The 16 Best Restaurants in Brooklyn

al di la Trattoria

For a chance to dine alongside local Brooklynites and feel like you’re part of a real NYC neighborhood, head to Park Slope, where al di la Trattoria is known for its delicious Northern Italian cuisine made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Recommended by the Michelin Guide each year, the menu changes often but typically includes staples like creamy mushroom polenta, ricotta ravioli, spaghetti neri alla chitarra (homemade black spaghetti with octopus confit, basil, and chili peppers), and braised rabbit. Save room for dessert: panna cotta, affogato, pear and chocolate cake, or homemade gelato.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Park Slope

Buttermilk Channel

After exploring Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, refuel with some of Buttermilk Channel’s signature dishes, like buttermilk fried chicken (served with cheddar waffles and cabbage slaw), duck meatloaf (served with corn pudding, pole beans, shallots, and duck jus), or homemade mushroom-barley veggie burgers. East Coast Oysters are also on the menu (iced, roasted, or barbecued), as are mussels and baby back rips, so there truly is something for everyone here.

Brunch is a big to-do on weekends, with an assortment of scrambles, pecan pie French toast, short rib hash, and Bloody Mary and salty dog cocktails on offer, among other brunch classics like Bellinis and mimosas.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens

The Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare

The only restaurant on this list to have received three Michelin stars, The Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare offers guests an exciting and intimate high-end dining experience, though it is on the pricey side.

With enough space for just 18 diners, it's not an easy reservation to get (and will cost you a non-refundable deposit of $200 per person), but you'll be rewarded with a prix-fixe dinner consisting of 18-20 small plate courses from $430 per person including tax (gratuity is extra). The tasting menu changes frequently but typically consists of fish, shellfish, a few meat-based dishes and several desserts.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Downtown Brooklyn

Grimaldi's Pizzeria

Located near Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and a 10-minute walk from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, a coal-fired, brick-oven pizza institution. The original Grimaldi's opened here in DUMBO in 1990, serving up the same 12, 16, and 18 inch pizzas it does today, with fresh ingredients and dough made with the secret family recipe.

Don’t be intimidated by the large crowds waiting outside—the restaurant doesn't take reservations, so it's first come, first served. The line moves faster than you’d think; arriving just before it opens on weekends of going during off-peak hours during the week certainly helps.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: DUMBO, which, by the way, stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass

Peter Luger Steak House

Peter Luger Steakhouse, truly one of Brooklyn's top old-school eateries, has been drawing steak lovers to this fairly desolate spot near the Williamsburg Bridge since 1887 for its top-quality USDA prime beef cuts, all dry aged in-house. Lamb chops, grilled Atlantic salmon and prime beef rib steaks are also on the menu, while Luger’s fried potatoes are a real treat, made with German seasoning.

While the restaurant is most famous for its porterhouse steaks, if you want to experience the restaurant for a fraction of the price, consider trying the Luger Burger, available only at lunch.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Williamsburg

The River Café

One of NYC's most romantic restaurants, the Michelin-starred River Café is known for its food, live piano music (played by jazz pianist Dom Salvador for more than 40 years), and views of the Manhattan skyline.

First opened in 1977, the menu includes Irish Point Oysters, sautéed duck foie gras, Wagyu steak tartare, and caviar from Germany as starters, and lobster, king salmon, duck, lamb, beef, and black sea bass among its main courses. Dress to impress, as there is a dress code; men are required to wear collared shirts and jackets for dinner, while ties are preferred and sandals are not allowed.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: DUMBO

Roberta’s

With locations in Bushwick and South Williamsburg, Roberta’s is one of the best artisanal pizza joints in the city, known for its wood-fire pies and epic brunch; the scrambled eggs, made with kale, pecorino, and sunflower spelt, are a real treat, as are the bacon, egg, and cheese croissants. 

Pair apps like duck prosciutto, cheese plates, and sticky bun ice cream sandwiches with your pizza; go traditional with margherita or branch out with other types like the Bee Sting, made with tomato, mozzarella, soppresata, chili, basil, and honey.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Bushwick and South Williamsburg

Petite Crevette

Located just outside Carrol Gardens in the Columbia Street Waterfront District, Brooklyn bistro Petite Crevette has been serving up fresh seafood dishes like shrimp Po’ Boys, tuna niçoise, and mustard encrusted salmon since it opened its current spot in 2008 (a previous iteration, La Bouillabaisse, opened nearby in 1993).

