One of my new favorites in the neighborhood! Every single dish we ordered was flavorful and saucy and so well seasoned. Stand outs were the crab toast, handmade caramelle, and the scallop Service was on point and the vibes were great read more

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This is one of my friend's favorite restaurants. He's been telling me about it for over a year, and now that we came in and tried it, I can't blame him. The food is very good. The service is relaxed, but impeccable. It's a tiny space, and it feels like the neighborhood wine bar we all wish we had downstairs from our apartment. Speaking of, the wine, which they understandably pride themselves on, is so, so good. The selection is small, but excellent. My buddy loves his wine, and this is one of those restaurants that helps you understand why. My wife and I had a tough time making choices even on the short menu, but we shared the Dayboat Scallop, the Celery Salad, the Caramelle pasta, the beef tartare, and the Wagyu steak. (I imagine it changes often, so your options may be different when you come in.) Everything was plated beautifully, cooked carefully and well, seasoned properly, and absolutely delicious. The beef tartare was probably my favorite plate, but the celery salad was interesting and bright and wonderful, the scallop presentation was even better than the preparation (also great), and the greens that accompanied the wagyu (gai laan) were as tasty as the steak itself. Truly, the kitchen should be proud of everything they are putting out. All that said, our dinner was delicious, but so much expensive than I think is warranted. This is a neighborhood wine bar serving small plates that is priced like a Michelin-starred destination. In my personal opinion, the space is too casual and spare, the portions too small, and the food not stunning enough to justify the prices paid. Don't get me wrong, I understand that they are within their rights to charge whatever they need to in order to run their business, but I am also within my rights to consider it outside my price range for the offering. They seem like they're doing fine without me, and I will be happy to come back, but I will wait until my aforementioned friend is buying before coming back. read more

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Returned for dinner before a show at Barclays and had another amazing meal. My friend and I shared: + Heirloom tomato - great + ricotta agnolotti - fantastic + Young kohlrabi - incredible. the peach in it was the best I had all summer + Beef tartare toast - also perfect + Watermelon sorbet - great 5 stars forever!! read more

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The cutest spot for date night! Fradei is the perfect Brooklyn wine bar that feels cozy with just the right amount of Parisienne j'en sais quoi layered on We loved the scallops with peach and buttermilk. A nuanced bite of sweet, sour, salt, and brine with a touch of jalepeno spice!! Tartare was very French - super meaty so might be difficult for some. Pork was excellent, this under arm pit cut of pig was super tender without being fatty. The flavor almost tasted Asian but without any sweetness so a true savory dish. dayboat scallop $23* beef tartare $25 summer squash $23 berkshire pork secreto $47* panna cotta $13 read more

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TLDR: in a tiny cozy restaurant, they are doing big things in the kitchen concocting flavorful, balanced and fresh dishes. Had a wonderful meal here including the best pasta I've had in quite some time and an inventive take on mussels that I'll be thinking about for a long time! SETTING: As other reviews mention, this is a tiny spot. I believe there were 6-8 seats very close together at the bar and maybe 6 tables in the restaurant. It's very cozy and the vibes are cool / small French BK bistro. FOOD: The food was absolutely amazing. We loved every single dish we ordered - including the smoked coppa, cows milk cheese, with delicious sourdough bread, heirloom tomatoes, mussel toast, tagliatelle, and for dessert the corn ice cream and honey cake. Every dish was balanced, creative, savory, acidic... and just perfect. It's hard to pick a favorite but the mussel toast really did make me pause at its perfection, as did the tagliatelle. It's a shame it took us so long to make it over to Fradei as we both felt it was the best restaurant we've been to in the area (after living here for 3 years). It is pricey and the dishes are small but the quality is absolutely worth it. SERVICE: they only have three or four people working, two of whom are in the kitchen. Yet because of the small space, it works well. We were checked in on, given great suggestions, and never had to wait too long for anything. VERDICT: a damn good restaurant in Brooklyn!! Can't recommend enough. If you walk by here and always wonder if you should go, this is your sign to stop by. read more

