I went here a few years ago and had an ok meal but loved the garden in the back and the atmosphere. Went back recently to find out it was only an 8 course tasting menu. It was too late to cancel the reservation without being charged so we gave it a try. I was left very hungry after about 8 bites of food and $250 later. The garden in the back is also gone now. I will not be returning. read more

Came here on a date night with my boyfriend last night with some high expectations and left somewhat disappointed. There were some definite hits and misses. What We Got: Orange Wine - Not like a typical orange wine, but good. Duck Liver Mousse - Definitely an acquired taste. Really rich and not enough crackers. Fried Pickles - The pickles got lost in the batter and sauce. Bread Service - Both bread and marmalade were delicious. Kale & Crab Rangoon - Biggest disappointment of the night for me. Crab was completely lost and while making it lighter with ricotta is a great idea it missed on the creaminess that makes this dish normally so good. Carrot Crepe - Great flavor and texture. Would 100% get again. Tagliatelle - Our favorite dish of the night. It was made with a vegetable (can't recall) that made this normally heavy dish feel a lot lighter. By far the desserts were the best part of the night. We were a little bummed that neither the churros nor smore's were available *but* we split the froyo and strawberry rhubarb shortcake and were so happy. Service: Our server was both helpful and informative. They take your entire order at once so the one big downside to the service was that it felt like dishes came out really quickly for us before we had to make space for another. Overall this is a place I'd likely come back to for dessert and wine. While some other items are great, it feels like too expensive of a spot with not enough of a guarantee. read more

Excellent food, and service. Love the Parring testing menu. A must local hotspot not to miss.

Slowest and most inattentive service I've received. Food was ok, certainly not worth the experience as a whole.

We were underwhelmed by both the quality of the food and the overall experience. At one point, we waited ~45 minutes between dishes, with the tasting menu taking over 3 hours. For the prices that Olmstead charges, we expected better across the board. read more

We did a prefix menu with wine pairings. It was outstanding. The staff was so knowledgeable and helpful. I have many allergies and they worked around all of them. Definitely need a reservation. The outdoor back patio seating was really nice. The inside looked a bit tight when it was full. It's pricey but worth it for a celebratory dinner! read more

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Olmsted is a hidden gem tucked away in Brooklyn. The food here is excellent. The garden outside is great for a cocktail or desert, yet the seating is not ideal for more than two people, as it lines the perimeter of the garden with fixed mini tables. read more

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Had dinner at Olmsted on Friday evening. The restaurant is testing limits of creativity with its menu, however I couldn't help but feel that the concepts and the flavors were not aligned, sacrificing quality for style. Quality: Olmsted is a Brooklyn restaurant that has garnered a strong reputation. They keep a small menu that rotates regularly, and we visited during the start of the fall season. While there was no doubt that the dishes use very fresh ingredients and attempt to elevate traditional items, I left feeling there was not much about my meal I loved. I started the evening with the Rosemary Cocktail, based in mezcal with a herbal and spicy flavor, it was a hit with me. For dishes, first out were the Beer Battered Squash Rings, which were just okay. They come out hanging on a tree, and while I liked the mix of seasoning on them, I just felt it landed closer to onion rings than the donuts they aimed for. Next was the Duck Liver Mousse, which I liked though it was a little heavy on jam. Then was their signature Kale & Crab Rangoons, which I simply did not enjoy. I think the name conjures a certain flavor, and this was quite the opposite. I would classify the dish as closer to fried ravioli. The one thing I think they did get right from take-out Chinese crab rangoons is the minimal amount of crab flavor. Our mains were both decent, but neither I would need again. The Rutabaga Tagliatelle added an interesting textural element to a traditional pasta dish, but not one I would crave. While the Roasted & Confit Duck was a fun way to showcase two styles of duck, with the confit style much more flavorful. There were highlights to the meal, but my true takeaway was too much inconsistency for a menu with so few items. Quantity: Dishes are all medium sized and arranged to share. Value: $15-$16 for their Cocktails. $15 for the Beer Battered Squash Rings. $16 for the Duck Liver Mousse. $18 for the Kale & Crab Rangoon. $30 for the Rutabaga Tagliatelle. $36 for the Roasted & Confit Duck. Ambiance: Olmsted is located in the Prospect Heights area of Brooklyn. The street in front of the restaurant was shut down, so they had plenty of seating located outside. Inside, the space is long and narrow, with a bar that stretches about half the restaurant, until it hits the kitchen, with a row of tables parallel. Lots of plants hung from the wall, adding a touch of greenery to an otherwise simple space. They also have an outdoor garden patio, which looked lovely from my quick peek. The space gets pretty loud when busy, so I could not tell if music was playing in the background. Crowd: Reservations are required at least a week out for this hot spot. I was only able to get bar seating on a Friday night. Service: They were one of the more stringent locations for COVID I have visited recently, still doing contact tracing. We sat at the bar and the two guys behind the counter were great acting as servers for us and drink makers for the rest of the restaurant. Parking: With construction and closed streets, the only parking would be several blocks away. read more

