Elite Event at Diamante’s Brooklyn Cigar Lounge

super late (3+ weeks) on this review.
we talk about shopping and keeping it local, however rarely does it carry so seamlessly to our social lives. what i love about Diamanté’s Cigar Lounge is it’s a homegrown business, run by a homegrown Brooklynite (5 generations strong)…Dave Diamanté is the owner and heart of this Cigar Lounge, located in Fort Greene.
Dave is not only a fountain of knowledge on cigars, but also a living archive of anecdotes, stories, and quips about Brooklyn, its business, and residents. Dave walked us through the history of Diamanté’s, the two blends of Diamanté’s cigars (Mild OR Spicy) that are sourced and rolled in the Dominican Republic, and the ins and outs of cigar smoking… from how to cut a cigar, light a stogie, and how to smoke one without canoeing it! knowledge drops at this event.
i smoked a complimentary mild blend stogie which was so smooth and paired well with the variety of whiskeys. Dave was kind enough to relight all Unilocalers while regaling us with hilarious stories about growing up BROOKLYN!
the space itself was rebuilt with reclaimed wood from the floor to the cigar lockers. the space is cozy. lots of dark wood. plush leather chairs. banquettes and other seating in the back. there’s a bar where Dave or his employees will light you up and where you can set your BYOB liquor up. the space is dimly lit, so between limited light and the cigar haze… you won’t need to use those Instagram photo filters when trying to achieve that authentic visualilzation of capturing moments in this old-​school joint. There’s also a flatscreen above the bar playing the Nets game or other televised sports. however Diamanté’s isn’t a sports cigar bar – it’s a place to chill and enjoy a night of conversation and subtle smokes. Diamanté’s also decorated with a ton of Dave’s memorabilia and family photos as he said in this place his family is always with him.
Dave doesn’t sell cheap cigars. he sells Diamanté cigars at a great price because they are quality smoke. he also carries many other brands of cigars from higher than norm ones to premium smokes like the Jay Z ones. in terms of dranks, Diamanté’s doesn’t serve booze, but you can drink all the BYOB booze for a one-​time uncorking charge of $ 7 for the entire evening/​night. also there’s a Lady’s Night where Diamanté’s waves the $ 7 fee and such.
this was a BYOB event which Peter D. brought booze to along with many other Unilocal Elites. i brought a medium-​sized bottle of Jack. which i didn’t even touch bc there was so much Scotch, Whiskey, and brown liquors to complement the smoke!
Hats off to Peter D. and team Unilocal for putting together a chill event on a chilly night with brown liquors and smooth stogies to warm the night and spark some great fun. Dave Diamanté is a cool cat and has really put together a great place to catch up with friends, explore the vast universe of cigars, and booze the night away without burning holes in your pockets.
drops the mic for some handheld puff-​n-​stuff in cigar form!
p. s.–the infamous Unilocal ELITE who started «Trying to get the D from cute guy on Unilocal» on Unilocal TALK was here, but she fled the scene of the event quicker than OJ in a Ford Bronco! WOOO
drops mic for realzies.

I really started getting in to cigars about 2 years ago. I’ve been to a couple of cigar bars out here in NY. I think I just found a new favorite…
Once I saw this place as an upcoming event, I had to sign up. Although I got there late, I was able to grab a stogie and a drink and mellow out with a friend of mine. Dave and Asia are both awesome people. I wish I had the chance to rub elbows with the other BK Elite crew.
I most certainly will be back with some friends to just mellow out and learn more about cigars here.

This was just a really relaxing time in a great environment.
The owner Dave, is the silver-​tongued announcer of Nets games, and is a really cool, multi-​generational native Brooklynite. He put his guests at ease about their inexperience with Cigars, explaining the subtle difference in cuts and flavors.
This is a cool venue to hang out, and you can BYOB for a nominal corkage fee of $ 8 (one time) and then just chill in peace.
Nice leather seating abounds, and dark little corners to slip off to, with that someone special and blow smoke rings.
It was nice to get caught up with new and old friends.
Thanks Peter D and the Unilocal team!

