Warm Up Fireside At These Park Slope Bars

NEWS FLASH: It’s freakin’ cold outside! Still, if you don’t want to hibernate, you probably don’t want to travel too far in the cold to get someplace fun and warm. So grab your friends, order some hot toddies, and cozy up to the hearth at any of these spots in the neighborhood:

1. Brooklyn Voodoo Lounge, 273 13th Street, just off 5th Avenue

This relative newcomer takes the place of the old Lucky 13 Saloon, but is from the same owners, who are calling the New Orleans-inspired cocktail bar the grown-up version of their metal one that now resides in Gowanus. So grab a Sazerac and cozy up next to the fireplace in two of the most coveted seats in the house.

2. Cherry Tree Bar, 65 4th Avenue at Bergen Street

Cherry Tree’s fireplace is often lit on these cold nights, and its location makes it a good choice if you’re seeing something at Barclays, or you’re trying to round up friends from all over, with so many subway lines stopping at Atlantic Ave. Plus, happy hour runs until 8pm, and if you’re hungry, they can bring pizza over to you from next door.

3. Cyprus Avenue, 52 5th Avenue at Bergen Street

The modest Irish pub on 5th Avenue is home to few really great gems — where else can you get a corned beef and cabbage slider in the neighborhood? And for another, its fireplace is an intimate little treasure, complete with a couple of lounge chairs and some vintage books to flip through. Maybe not the best choice for a post-Nets game crowd, but sweet and comfy on non-game days.

4. The Owl Farm, 297 9th Street, between 4th and 5th Avenues

This is a beer-lovers’ paradise, with an always intriguing list of brews that changes up regularly, and occasional events where you can talk hops with the brewers themselves. And on a frigid day, you can grab that cold beer and take it to the fireplace in the back — but it’s definitely a coveted spot, so get there early. A bonus for The Owl Farm is its proximity to the 4th/9th subway stop, so you don’t have to walk too far in the wind (though waiting on that F/G platform might drive you back inside for another fireside pint).

5. Sheep Station, 149 4th Avenue at Douglass Street

Our local Australian pub serves up hearty dishes will put some meat on your bones (their poutine makes for a really solid, warm-you-up bar snack) and their beer selection is impressive. But don’t linger in the front — head to the back room, where a cozy fireplace awaits, along with the feeling that you’re miles away from the hubbub of 4th Avenue, let alone Brooklyn.

6. Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue

We talk so much about the exciting events that go on in the Union Hall basement that we almost forget how cool of a bar it is on its own. And it is a pretty cool bar! The two lanes of bocce, the extensive library that fills up the built-in bookshelves, the old-time-y portraits, the leather armchairs — it all makes for a stately but cozy atmosphere which is completed by its stone fireplace. The place gets pretty packed on the weekends, though, so get there early to stake out a good, warm spot.

Know any other spots that we missed? Share your favorites in the comments below!