Came to Brooklyn for a concert and found this place…read more Fantastic. We got the burrata, which was delicious and very fresh. I had the chicken bacon ranch sandwich, with grilled chicken, which didn't feel heavy at all and was absolutely delicious. The pork belly sandwich that my friend had was good, and he said that it had a spice to it that made it unique. We got a few rounds of the pigtail, and it was light refreshing and very summery. The wait staff was very friendly, and attentive.. and we sat out in the back and it was great. Would recommend if in the area!

Boy, this place should have been fantastic and just couldn't get there. My top-tier chum who…read moreliterally went to the school of hospitality and I stopped by here Tuesday night prior to the Nets game for some light bites and cocktails - I refuse to buy the overpriced crap at Barclays, so this seemed like more than a good compromise. I also had multiple chums from Brooklyn endorsing this spot, so everything seemed to be lining up for an excellent night. Unfortunately, I'm starting to think you just can't go to places like this on a Tuesday, but maybe it was just a bad night. I got here way before my chum due to our work schedules, literally 45 minutes or so. It wasn't 6pm yet and while there were definitely customers in both the bar area and the backyard outdoor section, it was pretty chill. I was able to secure a small table next to the bar right by the open window in the front (probably because the sun was glaring down on it, which wasn't an issue 10 minutes later) and just chilled out for a while, enjoying the excellent warm weather. This was the highlight of the experience, which unfortunately my chum did not get to enjoy. A lot of this was just unfortunate timing, I think. As I was waiting for my chum, people were practically streaming into the bar, probably about 25 or so, which I watched with increasing trepidation. Pretty much all of them wanted a drink, and there was only one bartender. They did not fix that problem until well into my chum's visit, so there was literally just the one guy making a gazillion drinks for about 45 minutes. Just no reason for that at all, especially given that they DID have the resources to divert and had a young woman back there at a certain point. But once I saw how crazy it was getting, I tried to pre-emptively order a second round, which he forgot about and had to ultimately be reminded of. It took literally half an hour to get the second drink. When my chum arrived, she went up to the bar to order her own drink and some of the arancini. She came back 10 minutes later and said she wasn't given the opportunity - THAT is completely insane. If you're so swamped that customers have to wait that long to even order much less get their drinks, you need help. Not clear where the disconnect was, but what started out as a great experience pretty much crash landed. Really disappointing. The crowd did thin out ultimately but the damage had been done. We were able to get the drinks but didn't bother with the additional app because we didn't want to risk missing a big chunk of the Nets game. So by not being even remotely attentive for a significant period of time, they left money on the table. I will say that the bartender himself maintained his professionalism throughout, and just kept making the drinks. Pretty much the opposite of what would have happened on Bar Rescue. This was on management, not the bartender. The drinks WERE good, which also made the service problems a shame. I got the Witch Doctor, which featured bourbon, rosemary, maple and lemon. Really well made, and appropriate for the unseasonably warm evening - it's the kind of bourbon cocktail made for summer. Would absolutely get that again. And the food was very solid. The star of the night was the arancini, which were featured prominently on the apps menu right at the time and promoted as one of their big selling points - deservedly so. These were honestly some of the best rice balls I've had. The cheese in the middle emphasized the flavors and wasn't too dense or overwhelming, the balls were cooked perfectly, and the sauce (the underrated part of rice balls for me) was delicious. Huge recommend. I also got a margarita flatbread to share with my chum, and that was good as well. Everything was going to come up short to the arancini, but it hit the spot. As mentioned, this was a random Tuesday night when maybe they don't have their full crew ready to rock. Maybe it was a fluke crowd surge? I just don't know, but the bottom line was that they weren't prepared for the customers who came in and were already there, and that's a big problem. If you can't deliver the same quality that you do on the weekends and predictably busier times, then you shouldn't be open that early in the week. Hopefully they figure it out because there's a lot to like here.

Service and ambiance gets five stars. I only had drinks and that was 5 stars as well. Perhaps the…read morenext visit I'll try the food. You have to try the flaming cocktail called the SAY SO! Had a few of those. Perhaps that's why I didn't remember to take photos... Just a video. *I took a screenshot of the video for your reference. This is a must try. 100% YES for me. Go with a date, solo, or friends. You won't regret it.

Great service, especially for a large group. I was appreciative that they fit us into a booth and…read morekept checking if we needed anything! Fun drinks too! We loved the grasshopper and the daiquiri. The martinis are intense though, and not for the faint of heart if you don't already love martinis!