There are a very few things in life I know a lot about, a short list that I know a bit about, and volumes upon volumes more that I know nothing about. Cigars are on that last list (at least for now). Walking into Diamanté’s, I had no Idea what to expect; Like most kids (well delinquent Jersey kids anyway) I used to get a kick out of smoking 2 dollar convince store Philly blunts, but they are to cigars what Carlos Rossi is to wine — a horrible knock off that is sure to leave you in a tremendous amount of pain the next morning. The rich flavors in the cigars that we were given to sample last Tuesday were anything but harsh, and absolutely peaked my interest into what a cigar has the potential to be.
Living on the G and spending as much time in this neighborhood as I do, I have walked by the wooden Indian that guards Diamanté’s door more times than I can count. And yet as a non-​smoker I had never made my way inside to discover the comfortable couches and laid back atmosphere that this cigar imbiber’s lounge has to offer. We finally set that straight with this event, and I couldn’t be happier that we did. We were greeted by Dave himself, and what a cool humble guy he was. I must have been the only person at the event who didn’t know who he was, I honestly thought he was just a really personable small business owner… turns out he is the voice of the Brooklyn nets, who would have guessed? After a while of mingling with our fellow Unilocalers, and drinking a wide variety of scotches (it was a BYOB event, which I LOVED — it was great to try a bit of what everyone brought), Dave gave us a bit of history about the place. The cigars we had been smoking all night were his own variety that he has the tobacco grown for in the Dominican Republic, which was really interesting and showed us how much he loved what he was doing (it also made me feel like a rock star; smoking the personal blend of the voice of the Nets? Too cool!). We also learned that Dave opened this place not so much to make a profit, but more so for regular Brooklynites to have a space to come and relax. Mission accomplished my friend, this place is super relaxing. I am not sure how much an entry level cigar costs here but with a simple 8 dollar uncorking fee (it’s always BYOB), even a high end cigar would be covered by the money you would end up saving on booze (assuming cigars don’t cost 150 $ a pop… and they just might I have no idea). I can’t wait to come back with some of my cigar smoking friends; I know they are going to love this place for its relaxed atmosphere. Now if I could figure out a way to keep my clothes and coats from smelling like cigars the next day, this might just become my new favorite lounge in the city.
Huge shout out to Dave Diamanté, what an amazing place he has put together for Brooklynites (and other people too… I guess… If we HAVE to share). Thanks Peter D and Unilocal Brooklyn for an amazingly fun and interesting event, yet another place we may have never discovered without you!

When Sir Mix-​A-​Lot said he likes big butts, I don’t think he meant cigar butts. And while he says people want to play a hard «roll», toss it, leave it, retrieve it… That’s just like a fine cigar that you puff over the course of an hour. Regardless, I’m still sure he was talking about asses.
If he was or wasn’t though, he would have loved this event. Cigars all over the place, in a small intimate space, amongst good people. Even though Peter D’s ass is lacking.
The small crowd provided a good vibe. People were sipping on some liquor, savoring their cigars and enjoying some good conversation.
David Diamanté spoke about the fine craft of his product. Talking about why he built the place, his passion for what he does, and the historical significance behind his work. He’s not one of the main face’s of Brooklyn for no reason. It was a pleasure to talk to him about Brooklyn, where it’s been, now, and going.
Thank you David, for hosting us on a dreary Tuesday night. And thanks to Brooklyn’s Peter D. for setting up a new event, and expanding our horizons. (He still has a honey ass though)

Another unique and fun event! Many many thanks to Dave for your hospitality and for letting us try your custom blended cigars, chatting and laughing with us, and letting us chillax in your «living room.» It’s nice to find such a cozy spot where good company and conversation is paramount. I can’t wait to come back here (maybe for ladies’ night!) and of course, many hats off to Peter D. event planner and community manager extraordinaire!

What’s the best way to warm your heart on a bitter, wintry night in the midst of December? Well, spark it up with a stogie, a few bottles of whiskey, and snuggle up with Peter D.
THE GOOD: Diamanté’s is the definition of original. Having constructed the entire place with his bare two hands, to rolling each and every single cigar, David has established something truly unique and special in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. Not to mention that David is a cigar connoisseur; a true treasure trove of cigar knowledge. This was an awesome, intimate event and there was more than enough room to move around and fully socialize with everyone. In addition, having next to near virgin lungs, the mild blend was definitely very smooth. Washing it down with some Concannon Irish Whiskey (probably my new favorite whiskey compliments of Peter D.), and that’s the recipe for turning up on a Tuesday.
THE BAD: That moment when you realize everyone from the event is gone and there is a full bottle of Jackie waiting for you to undress her.
THE UGLY: When you wake up and everything wreaks of cigars.
Many, many thanks to David and Asia for being so hospitable and welcoming us to their cigar lounge. Also, this wouldn’t be possible if not for the illustrious coordination of Peter D. Honorable mention to Ruggy for coming down to bk and helping me gulp down all that whiskey :-)

Excellent event! I like the smaller, more intimate events. Thank you David and the young lady at the bar for educating us on cigars. And as always… thank you Peter for being the BEST host and introducing us to the hidden gems in the neighborhood! I’ll be back next Wed for ladies night!!!

Thank you Peter D for hosting this unique and awesome event. Had a good time at this intimate cigar lounge with the Unilocaliest of people. Can’t wait to try this place again and some fancy cigars!