There are certain places you find yourself returning to without needing a reason, and Milk & Roses…read morebecame exactly that for me. Tucked away in Greenpoint, it's a space I've visited across different moments--once for a slow brunch with a friend, another time for a late lunch with a group, and again for a more intimate coffee date. Each visit carried a slightly different rhythm, yet the feeling remained the same: calm, familiar, and quietly indulgent. Among everything I tried, the Cacio e Pepe ai Gamberoni stood out in a way few dishes do. Rich, creamy, and deeply satisfying, it's easily one of my favorite Italian dishes I've had in Brooklyn. The pecorino cream wrapped itself around the prawns beautifully, creating a balance that felt both comforting and elevated. It's the kind of dish you find yourself thinking about long after you've left. I also tried their Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino on another visit--simple, well-executed, and enjoyable, though it never quite reached the same level as the prawn pasta. On the quieter visits, I kept things simple with a flat white, which was smooth, rich, and well-balanced--exactly what you want when settling into a long conversation or a slow afternoon. But what truly defines Milk & Roses is its atmosphere. The interior feels like stepping into a private library hidden within a European home--lined with bookshelves, layered with warm wood tones, and softened by natural light that filters in gently throughout the day. There's a classical elegance to it, almost old-world in spirit, yet never overwhelming. It invites you to sit a little longer, to slow down, to exist within the space rather than pass through it. And then there is the garden. The backyard patio feels almost cinematic--anchored by a delicate white blossom tree, surrounded by greenery, and framed in a way that creates both openness and intimacy at once. It's the kind of setting that transforms a simple meal into something more memorable, where conversations stretch effortlessly and time feels slightly suspended. We were served by Mariami, who was warm, attentive, and gracious throughout, adding to the ease of the experience without ever intruding on it. Milk & Roses is not just a restaurant--it's an atmosphere, a rhythm, a place that meets you differently each time you return. It's somewhere I'll continue to revisit, whether for a meal, a coffee, or simply the quiet comfort it so effortlessly provides.

Came here for brunch on a weekend with a reservation and we were seated pretty quickly. The service…read morewas friendly and checked on us often. The restaurant is really cute inside with a cozy, vintage feel. We shared the Shakshuka and 2 Large Pancakes. The Shakshuka had a really nice tomato base and perfectly cooked eggs. We also got the pancakes which were fluffy and not too sweet. Both dishes came out fast and tasted great. Overall, really good food, great service, and such a cute ambiance. Would recommend for a nice brunch spot in Greenpoint!

I attended a private after party in their private room. The room is upstairs, beautiful, and also…read moreinteresting, with circular seating around the room, lovely ceilings and a skylight. There is a private bar, although there was a mixup and the bar charged all of us until the newlyweds arrived and reminded them it was an open bar. While it was loud, it wasn't so loud that we could sit and talk and have real conversations with others. I really enjoyed the open floor design with the seating as it worked so well for connecting with others. The staff gwent above and beyond, meeting us at the front door and guiding us through a very crowded downstairs bar to get to the upstairs. Thank you! There was a lack of places to plus in phones for charging.

Madeline's is a cocktail bar and restaurant that opened in Brooklyn, New York in November 2023. It…read morewas founded by business partners Brenton Land and Patrick Byrne. Land is a Brooklyn native who worked as a bartender at a number of NYC bars. Eventually he was hired to bartend at the popular Manhattan bar Vig Bar, which is owned by Irish native Byrne. Land learned a great deal at Vig Bar and ultimately became the General Manager. When a space previously home to the popular cocktail bar Ramona opened up in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood, Land jumped at the chance to turn it into his own bar. He partnered up with Byrne and named it "Madeline's" (or simply "Mads") after a friend's daughter. Unlike Ramona's which was strictly a cocktail bar, Land wanted to bring a food element to Mads. He hired Greenpoint local Steve Bean to be Mads' chef. Bean curated an avant-garde menu that took inspiration from New American and French cuisine. He eventually parted ways with Madeline's, but the food program remains and the menu continues to evolve. The current food selection is focused more on elevated pub fare. The food and drink programs at Mads are primarily run by Land, who can still sometimes be seen crafting cocktails behind the bar. My wife and I recently visited Madeline's while we were spending the weekend in Brooklyn. My wife's cousin was getting married in Greenpoint and he and his fiancé were hosting a cocktail reception the evening before. It just so happens that the reception was held at Madeline's, which is one of their favorite bars. Most of the menu is dedicated to their house cocktails, but they also offer a variety of mocktails, wine, spirits, and beer. The food menu features an eclectic mix of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and various bar bites prepared with a modern twist. Madeline's also serves brunch on the weekends. My wife ordered the "Paw Paw Patrol" (ago mezcal el manantial, Aperol, paw paw fruit, green Chile, lime), while I had the "Fall In Love" (mocktail: pineapple shrub, clove, cinnamon, ginger beer). After receiving our drinks, we headed to the upper level and joined other members of our family. We really enjoyed our drinks; they were very refreshing and had so much flavor. We didn't end up ordering any food while we were there, but we saw customers around us ordering food and the presentation of the various plates was impressive. If you're looking for a fun cocktail bar while visiting Greenpoint, then definitely head to Madeline's!