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I have had my eye on Olmsted for a while so I was super excited when I was able to snag a reservation! We started off our meal with their ginger beer that was both refreshing and delicious. For starters we had the wheatberry bread with honey butter as well as the crab rangoons. The bread was nice and warm and the honey butter was the perfect pairing. ** Note to my vegetarians, they will make a vegetarian version of the crab rangoons upon request! These were also good and seem very popular but probably not my favorite part of the meal. The rutabaga tagliatelle was definitely the showstopper, I didn't even know it was possibly to make something like this out of rutabaga but it was one of the best vegetarian dishes I have ever had. It had amazing flavors and a texture I prefer to other types of vegetable "pastas" like zoodles or spaghetti squash or even actual pasta. It really absorbed the flavoring of the seasoning and the cheeses well but and was all the more enjoyable as it was somewhat guilt-free haha! For dessert we opted for the chocolate mousse and received complimentary frozen yogurt. The mousse was nice with a cocoa-y flavor and the frozen yogurt was quite unique in both flavor and texture. I would definitely recommend both. The ambiance was nice and quiet, would be great for a datenight or small group gathering. The service was also great and again I was happy at how willing they were to offer vegetarian variations on some of their offerings. read more

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Olmstead might just be Brooklyn's best restaurant... REALLY!!! Why you ask? Unique ambiance, excellent food and great service!!! Is there anything else you are looking for in a great restaurant??? If you want the full experience, head to Olmsted when the sun goes down, have drinks/appetizers in the back garden enjoying the twinkle lights, the night sky and watching the ingredients you are about to enjoy growing in raised beds and the greenhouse... Let's face it, the garden is a magical place!!! Then, if you get a bit chilly at night, be sure you bring enough of your friends to book the private dining room... what an awesome place for a festive meal surrounded by the people you enjoy the most!!! While many private dining rooms with high ceilings and large tables seem formal or cold... This on feels warm and intimate!!! I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! Now to the food... Everything (and I mean everything) my group ate at Olmsted got a unanimous thumbs up. The meats were perfectly cooked, the vegetables and alternative (animal based) protein dishes served to the vegan members of our group were flavorful and, when it came to dessert, the chef knocked our socks off! I WANT THEIR FROZEN YOGURT RECIPE AND I WANT IT NOW!!!! There were 16 of us at dinner and we spent a good part of the last half hour trying to figure out the ingredients they used to make such a subtle, nuanced and deliciously refreshing dessert. Siskel and Ebert agree... "Two Thumbs Up" for Olmsed from appetizers, to ambiance, to the main course, to dessert!!!! read more

Staff was great so I am going to make the beginning point here that this is not really a negative review at all for the service. Don't eat here. Lobster toasts are rice crackers with a seafood taste. Liver mousse was half strawberry puree. Fried asparagus was five pieces of battered asparagus. Radish salad was tart and weak. Fried crab was small. Thirty bucks. I looked forward to this meal. I wanted to like it. I wanted to find the good thing to order. Don't eat here. I won't be back. read more

Olmsted is my favorite restaurant in all of New York City. And if you even just look at my review count, you can see I eat out a lot in New York City. This spot in Brooklyn is absolute magic. While you wait for your table, you can sit in the cozy back patio where they have blankets to bundle in if it's cold. The reason I like this place is because every single item is incredible. There may be some single dishes I like better at other places, but for a complete meal where every dish made me go WOW, this is it. The lobster dip thing is a great little app, and the carrot crepe is absolutely to die for. Clams, carrot crepe, and citrus make it for a rare and incredibly flavorful combo. The duck is also delicious. I've been a few times and really everything is good. I've unfortunately never made it in time for s'mores here, which you can cook in the back. I think you have to order it by like 8:30 or something to do it, and I'm always still on dinner then. But, the lavender yogurt is outstanding and a wonderful dessert. Oh, also, they have cutie little chickens in the back! Olmsted is an absolute MUST. read more

