Guidebook for Brooklyn
Food Scene
Our favorite place in the area! Great brick oven pizza, salads, appetizers, fish, steak in the best setting - indoors and outdoors! Wonderful shady garden. Always crowded, so go early if you can. Can be a bit loud inside. Also they have a great bakery right around the corner, entrance on Halsey Street, where you can get amazing bread, as well as great sausages for the BBQ, as well as other delicious things.
Next door is the restaurant is their tapas bar, which serves cocktails and small plates, happy hour from 4 pm - 7 pm, good if you need to wait for a table at the restaurant
1260 locals recommend
Saraghina
350 Lewis AveOur favorite place in the area! Great brick oven pizza, salads, appetizers, fish, steak in the best setting - indoors and outdoors! Wonderful shady garden. Always crowded, so go early if you can. Can be a bit loud inside. Also they have a great bakery right around the corner, entrance on Halsey Street, where you can get amazing bread, as well as great sausages for the BBQ, as well as other delicious things.
Next door is the restaurant is their tapas bar, which serves cocktails and small plates, happy hour from 4 pm - 7 pm, good if you need to wait for a table at the restaurant
Very nice Haitian restaurant and coffee shop, indoors only, but big windows to the street. Update: They were just adding an outdoor space when I went by last, hopefully it is open by now.
158 locals recommend
Grandchamps
197 Patchen AveVery nice Haitian restaurant and coffee shop, indoors only, but big windows to the street. Update: They were just adding an outdoor space when I went by last, hopefully it is open by now.
L'Antagoniste
238 Malcolm X BlvdA bit upscale French restaurant with a very nice backyard
Very good Southern US cuisine, nice little outdoor area. They also have a bar next door, which also serves food and has an additional small outdoor sitting area
756 locals recommend
Peaches
393 Lewis AveVery good Southern US cuisine, nice little outdoor area. They also have a bar next door, which also serves food and has an additional small outdoor sitting area
Very good Ramen place, nicely designed, garden in the back with individual booths.
134 locals recommend
Nana Ramem
330 Malcolm X BlvdVery good Ramen place, nicely designed, garden in the back with individual booths.
Coffee shop, pastries, Dough donuts, bagels, sandwiches, popular work place for people from the neighborhood. According to Daniel they have the best coffee in the neighborhood!
83 locals recommend
Milk & Pull Bed Stuy
348 Malcolm X BlvdCoffee shop, pastries, Dough donuts, bagels, sandwiches, popular work place for people from the neighborhood. According to Daniel they have the best coffee in the neighborhood!
Old favorite that moved to the neighborhood from Fort Greene, Brooklyn, French cuisine, live music on certain days, nice covered outdoor seating along the street. Happy hour with oysters till 6 pm.
329 locals recommend
Chez Oskar
310 Malcolm X BlvdOld favorite that moved to the neighborhood from Fort Greene, Brooklyn, French cuisine, live music on certain days, nice covered outdoor seating along the street. Happy hour with oysters till 6 pm.
Another neighborhood favorite! Very good Japanese inspired restaurant by night, kid friendly, small backyard, also make coffees on weekends.
108 locals recommend
Trad Room
266 Malcolm X BlvdAnother neighborhood favorite! Very good Japanese inspired restaurant by night, kid friendly, small backyard, also make coffees on weekends.
Coffee shop, sandwiches, outdoor seating, close to the J/Z line station at Gates Avenue.
58 locals recommend
Cup of Brooklyn
1071 Gates AvenueCoffee shop, sandwiches, outdoor seating, close to the J/Z line station at Gates Avenue.
Same owners as Peaches, Southern US cuisine, specialties are crispy fried chicken and other Southern regional classics such as Shrimp and Grits and Fried Green Tomatoes.
604 locals recommend
Peaches HotHouse
415 Tompkins AveSame owners as Peaches, Southern US cuisine, specialties are crispy fried chicken and other Southern regional classics such as Shrimp and Grits and Fried Green Tomatoes.
Toad Style
93 Ralph AveInteresting vegan take out place
Great brick oven pizza place, also really good salads and draft beers / wine / cocktails on the roof top with views to the Manhattan skyline, great to combine with a visit to Brooklyn Bridge Park
35 locals recommend
Fornino At Pier 6
Bridge Park DriveGreat brick oven pizza place, also really good salads and draft beers / wine / cocktails on the roof top with views to the Manhattan skyline, great to combine with a visit to Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tucum: Coffee, Plants, Love
210 Patchen AveNice indoor & outdoor coffee shop around the corner
Drinks & Nightlife
Great live music in a small and intimate setting! They also do gospel brunch on Sundays and have a coffee shop inside during the day. Good food as well. Small garden in the back.
394 locals recommend
LunÀtico
486 Halsey StGreat live music in a small and intimate setting! They also do gospel brunch on Sundays and have a coffee shop inside during the day. Good food as well. Small garden in the back.
Nice corner bar with some outdoor seating / standing, specialized on craft beers
365 locals recommend
Bed-Vyne Brew
370 Tompkins AveNice corner bar with some outdoor seating / standing, specialized on craft beers
Bed-Vyne Cocktail
305 Halsey StCocktail bar with a nice backyard, DJs and Live Music
outdoor "beer" garden (also cocktails and wine), food, DJs, reservations possible via Resy
215 locals recommend
Nowadays
56-06 Cooper Aveoutdoor "beer" garden (also cocktails and wine), food, DJs, reservations possible via Resy
Causal hip bar with a large backyard, located right around the corner.
