I expected so much more from this little "chic" restaurant. Me and my girlfriend were looking for a place to eat for dinner on a special occasion. Since she's a vegetarian, that's always a keyword we have to type, that will be addressed later. She was also in the mood for chia pudding, which is her favorite dessert. So obviously two pretty important key words were going into the Google search bar already. When Five Leaves came up as the second or third search result, I wanted to see their menu. No prices for anything was listed but I didn't mind much because the food seemed like it would be pretty tasty. Even the reviews for the place were highly rated and I hadn't seen anything under 3 stars. When we arrived, we didn't know that we were there. We just saw a crowded rat den with no signs proclaiming it's own existence. We walked in and noticed there's no place to clearly stand and wait to be seated, which was not only confusing, but embarrassing, forcing us to feel like a lizard in the arctic; more out of place than a fish out of water. Now remember how I said that my girlfriend is a vegetarian? Well imagine our surprise when we get our menus and see that the only vegetarian option (in a restaurant with "vegetarian options") is an eggplant side for $9. It baffles me because everything else on the menu has meat that's extremely overpriced because it's grass fed. But just because it's grass fed doesn't make it vegetarian which I believe the owners should know. Being cornered by menu that specializes in meat, tea, and has more choices of alcohol than a liquor store, she could only order that. As for myself, I had ordered a cheeseburger. But not just any cheeseburger. I unwittingly ordered the most greasy, unseasoned, tasteless, mediocre, overall disappointing and overly expensive burger I've had in my life. I cannot express my overall hatred for that "cheeseburger". Here's a list of everything on it: Lettuce, Tomatoe, Onion, Cheese of your choice (mine was cheddar), a weird splat of some cheese I didn't order, and dijon mustard that I added myself. Out of everything I could taste, I could only taste meat and grease, with extra grease. Now that I'm done slamming the food, up next is an in-depth look at the place itself. As I've mentioned before, you get hit by the bus of confusion before you even enter the building. Once you eventually get seated, you get to stare at menu that is a far cry from what you may have read on Google. The menu is a single page laminated piece of paper that has one side dedicated to alcoholic beverages and their six desserts. None of which sounded or looked good when we were there. When we noticed a severe lack of the coconut chia pudding that we saw on their website, we were even less happy, which sounded impossible at the time. The waitress sounded offended when we asked about. Almost angrily explaining how they don't have it anymore. All and all, it was a terrible experience and I honestly wish I could give a few negative stars. I absolutely do not recommend this to anyone. Oh the money you could save by going literally anywhere else. I can't express through this text enough how saucy, salty, and just overall pissed off I am about the almost $50 I wasted. I could and probably should go into about everything I disliked when the only decent thing was the free water they gave us but even that was room temperature. But this has run-on long enough. I downloaded this app just to write this review. I genuinely hope people notice this so they know what I say is true. read more