Sauced is such a gem. The food, wine, and ambiance were all amazing, but what truly stood out to me…read morewas the service. We were served by Mehdi, and he went absolutely above and beyond. He was so kind and warm and genuinely treated us like he knew us personally, which added so much to the cozy, homey vibe of the place. The space itself is really cute -- perfect lighting with red tones, exposed brick walls, and such an intimate, inviting atmosphere. We ordered the charcuterie board and it was one of the best I've ever had. It was packed with an incredible variety of meats and cheeses and was more than enough to generously feed our table of four. At a lot of wine bars, I leave still feeling unsatisfied, but this one was filling and so well done. I had the Riesling and it was amazing -- the perfect balance of sweet and dry. And the real star of the show was the grilled cheese with ragù. So delicious. I'm from LA, but we will absolutely be back every time we're in Brooklyn. Highly recommend & cannot say enough about this place! It was one of the highlights of our trip :)

A very cute and cozy wine bar, with a really nice outdoor patio. I enjoyed the decor with the disco…read moreballs and the chalk on the walls. It can get quite busy here, so it may be difficult to find seating. They ask you what type of wine you like, and let you try a few different ones before settling on a glass. I was only given two wines to try though, and would have liked to have sampled a couple more.

An upscale hidden gem in Park Slope. On a Saturday evening it was quite busy with every seat…read moretaken, but we were so fortunate a table opened just as we walked in. The bar gives off a speak easy vibe with lighting provided by candles. They have an extensive drink menu and we had the Orchard Thief. A vodka based drink with apple brandy and apple cider. sweet but not too sweet and garnished with a sprig of rosemary. They have a unique variety of small plates. We had the Squash Bruschetta . A twist on classic bruschetta replacing tomatoes with roasted squash. A blend of balance of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. We also tried the recommended famous Duck Club. The duck was thinly sliced on house-made raisin-nut bread with bacon. It was unique and very flavorful. Service was excellent. I highly recommend for cocktails and small plates.

Exquisite Drinks. Fantastic Service. Relaxing Vibes. A perfect example of what a great bar should…read morebe. Great for a date or celebration.

This restaurant is 6 out of 5 stars…read more I ate here a few times back when I lived in NYC, and now that I can afford to, I make a point of going every time I visit NYC. I bring friends and family and lovers when they're in NYC with me. It doesn't get old. Some restaurants I visit a few times and get tired of. Not traif. The value is spectacular. I think the tasting menu was up to $62 the last time I visited (up from $45 when it opened around 2010 if I recall correctly, so the price has increased less than CPI inflation), plus an obligatory service fee in lieu of a tip. (A positive in my mind, I hate tipping culture.) For 10 or so dishes. That's like $6 a dish before the service fee and tax. You can hardly buy any prepared food dish in the city for $6. The cheapest items at Woorijip are $5. A slice of pizza at a midrange pizzeria is $5. You're getting around 10 excellent dishes at a fancy chef grade quality level for $6 each. There is a wide range of flavors, spices, ingredients, and textures. The ambience is comfortable, casual, and hipsterish. You can come as you are, you don't need to dress up. The patio is really nice when weather allows. There is enough space between tables (by NYC standards) for comfort. The cocktails are also quite good. I usually order two. Haven't tried the wine pairing as I'm not as much of a wine drinker. The service is consistently good. Traif is my standard of comparison for more expensive fine-dining restaurants. Any time I eat at a more expensive meal, I ask myself, did I enjoy the food more or less than I would have enjoyed a $62 meal at traif. More often than not, traif wins. The exceptions are usually at least 2x as expensive as traif. That's not to say there's no merit in trying those other restaurants, for the sake of variety or their unique ambiance. But like I was in Honolulu recently and had a tasting menu in Waikiki that was 3x the price of traif and it was terrible. Every dish was the same flavor, umami and salt. They put all their XP into plating and textures, and none into flavors. I was at Bad Roman recently and spent $100 before tax and tip on dinner and one drink. The ambiance was sublime, but the food was just so-so. Other than their neighboring sister restaurant xixa (similar format but Mexican-inspired), I know of no other restaurant in NYC where you can get nearly this price point for such high quality cheffy food. There used to be a few others maybe. They went out of business or raised their prices. Only traif and xixa remain. I've spent a lot of time looking. I haven't found any. As an Ashkenazi atheist, I also love how the name and theme of the restaurant poke fun at kashrut.

Traif is a really special restaraunt with curated dishes to share. It's in a pretty small space…read morewhich feels homey and friendly. Looks like they have a cute outside dining area in the back although I didn't venture into it. Probably would be great for a balmy evening meal. All the food we got was delicious - they have a lot of pork and seafood on the menu. Everything was shareable and so flavorful. Really enjoyed the food. They'll try to sell you on the Chef's Choice but it just didn't seem like an efficient route for our table so we just ordered the items that caught our eye. Only reason for 4 stars is because the waiter's attitude changed a bit when we didn't order any alcoholic drinks. There's an automatic 20% tip here and it's already a pricey place so seems like a strange attitude to have...

All of the food was amazing. We went with the Chef's Menu which was a selection of 6 tapas and a…read morepaella of your choice. We asked that they include the croquettes among the tapas and we chose the squid ink paella. The croquettes, pork, brussel sprouts, and potato were all perfect and exceptional. The tees leches cake was perfectly moist and not overly sweet as well. I wish there was a little more seafood in the paella l, but the taste was still amazing. The bruschetta and asparagus were delicious, but left something to be desired compared to the other dishes. The bartender was amazing (we sat at the bar), but very busy, so service was a little slow.