50 locals recommend
Turtles all the way down
236 Malcolm X BlvdCausal hip bar with a large backyard, located right around the corner.
Parks & Nature
Great Park by the same landscape architect as Central Park, also has some nice playgrounds, including the Zucker Natural Exploration Area and the Splash Pad at LeFrak Center, great for jogging, picnics, hanging out on the lawn, playing games,...
3418 locals recommend
Prospect Park
Great Park by the same landscape architect as Central Park, also has some nice playgrounds, including the Zucker Natural Exploration Area and the Splash Pad at LeFrak Center, great for jogging, picnics, hanging out on the lawn, playing games,...
Great Park with views to Downtown Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge, great playgrounds at Pier 6, including the WaterLab, Sandbox Village, Slide Mountain and Swing Valley, great spots for Picnics and BBQs with a view, in the summer free movie screenings once a week
951 locals recommend
Brooklyn Bridge Park
334 Furman StGreat Park with views to Downtown Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge, great playgrounds at Pier 6, including the WaterLab, Sandbox Village, Slide Mountain and Swing Valley, great spots for Picnics and BBQs with a view, in the summer free movie screenings once a week
two playgrounds, large grassy area to hang out, sports fields
214 locals recommend
Herbert Von King Park
670 Lafayette Avetwo playgrounds, large grassy area to hang out, sports fields
Entertainment & Activities
large public pool with kiddie pool in the back, no charge, you need to bring a lock and everybody who wants to go inside needs swim clothes (shorts with liners for the men)
30 locals recommend
Kosciuszko Pool
670 Marcy Avelarge public pool with kiddie pool in the back, no charge, you need to bring a lock and everybody who wants to go inside needs swim clothes (shorts with liners for the men)
Essentials
Decent supermarket, also has some organic fruits & organic / natural meat & organic milk, a bit cheaper than Halsey Trader's Market, that belongs to the same family.
124 locals recommend
Key Food
200 Malcolm X BlvdDecent supermarket, also has some organic fruits & organic / natural meat & organic milk, a bit cheaper than Halsey Trader's Market, that belongs to the same family.
Mr. Kiwi's
957 BroadwayGreat selection of fruits and veggies with many special offers
Great for all the basics, as well as meat, organic produce, etc. There are two locations in downtown Brooklyn and one in Williamsburg. If you have a car, the one in Queens is about 20 minutes away.
1296 locals recommend
Trader Joe's
130 Court StGreat for all the basics, as well as meat, organic produce, etc. There are two locations in downtown Brooklyn and one in Williamsburg. If you have a car, the one in Queens is about 20 minutes away.
amazing Lebanese bulk food store with a great selection of fresh ready to eat food (home made hummus!), large selection of nuts, olives, cheeses etc.
130 locals recommend
Sahadi's
187 Atlantic Aveamazing Lebanese bulk food store with a great selection of fresh ready to eat food (home made hummus!), large selection of nuts, olives, cheeses etc.
Bakery and small store. Great Bread!! Also very good fennel sausages, fancy cheeses, homemade past and sauce etc.
126 locals recommend
Saraghina Bakery
433 Halsey StBakery and small store. Great Bread!! Also very good fennel sausages, fancy cheeses, homemade past and sauce etc.
They have organic fruits and vegetables, belongs to the same family as the Key Foods three blocks away, tends to be a bit more expensive than the Key Foods, partly for the same items.
84 locals recommend
Halsey Traders Market
587 Halsey StThey have organic fruits and vegetables, belongs to the same family as the Key Foods three blocks away, tends to be a bit more expensive than the Key Foods, partly for the same items.
Trader Joe's
130 Court StEverything Else
playground with water sprinklers, basketball courts, large astro turf field for soccer etc
9 locals recommend
P.O. Reinaldo Salgado Playground
750 Monroe Stplayground with water sprinklers, basketball courts, large astro turf field for soccer etc
Getting Around
A/C line, takes you to Lower Manhattan and along Manhattans west side and in the other direction to JFK airport and the beaches at the Rockaways. The A train is express, the C train makes local stops. This station has a elevators, so it is great for strollers!
72 locals recommend
Utica Av station
Fulton StreetA/C line, takes you to Lower Manhattan and along Manhattans west side and in the other direction to JFK airport and the beaches at the Rockaways. The A train is express, the C train makes local stops. This station has a elevators, so it is great for strollers!
J/Z train. Good line to take to the Lower East Side. This stop or the Kosciusko stop are about the same distance from the house. At rush hour, the trains sometimes run skip stop, meaning they only stop at Kosciusko or Gates Ave, so get out at either.
41 locals recommend
Gates Avenue Station
J/Z train. Good line to take to the Lower East Side. This stop or the Kosciusko stop are about the same distance from the house. At rush hour, the trains sometimes run skip stop, meaning they only stop at Kosciusko or Gates Ave, so get out at either.
J/Z train. Good line to take to the Lower East Side. This stop and the Gates Ave stop on the same train line are the same distance from our house. At rush hour, the trains sometimes run skip stop, meaning they only stop at Kosciusko or Gates Ave, so get out at either
28 locals recommend
Kosciuszko Street Station
J/Z train. Good line to take to the Lower East Side. This stop and the Gates Ave stop on the same train line are the same distance from our house. At rush hour, the trains sometimes run skip stop, meaning they only stop at Kosciusko or Gates Ave, so get out at either