Not sure where to eat? The best restaurants in Brooklyn are easiest to find by neighborhood: you’ll want Williamsburg for tasting menus and steakhouses, Fort Greene for live-fire seafood, and Park Slope for Lebanese.
This guide is one part of the wider look at new york restaurants.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn restaurants in the Michelin New York guide (November 2024 edition) | More than 50 |
| Aska tasting menu in Williamsburg (12-14 courses) | $295 per person |
| Peter Luger Steakhouse, open since | 1887 |
| Maison Premiere oyster varieties | More than thirty |
| Okonomi seats at the bar | Six |
These figures come from Patch’s report on the Michelin Guide and Devour Tours’ Williamsburg restaurant guide. Prices, menus and recognitions can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
How do you choose among Brooklyn’s restaurants?
Brooklyn is big, and its best tables are spread across the borough. Time Out says the borough has so many excellent pizza places, BBQ and brunch options that you could spend a lifetime trying them all.
The simplest way in is to pick a neighborhood first and a restaurant second. Here is what each area below is known for:
- Williamsburg: tasting menus, an old-school steakhouse, oysters and pizza.
- Fort Greene: wood-fired, dry-aged seafood at Theodora.
- Red Hook: Southern cooking with a twist at Pitt’s.
- Park Slope: Lebanese mezze at Sawa.
- Greenpoint: Japanese cooking, from soba to comfort food.
- Bed-Stuy: hand-made pasta at Daphne’s.
- DUMBO: a food hall with views of the East River.
Williamsburg: tasting menus, steakhouses and pizza
If one neighborhood has earned its dining reputation, it is Williamsburg. Devour Tours notes that Aska holds two Michelin stars, which it garnered in 2021, as of that guide’s November 2025 update. The chef accommodates just ten tables each night, and the tasting menu runs 12-14 courses for $295 per person.
For something older, Devour Tours describes Peter Luger Steakhouse as an iconic spot that has been around since 1887. Le Crocodile, in the Wythe Hotel, was awarded three out of four stars by New York Times critic Pete Wells, according to the same guide.
Oysters are the draw at Maison Premiere, where the guide says you’ll find more than thirty varieties. Chef Missy Robbins’ Lilia, in a former auto body shop, is the Italian pick. Robbins was named Best Chef in New York City by the James Beard Foundation in 2018, per Devour Tours.
Two more casual stops round out the area. L’Industrie serves some of the best pizza by the slice in Williamsburg, and Café Mogador is a Moroccan brunch favorite where waits can be long, as Devour Tours points out.
Fort Greene, Red Hook and Park Slope: newer favorites
Theodora in Fort Greene serves Mediterranean fare with an emphasis on dry-aged seafood and wood-fired cooking, according to Patch. It was one of six Brooklyn additions to the Michelin guide’s recommended list in November 2024.
It is also hard to book. Time Out’s December 2025 update calls it one of the hardest tables in Brooklyn to access.
In Red Hook, Pitt’s channels chef Jeremy Salamon’s Southern upbringing with a cheffy twist. Time Out says the trip can be a trek depending on where you live. Its pancake soufflé is served only on weekends and takes 40 minutes to prep, so you order it at the start of the meal, per Time Out.
Park Slope’s Sawa is a modern, intimate Lebanese restaurant that Patch says serves classic Levantine mezze like tabbouleh and hummus. Downtown, Time Out also lists Gage & Tollner, a nearly 150-year-old steakhouse, on its Brooklyn list.
Greenpoint and Bed-Stuy: Japanese cooking and fresh pasta
Greenpoint is a good place to explore Japanese cooking. Patch reports that two Japanese restaurants there joined the Michelin list in November 2024.
- Lingo blends American and European comfort food with elegant Japanese influences under executive chef Emily Yuen.
- Uzuki focuses on soba noodles, seasonal vegetables and handmade pottery, and the whole restaurant is gluten-free.
Back in Williamsburg, Okonomi sits in the back room of a long-standing market. It has just six seats at the bar, serves a rotating Japanese tasting menu of locally sourced fish, and is BYOB, according to Patch.
In Bed-Stuy, Daphne’s serves fresh pasta made by hand alongside seasonal share plates, per the same report.
Casual and budget-friendly ways to eat in Brooklyn
Not every meal needs a reservation weeks ahead. The Time Out Market in DUMBO’s Empire Stores has fried chicken from Jacob’s Pickles, pizza from Fornino and ice cream from Sugar Hill Creamery, as Time Out describes it. Seating spans two floors with views of the East River, Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline.
If cost is your main concern, the guide to cheap eats nyc is a better starting point. If you’d rather try a pricier restaurant at a set price, read up on nyc restaurant week before you book.
Planning your Brooklyn meal
A few habits will save you disappointment. Restaurants close, and Time Out’s December 2025 update removed Clover Hill, Purple Yam, Olmstead, Rangoon and Ugly Baby from its list for that reason, per Time Out.
- Check that the restaurant is still open and confirm its hours.
- Book early for the hardest tables, such as Theodora, or small rooms such as Okonomi.
- Look at the menu and price before you go, especially for tasting menus.
- Order time-sensitive dishes at the start, as with Pitt’s pancake soufflé.
- Plan your transit, since parts of Red Hook are a trek.
Frequently asked questions
Which Brooklyn restaurants suit a special occasion?
Show answer
Aska’s tasting menu is the splurge, at $295 per person per Devour Tours. Le Crocodile and Theodora are other dressy picks named above.
How many Brooklyn restaurants are in the Michelin guide?
Show answer
As of Patch’s November 2024 report, the new edition included more than 50 Brooklyn restaurants. Check Michelin for the latest list.
Where can you bring your own drinks?
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Okonomi in Williamsburg is BYOB, according to Patch in November 2024. Call ahead to confirm the policy still applies.
Is there a gluten-free option?
Show answer
Uzuki in Greenpoint is entirely gluten-free, per Patch’s November 2024 report. Its menu centers on soba noodles.
