in my living room. I can’t wait to go back!

Perhaps the area where we sat was the front for the rest of the bar? There was no one really there that Thursday evening, the service was poor and a bartender tried to pour WATER into my vodka soda. Good thing I stopped her in time.
Took a really long time to take care of our tab in what appeared to be an empty bar. Overall not impressed. I think maybe the back garden (I’m guessing?) was bustling and getting the better service?

Pretty nice bar, especially if you’re looking to start drinking early on a weekend, since this place opens before most of the other cocktail lounges in the area. If you get a chance to come here in the summer, ask to sit outside in the patio. Very relaxed vibe, with a giant, artistic clock propped up above a stairway (which incidentally leads to the restroom — didn’t realize that until later).
We did come here early and it was pretty quiet indeed, which was actually pretty nice.
The quality of the cocktails was spot on. I really loved the Salt & Ash one. Really smokey taste and the light bit of salt somehow makes sense.
The bartender-​owner was pretty cool. The only thing is (and here’s where he lost a star), when I was ready to close out the check, the first thing I mentioned was that I’d like a glass of water. He seemed kinda more focused on closing out the check than anything else, and forgot my water. And it wasn’t busy (my wife and I were the only customers at the time). It’s alright though, just wondering how he does when it’s busy.