Having a late night outting in NYC I came across this smal tapas restaurant that surprised me as I…read morewalked in. I was greeted greatly, even with only a few minutes before last call for dinner service. The server and the bartender was reallt friendly and knowledgeable with the menu. Gave me really great options. For food I had the Spanish Olives, Pop a La Pedra, & the Croquetes Del Dia(made fresh every day and changes as well). I had a old fashion to drink, needed something that will warm me up for the cold weather. The ambiance was cute, and chic. You can tell that the workers run it like a little food family and I love that the most about El Born. Will definitely come again ans try out their brunch , heard it was amazing.

Nice atmosphere, good for snacks and drinks, a bit pricey for a full meal. The fried pizza with…read morepotato chips and pancetta was delicious, and we shared the brussels, green beans, and fries. Everything was solid, and the staff were kind. I liked the lighting and vibe inside, it's a great spot for hanging out for a drink. They have cute little postcards you can take home by the bathroom, a detail I always love.

Came here with a group of people. Really chilled vibes and relatively empty. I had their upside…read moredown Cesar salad which was really good although the chicken was so thin. We also tried their pizza which was really good as well. The drinks were ok not very strong. Overall 3.5 stars

Wow, just wow! Excellent experience and incredible food. You could really taste the quality in all…read morethe ingredients. The spreads and purees were delicious, as well as the mains. We had to keep ordering bread to make sure we finished every last drop of sauce in each plate (and the bread is fantastic too). Cocktails are very good as well and not badly priced. All servers were friendly and the place had a casual yet sophisticated vibe, which I like. This is a restaurant where you should come with a group to make sure you try a bit of everything. The price-to-quality ratio has me planning my next visit!

2 pieces of barbari bread ($6x2) seemed necessary to soak up what we ordered as appetizers. Carrot…read moreborani at $19 was delicious, though more pricey than expected for the amount. It disappeared within 4 bites. Maybe that's a good thing? The kashke bademjan (eggplant, $23) is smothered in yogurt and other toppings. Would say this is more worth than the carrot, on a flavor per bite basis. I would hardskip the potato tahdig ($18). Convince me that this is something more than an enlarged hashbrown with fancier ketchup. The baseline was on a dollar menu. This evokes the "this is chicken nuggets" meme after someone prepared a "breaded chicken piccata." The kabob koobideh ($25) comes with 7 small cubes of beef/brisket, and some rice. Can you taste or experience the wagyu? What are we doing here? You receive 1 bone marrow and 4 pieces of angus short rib with the ghormeh sabzi ($48). Good, yes. Worth it? Questionable. Overall, delicious, but I'm biased toward Persian food and feel like it has a high floor. I don't think Eyval stood out compared to lower-priced Persian options, which made me feel like the visit wasn't justified.

These tapas are huuuuuge! We felt so silly after ordering so many plates but the portions here are…read moreso great for sharing. Excellent prices even for protein plates made us think they would be much smaller sizes. Service was excellent and quick. The only thing I would change was with this being a fusion restaurant the croquetas weren't the typical style I like for tapas, but if you like a drier crunchier potato style you might like them. The Paloma drink was delicious and they were able to add a Tajin rim that I asked for so make sure to ask because they have it just not on the menu! The melted candle decor added a romantic ambiance feel to the overall setting that made for a great date night!

Fun little place with good and diverse food. Definitely great for a small group. Some places focus…read moreon being aesthetically pleasing at the cost of flavor and taste. Not Manchego- it's the best of both worlds.

"Right On" I rarely…read moretake the time to review a spot unless I feel absolutely necessary. Lunatico is a place that has been on my list for awhile. Immediately upon entering, one of the servers said it was standing room only by the door or by the stage. That was not a problem, but then she immediately proceeded to question our ability to provide patronage, asking if we had a card to validate us occupying the space. The vibe was off. After explaining to the owner/singer that we felt unwelcomed upon entering his establishment he said "right on" and it's busy on Saturdays. Long story short: music was a vibe, but customer service was severely lacking, and presumptuous.

7th March 2026 Brooklyn, NY…read moreMy 700th essay (How did I get here?) We finally found our way to the Bushwick Bed-Stuy neighborhood of the Artist owned Bar LunÀtico. The joint is packed and buzzing with a wall length bar, live music in the back. We're specifically here to see our dear friend, Frank LoCrasto and his way cool band XOTICA. They are fantastic and fabulous! LunÀtico was founded by musicians with an aim of combining sophisticated cocktails with a funky music scene, whilst encouraging patrons to support artists through donations. Here, one can enjoy a wide range of music, like jazz, rock, punk, house, calypso, reggae, folk, pop, indie, samba, etc. on a nightly basis. LunÀtico receives praise for its unique vibe, serving quality bespoke cocktails with some delicious tapas off the small menu. Please kindly observe my photos. + +Get your groove on! Wishing you all a fabulous Spring ahead weekend. Do enjoy sleeping-in an extra hour on Sunday. However, good luck on Monday morning. Thank you for reading!