Really not sure what the fuss is about. Came for brunch, the menu is VERY limited if you don't eat meat. The portions were small and I just was not blown away. Maybe dinner is what makes this place so popular. It's a Cute space and the garden is gorgeous. The service was also really good and that's what the 3 stars are for. Good really was mediocre. read more

I was very excited to try this place. I am a fan of farm to table type restaurants. Had every dish except 3 (skipped the bread, duck liver mousse and swapped the artic char for the special arctic char). The dishes were very well presented but none of which were delicious. The special arctic char was probably the best dish but it was mostly just great fish with acid. After every dish I thought, maybe the better dishes are coming - nope. The restaurant is cute and very organized. Oh and my friends mocktail was f'ing amazing - Sage and Molasses syrup with Ginger beer, I'd only come back for that, sorry chefs. read more

KenScale: 8.5/10 As I have been carrying on my resolutions for 2019 to revisit restaurants I had previously been to and select places that I would like to go to more regularly with my wife Jun, one of the restaurants that has been on my radar for second look was Olmsted, one of the best newcomers that opened in 2016. When Jun and I, back then not married together yet, we had a lot of things to like about the thoughtful culinary philosophy of the kitchen emphasizing the freshness of ingredients and finding ways to present small dish-centric plates at affordable prices to become a truly neighborhood destination every New Yorker would love to go every once in a while. Olmsted was almost universally praised when it opened, but as I have witnessed with other restaurants that made a splash in the beginning only to fade after several months, I wasn't sure what our second visit would look like. On a recent Sunday, after stopping by Brooklyn Museum nearby the restaurant to watch the ongoing Frida Kahlo exhibition, Jun and I went to the restaurant for an early dinner, and it was clear that Olmsted is still going very strong. Just like our first visit, the menu at Olmsted consists almost entirely of small plates ideal for sharing and no single dish costing more than $24. This time, Jun and I made it a point to order dishes we hadn't tried previously, and had a lot to like about our choices, starting with the dip inspired by lobster thermidor that was a perfect snack to kick off the meal. I guess there was a mix-up with our sourdough and honey butter bread order as it took us nearly 20 minutes to get it; perhaps our server felt bad about it and wanted to express apology with a free plate of the now iconic carrot crepe with little neck clams and sunflower underneath that was one of our favorite dishes from the first visit. It was as beautifully plated as I had remembered, and was still an outstanding dish showing the remarkable ingenuity of the kitchen to marry garden and sea. One of my favorite dishes of the night was mushroom spätzle following the Russian tradition of stroganoff style dishes. It was earthy and delightfully creamy without overpowering my palate. If this were to be my lunch every day, I would be very delighted. The kitchen at Olmsted draws inspirations from outside the U.S. often to great effect, like the lamb chakna (a type of spicy stew from India) with red lentil naan and pear chutney on the side. You don't feel the same fiery intensity of Indian cuisine, but the way Olmsted reimagined the dish to fit its culinary philosophy was quite memorable. For larger dishes, we both enjoyed grilled scallops with winter slaw, spicy peanut and XO sauce for its playful take on Chinese flavor. The only dish that was off from our dinner was the duck, which really comes in two formats (duck breast and dark meat accompanied by watercress salad). While the duck breast's texture wasn't too bad, we wished it didn't have the sweet sauce underneath that surprisingly overpowered the meat, and the watercress salad was simply too aggressive in flavor to give us any chance to savor the dark meat. Still, we both agreed that Olmsted is a very good restaurant while enjoying another iconic dish from the restaurant, the frozen yogurt with lavender honey (if we had more room for dessert, we probably would've tried the s'mores again at the garden but we were beyond stuffed by the time we were ready for dessert). Getting a reservation at Olmsted is still very difficult although if you plan ahead and don't mind early dinner seating, you should be OK. The dining space was full of diners and there were still guests waiting for their turn at the garden, showing the enduring popularity of Olmsted in the Brooklyn neighborhood. There is full bar as always with inventive cocktail menus inspired by various elements of the garden. New York City now has plenty of restaurants that claim to be farm-to-table in concept, but it's hard to top Olmsted with its own garden and the consistency of the kitchen's execution using the best ingredients available. Because of the letdown from the duck, I will hold off giving the KenScale All-Star to Olmsted for now but will certainly visit the restaurant again in the near future to give it another shot. read more

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Have eaten there three times between 2021 and a month or so ago, and each time the food has been delicious and inventive. And I love the setting--cozy and personal, with great service. They recently changed up the seating process, so now you are greeted in a kind of anteroom with a little aperitif before they bring you in. Fun and unique, and it is unexpectedly nice to have a special "way station" to enjoy between street and restaurant. read more