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I'd rate Fradei four and a half stars. Tiny bistro with a rotating menu and an immense wine list. About ten wines by the glass. All quality options. A whole booklet of wines by the bottle. One of the most extensive wine selections that I've come across recently. Approximately twenty seats in the restaurant. It's quite intimate a cozy. We came on a rainy weeknight and were able to get a table as walk ins. I'd imagine on nice nights or weekends that a reservation would be prudent. Food menu consists of about a dozen items. A couple could probably eat through a third to half the menu. Three to four could probably eat through the whole menu. As mentioned earlier, the wine menu is quite large. The waiter was incredibly helpful with offering a recommendation. We gave some input on what we desired and the waiter's suggestion was excellent! Food wise, we started with the scallops. Razor thin raw scallops served with razor thin apples slices served in an oil on a seashell. Scallop was rich and oceany. Silky texture to it. Next, we had the squash. On the earthy side. Served with crushed pistachios and sautéed shallot. After that we had the crab toast. It was served over a purée that was delicious! Made sure to mop up every bit of it. Our last and probably favorite savory course was the hake. Fish was cooked perfectly. Super juicy with a soft and tender texture. One of the best fish dishes that I've had, especially for such a thick cut. It was served over a broth with beans, clams, and greens. They kindly served us some bread so that we could absorb every bit of broth. For dessert, we had the apple tarte served with whipped cream topped with cinnamon. It greatly focus on the crust as the filling was a few wedges of caramelized apples. Service was superb. Very attentive, knowledgeable, and helpful. Pacing of the food was perfect. There was only one restroom in the restaurant which was a single gender neutral bathroom. read more

Unassuming Gem Small fresh rotating menu with a big wine list, this place is very French. Come as you are, no dress code with squeaky metal chairs and small tables. Seating is limited and there are only a handful of bar stools so I recommend reservations. Food is extremely salty with liberal use of cheese but also extremely delicious. We ate every bite of our meal including dessert. 1. Beef was cooked perfectly with an acidic bite and fresh greens to match. 5/5 and this was the don't miss dish. 2. Tangerine starter was fun, balanced and inventive 5/5. 3. Pasta was fresh and homemade with deep flavor, cooked slightly more than you would get at a northern Italian restaurant but still gets 5/5. The pea theme was incorporated into this dish as well. 4. Cesar salad was slightly overdressed with a spicy kick, 4/5. 5. Semifrido was chocolatey with a crunch, while nuts were the star and balanced perfectly with the sweet ice cream. My only complaint is being over salted. I usually don't care to finish but we ate the whole dessert, 5/5. We enjoyed our wine immensely. You order approximately half the menu, so don't expect overwhelming choice. But nothing is that adventurous to need a bigger menu. Overall we had a great time and I would highly recommend. read more

Fradei Bistro - Pasta - Wine Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place is phenomenal. I've been dying to try it out for years, I really don't know how it took me so long but I will certainly be back. From the magnificent French ambience and hosting from Clement, to the extensive wine list and the delicious food, you've got to check this unassuming little hole in the wall out. We sat at the bar which was lovely as we were very well attended to and able to see all the dishes come out. The asparagus with smoked trout roe was *chef's kiss* and the mixed green salad was as pretty as it was delicious. We ordered way too much food but it was worth being stuffed for. I can't wait to go back read more

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After a friend highly recommended this place, I was finally able to score a reservation and enjoyed a wonderful meal here. Scoring a reservation was not easy, as Fradei Bistro is a small restaurant with limited seating, and the prix fixe tasting menu was not offered during weekends at the time. But I certainly recommend coming here for the prix fixe tasting menu with wine pairing, which is actually a great deal[1]. The atmosphere is very intimate, given the miniaturized size of this space, and thus very welcoming and friendly. Food, though, is serious business here. The menu offer seasonal dishes that can change daily, and not knowing what the menu will offer is part of the excitement of a tasting menu experience. This is what we had: - Mushroom chips with pumpkin seed romesco - Celeriac with Maine mussels, yuzu, chive - Caramelized shallots with pumpernickel, ramp, spruce - Lumache pasta with winter squash, squid, nduja (fierily spicy!) - Plum-glazed duck with kohlrabi, bread sauce - Apple cider granita with vanilla mousse, salted maple caramel It's difficult for me to pick out a dish when every dish was excellent, but the plum-glazed duck and the apple cider granita are dishes I still remember vividly months after the dinner. Looking forward to coming back again for another wonderful dinner! ----------------- [1] Best in Brooklyn alongside the carte blanche menu at Oxalis: https://www.oxalisnyc.com/ https://www.yelp.com/biz/oxalis-brooklyn read more