This place felt like a social experiment from the moment we sat down. I kept waiting for the guy…read morefrom Bar Rescue to jump out from behind the kitchen. The tacos were the size of a poker chip topped with microscopic scraps of steak that looked like someone swept them off the grill with a dustpan. The chips and salsa situation was performance art. They brought out exactly 14 chips (yea - I counted) alongside ~2 tablespoons of salsa. I've gotten more complimentary food samples at Costco on a Saturday afternoon. The carnitas somehow managed to be both dry and flavorless, which honestly feels harder to accomplish than making them good. At one point my angry fiancée looked at me like this was somehow my fault for picking the place, so we eventually gave up and walked to the food truck around the corner for actual tacos that tasted like they wanted us to survive the night. TLDR; overpriced, don't go here. I will say, the ambience is great, though- it's a shame

Popped in for a quick drink and an app yesterday and I'll definitely have to come back. The inside…read moreof this place is GORGEOUS - with Mexican art murals to a tequila stocked balcony in the back. Vibes. I also noticed a projector on the ceiling and some large speakers so I'm wondering if Mexi is also an event space? We sat in a half table booth in the back but there is bar seating as well. The cocktail menus are SO CUTE. They're large cards (pictured) held together by a ring and are designed to look like lotería cards. My boyfriend got a spicy mezcal margarita which he enjoyed but we both agreed my drink, El Cantante, was the winner of the two. The mango juice was super refreshing yet somehow the drink wasn't too sweet for me. We were served quickly. For a bite we decided on chips and salsa. The roasted peanut matcha seemed interesting. Well, I did enjoy it, I really wish there was a menu option to get all three sources in the slightly larger serving of chips for a reduced price. I'm sure we could've ordered all three for the listed menu price, but this definitely would've appeal to me more as I think this also would've been nice to balance with a more traditional "chips and dip" salsa. The chips seemed to be homemade and were well done. Grabbing the check to make it to the subway was easy as it wasn't busy when we were there. Would love to come here again as everything else on the menu and cocktail list looks fantastic!

Easily the best bacon egg and cheese in the area. The eggs are fried so yes it's a little messy,…read morebut it's so much better than any of the BEC's with scrambled eggs. Highly recommend going for the croissant for maximal buttery richness. Plus everyone who I've ever met who works here is extremely nice, which just makes the place so much better!

Great place great people even got…read more great music lol Great place great people even got great music lol

Solid spot for a bite in the area! It's super spacious inside and we were able to snag a last…read moreminute reservation after our other plans fell through. Shared a salad, pasta, and pizza -- and the Honey Pie was the star of the show!

I've been coming now for a couple years and the lasagna is why!…read more The pizza is always good. This time the Calamari though wasn't as good as it has been. No flavor and the breading was falling apart. Service is always good fast and friendly.