My expectation was sky high the moment I walked into Olmsted. With James Beard award for the best new restaurant and raving reviews on Eater. I expect the best, and Olmsted does not disappoint. I liked the vibe, the coziness, the back patio with string lights a bathtub koi pond, all the details of the decor really make the restaurant pop and be as inviting as it can be. Food was amazing - The fried crab rangoon was a stand out, along with the clam carrot crepe and the grilled pork belly were my favorites. We ordered a burgundy red ($100) that was pretty good value and paired well with the food. Highly recommend read more

Loved the food on the pre fixe menu! Very innovative. The ambience and staff were also very friendly. Definitely a great date night spot! read more

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After coming here once for brunch and leaving without much of an impression, this dinner blew me away! We walked in around 5:30 when they open for dinner and sat at the bar. Our bartender was awesome!! So helpful when it came to picking dishes (we wanted to order everythingg) and called the some over to help us with a bottle of wine. He also made our starter cocktails super fast! The menu looked great for the season but we ended up going with duck patte, carrot crepe, spatzle, crab and kale rangoons, scallops, falafel and desert. The spatzle and crepe really stuck out. I'm still not sure how they made the spatzel but it was luxurious and silky smooth soft over perfectly chewy pasta and tons of cheese (how could you go wrong???). The carrot crepe is a signature dish which totally doesn't surprise me, I wouldn't immediately pair carrots and clams but they do it perfectly. We got a bottle of bubbly because I feel like it pairs best when there are flavors all over the place and the somm helped us pick something dry but not too thin in body. It was perfect. We got the frozen yogurt dessert and we couldn't stop raving about it. The whipped cream on top is like thick tangy sour cream and underneath is the creamy not too frosty ice cream. On a hot new york summer day it was truly unbeatable, we're already trying to replicate it at home. I will say we probably ordered too much food, but like I said, it was hard to pick from this line up. I do wish we had gotten the bread service, we had a little carb-based jealousy with the couple next to us! Olmsted is creative and affordable, and I love a menu that continues to change! read more

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Great meal! Great service! Incredible taste! Came here on a Wednesday for a late dinner at 9:30pm. I was blown away by the flavor combinations and wish I could've eaten more. Needless to say, I'll be back soon! 5star! read more

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Truly lovely dinner here. Food might have been a 4, but the experience more than pushes it to a 5. Their private dining room is stellar. Service is super attentive and you basically feel like you are eating in your own personal restaurant since even the entrance is separate from the rest of the restaurant. Highly recommend booking it if you ever have group dining needs. We tried: Fried asparagus - Light tempura with a delicious sauce. Snap pea sushi - Omg I loved this. Raw fish draped over a snap pea with a slice of lemon on top, lovely contrasts of flavors and textures. Duck liver mousse - This was revelatory for some but I was less blown away. It's very well executed duck liver mousse, but that can be found in other places as well. Shaved beet salad - One of the less exciting dishes Kale Crab Rangoon - Stuffed with crab meat and quite tasty. Carrot Crepe - Iconic for a reason. Honestly found it heading a bit on the sweeter end but it was unique. Nashville hot soft shell crab - Fine but it's just soft shell crab, nothing revelatory Heritage Pork - Wow this was excellent. The pork seemed a bit like chopped then reshaped like a singular piece but the fhppping is what brought out the flavor. I dunno what they're doing here but it's excellent. Frozen Yogurt - Topped with a thick meringue it's interesting tho not necessarily my cup of tea Old school chocolate mousse - Rich and creamy chocolate mousse topped with delicious creme fraiche. read more

All the food and drinks at this restaurant are delicious. The chef can accommodate dietary restrictions, even on a pre-fixe menu. The ambiance is nice, the garden is beautiful. The food is very expensive, and one might expect to receive larger portions. However, even after dining on the pre-fixe menu for date night, I left feeling full and pretty satisfied. read more

Customer service and quality of food- my top two determining factors when rating a restaurant. I came here for the Valentine's Day prefix dinner with my partner for $125 PER PERSON (not including drinks, gratuity or tax). The customer service was AMAZING. Honestly, above and beyond. They also gave us two complimentary bottles of sparkling water. Now, for the food. $250 for JUST a tasting menu was a little on the steep side- but I understand. The tasting menu included: -Oysters (delicious, but 4 small oysters) -Lobster Thermidor (very small) -Kale and crab Rangoon (amazing) -Shaved beet salad (amazing) -Mushroom stroganoff (amazing) -Rye bread with honey butter (amazing) -Scallops (cooked PERFECTLY. Debatably the best scallops I've had to date) -I had the Long Island Duck with a side of something (the side I had was to DIE for. The duck was bland, unseasoned and not memorable. Kind of disappointing) -My parter had the rutabega tagliatelle (wasn't good AT ALL but E for effort) -for dessert, the raspberry jam and milk ice cream sundae cream puff with caramelized white chocolate (OMG! To die for) I left full and delighted. The food exceeded my expectations. I'd be back. read more

