Clinton Hill and Beyond
Food and Coffee Scene (Brooklyn)
These are our local favorites. If you want to look further afield (Williamsburg is a particularly cool neighborhood) check the Brooklyn listings and reviews at Eater.com: https://ny.eater.com/neighborhood/1322/brooklyn . They are just about 100% reliable.
Impeccable Italian food, fresh clean flavors, a cool relaxed atmosphere, yummy cocktails, great wine list -- it's a staple of the local food scene. The menu changes completely every night, based on the best, freshest ingredients the chef has on hand.
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Roman's
243 Dekalb AveImpeccable Italian food, fresh clean flavors, a cool relaxed atmosphere, yummy cocktails, great wine list -- it's a staple of the local food scene. The menu changes completely every night, based on the best, freshest ingredients the chef has on hand.
A world-class wood-fired South American grill. Fresh, delicious, innovative -- a local superstar.
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METTĀ
197 Adelphi StA world-class wood-fired South American grill. Fresh, delicious, innovative -- a local superstar.
Elegant, intimate contemporary cuisine, gorgeously executed, accompanied by artful cocktails.
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Otway
930 Fulton StElegant, intimate contemporary cuisine, gorgeously executed, accompanied by artful cocktails.
A secret neighborhood treasure. Walk through the dining room at Walter's -- an excellent surf-and-turf restaurant in its own right -- and back through an unmarked door and you'll find Karasu, a fully fledged Japanese restaurant in a funky speakeasy space. It's an experience.
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Karasu
166 Dekalb AveA secret neighborhood treasure. Walk through the dining room at Walter's -- an excellent surf-and-turf restaurant in its own right -- and back through an unmarked door and you'll find Karasu, a fully fledged Japanese restaurant in a funky speakeasy space. It's an experience.
The Michelin-starred restaurant around the corner! Seasonal American food, done to world-class standards, in a coolly chic but comfortable dining room.
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The Finch
212 Greene AveThe Michelin-starred restaurant around the corner! Seasonal American food, done to world-class standards, in a coolly chic but comfortable dining room.
An utterly authentic Tuscan family restaurant somehow transported into a 100-year-old Clinton Hill storefront (it used to be a pharmacy -- the sign's still there).
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Locanda Vini & Olii
129 Gates AveAn utterly authentic Tuscan family restaurant somehow transported into a 100-year-old Clinton Hill storefront (it used to be a pharmacy -- the sign's still there).
Probably the best coffee in the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill area, and convenient to Fort Greene park.
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Peckish
49 Willoughby AveProbably the best coffee in the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill area, and convenient to Fort Greene park.
A tiny but yummy storefront coffee venue in the heart of Fort Greene.
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BitterSweet
180 Dekalb AveA tiny but yummy storefront coffee venue in the heart of Fort Greene.
A neighborhood hub and maybe the best coffee in Bed-Stuy. There's a plant-filled back room for the laptop crowd.
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Stonefruit Espresso + Kitchen
1058 Bedford AveA neighborhood hub and maybe the best coffee in Bed-Stuy. There's a plant-filled back room for the laptop crowd.
Golda
504 Franklin AveA standout indie coffee venue with an unbeatable spread of pastries.
It began with a Kickstarter campaign for the pizza oven. After a rave in the New Yorker magazine Emily became a neighborhood star and a mecca for New York pizza snobs. It lives up to the hype.
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Emily
919 Fulton StIt began with a Kickstarter campaign for the pizza oven. After a rave in the New Yorker magazine Emily became a neighborhood star and a mecca for New York pizza snobs. It lives up to the hype.
Aita is a critical darling for its sophisticated yet traditional Italian cooking. Don't miss the little jewelbox bar in the back, Mayflower Social.
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Aita
132 Greene AveAita is a critical darling for its sophisticated yet traditional Italian cooking. Don't miss the little jewelbox bar in the back, Mayflower Social.
Push on back through the high-end grocery store in front and you'll find a deeply chilled-out neighborhood scene in back, with excellent food, fancy beers and quirky high-concept bar-food masterpieces.
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Mekelburg's
293 Grand AvePush on back through the high-end grocery store in front and you'll find a deeply chilled-out neighborhood scene in back, with excellent food, fancy beers and quirky high-concept bar-food masterpieces.
A kid-friendly pizza joint, but don't let that fool you: the pies are top-notch by any standards, served in a cool quirky room.
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Speedy Romeo
376 Classon AveA kid-friendly pizza joint, but don't let that fool you: the pies are top-notch by any standards, served in a cool quirky room.
I think these are the best bagels in NYC. Made with high quality flour, etc.
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Black
170 Elizabeth StI think these are the best bagels in NYC. Made with high quality flour, etc.
A marvelous local bakery and coffee shop with justly famous ice cream sandwiches.
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The Good Batch
936 Fulton StA marvelous local bakery and coffee shop with justly famous ice cream sandwiches.
This is hands-down the best pizza in NYC. Famous, iconic restaurant in grungy warehouse in Bushwick. A hassle to get to but if you're a food person you can't miss it. They have lots of things besides pizza. Breakfast/brunch is a good option, especially during the week.