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I've probably passed by this restaurant so many times but never noticed it! It's a cute little spot with a green awning but no signage. It's very small, so I'd suggest making a reservation which wasn't too difficult a week before There are only about 6 ish tables? and a few bar seats They have a massive wine list by the bottle, but if you're just getting a glass, then they make it easy for you I love that their menu is also fairly simple. We chose 3 apps and 3 entrees for the 4 of us. Every dish was very good! The summer squash I thought was too heavy on the sunflower seeds, but the tomatoes were nicely seasoned and burst with sweetness For the mains, we tried the corn agnolotti, pork, and fish. So much flavor and cooked perfectly! The fish was not dry at all, but a little on the salty side. The corn pasta was heavily flavored with corn, which I LOVE. And the pork was also cooked perfectly The flavors are all great, but the portion size did not match the price. After spending about $80 per person, we left satisfied but not full and still had an appetite when we got home. read more

Fresh, local, small, and delicious. This joint seats 15 or so people and features 2 chefs plus 2 waiters. The chef mentioned he goes to the farmers market to pick out ingredients and changes the menu every month, making all the dishes extremely thoughtful and well executed. +kolrabi salad- amazing and stacked with parm. Sweet and saltyyyy +Kabocha- perfectly fried topped with this honey syrup. Dessertish +wagyu tartare- can't go wrong. Lovely sauce and little radishes on top. Plating is so beautiful +mussel toast- creamy, a lil spicy, the most exquisitely toasted toast as the vehicle for these yum mussels. Yes yes yes +swordfish- I'd like to say that I've never enjoyed a fish entree at a restaurant before. That being said, this was good but not the best! Very acidic. Fish was perfectly cooked tho, obviously +squash cake- if a cake and a pumpkin loaf had a baby that's what this would be. The chestnut cream harmonizes allll the flavors. Came out warm too! But not a suuuuper necessary order Aside from the food, service here is top notch. Lovely waiters and we even got to speak to the chef. Everyone here is attentive, passionate, patient, and kind. I'd highly highly recommend coming for a great, creative dinner :) read more

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Surprise birthday dinner here, so menu mentions are as of 05/03/22. The good: - Crab Chips made with lemon balm and hyssop salsa verde: Tastes like Asian shrimp chips and more hipster dipping sauce - Ramps with grass fed beef tartare, black apple, sunflower, and homemade sourdough bread: Best dish of the night. All tartare should be mixed with sunflower seeds, IMHO. And ramps. Good god, the ramps. - Apple Mint Granite dessert with spruce anglaise, pine nuts: Divine. Just heavenly. The refreshing ice mixed with pine mixed with mint. It's like Wynton Marsalis through a party in my mouth because it couldn't possible be any cooler inside. The meh: - Smoked Eel with Sauce Albert, chicories: Okay, but too salty. And a tad bitter. - Poulet rouge with spinach, yogurt, pencil leeks: Boring, hard to cut (chicken-wise) and super bland, despite the lush green sauce. The chicken skin was also overcooked, so a bit tough to chew. The bad: - Garganelli with asparagus, trout roe, whey: Total miss here. The pasta wasn't al dante, it was undercooked, chewy and tough. The roe was everywhere but added nothing except salt, and the asparagus were bland and bitter. The dish needed a sauce to unify it all, and bright orange salt bombs aren't it. - The ambience: Too. Effing. Loud. Good Golly, Miss Molly! If you're going to squeeze diners into a subterranean shoebox with terrible acoustics, at least don't crank up the bass-thumping music to club levels! I had no issues with the song selection (indie and classic music all BK hipsters love), just the volume. They desperately needed to turn it at least 5 notches down. I loved seeing the subtle winces of nearby diners as they repeatedly raised their voices trying to be heard over the pounding music. No one wanted to admit that $90 + tax/tip was way too much to pay to be drowning in sound. read more