I waited a full day to try to shape my inchoate contempt at Five Leaves into a mighty chainsaw. This I have done. Regard the result. "Judge ye, have I dug 'im up again?": To articulate why I hate this vapid would-be L--A shit-hole, I must necessarily begin by digressing. Forgive me my best-loved and customary sin. I was running last week listening to a compilation tape from four years ago. One track was Devendra Banhart crooning his usual looney tunes. I used to really like him. But now, as I was running along, I thought only, "Wasn't Devendra Banhart on teevee the other day? What did I see him on?" (This is the intellectual level of my jogging stream-of-consciousness.) I finally realised that I hadn't seen Devendra Banhart on teevee at all - I'd simply seen his soul cousins at play on The Hills. Devendra Banhart = The Hills = Williamsburg = Five Leaves. It's not entirely fair to criticise a food-court by the quality of its denizens ("demons"), of course. However, since Five Leaves seems to attract, if not INSIST upon, a fairly specific type of diner at their establishment(and this process of pseudo-fascist ultra-rightist eugenic elimination is rigorously enforced by the art-school snottiness of the wait staff) then it's fair enough I trow to take a swing at the type they seek. Here are the rich family scions still slumming it in trucker caps and beards (STILL at it). Here be the ethereal girls who chew tobacco in Joanna Newsom and Cat Power and Stevie Nicks and Courtney Love clone varieties. These girls are the humanoid equivalent of those twee female singer-songwriter ditties that are on every Target commercial now. The male bipeds are like Charlie and Justin off The Hills. It wouldn't matter of course who the shoppers were if the whole fucking place wasn't designed expressly to appeal to Charlie and Justin, Chan and Joanna and Courtney. (Also Bill fuckin Callahan.) Alas it is: the menu, the faux-("freak")-folk furniture, the home-spun (and PLAYED OUT in Williamsburg) "Americana" decor. This pealing-paint flotsam + jetsam aesthetic is getting as old around here as waxed moustache tips. Five Leaves is the gastronomic equivalent of Harrison Ford's son seriously forming a "rural folk troupe" and claiming Charlie Patton as his greatest influence. It is, more precisely, the gastronomic equivalent of a fawning review of Harrison Ford's son's band in Rolling Stone. That is: Inauthentic, vapid and cynical. What this place needs quite urgently is the righteous fist of vengeance: Spencer Pratt. I wish Spencer would come down here with that crystal the size of his own head and would then drop his crystal through the faux-driftwood counter-top, like he has been doing lately on The Hills. America's foremost parasite has turned and become its greatest dissenting radical. If only Spencer would come down to Five Leaves and righteously smite Bill Callahan, Justin and Charlie. The shepherd's pie was strictly average. The waitress was strictly snot. Wife had a middling burger. In England they say, "Mum should of gone to Iceland." Well, we should "of" gone to Amarin. read more

After having decided I needed to go to Greenpoint to try out one of Peter Pan's ice cream sandwich donuts, I settled on Five Leaves as a great place for some delicious brunch. I waited a whole week in anticipation until today finally came. Unfortunately, I can only describe my experience at this restaurant as a disappointment. Somewhere between the 40 minute wait to be seated, quickly deciding what to order before I got up to wait on a 10 minute line to wash my hands next to a fly infested garbage can, only to return to my tiny cramped table to see no one had taken our order, a sense of foreboding crept up on me. After waiting a few more minutes to have our server greet us amidst the very loud obnoxious clanging at the bar by the baristas or whatever, it seemed that no one was interested in serving us. I flagged down one waitress who walked around with no sense of life in her eyes who I literally had to gesture wildly at because she was trying so hard to look past me and ignore me. After what felt like she had no choice but to acknowledge our presence, she informed me I would have to wait for my server. Um, what? Ok, so we waited a few more minutes and again, no one. I was starving at this point and luckily this man took pity on me and took my order. I still don't know who our server was bc everyone we interacted with was different. Two iced coffees in and I was already dreading the food. You know when a brunch place serves bad coffee, it's never a good sign. Our sugar syrup cup was also dirty with traces of milk and had a tiny piece of some herb stuck on the inside so if you're looking for a clean relaxing brunch, please go somewhere else. All I felt was my blood pressure rising from all the noise and clanging of dishes and silverware falling (literally happened more than ten times). I actually felt a wave of relief wash over me as a walked outside. Bottom line, atmosphere really killed it. Too cramped and slightly dirty with workers who didn't want to be there. I shouldn't have to work this hard for mediocre food. If you want amazing pancakes go to Buttermilk Channel. If you want a good alternative to Five Leaves burger, go to Sunburnt Cow in the city. All are much better than this place. After writing this, was going to give 2 stars but will settle with 1. read more

