If you're traveling to New York City and looking to explore the city outside of Manhattan, a really fun day is to explore Brooklyn, and especially the neighborhoods around Prospect Park -- Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, and Crown Heights. I lived in Brooklyn for two wonderful years and wanted to share my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn for both visitors and locals alike - hope you make the most out of this Brooklyn restaurant guide and live it up!
coffee + provisions
r & d foods
Located on Vanderbilt and St Marks Ave (my old cross streets), R&D Foods is a great coffee shop, as well as has amazing prepared foods and sells gourmet condiments. When I would work from home, I would bring a Tupperware container and pick up a kale salad from their to-go prepared food section. They also make amazing donuts. There is no question why this is on my brooklyn restaurant guide.
doughnut plant
Doughnut Plant is on Bergen & Flatbush, just on top of the ⅔ stop. I love their handmade donuts and they also make great coffee.
breakfast-y
chavela's
Chavela's is a good Mexican place in Crown Heights, and I'm including them in the breakfast section because they do a price-fixe breakfast on the weekend that is a steal. You get a beverage, a pan dulce and main course for like... $15, I want to say. Soooo good.
miriam
Miriam is an Israeli restaurant on 5th St in Park Slope and is quite popular for brunch. I love their shakshuka.
rose water
Rose Water also has a great price-fixe breakfast/brunch - they're a little further down in Park Slope and they do seasonal, farm to table food.
meme's diner
Everyone knows about Meme's Diner - it's on Washington & St. Marks, and is pretty famous by now for its whimsical, joyful, and LGBTQ+ friendly brunch. I love that they serve cereal as an amouse-bouche! I got the fried egg w/ yogurt and chili oil - because I love chili oil. Dinner is also really good there and you won't have to wait an hour!
casual dinners list on the brooklyn restaurant guide
sisters
Sisters is an all-day cafe in Clinton Hill that you really could go for any meal, but I like dinner there - I get a burger and one of their super good cocktails. I love the natural light and plant vibes in their space.
rose's
Rose's is a bar with great food on Flatbush and Prospect. In the summertime, they have a patio out back that is really lovely - sometimes you get forgotten in the back, but the food is worth the wait.
gristmill's
Gristmill's, to me, is the heir apparent to Franny's. They are making the best wood-fired pizzas and seasonal vegetables in Park Slope, in my opinion. The pizza dough is slightly tangy and has a hint of whole wheat - and the salads and vegetables they make are bright, piquant, and gorgeous. I looooove Gristmill's.
mimi's hummus
Mimi's Hummus is a Middle Eastern restaurant in Ditmas Park, that is incredibly underrated. I love their pita and hummus, obviously!
bricolage
Vietnamese food in NYC is a little underdeveloped, but Bricolage in Park Slope is very good.
nicer dinners on the brooklyn restaurant guide
faun
Faun on Vanderbilt is the loveliest. I adore their pasta and the vibe of both their dining room and backyard is so romantic.
emily
Emily (in Clinton Hill, but there are also locations in Williamsburg and the West Village) is really great, inventive pizza. They also do a sumptuous, messy, delicious burger and some flavor-bomb sides like wings + sexy veggies.
la vara
La Vara is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Cobble Hill that serves elegant Spanish food. we ordered everything on the menu 🙂 the gambas were exceptional.
claro
Claro is in Gowanus and is the only acceptable high end Mexican i've had in NYC. it's oaxacan, inventive, spicy, and just flat out great.
freek's mill
Freek's Mill is also in Gowanus, and is by the same owners as Claro. we had great pasta, protein and cocktails there!
james
James is down the street from my old apartment and is a great gastropub-y place with a killer martini.
dranks for the brooklyn restaurant guide
bier wax
I'm not a big drinker as much these days, so tend to go for beer over cocktails since it's a little more easy drinking. Bier Wax has a great beer list.
gold star beer counter
Gold Star is another A+ beer bar, and they get access to some of the best cans and kegs from the stellar breweries in NY State like Grimm and Hudson Valley.
grimm
Bonus brooklyn restaurant guide item! Grimm is in East Williamsburg, but is my favorite brewery in Brooklyn. The space is light and bright, with a more feminine vibe than the typical performatively masculine brewery. I love their sours and goses. They also have middle-eastern snacks served. I loooooove Grimm.