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I've been eyeing Fradei for about a year and finally had a chance to pop in. Definitely already know I want to be back soon as the menu changes frequently and I mainly only went for wine. Super small but extremely charming vibe-- I sat at the bar which I prefer for a small place like this because it provides for a more intimate experience. Pasta dish that I tried and bottle of wine were both perfect! read more

Both the atmosphere and service at Fradei are charming and warm. The interior is tiny and cozy, and it feels as if there is little separation between the kitchen, bar, and the front of the house. I liked the extensive wine list, and with the help of Fradei's owner, who was also our server and expertly guided us through the wine list to help us identify something we'd love, we settled on a great bottle of Chablis, which was acidic and a little austere with just a hint of creaminess. At the end of the meal, we enjoyed a delicious glass of a sparkling skin contact. I came in with high expectations and thought that the food was pretty good, if maybe a little hit or miss. -Grilled Berkshire pork collar: this was my favorite dish of the night. The pork is to-die-for tender, but the real star is the peppery, slightly sweet, umami-bomb broth. -Lindelone goat's milk cheese: An excellent, buttery, creamy, mild cheese. Served simply with soft, warm pieces of bread, this cheese really does not need any accoutrements. -Kyoto carrots (Calabrian chili, sesame, squash): spicy carrots with toasty overtones on a bed of squash. This was good. -Line-caught red snapper (chestnuts, yuba, castelfranco): the fish was good and I enjoyed the chestnuts, but overall I found this to be a little bland. -Scallops: I usually love scallops and usually will order them if on menu, but this was a miss for me. The scallops were a little fishy, and the sauce kind of tasted like a more acidic version of Brown sauce. I would give it a 3.5 rounded up. read more

Amazing food. The restaurant is small and cozy. Everything we ordered was delicious. Had interesting beer and wine. Would love to go back. read more

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Great food and wine list. Will definitely go back. Highlights were wagyu tartare, corn salad, cod, heirloom tomatoes, and the Jura savagnin. read more

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I'm one of those people who likes to study the menu before going but with Fradei, you can't do that- they cycle out their menu frequently, and don't post the menu until they stop serving it! Frustrating (I admit, I don't like surprises) but it was worth it because the food at this little unassuming place packs quite the punch! Seating is limited- not sure if they have an outdoor space, but I think ~20 people could fit in the restaurant (including the 5 seats at the bar). Make sure to make a reservation, as I did see some folks get turned away. Our server Carson (if this is not your name, I am so so sorry) was so friendly and knowledgeable- he gave great suggestions to my husband about the wine (husband was super happy!) For appetizers, we got marinated early girl tomatoes, beef tartare and these scallops- all were so unique, flavorful and simply delicious. (my favorite app was the scallops- presentation was fantastic too, if you go, please do yourself a favor and get these!) The tomatoes and beef tartare were served with fantastic crusty bread, so so good. For our mains, we ordered the cavatelli and ricotta dumplings. The cavatelli was my favorite dish of the night- the pasta had the most amazing texture and flavor, and the sauce... simply amazing! I was blown away. Please make sure to save room for dessert- we got the almond tart (sprinkled with salt and strawberries), really great end to the meal. Every dish felt.. I can't explain it.. fun and creative! read more

Small (20 person) bistro atmosphere with some bar seating. Food is inspired and on point. Service is friendly and intimate. Small menu format so for our group of 7 we basically ordered 2 of everything on the menu except for a couple of the salads. Portion size was ample. The Caramelle (ravioli...not pictured because eaten too fast!), pork collar, and tartare were standouts. The tartare was prepared with slightly cured daikon which added a nice texture and flavor I've never had before in a tartare. The wagyu was precisely small cubed that exemplifies the attention to detail at Fradei. The smoked Hake has a strong fish flavor (as is expected from salted fish) so be prepared. Plates were all shared and refreshed once but would be nice to be served the fish last in order of entrees because it is quite soupy and impossible to keep the sauce separate on the plate. Also, it would be nice to have dishes served with serving utensils since they are meant to be shared. It was a nice touch for chef Zach to come to our table at the end of the meal so we could thank him for the top notch meal! read more