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Decent brunch near the park. We stopped in on a Saturday with a reservation (recommended since the space is small and has a backyard that doesn't have real tables (more like benches). We sat at the bar. We started with the duck liver mousse, which had a jelly layer that paired really well with the lightly toasted brioche. The beet salad was shaved and crispy, which is so different from the usual soft beet salad. It was a bit too much sour but fresh. We probably could've skipped the squash bread since it was slightly dry and too much carbs for us. Highlight was the duo (duck sausage and eggs), which paired well with the snap peas. The eggs were really tender but wish there was more sausages. read more

Olmsted - Duck Liver Mousse with delicious brioche. - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

A lot of hype on this place, and it lived up to it. We got (in order of how much I liked it): - Morgan's meats - Male mullet tartare - Sweet potato & uni pierogies - Crawfish boil crackers - Carrot crepe - Rutabaga "tagliatelle" My wife would have them ordered differently -- she was a little freaked out by the texture of the meats, and she absolutely loved the pierogies (that was easily her #1). That said, we loved almost everything. We started with the crawfish crackers (recommended by the Michelin inspector's Twitter account the day before...), which were excellent. The meats were weird but incredible -- I forgot to ask exactly what it was, but it was essentially gelled meats in some kind of honey (I think?) that you smear on toast. Really amazing. The tartare was a close second for me. I really liked the pierogies as well, but not quite as much as my wife -- she said it was one of her favorite things she had eaten in a while, and she kept talking about them the day after. We both really liked the carrot crepe, but thought it was somewhat overrated -- the clams and the crepe itself were great, but not as mindblowing as some of the other dishes we got. We also were really excited for the tagliatelle (which was from from rutabaga, not actual pasta), but I don't think we'd get it again -- the lamb and hen looked incredible, and I think we'd sub those in as our main(s) next time. This place is clearly still in its hype phase -- we made a reservation almost a month out and the best we could get was 9:45 on a Thursday -- but I get it, and I hope it's around for a long time. Can't wait to go back and try things once the menu turns over again. (The menu we had looked pretty different than the menu from the summer.) read more

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Olmsted is a popular restaurant in Brooklyn that is known for its farm to table cuisine and lovely backyard. We got the chance to come here on a Saturday for brunch, and had made a reservation. We'd specifically requested seating in their backyard, and were led there after we arrived. After our friend arrived, we ordered, and our food was served in a timely fashion. Two of our group who eat meat, shared a couple of dishes between them, while I opted to have my own vegetarian dish, the chickpea socca. There were only a few vegetarian dishes on the menu, so I had little choice. The chickpea socca was made from chickpea flour, and came with two perfectly fried eggs, avocado, and some vegetables. The presentation was something like what you would expect from a high end restaurant. The taste was fine, but nothing amazing or memorable. My friends who eat meat were happier than I was with their dishes, which included a bacon and egg roll, and the beet salad. Service was attentive, efficient and friendly. I would maybe come back for dinner, but based on what I had this time, not for brunch. read more

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I finally made it here to this high-demand restaurant .. enjoyed dinner: Gobi pakora cauliflower Morgan's meats (guinea hen liver mousse) Sweet potato and uni pierogies Carrot crepe Duck chankna with pear chutney Rutabaga tagliatelle Guinea hen roasted and confit Pork collar Highlights were the carrot crepe and guinea hen (liver mousse under snacks; and the entree (roasted and confit). Very creative and flavorful execution. The pork and the duck dishes were wonderful as well but the must-haves are the former The Gobi pakora cauliflower was a tad oily. The pierogies were dry almost overcooked ...per the description seemed like a strange combination. I like sweet potato and I like uni but unfortunately this was a miss for me The tagliatelle was surprisingly bland. The Swiss miss hot chocolate drink seemed light as was the old fashioned chocolate mousse but I enjoyed the mousse with the creme fraiche - nice way to end the meal with a fluffy creamy chocolate dessert Despite the couple of dishes I could've done without I really enjoyed being there and overall enjoyed the meal. Service was very good. The garden out in the back is where they grow most of their ingredients and where you can enjoy s'mores and drinks. read more

