Excelsior (CLOSED)

Excelsior is one of the nicer gay bars in Brooklyn, and it’s a friendly, down-to-earth alternative to the Manhattan scene. Kylie Minogue is in the juke, but so is ’80s band Sisters of Mercy, plus a wide variety of current, often obscure artists like the Eels and Interpol. Things heat up on weekends as boys and girls from this borough and beyond show up to socialize. When it’s warm, a deck and a peaceful, roomy garden are open.