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Very great meal, excellent service. Our server was knowledgeable on different wines and gave us the perfect menu recommendation . We had the scallops, tangerine salad(omg amazing ), goat cheese, trout and pasta. All was delicious, tangerine salad and scallops were stand out. Super tiny restaurant' I recommend reservation. read more

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The kind of place I hate to rave about because it becomes too popular but they deserve every success. Passion in the kitchen meets super creative use of the freshest ingredients. A true gem. Intimate setting served by friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. Cannot wait to come back. We ordered the entire menu and not one dish disappointed. The menu changes along with market and seasonal offerings so I'm looking forward to another amazing experience here! read more

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First time trying Fradei. Al A Carte menu. We decided to try every dish on the menu. Everything was so delicious. We of course had wine with our meal and what they suggested for was perfect. We will be going back! This quaint and cozy Bistro is absolutely perfect and the service was amazing! read more

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Absolutely the best meal I've had all year. As a native NYCer I travel throughout the boroughs to have a good meal or new dining experience. Fradei Bistro was easy to get to and easy to find. Clem was a gentleman and he and the other server were gracious, knowledgeable and quietly engaged with all 28 persons in the sold out seated restaurant. We started with Kiyoti (spelling?) Carrots such a delightful fish the julienne carrots paired perfectly with the cooked acorn squash under a delightful tart dressing sprinkled with sesame seeds. The fresh sourdough was perfect for dabbing the plate clean. Next we had the agnottila (again spelling?) filled with a deliciously fresh ricotta under a light squash and caramelized onion sauce, the accompanying spoon was helpful in getting a mouthful of all those magnificent flavors in one bite. Finally we had the pork roast which arrived blanked in a perfectly dressed shaved cabbage. The marrying of flavors in each dish, created a party in my mouth in every bite. This wonderful and charming bistro reminds me of so many fabulous tiny bistros I've fallen in love with in Paris, Taormina, Shanghai, The West Village and Barcelona. But the ambience and food created by Clem and his team is stars above them all. Bravo!! read more

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This place has a lot going for it. The service, effort, space, and surprise menu are all plusses for me, but it falls short because most of the dishes failed in some way. And there was a serious salting issue on a couple dishes. Because I would not recommend this place, I feel fine giving away the dishes: The first "taste" of chips and nut-butter was ok, but over-salted and I could not taste the mushroom. The second dish of potato balls were very good and the balling technique was impressive but was actually under-salted. A little more salt would have made it exceptional. The third dish was cold shredded chicken with parsnips. It was delicious, but no technique this time and visually it's a 0. The fourth dish was WAY SALTY pasta. My wife and I love salt but this was 2-3 times what it should be and she couldn't eat it. The fifth dish of butter poached cod and puree was was delicious, and plated nicely. The dessert was also really good, except for the biscotti. They were so hard I almost broke a tooth. Should be snappy but not stale and hard. The bread was good but I think they just bought that off site. Overall there was also a lack anything fresh. Not a single herb, or anything green or bright colored. All of the food was some shade of white, brown or orange. If you have a lot of money and live close by, give it a try, otherwise, meh. read more

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For $90, you get five courses - there are no decisions to make, except for what color wine you might like. The meal here was solid, with some nods to French and Italian influences and a few surprising touches. The meal began with an amuse bouche of homemade potato chips that were light and crisp, and a parsnip purée dip. Then it followed with a cabbage slaw dressed in warmed brown butter and had oysters buried underneath it. I loved the unexpectedly contrasting temperatures in the dish. The meal followed with a mushroom flatbread, and the mushrooms were dressed in a citrusy allium vinaigrette and had a surprisingly bright note for the mushroom dish. This was my favorite dish. The meal followed with a breadcrumb and anchovy dusted pasta, which was tasty but I didn't want to eat that much of it, it got boring. The final savory course was a thick slice of porchetta with a squid ink sauce and some gooseberries. It was okay, I wish the pork was either more tender or had a more crisp edge. Dessert was a quenelle of mocha ice cream with candied lemon peel - light and refreshing, but nothing amazing. It's a tiny space that seats 10-12 people for each service, and there were no tables for more than four people. read more