I love Five Leaves. Glad to live close by because I can choose to dine here on a whim whenever there's not too terrible a wait. It's one of my favorites in the Greenpoint. It's a beautiful, rustic space, and if it's nice outside, snag outdoor seating. I've dined here countless times with many different friends. Here are some highlights from the menu: Truffle fries are amazing whenever I feel like not counting the calories! Crispy and you can really taste the truffle, as well as smell it as it's approaching your table. Go ahead and indulge. Moroccan Scramble is one of my favorites for breakfast or an earlier lunch. It's a perfect combination of flavors of egg and sourdough and spice in a sausage--and avocado to top everything off! Sage Scrambled Egg Panini is my other favorite for breakfast. So simple, yet excellently executed. The spicy tomato jam is so, so good. Housemade Ricotta... do yourself a favor and order this to share. So tasty with figs and honey.. mmm! You can always ask for extra fruit-nut bread if you run out. The burgers here are also quite an experience. I think I may prefer the regular burger over the Five Leaves burger because it can be too complicated to eat (it's huge!). So I just go for the regular burger with grass-fed beef, always add bacon for $2 ;) The lamb shepherd's pie is another favorite for me. This dish use to be so big and I could never finish and would have to make it a 2 meal commitment as leftovers. But they've reduced it in size which is much more manageable (but price didn't change). However the case, it's still very delicious and comes piping hot from the oven. There are other things on the menu that are lovely too, the above are just my highlights. I've had coffee here and as takeout before, and I'm not quite a fan. I have other coffee places I prefer in the neighborhood. I just stick to alcohol with my meals haha. Hope you go, enjoy! read more

Was sooo looking forward to eating here. Walked in on Saturday night, got a table right away!! The 2 of us ordered a beer and a cocktail, an appetizer to share, and 2 entrees. The beer and cocktail took maybe 10 mins to get to us. That is a long time, especially in a place as small as this, they don't have that many people to serve. And they gave me the wrong cocktail, but I didn't complain. Then we sat there for 20 minutes waiting for the appetizer. We ordered the $14 prawn dish. Out came 2 prawns, which were luke-warm at BEST. They had obviously been sitting there for several minutes getting cold. We looked around for our waitress, who was nowhere to be seen. We called over another server, told her that we had been waiting several minutes for the appetizer, and that it was cold. She said OK, took our half-eaten dishes away from us, and took maybe 5 minutes to find a DIFFERENT server, who came over to talk to us. We told her to give us the check for the 2 drinks, and we would be on our way. She asked us to give her a few minutes, and returned, very apologetic, and told us that she cancelled our dinner orders, and that we would not have to pay for the drinks. We asked her what happened to our original waitress. She said that she was out on a break. We walked out, and saw our original waitress hanging out on a stoop down the block, most likely smoking a cigarette. Since when do waitresses take breaks in the middle of serving people?? (Short skinny petite black hair messy pony tail, kinda looked like sarah silverman, for future reference) I give them credit for being apologetic and not charging us for the drinks. I hate to judge a place based on 1 bad waitress, but the $14 for 2 prawns was also a ripoff. read more

The food is good, but the service is preposterous!! The most ridiculous waitress I have ever been served by in my life. Why we left a tip is beyond me. My friend ordered the shepard's pie and I a burger. Waitress delivers me the burger and him----CHICKEN!! She said, oops I accidentally pushed the chicken button. Do you mind?" He's English so made a joke but couldn't bring himself to vociferously object. I however, clearly stated, I hope he won't be charged for that since it is not what he ordered. She mumbled something about if it made him sick she'd order the shepard's pie?!!! I assumed since he accepted it he wouldn't be charged (she never offered to put the order for the Shepard's pie in at all. It was nearly comical it was so absurd) She brought him a desert he neither wanted nor chose and charged us for the chicken, more expensive I might add. I, as a local business owner, am appalled by this level of service, and as a local business owner would never write a review unless I was really really disturbed by the service and hoped that the owner(s) might read this. Server (woman) had long blonde wavy hair in a pony tail. Sadly enough to keep me from returning or recommending it to others. read more

I decided to stop by Five Leaves for a quick lunch, and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere that made me feel right at home, even though I was dining alone. The staff was friendly and attentive, ensuring that I had everything I needed. I ordered the famous Five Leaves Burger, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The patty was cooked to perfection--juicy, flavorful, and just the right amount of char. The caramelized onions added a beautiful hint of sweetness that balanced out the richness of the burger, making each bite an absolute delight. The brioche bun was soft yet sturdy enough to hold everything together, and the side of crispy fries completed the meal perfectly. What I appreciated most was the overall vibe of the place. Even though it was bustling with customers, I never felt rushed or out of place dining solo. There's something about Five Leaves that makes you feel welcome, whether you're with a group of friends or just enjoying some quality time by yourself. It's a must-visit spot in Greenpoint, and I'll definitely be coming back to explore more of their menu! read more