Also on the menu are cioppino bowls (made with lobster, shrimp, mussels, and scallops), mussels Provençal, and scallops Dijon. Save room for dessert, as you’ll have to choose between a tart-of-the-day, warm chocolate tart, or award-winning key lime pie.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Columbia Street Waterfront District

Insa

Come to Insa for delicious and creative Korean BBQ with a side of karaoke—for a memorable night out on the town, rent out a large room for up to 16 ($180 per hour) or small room for up to eight ($80 per hour) with a one-hour minimum and a three-hour maximum per group.

Otherwise, expect to see specials like lemon mochi cake and galbi tang (poached short ribs in beef broth), and dumplings, Bulgogi beef, Bibimbap, and kimchi fried rice. Wash it all down with Soju, Sake, wine, beer, or a variety of cocktails.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Gowanus

Hometown Barbecue

With two Brooklyn locations (in Red Hook and Industry City), Hometown Barbecue is the perfect place to go when you’ve got a craving for smoked meats (think brisket, pulled pork, and homemade sausage), ribs, tacos, and wood-fired marinated chicken. 

The lamb banh mi is worth a try, as is the thick slab pastrami bacon. Spice things up with some Vietnamese hot wings but save room for banana cream pudding for dessert.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Red Hook and Industry City

Maison Yaki

Self-described as a French yakitori restaurant, you’ll find interesting cultural and culinary blends like duck rillettes with wasabi, shishito peppers in Béarnaise sauce, and beef short ribs with Bordelaise sauce. French favorites like haricot vert (green beans), endive salad, and pomme frites are also served, as are cauliflower okonomiyaki and crunchy fried chicken.

Wash it all down with French wine or cocktails like the sake negroni or cherry blossom Manhattan. For a real treat, play a game of pétanque in the backyard patio area before or after your meal.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Prospect Heights

Di Fara Pizza

Di Fara Pizza opened in 1965, a short time after owner Domenico De Marco left Southern Italy and settled in Brooklyn. Still cooking well into his 80s, “Dom” now shares his love of pizza making with his family, which still owns and operates both locations in Williamsburg and Midwood.

Choose from regular or square slices, cheese calzones (at the Williamsburg location only), or a variety of traditional-style pizza pies that are sure to have you coming back for more.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Williamsburg and Midwood

Bunna Café

If you enjoy traditional Ethiopian food served with Injera (a sourdough-like flatbread), head to Bunna Café, which lets you choose how much you want by the scoop. Lunch meals, for instance, consist of four scoops and two rolls of Injera bread and go up from there. 

Try the lentil sambusa, triangular pastries filled with lentils and a peppery mix, and save room for baklava for dessert. Everything on the menu is plant-based and made with zesty Ethiopian spices, so you really can’t go wrong. Weekend brunch offers sweet and savory dishes like vegan scrambles, fava beans, and sweet plantains.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Bushwick

Tong

Think of Tong as a sort of Thai tapas restaurant, with small plates called Kub Klaem designed to be enjoyed with your favorite beer, whiskey, or cocktail.

Sample small bites like goi neu (spicy beef tartare with toasted rice) or gai tod Hat Yai (crunchy fried chicken with shallots), a traditional dish of Hat Yai, a city located along Thailand’s border with Malaysia. Tom yum soup and wok-centric favorites like pad see ew can also be found on the menu.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Bushwick

Kashkar Café

Located in Brighton Beach, Kashkar Café, serves up traditional Uyghur-style Halal kebabs, made with lamb, chicken, ground beef, liver, or veal, as well as several fish-based dishes made with salmon, sea bass, or trout.

Try the dopanji (fried chicken with sweet peppers, carrots, and potatoes), somman (small, handmade dumplings), and naryun (dough with boiled jerk meat) to really get a taste of this tasty, under-the-radar cuisine.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Brighton Beach

Peaches HotHouse

Get your fix for Southern-style comfort food at Peaches HotHouse, which has two outposts in Bed Stuy and Fort Greene (sister restaurants Peaches Kitchen & Bar and Peaches Shrimp & Crab can also be found nearby in Bed Stuy and Clinton Hill). 

Whichever location you choose, you’ll be treated to down-home favorites like fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, fried chicken, and what Peaches calls, “the best chicken sandwich anywhere.” If you’re looking for pulled pork, smoked brisket sandwiches, and St. Louis spare ribs, head to the Fort Greene restaurant.

Brooklyn Neighborhood: Bed Stuy, Fort Greene, and Clinton Hill