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Left Fradei feeling rather disappointed in the quality of food for the price point. At this point I would not recommend it to anyone. Considering the bracket in which they place themselves in ($90 multi course tasting menu) the competition outshines Fradei on multiple fronts. Here's a breakdown: - Food: Nothing our tasting menu was memorable or in the 'good' category for the price point we had. Most of the dishes focused on pickled vegetables which was somewhat repetitive throughout the menu. We also were served no meat, which was fairly surprising given a $90 per person price. - Atmosphere: The ambiance of a small restaurant is cozy, but it does not present the feeling of a location where you'd be having an upscale tasting menu. There's a cheap curtain separating the door from the dining room draped on the floor that I almost tripped on when leaving the restaurant. - Staff: The staff were friendly and casual, but we felt the attention to detail was lacking & minor things you'd expect at a restaurant in that price bracket. If you're wondering on how I derived these feelings, I'm placing Fradei in a league of upscale restaurants for a similar price point. A simple visit to Crown Shy in fidi for example highlights a lot of these flaws in terms of expectations (albeit not a full tasting menu, but you could course a few large dishes for the same price point especially with more than one guest). Claro in Brooklyn it's another example for what expectations could be. read more

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Eating here feels like you're eating at a cozy bistro in the middle of cobblestone streets somewhere in Europe. The space is super cute and cozy, and part of what makes the dinner experience so lovely. They serve a 5 course menu for $80, and it's actually a lot of food, so expect to walk out feeling stuffed. I love that there's no menu here - even for the wines. You tell them what kind of wine you'd like (red, white, etc), and then they describe the options with adjectives (e.g., aromatic), and then you pick one. My wine was excellent and paired well with the meal. We started with an amuse bouche of chips with a beet sauce (I liked the beet sauce though I did wonder if the chips were the best vehicle for the heavy sauce as the chips were quite fragile). Our first course was a soup featuring peas and fava beans (this ended up being my favorite course, I loved the flavors of the peas and fava beans contrasted against the soup), served alongside some bread (which stays with you throughout the entire meal, so no need to rush to finish the bread before the next course). Next we had mussels with potato salad - this was the one major dud of the meal. I'm vaguely aware this might be a traditional French dish that my unrefined tastes can't appreciate, but I found the mussels too fishy and the creaminess of the potatoes just didn't mesh well with the fishy flavor in my mouth. Third course was a pasta with some yogurt (?) on top - I found this course a bit heavy but I'm not a huge pasta person in general (none of the popular NYC pasta restaurants have really wowed me) - my friends seem to enjoy this dish a lot. Fourth course was a chicken with crispy skin paired with seaweed and gooseberries. This was my friends' favorite dish - the chicken is very tender and pairs well with the crispy skin. Final course was the dessert, which was ice cream with strawberries and honeycomb. Loved the contrast of the honeycomb with the ice cream - I've never had just pure chunks of honeycomb like this before. Lovely way to end the meal. Overall, really well executed French/Italian techniques. I don't think anything really knocked my socks off, but also I think part of that is because I prefer slightly lighter (more experimental) dishes and this was a rich French/Italian meal. But it was a really wonderful dinner experience, and worth checking out if you want to be transported to a cozy French/Italian bistro with great conversation, wine and food. read more

Came here once before the restaurant switched to the tasting menu and came back upon hearing that it switched to tasting menu only. Wow, every dish was creative & superb, and I can't wait to go back to try the new menu items. Attaching some photos as the menu I tried was disclosed on their Instagram. Think they do a new menu every 4 weeks and reveal the menu items when the menu is retired. Definitely make a reservation as I don't think they take walk-ins. Lovely, intimate spot for date night. read more

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A night at Fradei is like travelling through a European country with the sons of a farmer who owns property all over that country. The food is surprising and inventive. The wine is superb. And the staff are endlessly charming. Trust Fradei with your next night out - you won't regret it. read more