The Aurora Gallery is an event coordination company, NOT a specific venue; they work with multiple…read morevenues. This review is of how this event coordinator organized our wedding ceremony and reception this September, at a venue called T Studio in Astoria (you can see amy review of that venue separately). Things they organized well: * For the most part the package is reasonably priced and a lot of the things are included (e.g. DJ, photographer, staff, décor) etc. However, as we've learned later (see below), this organizer takes on more than they can logistically handle and it would have been much better if we actually organized some of these elements ourselves. * The food -the restaurant this coordinator ordered catering from was very good. * The décor was in line with what I wanted, BUT...see the list of "buts" below... Things they organized.... NOT so well: * There were multiple warning signs early on that this wedding coordinator is not very detail-oriented. Communicating with her was hard--she took a long time to reply to emails and things were disappearing in the thread. For example, she sent us our wedding contract three times, each time with errors in it. * They set up very late so there's no chance to check everything--and that's too bad. For one: THEY MESSED UP THE TABLE SEATING. I provided a correct seating chart way in advance and we only had 8 tables (!). And somehow they couldn't get that right and put the same guests at two tables, which completely messed up the whole arrangement and resulted in two of our guests actually eating dinner in a back room next to garbage cans (!) because they wanted to sit together. To make it worse, the coordinator was trying to deny it in a conversation with me later. * Multiple things that were part of our package were missing during the event, including a coffee station and a water station. I myself (as bride) had to run to the bar every time I wanted a glass of water, and towards the end of the event the guests informed me that there is no coffee! Which was in our package! They refunded us for the cost of the missing items ($125! Out of ~$14K), but well, we only had one wedding. * The bar RAN OUT OF WINE before the event ended. Already the bar under this company closes 30mins before the end of the event, and all we had on offer for wine was house red and house white. * The ceremony took place on the terrace: there was a loud air conditioning unit that practically drowned out our vows. * I wanted to add a champagne reception to our package, and at the beginning I wanted to manage it myself, but our wedding coordinator offered to take care of it for an extra charge. BIG MISTAKE. They did not get enough champagne and were serving glasses with embarrassingly tiny amounts of champagne at some point. I would have bought the bottles myself had I known in advance! * In general, the staff assistance was non-existent. My parents and multiple guests reported that the staff offered no guidance, the guests were confused as to where they were supposed to go or what to do. * We paid for "passed hors d'oevres " as part of our package, which were supposed to be distributed before the ceremony. My parents reported that a waiter showed up 2-3 times out on the terrace with a small plate of hors d'oevres which lasted for just a few people. * The décor was also included in our package including tables and altar décor. The wedding coordinator did provide a vision board and we discussed getting specific things, like fairy lights and lighting up the aisle with candles/lampions. There were neither. The coordinator said she made a budget decision to not include those -and did not inform me about it! But based on all the other fails my guess is that she simply forgot. The part that particularly irked me was: I found a Love-shaped balloon on Amazon and offered to buy it and bring it for decoration, but the wedding coordinator said she'll take care of it. You've guessed it...there was no balloon. I could have easily done that myself. * My general impression is: when you're planning a wedding, you can't possibly think of every single thing as the bride. That is why you hire a wedding organizer to take off some of the load (and pay them money for it!). Foresight and support was completely lacking from this vendor. I had to think of everything myself and spell everything out, and on occasion even the instructions I gave them were not executed correctly. From things I didn't spell out but I had hope that they will interpret them, here's one example: we provided little bottles of bubbles for guests to use during the ceremony. The event coordinator distributed the bottles on chairs for the ceremony, but provided no instructions to the guests to use them. Result: there were no bubbles during the ceremony or at any point. You just expect that an experienced wedding coordinator would know to "manage" the crowd and give out instructions. Needless to say, I cannot recommend this vendor.

This review is so overdue!…read more We had our reception here last October. The space is huge and you are really able to transform it however you'd like although the managers do help you with some standard seating layouts. We had 120 guests and the size was just right. We had plenty of room for seating buffet tables and dance floor. They even provide a bartender for you to use that night. I'll post some pictures which tell more than I can in the writeup but it's definitely worth 5 stars, and the main reason was John. When crap went wrong he calmed us down. Took us drinks and food in the back and to our table. Reminded us to relax and enjoy. Our DJ which we brought on our own was late and I started to get worked up but John cooled me down. He also helped us plan and figure out a lot of things as we had not a clue in the world what we were doing. He made it worth every penny. They also have many vendors to recommend should you need them. We used theirs for the tables and chairs and also the waitstaff. The prices were reasonable compared to other vendors and trust me, we checked. If you're looking to do a wedding on a budget and paying for yourself, you should use the Aurora Gallery.

We had our wedding at Princess Manor in Greenpoint and it was absolutely perfect! Eva, our venue…read morecoordinator, was incredible - so sweet, kind, and dedicated to making our nontraditional vision come to life. She accommodated every adjustment request. The venue beautifully accommodated our 175 guests with plenty of room for everyone. For Brooklyn, the pricing is amazing - it comes with food and open bar with so many affordable options for such an expensive area. Eva had backup plans for everything and somehow even manifested perfect weather after it rained all week! Having her on our team made all the difference. We had THE BEST TIME and I'm already hoping for another reason to book Princess Manor again. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a beautiful, accommodating venue with exceptional service. Eva and the team will make your day unforgettable!

My wedding day was the best day of my life. Eva at Princess Manor was a big part of that. She took…read morecare of everything, recommended the perfect vendors for our needs and budget, helped us navigate the ever changing COVID protocols for our 2022 event. The in house catering was incredible! If you are looking for a venue for your wedding, birthday, or any celebration, you will be so happy if you work with Eva and Princess Manor.

I just had a retirement luncheon for our union @ Giando on the Water. It was delightful from the…read moreplanning to the food, the service & a view which is one of the best in New York. The valet parking is a plus. Utterly stunning & the weather cooperated. . We were very happy. Many thanks Joe & the staff @ Giando!

I officiated a wedding here this weekend. I arrived and was able to park in the parking lot. I got…read moreto see all four floors of the place. The ground floor is a nice sized room that connects the outdoor area where the ceremony took place. It was clean and nicely set up. The outdoor area has breathtaking views of the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges. The next floor is the restaurant floor, which appeared to be nice. The bathroom was clean and had an attendant. The next floor is a nice sized room that looks out to the water. Very clean as well. The top floor has two rooms which would serve as a bridal suite. Both rooms were very clean. There is an elevator here. The staff were friendly and professional. Overall it's a great place.