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Roberta's
261 Moore StThis is hands-down the best pizza in NYC. Famous, iconic restaurant in grungy warehouse in Bushwick. A hassle to get to but if you're a food person you can't miss it. They have lots of things besides pizza. Breakfast/brunch is a good option, especially during the week.
One of the new wave of Italian bistros cropping up in Brooklyn: beautiful, precise, delicious takes on Italian classics, with some wonderful improvisations as well.
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Evelina
211 Dekalb AveOne of the new wave of Italian bistros cropping up in Brooklyn: beautiful, precise, delicious takes on Italian classics, with some wonderful improvisations as well.
World-class coffee plus a nice selection of fresh scrummy pastries in a small cozy room on a bustling block. No wifi, which is either a feature or a bug, depending on your temperament. (Annex, a block further down Fulton, is bigger and busier but has wifi.)
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Hungry Ghost
253 Flatbush AveWorld-class coffee plus a nice selection of fresh scrummy pastries in a small cozy room on a bustling block. No wifi, which is either a feature or a bug, depending on your temperament. (Annex, a block further down Fulton, is bigger and busier but has wifi.)
Relationships
920 Fulton StExcellent coffee and morning pastries.
Essentials
People come from all over the city for the high-end organic produce, fresh fish and expert butchery. We buy virtually everything from here.
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Greene Grape Wine & Spirits
765 Fulton StPeople come from all over the city for the high-end organic produce, fresh fish and expert butchery. We buy virtually everything from here.
This isn't fancy, but it has all the basics and is very close.
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Associated Supermarket
367 Waverly AvenueThis isn't fancy, but it has all the basics and is very close.
Brother's Cleaners
349 Waverly AveThe best of the local dry cleaners.
Pure Nail Salon
927 Fulton StGood basic nail salon nearby.
Honey Nail Salon
490 Myrtle Avethe fancier nail place nearby.
Leon & Son Wine and Spirits
995 Fulton StGood local wine store.
Wonderful seasonal Farmers' Market, 10 mins walk from the house. Amazing produce, fish, meats, cheeses etc. Don't miss She Wolf bakery breads -- best in the city. Saturday mornings from 8am. Go early to get the best stuff.
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Fort Greene Park Greenmarket
Dekalb AvenueWonderful seasonal Farmers' Market, 10 mins walk from the house. Amazing produce, fish, meats, cheeses etc. Don't miss She Wolf bakery breads -- best in the city. Saturday mornings from 8am. Go early to get the best stuff.
Fabulous high-end fish market. Everything sourced from best fisheries.
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Mermaid's Garden
644 Vanderbilt AveFabulous high-end fish market. Everything sourced from best fisheries.
This is the closest Trader Joes, a 3-stop subway ride and 5 min walk from our place on the G train.
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Trader Joe's
130 Court StThis is the closest Trader Joes, a 3-stop subway ride and 5 min walk from our place on the G train.
This Whole Foods is a 15 minute walk from the house. You can have groceries delivered after you shop.
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Whole Foods Market 365
292 Ashland PlThis Whole Foods is a 15 minute walk from the house. You can have groceries delivered after you shop.
Parks & Nature
Lovely for biking around (rent bikes from Bicycle Habitat on Vanderbilt Ave).
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Prospect Park
Lovely for biking around (rent bikes from Bicycle Habitat on Vanderbilt Ave).
Gorgeous small Botanic Garden. Very peaceful and calming.
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden
990 Washington AveGorgeous small Botanic Garden. Very peaceful and calming.
This is our top pick for Brooklyn activities. We also listed it under parks. You can rent CitiBikes and ride along the foreshore. There's a fabulous children's playground at Pier 6, about a 15 minute ride from Dumbo. Lots of nice cafes, including the restaurant in the No 1 hotel in Dumbo, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (really great), Vinegar Hills Foods (in the warehouse conversion near the carousel) and the cafe in Shinola (same building).
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Brooklyn Bridge Park
334 Furman StThis is our top pick for Brooklyn activities. We also listed it under parks. You can rent CitiBikes and ride along the foreshore. There's a fabulous children's playground at Pier 6, about a 15 minute ride from Dumbo. Lots of nice cafes, including the restaurant in the No 1 hotel in Dumbo, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (really great), Vinegar Hills Foods (in the warehouse conversion near the carousel) and the cafe in Shinola (same building).
Entertainment & Activities
This is a Brooklyn must-do. It's a restored carousel, overlooking New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. The whole area around it has been turned into a fabulous waterfront park. You can walk south toward Red Hook, with great views, lovely cafes and restaurants, great places to sit and lookout. Our top pick.
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Jane's Carousel
Dock StreetThis is a Brooklyn must-do. It's a restored carousel, overlooking New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. The whole area around it has been turned into a fabulous waterfront park. You can walk south toward Red Hook, with great views, lovely cafes and restaurants, great places to sit and lookout. Our top pick.
Shopping
Greenlight Bookstore (Fulton Street)
686 Fulton StVery nice local book store.
Books Are Magic
225 Smith StLovely Brooklyn book store. Great kids' section.
Arts & Culture
BAM is great, lots of fabulous programming for adults and kids: https://www.bam.org/
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BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton StBAM is great, lots of fabulous programming for adults and kids: https://www.bam.org/