Fradei is a cute little neighborhood restaurant serving up delicious food and stellar wines. The place only seats about a dozen people. There's one waiter, one bartender and a few kitchen staff. Very cozy. The menu is small (one benefit of which is you're not paralyzed by indecision as you try to figure out your order), and I'm told it changes frequently. Everything we ordered was fantastic but the standouts were the scarpinocc and glazed lamb ribs. I'd never had or even heard of scarpinocc before I can here, but it's apparently a filled pasta that is more elongated in shape than a ravioli. The koginut filling and the sauce that it was served with were both amazing. The lamb ribs has very similar flavor profiles as Chinese red braised pork (a favorite of mine) but with a crispy and sweet outer glaze. The herb salad that's served with it acts as a good counterbalance to the fattiness of the lamb. Wines are highlight here as well. They have an impressive list of natural wines, most of which are reasonably priced for bottles. We had a very nice bottle of Orange wine from Spain with our meal. read more

This review is long overdue. My husband and I love Fradei and try to go every few weeks. We live a couple blocks away in Fort Greene and--while we will often say to ourselves that we should try x new restaurant in the neighborhood that's supposed to be good--we keep coming back to this place time and time again. The food is consistently great/unique and leaves us (borderline too) full. For reference, we usually go very hungry and share 3 out of 4 small plates (not including the standalone meats or cheeses) and then 2 of 3/4 larger plates and 1-2 desserts. The wine is also fantastic and I love that the staff know it so well. In fact, I would rate the service here as some of the best I've had. It's super relaxed but everything happens seamlessly and without any delays. I don't think we've ever had to ask for more water, another glass of wine, etc. in the dozen or so times that we've been. I've been to Michelin restaurants and "best of NYC [or other city]" places and I really find the service and atmosphere at this place to be ideal. It's nice and intimate, interesting but not over the top, and never gets too loud (we're both pretty sensitive about that). I think the appeal of this place is that they're doing everything for a reason and not to be cool. They seem to genuinely like what they're offering and believe in providing a great experience. In short, this is a restaurant for lovers of food, wine and ambiance (and not just for Instagram). read more

The host was extremely rude and the atmosphere is claustrophobic. I do not recommend this place.

Enjoyed the vibe in here. Sat at the bar and the bartender found a wine to match what I was looking for quickly. Didn't eat but I will come back to test it out! read more

Really wanted to like this place as we were excited to try it out for a holiday weekend. The space itself is quite small, maybe 20 total seats. This isn't inherently an issue at all but what becomes an issue is that there seems to be 1 chief who cooks 1 dish at a time for all tables. The time between our first and last dish felt astronomically extended and by the time we got our entree we really just wanted the check. The menu itself is fine, we were not super inspired by any of it. The app choices were "the meat dish or the cheese dish" and we didn't realize the cheese dish was just a block of one cheese (admittedly a great cheese!). The mussel app is served cold which we were told about and got anyway, which I wish we hadn't. The dumplings were the best part and were genuinely good but not worth sitting around for so long for. Overall we were fairly disappointed, especially for the price point. Ended up going down the street for pizza after. read more

Tucked down a couple of steps on South Portland, Fradei is a cozy... (and cozy by bklyn standards), restaurant - maybe 30 seats in total? I definitely appreciate the intimacy of the space. Service? Great. Music? So-so. Flavors? Very good. Portion? Small. Tiramisu? Awesome. To give some perspective, (and this is totally my personal opinion)... in Fort Greene, this place rates 4.0-4.5 stars... a neighborhood like Williamsburg, I'm leaning more toward 3.5-4 stars. I'm all for smaller portions, but these portions were quite tiny. I left hungry and this was after 2 appetizers, 2 mains, glass of wine, dessert and espresso. There were 2 of us dining. All in all, Fradei is a good spot - we enjoyed it. There are just a few things to beef up on that would make this a solid restaurant in the neighborhood. Some things to Note: - Menu changes every two weeks - Walk-In's only - Their Tiramisu is excellent - Very personable & small staff - Portions are small - Typical menu will have about 3 starters & about 5 or so mains. If you're into a glutinous menu, go elsewhere. read more