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This place is upscale farm to table done right!! The vibe is relaxed and buzzy at the same time, but not too scene-y. A great spot to bring parents or a date, though getting a reservation is near impossible. We came on a Sunday night at 6pm and had to wait 2 hours just to get seated at the bar! You must try the carrot crepe - it is one of their signature dishes. The clams are a pleasant surprise! P.S. the dish looks nothing like you would expect a crepe to look (in fact way more aesthetically pleasing with carrot ribbons and flowers). I even liked their oysters and I typically find them slimy and gross. The squash perogis are creamy and buttery inside, balancing the crispy dough on the outside. The mushroom spatzel is tasty but nothing special. My favorites were the mains - we ordered the rutabaga "tagliatelle" and heritage pork. Oh my goodness the pasta was the best squash ribbons I have ever tasted. It was because of the creamy brown butter sauce, but it wasn't too heavy. The heritage pork was almost equally good - perfectly cooked and with a very generous portion of broccoli rabe. We didn't get to do the s'mores outside because it was snowing, but will come back when it's warmer for sure! Overall an amazing meal that is worth the wait! read more

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Before you read this review, go make a reservation at Olmsted. I'll wait. (You're not going to find anything later than 6 pm (unless it's after 9:30 pm), and it isn't going to be anytime in the next week or so, but the sooner you do it the sooner you'll get to eat here. And that's a wonderful thing for you, your mouth, and anyone you decide to bring with you.) The restaurant scene in Brooklyn continues to astonish me. This certainly looks like a small, neighborhood joint, but the food is nothing short of spectacular. From start to finish, our table was exceptionally happy with all the choices we made. Although the wine list is quite nice, the cocktails are beautiful and not to be missed. I'm partial to The Rosemary myself, but that's probably because I'll always get any drink that sports a black lava salt rim (this is the only one I've come across so far, but I feel like I can stand by that statement). The charcuterie pretzel puffs are charcuterie pretzel puffs (which means you should order them). They are a perfect snack. Handheld, salty, fatty, texturally interesting with a nice dipping sauce. The watermelon sushi was stunningly fresh and light and flavorful. The green bean frites predictably satisfying, and the carrot crepe as delicious as it was colorful. The duck breast was perfect, and the bit of duck mortadella on the side was a luxury. I didn't even know the accompanying fairytale eggplant was a thing, but it certainly tasted magical. The special of chicken liver mousse served with pickled cantaloupe was just that, special. I don't know why we aren't all pickling cantaloupe, but Greg Baxtrom seems to be ahead of us on all things food. It would've been my favorite bite of the night were it not for the dry-rubbed scallops. They came out skewered and laid on cornhusks, and we were instructed to drag them through the accompanying plate of corn, chanterelles, and the sauce of the gods. After one bite, one of my companions immediately said, "We have to order four more." After another, "This is one of the best dishes I've ever had." And I can't disagree with him. Was everything perfect? No. The pork collar, despite fantastic flavors, was a bit dry and tough. And my least favorite dish of the evening was the fennel chawanmushi, although I must admit I couldn't stop going back for bite after bite. Be sure you get a little bit of everything in each spoonful; the silky egg custard, the crisp artichokes, and all the rest can be a bit off-putting on their own, but if you make sure to stir it up and get the salty sauce at the bottom, it will grow on you, I guarantee it. To be sure, this sort of meal is not for everyone. The plates are small, and the prices for such can be larger than some might want. That said, having eaten all over this city, I've found that rarely can you find such high quality ingredients cooked with such care and skill at this price point. I feel lucky to live in a time when a restaurant of this caliber is operating on Vanderbilt, and not in some high-rise hotel in Manhattan. Take advantage. read more

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A beautiful little "farm" feel in the middle of Prospect Heights! Really, one of those "only in Brooklyn" restaurants where you feel completely taken out of the city. Reservations here are pretty hard to come by, and I recommend looking for reservations at least 2 weeks in advance. We enjoyed sitting in the back patio area, and it seems that they can still accommodate walk ins but without real tables. The soft shell crab here was so good (although cost a pretty penny), as were the asparagus fries. Our gin cocktail was good and did not taste strong. Overall, great experience, and definitely somewhere to try at least once, but I don't think I'll be back again since it was just a little too expensive for the amount of food - and the area has great options for less as well. read more

