Brooklyn is an insider tip for anyone who wants to visit the hippest borough of New York City. Famous actors are rubbing elbows with street corner rappers, and little hole in the wall boutiques trade off with one of a kind restaurant locales. Speaking of which, here are the top eight eateries in Brooklyn. Enjoy!
First and foremost, there is the Oven. Ok, so I promised you something more than New York style pizza, but if you consider that in addition to the big pie this eatery also has a great menu where you can start your dining pleasure with Beef Carpaccio (at your own risk, of course) and then continue on with a dish of Linguine with Clam Sauce that will make you swoon, you understand why this one just had to be listed. Located at 60 Henry Street between Orange and Cranberry, this casual eatery’s real allure rests in its extensive wine list. By the way, according to the Boston Herald, actor Gabriel Byrne is a regular!
If extensive wine lists are to your liking, then the W-Restaurant at 2812 Ocean Avenue is your port of call. Open Monday and Tuesday from 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM and from Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 AM, you can enjoy more than 500 (!) wines from a cornucopia of famous vineyards from around the world and pair them with exotic fish, a rack of lamb that is so tender it will melt in your moth, and of course the classic New York strip steak. It is a nice venue, and dressing a bit nicer would be appropriate.
Having mentioned steak, why not go straight to the source and visit the New York Steak House at 2007 Emmons Avenue? Open Sundays through Thursdays from 12:00 PM to 1:00 AM, make sure you bring your money because this restaurant is not cheap! Reservations are highly recommended and you will be drawn in by the mahogany underscored elegance of the dining room where you may choose to lunch on a Lobster Roll or enjoy a Sherry Laced Lobster Bisque to start your lunch. The dinner menu is even more impressive and the Tuna Tartar and New York Cassoulet are musts!
Of course, if you have a baby or toddler, the odds are good that you will not set foot inside a restaurant that features linen table cloths and napkins for a while – much less dress up to the hilt for the endeavor – and instead you will be looking for a place where kids are welcomed, tossed crayons are taken in a stride, and the food won’t break the budget. The Kitchen Bar at 687 6th Avenue is your answer and more! A hip place where brunch is served on weekends from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM and where on Mondays you may enjoy a wine tasting (leave the offspring at home!), this is a premier dinner spot! Open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:00 PM to 11:30 PM, Thursday until 1:00 AM, Friday and Saturday from 10:30 AM to 1:00 AM, and finally Sunday from 10:30 AM to 11:30 PM, you may buy some art right off the wall – proceeds benefit a local charity – and start off with the roasted red pepper hummus with grilled pita bread and then follow it up with some butternut squash gnocchi. Yum!
If ambiance is your thing, then Five Front (aptly named because its address is 5 Front Street) which is located directly in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, is your place of choice! Its menu is considered New American cuisine – a fancy word for a menu that features Wild Mushroom Ragout with Creamy White Polenta for starters and Wild Striped Bass with Roasted Yellow Beets for dinner. A trendy place, the dress is casual and the atmosphere laid back. Closed on Tuesdays, this eatery is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM, Friday until midnight, and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM until midnight/11:00 PM respectively.
If you have had your fill of fine dining, wine, microbrews, and everything in between, why not head for the dessert restaurants next?
Start your search with the Chocolate Room and prepare to be wowed! Located at 86 5th Avenue and open Tuesdays through Thursdays and also Sundays from 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM, and Fridays and Saturdays until 12:00 AM, you will be amazed to find out how many different incarnations of chocolate are on this planet! Whether butterscotch custard with bittersweet chocolate or a chocolate fondue, this is a wonderful place to finish off a meal. A word to the wise: on weekends this place is very, very busy! Having the 2008 Zagat survey bestow the coveted “# 1 Dessert Café” honor on this establishment ensures that the lines will not be thinning out any time soon.
A little simpler but by no means less fun is the Little Cupcake Bakeshop at 9102 3rd Avenue. Come on in Monday through Thursday from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Friday until 11:00 PM, Saturday from 8:00 AM until 11:00 PM and Sunday from 8:00 AM until 10:00 PM, and start out your day with fresh baked croissants and muffins, or end your day with a slice of cheesecake and a cup of espresso (assuming you can sleep with the caffeine buzzing in your veins).
Last – but by no means least – is Trois Pommes Patisserieat 260 5th Avenue. Closed on Tuesday, but open Monday and Wednesday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, this dessert restaurant is the brainchild of noted pastry great Emily Isaac. Inexpensive, cozy, and at that this point in time a cash only venue, this is a perfect place for tasty pastries, ice cream, and cookies.