Unethical Practices - Beware I'd give ZERO stars if I could. I've been dining at Five Leaves for almost a year now. While I typically enjoy my experiences there, my recent visit was disappointing. Despite indicating a specific tip percentage on my bill, I was charged extra for gratuity without my permission. Initially, I thought it might have been a simple oversight, but after checking Yelp reviews, it appears to be a recurring issue. I emailed the management about the problem, but I haven't received a response yet. Furthermore, I've noticed a trend of rudeness from the waitstaff during my last few visits. This behavior, directed not only towards me but also towards other Asian customers, was unexpected and disappointing. It's challenging for me not to connect these two issues. ** Update as of 3/11 - The manager responded to my email, explaining that the system's setup allows for adding tips on the back end, making it prone to mistakes, especially when servers are rushing at the end of their shifts. I received a refund for the tip. I hope they'll fix the system so this won't happen to anyone else in the future! read more

As a long time new yorker I find the service at this place embarrassing. Our server literally gave zero fucks and acted like it. The barista literally drops a coffee metal filter thing on the floor and picks it RIGHT UP and continues to make her espresso. amazing. the server literally decided to check out and never checked on our meal after we complained how 2 dishes took OVER AN hour. If i could tip that pathetic waitress NEGATIVE 20% i would. But that's not my style. The tip i did leave was one to pity her for such a sad negative energy. the service and attitude was simply unacceptable for a neighborhood restaurant. the food was subpar..better than the service but not by much. if i was the owner of this establishment I would be seriously concerned. based on the recent reviews, many share a very similar experience. June 15th around 8-9pm. white waitress with a braid and bird tattoo on her back. Have a chat with this awful employee and tell her to cheer up and have more respect for her job and the customers that she serves. read more

theres nothing bad to say about five leaves. delicious drinks menu, incredible dishes, and TRUFFLE FRIES. how can you go wrong with that? not convinced? STUMPTON COFFEE. their espresso is to die for, add a little orange twist to it and raw sugar (the proper way to enjoy espresso:)) i went in there a few weeks ago, and had their norwegian poached eggs. the salmon was not over powering, and the eggs were cooked perfectly. the hollandaise sauce was rich but not over powering! bloody marys were crafted with perfection. not too spicy, and not to weak either. the best part of the meal was truffle fries. it's really the true reason i keep coming back! try the BLAT - bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato. the bacon is thick cut, so if you usually like your bacon well done, reconsider - it can be a bite chewy. four stars only because its super small and they like to pack people in - it can be a bit claustrophobic there! oh - and be prepared to wait to be seated! its a great joint, and people know it! read more

First day in New York on holiday with our 2 Daughters from the UK.We were recommended this place by a friend of our eldest Daughter.We had to wait 30 minutes for a table but that's nothing unusual so we put our names down and bided our time wandering in a rain soaked park(now that is something us Brits are used to).We placed our order and in fact this should have been a relatively easy order as we all had the same dish.We waited 45 minutes for our food which i feel is too long and so when we came to pay we tipped accordingly.Now you have to understand that tipping in the Uk is not an expectation and i had been warned by friends of the New Yorkers expectation of 20% but surely only if deserved ,my god i am shocked at the abuse we received and to be honest we are now considering cooking at our apartment for the next week as it has left a very sour taste in my mouth. read more

So tonight we decided to give the place a second chance. We live in the neighborhood and were coming home from a movie. The place we though would have a lively "bar" or "nightcap" scene. We entered the door and walked up to the bar to be greeted by an awestruck bartender with a hipster mustache who had to ask the hostess if the restaurant was still open or not. Clearly it must not have been as two tables were sat, and 6 other people were having drinks at the bar. It must have been closed. So the two of us as well as the three behind us left in a embarassed fury and happened to walk right past the owner. Maybe hipsters should stick to EMO and Music and stop opening restaurants. Who TRAINS these people. Terrible Terrible Terrible. We are going to give it one more shot, after all, they did just opened....and it is Greenpoint. read more

