Fathom Favorites: Brooklyn
The best of the borough.
We are rolling out more Fathom Favorites. Brooklyn in the house.
The focus is BK with a few hat tips to the other boroughs. (Here are our Fathom Favorites for Manhattan. Queens, we’ll get to you soon.) As usual with these guides, we are keeping it focused and trying not to go overboard. (Brooklyn is BIG and you can go deeeeep.) We stuck to the more popular neighborhoods and threw in a few top food and culture adventures just a little farther afield.
Our mix of tried and true, new and iconic, and unsung and beloved includes where to go when you’re looking for:
the highest pizza-to-track suit ratio
the wine bar that slays date night
the cutest spot to lace up and skate
the most reliable dance floors
Let’s dig in.
Restaurants, Cafes, Bakeries
Williamsburg + Greenpoint
Diner — planted the seeds of New Brooklyn dining.
Marlow & Sons — forever-cool cafe next to Diner.
Okonomi — 12 seats in Japan for breakfast.
Peter Luger Steak House — the lunchtime burger is a classic.
Lilia — masterful meals made from flour, eggs, water.
Misipasta — no res at Misi? Lunch here instead.
Wei — late-night Chinese, good tunes, keeps the party going.
Francie — refined yet relaxed Franco-Italian fare.
Cafe Mogador — lunch at your leisure. More coffee, please.
L’Industrie Pizza — wait in line for old-world, paper-thin slices.
Bakeri — for a cozy coffee and scone.
Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop — ‘50s mom-n-pop devotional.
Radio Bakery — inventive croissants with cult following.
Chez Ma Tante — transport to Europe for date night (or day after).
Ilis — ambitious tasting menu; opt for a la carte at the bar.
Bushwick
Roberta’s — everlasting pizza party spawns generation of bakers.
Falansai — funky Vietnamese-American with hint of Mexican.
Evyal — sophisticated Iranian kebabs, veggies, rice.
Bunna Cafe — chill Ethiopian coffee ritual.
Clinton Hill + Fort Greene
Roman’s — ingredient-driven Italian in a warm atmosphere.
Sailor — good luck snagging a special occasion two-top.
Habana Outpost — seasonal, lively corner lot for margs and Mexican corn.
Prospect Heights + Crown Heights
Sofreh — Persian hospitality to the max in a modern setting.
Sofreh Cafe — sunny spot for Middle Eastern delights.
Leland Eating and Drinking House — bring the dinner party.
Agi’s Counter — Hungarian breakfast date perfection.
Downtown Brooklyn + Brooklyn Heights
Gage & Tollner — special occasion chop house restored.
L'Appartement 4F — eat croissants, stroll gorgeous streets.
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Saraghina — fantastic pizza in supremely cozy space.
Dear Friend Books — select and spare rare books, wine, matcha.
Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens
Ugly Baby — when they say the Thai is hot, it’s HOT.
Frankies Spuntino — the best Brooklyn backyard Italian.
Saint Julivert Fisherie — petite Spanish tapas bar with coastal flair.
Yemen Café — old-school; generous with portions and flavors.
Lucali — legendary thin crust, cash only.
Bien Cuit — where bread smells like heaven.
Dae — matcha, low murmurs, minimalist design.
Gowanus
Cafe Mars — wacky futuristic Italian with Memphis design.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds — everything, baked in a pie.
Dumbo
The River Café — fussy, fab, on floating dock with iconic view.
Vinegar Hill House — rustic find feels a world away.
Red Hook
Defonte’s — trucker detour for huge Italian heroes to go.
South Brooklyn
Tanoreen — Middle Eastern dinner party home cookin’.
L&B Spumoni Gardens — Sicilian squares and track suits.
Outerborough Faves
Rolo’s — vibrant and lively food and crowd.
Ayada — family-run Thai home cooking.
Meju — precision Korean dining behind Little Banchan Shop.
Utopia Bagels — Queens characters sling ‘em handmade and hot.
Now onto our favorite Brooklyn bars, shops, sites, spas, and hotels …