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This place continues to grow on me more and more every time I go. The food is always fresh and creative and a lot of fun. The staff are so friendly and so helpful. Whether you're trying to determine what exactly to eat or what wine to pair with it, everyone here is knowledgeable and super helpful. I love the variety they offer and you're always going to find something new and unique to fall in love with. read more

A new neighborhood favorite. We had a beautiful meal. We came on the early side, 5:30pm on a Friday, to a great vibe, music, and people. Our waiter was pleasant and knowledgeable. We ordered all plates to share and the stand outs: endive salad and bucatini! The food was just so creative and adventurous. The flavors really took us by surprise. read more

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Amazing meal. Each course was inventive, fragrant, and intentional. Fantastic wine selection and the service was top notch. Five course tasting menu rotates every three weeks and our server said they work almost exclusively with an upstate NY farm to source 90% of their ingredients. While the pasta was slightly undercooked and the duck needed an acid note to elevate the dish, this restaurant is creating a highly considered experience for their guests. I would absolutely go back to try about her menu. read more

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Very cozy and cute place. Came in on Friday night as a walk in and was able to get a seat right away; we came in around 7pm and the other tables were filled. The bread (foccacia) they supply for the table was really delicious surprisingly. It was flavorful and the oil and balsamic vinegar just enhanced its own flavors. We started off with the burrata, which was absolutely creamy and melts in your mouth. We then shared the tagliatelle and maltagliati. The pasta for both dishes tasted fresh and was delicious. The brussel sprouts in the maltagliati added an interesting tang flavor. The sauce in the tagliatelle, however, was a bit underwhelming. The meats in the dish were very tender, but it was missing a bit of salt. I think if the dish was salted a bit more, it would have really made the dish. Definitely a cute spot for a date night. read more

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I've never eaten here properly but I did have the pleasure of sitting outside last Saturday (freakishly warm due to Climate Crisis), at one of their two cafe tables, in order to polish off a lovely, very drinkable bottle of white whilst reviewing some work and making a few holiday FaceTimes to relatives/dear friends. Fradei is tucked into the old Cafe Lafayette spot, next to Gardel's. The staff are super cheerful and the place is tiny and bright. At the moment, it runs like a shop--wine, focaccia (it's almost always booked/spoken for in advance so I'll assume its glorious and suggest that one jump on it by making a call to claim), a few cheeses, oils, vinegars, and fresh pasta cut via guitar strings (or wires?). There might have been a few garlic cloves, for sale, too. It's charming. And charm is essential. At least for me. I bought a gorgeous moscatel vinegar, Grana Padano, and some fettuccine--not necessarily because I needed any other these things but because I wanted to support the little spots that keep my neighborhood's charm strong. I'm not sure if the outdoor table setups will persevere through the winter but if you ever do see them out, grab a seat. It's a pleasure to hang out there for a bit, in company or enjoying time by oneself, exchanging neighborly smiles with any number of passersby, and breaking into friendly little convos as they arise. I'll hope Fradei makes it to The After, as I look forward to eating their food. For the moment, I'll hope that I can find a place in their focaccia queue. read more

Fradei just became one of our 2 favorite restaurants in Brooklyn. Tucked in the below-ground floor of a building, this cute, down to earth restaurant focuses on incredible Italian food. It's tiny, so good luck getting a reservation unless you book over 2w ahead! The focus here is on the food, and every single dish was so, so flavorful. The menu is seasonal and changes often, so you won't find these same items weeks from now, but we ordered 2 fresh salads to start - one with radicchio, figs, and mandarins, and the other with snap peas and pine nuts in chili oil. The first was refreshing and had the perfect amount of dressing to enhance the citrus. The second had a rich zing from the chili oil that paired really well with the freshness of the snap peas. We then shared the halibut immersed in a yummy umami sauce with ?spinach? and beans that was great for dipping leftover bread in and a delicious pasta with a type of pesto made with a type of green herb that was not basil. The menu is mostly wine and beer and they don't have a full bar, so you won't get your cocktail fix here. Plates are small to medium sized and pricey, so we paid about 1.5 times what we usually would spend for a Brooklyn dinner, but it was worth every penny! We were full after 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. Service was quick and knowledgeable. We will be back!! read more

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