While the food was very good at Olmsted, the staff must feel that graciousness and warmth are vestiges of a bygone era. Opened by an alumnus of Chicago's Alinea, if the staff displayed this kind of "tude" in Chicago, Mike Ditka would come in and kick their a__! However, I was advised by younger friends that they would prefer to be served robotically, since that will allow them to remain on their phones texting and gaming. What a world? It's not my kind of world anymore. The menu reads very interesting, with starters, plates and entrees grouped to allow both sharing and individual plating. As with my experience at Alinea, there were hits and misses. However, unlike Alinea, there were more hits at a much better price point. The Pollack was delicious as was the Guinea Hen. The salmon was wonderful. Most everything else I would describe as "interesting." Pacing throughout our meal was horrific. Dishes would arrive sporadically, with long waits in between. Our appetites would wane in expectation. I do not know if the kitchen was off, but I would suspect it was the fault of the service. We constantly had to flag them down and remind them of both drink and food orders. Curt, with an attitude expressing "how lucky we were to have them waiting on us," service placed the customer last. Why this is considered "cool" is beyond me, but I have encountered this affect in Brooklyn restaurants. One member of our party thought it may be ageism, but I doubt it. Snobbery has no age limit. Olmsted needs good management to train staff to treat diners in the correct manner. However, maybe this aloof snobbery is considered correct service in Brooklyn. If so, I hate it and will always avoid restaurants that consider themselves "cooler than thou." read more

Olmsted - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food at Olmsted is still basically good and the service is excellent. But Good God people, if you're going to sell me a $30 burger, don't offer me ketchup and tell me you don't have any mustard. It's 2024. Get a jar of Grey Poupon or something and keep it in your pantry. It'll last for years. read more

Overall, I'm not sure that this place lived up to the hype. The food was good, but surprisingly really heavy and cream-based for a "farm to table" restaurant. We made a reservation online about a month before we came, and it seems like that's the only way to get seated during a normal dinner time without a wait. The good: the ambiance, drinks, and presentation of the food. It's a really small restaurant and feels super cozy, but I loved how they had an open concept kitchen so you can see the chefs working on your food. The cocktail menu was super unique and as you can see from the pictures, the way that the food and drinks are displayed is very well done. The bad: the menu selection and the restaurant's emphasis on CREAM. As someone who doesn't eat pork or shellfish, I didn't realize quite how limited my options were before I got here. The online menu doesn't include the fact that the duck and lamb dishes both have pork and I believe the duck also has a "shellfish glaze." Considering how common food restrictions are, it would have been nice to have had these ingredients listed out on the menu ahead of time. Also, nearly everything we ordered had a cream sauce. I was really surprised because usually farm-to-table restaurants emphasize the freshness of the ingredients themselves, but it ended up feeling like a very heavy meal. The weird: the service! Although I'm rarely ever one to complain about getting too much attention from waitstaff, we had about 4 different people ask us if we wanted more drinks and another 4 people come over to replace each sip of water we took from our glasses. We literally had one person put more water in my cup before I even drank from our last refill. While this seems like an absurdly nit-picky comment, it did make it hard to have a conversation with someone coming over and frequently interrupting us. read more

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We've been wanting to go to Olmsted for a long time, and we were definitely not disappointed. The restaurant itself and the garden are beautiful, and the entire place just feels completely comfortable. The service was friendly and helpful too. For our party of two, we ended up ordering 2 snacks, 3 smaller plates, and 2 larger plates along with 2 desserts and it was definitely enough food. Along with the regular menu that you can find online, they also brought over a clipboard with yakitori selections and a chawanmushi special, which ended up being our favorite dish all night. The rich flavor of the dashi, the perfect texture, everything about it was fantastic. Other highlights included the pastrami which came with sides of slaw, potato salad, and cornbread. The mustard sauce that came with the pastrami was really tasty. We also liked the English pea falafel in part because of the fluffy bread that seemed to also have peas mixed into the dough, the bluefish salad which was packed with flavor, and the carrot crepe which was so unique and well-executed along with looking like a piece of art. Both desserts we got - the yogurt with lavender honey and soft serve (vanilla lilac and sour cherry swirl) were the perfect ending to the meal. While we had an overall wonderful experience, not every dish worked for me, although that might have more to do with personal preference. While tasty, I found the crawfish boil crackers a little too salty. My least favorite was the duck liver mousse as it was just too sweet for me, but the server said it was a really popular item so that might just be me. My cocktail seemed to be more ice than drink, which was initially nice because it was hot outside, but I wouldn't get that again. Even with all this though, I still give it 5 stars because overall it was a great dinner. We definitely want to return to Olmsted, especially in other seasons so we can experience different things on the menu. Everything is seasonal and a lot comes from the backyard garden, so I'm hoping we get to try an entire new slate of dishes when a new season rolls around. read more

