Here’s my guide of cool restaurants in Brooklyn, for a mostly younger crowd. These eateries feature good looking people and great atmospheres and are less expensive, cliche, or well known than you’ll find in a Z*gat.
You can search (Command + F) by neighborhood, ($-$$$), or “Genre”. Since we’re still stuck in the Q, here are the restaurants I’m dreaming of… Check out the Manhattan guide here.
Location: 801 Halsey St, Brooklyn, New York (Bedstuy, and more locations in Clinton Hill, Flatlands, Crown Heights)
Prices: $ to $$
Genre: Seafood, Soul Food
Top Items: Anything with fish. They serve it with chips, in a sandwich or wrap, as a platter, and every other way you can think of.
Ambiance: When I lived off the Ralph Ave A/C stop, I walked by the eponymous location every day and learned that no three-block radius in the whole city smells as good as one with a Bed-Stuy Fish Fry. Do not be afraid to come hungry because there is no way you’ll leave disappointed. Additionally, their menu features a kids section.
Location: 197 Meserole Street, Brooklyn (Bushwick — I’m not convinced that East Williamsburg is an actual neighborhood, but if you do, it’s in E.W.)
Prices: $$
Genre: Vegan, Diner, Brunch, Breakfast
Top Items: Cauliflower Mac n Cheese, Breakfast food
Ambiance: Champ’s interior features classic diner booth seating or bar seats. The decor is retro and the vibe is lively and youthful. Take your vegan cousin when they come to visit.
Location: 90 Calyer St, Brooklyn (Greenpoint)
Prices: $$ to $$$
Genre: French Canadian?, Brunch
Top Items: The pancakes are famous. I like all the meaty, salty appetizers like the pâtés and bayonne ham. They also have a wonderfully extensive wine list.
Ambiance: Chez Ma Tante has a good bar to come after work alone for a very stiff drink before you head home. It’s also a good place to sit outside with a large group of friends, share every single appetizer on the menu, and keep the wine flowing.
Location: 1264 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY (Bushwick)
Prices: $$
Genre: Korean, Tapas
Top Items: The mussels and spicy rice cakes are a mainstay. Their menu changes regularly and features seasonal guest stars like blue crab and hiramasa crudo, so this is somewhere that’s always safe to order the special.
Other: Their Myrtle Avenue location is new, and former pop-up locations they’ve occupied throughout the years include bars/music venues Kinfolk and Baby’s All Right in Williamsburg.
Location: 80 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY (Williamsburg)
Prices: $$ to $$$ (Reservation)
Genre: French, Brasserie
Top Items: English and Sugar Snap Pea Salad, Pork Chop, Roast Chicken, and Profiteroles. This is simply good food and the entrees feature very very large portions. The nine-page wine list leaves absolutely nothing to be desired, obviously. The menu changes often so you can come in every month without getting bored. If you come when they have duck on the menu, order that.
Ambiance: Lovely outdoor seating area at the garden level of the Wythe Hotel. This restaurant is beautifully decorated, fresh, and very classy. The clientele are celebrities, couples whose weddings were photographed for Vogue, and people who “got in early” in Silicon Valley. Brag to your coworkers that you ate here.
Location: 636 Degraw St, Brooklyn, NY (Park Slope)
Prices: $$
Genre: Mexican Cantina
Top items: Pulpo and barbacoa tacos, queso or guacamole to share with friends, cocktails
Ambiance: I came here for the first time after seeing a fashion week show at Barclay’s Center. We were starving but wanted to go somewhere that felt like a party. This was the right option because they have a huge front yard with picnic table seating where they project movies on the side of a building and play outdoor games.
Location: 592 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY (Greenpoint)
Prices: $ to $$
Genre: Polish
Top Items: $5 margaritas and pierogis with onion and sour cream.
Ambiance: A Polish restaurant in Greenpoint isn’t exactly a new concept, but this place has a nice backyard and also makes sweet pierogis (with blueberries or sweet cheese), which is pretty interesting. The interior is smaller, so if they’re out of tables and bar space, you can enjoy them in nearby McCarren Park.
Location: 480 Union St, Brooklyn, NY (Gowanus),
Prices: $ to $$
Genre: BBQ, Beer Garden
Top Items: Order the Pulled pork or Brisket Sandwich. Not great for vegetarians or vegans, obviously.
Ambiance: Big open spaces, picnic tables, the clientele varies from parents with strollers to big groups of college-aged friends. This is somewhere I imageine that I would still feel comfortable going once I have kids. A Long Island City, Queens location is apparently in the works, or was before Covid.
Location: 930 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY (Prospect Heights)
Prices: $ to $$$
Genre: American Bistro
Top Items: Anything from the snacks section of the dinner menu is banging — get the raw oysters or scallop chips. There are a lot of simple and creative vegetarian options like sweet potato with curry yogurt and chocolate mousse with amaro, honeycomb, and raspberries.
Ambiance: Clean, romantic, buzzing, trendy, kid friendly, great place to soothe yourself after a panic attack (from personal experience)
Other: Great bar seating to do a crossword over a glass of natural wine, or share charcuterie with a friend.
Location: 350 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY (Bedstuy)
Prices: $$
Genre: Pizza
Top Items: Cocktails and pizza. You don’t need me to tell you what kind of pizza you like. They have a prosciutto and funghi that I happen to salivate over the thought of.
Other: Saranghina also has outdoor dining and a bakery!
Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos
Location: 271 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY (Bushwick)
Prices: $ (Cash Only)
Genre: Mexican Cantina
Top Items: Taquitos, tacos, and tortas
Ambiance: Order at the counter, grab your own limes , and sit at one of the small tables in the side room while you watch the inner workings of a tortilla factory.
Other: This is a low maintenance first stop for a tinder date, an easy meeting place for friends, or perfect if you need a quick bite in between errands.
Location: 145 Borinquen Pl, Brooklyn, NY (Williamsburg)
Prices: $$
Genre: Chinese
Top Items: All the food here is simple and very well done. The soup dumplings are awesome. The menu is what you would expect at a Chinese food restaurant, with sections for soups, noodle dishes, vegetarian fare, and more.
Ambiance: The vibe is immaculate. There’s a ton of detailed decor and greenery. They have large tables so a group of six could fit comfortably. Wei’s is open until 2 a.m., so you can come for a late night snack before bed. This is a good place to catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while because your low-maintenance friend will have as many options as your bougie friend.