The Five Leaves burger is a tasteful combination of flavors - from the egg to the pineapple and the beet, everything was spot on. The only thing that could have made it even more would be if my burger had been cooked medium-rare, but it leaned more towards well-done. Now, when it comes to sides, you can choose between a salad or fries. I went with the salad, and it tasted both healthy and delicious. The B.L.A.T. wasn't bad either, but the bacon was just a big too hard. However, there's a hiccup in this otherwise great experience - the service. Despite the number of staff members, flagging someone down for assistance always proved to be quite a challenge. Inside seating is limited and quite packed, but fortunately, there's a spacious outdoor seating area to save the day. read more

Good food, good coffee. Great interior..it looks like it's been there forever. Great location. Very very spotty service(sometimes great service, sometimes wait staff definately looks like they're doing you a HUGE favor) You wait a long time if you go during weekends, and sorry, but it's a bit creepy that everyone(including bartender, waitstaff and patrons)look similiar. Same level of hipness, same level of kind of aloof coolness, similar age group. Similar hair styles, similar clothes. Food tend to be a bit pricier than other eateries around the area, but not necessary better. I like their burgers and coffee, though coffee's quite expensive. During warmer month, it's nice to leisurely sit at one of the table when the place is empty of weekend or evening crowd. read more

Heard about,read about,passed it by a million times & I always had a bad feeling about this place. Looking at the menu & staff I thought 'why is this place so popular'? Tried to get a coffee once from their window,that was an ordeal,strike one. The burger was very good,a hit! Went in for a dinner so why not try the oysters? After I bite I ask the server 'are theses freshly shucked to order?' She says yes,hmm... 'Are they rinsed?' She's not sure but will ask. After a long wait she replies,smiling, 'yes the oysters are freshly shucked & rinsed!' If you don't know that's a big no no & when you push the plate away. So 'why so popular' you ask? An actor who played the joker once just before his sad early demise put up some cash here. Trend followers,the joke's on you. read more

Not sure if they do reservations or walk ins only but we waited about 25 minutes on a wait list. The restaurant is pretty cute and small. The staff are friendly & welcoming. Service is pretty fast. My friend got a salmon dish with hash browns, eggs & salad which she enjoyed! Me & my other friend got the most papular & delicious item on the menu the ricotta pancakes with fresh fruit's & original maple syrup. Honestly it was sooooo good, after eating these pancakes I don't think I can go back to the original basic pancakes LOL!!! It was so filling but you just can't stop eating it! I definitely will be coming back here when I'm craving pancakes, even though I live 45mins away but its worth it!! Definitely recommend checking this spot out especially for brunch! read more

I don't live around here but when I am in the area I must go here for breakfast. I have been here 3 times and have had a great experience each time. Come here early or brave a waiting list to be seated. The hostess (has a cool tattoo across her chest) is always warm and welcoming (as well as attractive). Everyone seems beyond happy when I am at 5 leaves and always a good vibe. I have had the Moroccan omelet, oatmeal (with delicious currants), and the mixed green salad with organic chicken. All of out of sight. Their coffee is strong and will wake you up on a Sunday. I am trying to stay away from red meat but my friend orders the hanger steak and it always looks great. Maybe next time. Thank you 5 Leaves for the goods. read more

Probably one of my all time favorite spots in the neighborhood. The menu changes every couple months so there is something new usually every time you go. They have a nice sidewalk cafe which is great when the weather is good, but the inside is very cozy and very nice in the winter time. Other the fact that the food is great, one thing I really appreciate about this place is the fact that the service is really good, which is rare for restaurants like this. Typically when you go to places like this, there is a bit of pretentiousness that is to be expected, but Five Leaves does not have that, so you get everything; good food, decent price, and good service without the attitude. Always a good experience. read more

SQUID SALAD SPECIAL Again and Again and Again you will fall for the ultimate bullshit; this time, it's about Heath Ledger's ghost. Five Leaves is a beautiful Nick Drake song - it is not, I repeat, NOT, a beautiful restaurant. Come forth, all ye fools who toil in the bowels of corporate hell; show yourselves, put your money out - show that you are in the know. You know nothing. YOU KNOW NOTHING. This is just another tourist trap. Heath is no longer with us, and this little sliver on the end of Bedford is run by vampires hoping to make $$$$ on his name. Overpriced, over-hyped, and altogether a lie. Proceed at your own risk, trustfunders Those of us in the know laugh at you. read more