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Came for breakfast today. There was no wait however we were limited to the bar. Interior is beautiful and Trendy, beautiful garden in the back. Staff was pleasant and welcoming. We tried The matcha cocktail which was good but sweeter than expected. For entrees the burger was delicious juicy as it was half sausage and half beef patty topped with onions , cheese and This incredible sauce. The eggs crab Benedict was okay , and interesting twist on traditional way as it's served. read more

What a gem! Olmsted is hands down one of my favorite restaurants. It's the prefect date spot, the food is delicious, and it's a place you'll find yourself recommending to many friends because it's that good. The Long Island duck grilled and larbed was tie for my favorite dish. I was also a huge fan of the carrot crepe. Don't be fooled, this carrot crepe surprised me at first bite! the little neck clams were fresh and the dish put all together has so many flavors, it's just simply amazing. I loved that all the dishes were unique and in my opinion memorable. I absolutely loved the cocktails! Don't know what to say aside from, order one! I know the menu changes, so I know I'll be back and I'll be excited to try what's new. Tips: -MAKE A RESERVATION!! If not, get there right when they open and hope for a bar seat. -for two is recommended ordering 4 dishes to try and share! You won't re read more

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Food is tasty, atmosphere is good. Portions are too small :( Overall would go more than once because first two reasons but also would eat something later hahah read more

I came here for dinner after my coworkers and friends suggested it. The service was great and the concept of having a backyard for dessert and drinks was nice. The food was good, but struggled with the price-for-value component. Portions were rather small for the cost of the dish. I ordered the watermelon sushi, kale crab Rangoon, heirloom tomato schnitzel, chicken cordon bleu. Perhaps where Olmsted rang superior was their preparation of sauces, especially the sauces for the dry rubbed scallops (rustic charred corn with slight tartness from blueberries) and chicken dish (a rich green sauce with flavors reminiscent of peas). I appreciate the chef's effort incorporating a culturally diverse set of ingredients to the menu. I would only return here for drinks or dessert in the backyard, but I question paying $20 for s'mores made with Hershey's chocolate :P. If Olmsted is going for the nostalgia factor, I don't quite recall paying $20 for Hershey's. read more

Olmsted - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This spot has been on my list since moving to the area in July, but we haven't been able to secure a garden reservation until now. It was worth the wait 100p! I am one of those annoyingly picky eaters, always have been I am sorry, but every single thing on this menu blew me away. You get to build your own "perfect bite" for everything, which I greatly appreciate. Here's what we got: Acorn Squash Soup -- this gem surprised me, we decided to get after hearing the table next to us rave about it and can confirm: it is delicious. It comes in a perfectly cooked squash shell and the coconut bubbles give it a slight Thai taste, the tiny pears are like an explosion in your mouth Grilled Scallops -- don't even think about it, just order this immediately. Comes on a salt block where they continue to sexily sizzle and you can make your own radicchio wrap with slaw and XO sauce WOW I am drooling just thinking about it Duck Duchesse -- this was a lot like shepherds pie but with duck (duh) and yummy smashed potatoes on top. Lots of flavor and very hearty for winter time We also got the spiked hot chocolate, which comes with a camper canteen and you assemble yourself ('twas delicious, not too sweet and alcohol was perfectly balanced), then two hot cocktails: the sweet potato pie (Also not too sweet but otherwise as expected for something called sweet potato pie) and spiced pear (nice and light, a better version of apple cider). Overall takeaway: go here. @Yelp, just confirming you can't leave 6 stars? read more

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This was our second time at dining here, and it was an extremely disappointing experience. Olmsted goes out of their way to mention that they can accommodate specific food allergies and dietary restrictions - I happen to have a severe allergy to nuts and seeds. This was explicitly mentioned in notes in our Resy reservation, but we also told the person who sat us at our table and our server multiple times. We decided to add another dish to our order at the end of our meal - we were concerned specifically about the spices used in this dish because it usually contains sesame seeds, so we were very careful to mention this to our server. She told us she did not think the spice contained seeds and came back to tell us we were good to go after checking with the kitchen. We must have mentioned my allergy more than 5 times throughout the course of the meal and in ordering this specific dish. When the order came out, it had visible seeds on top - we were so sure that these could not be sesame seeds (maybe they were tomato seeds or pepper seeds which I am not allergic to?) because we had talked about it so much - I almost took a bite because we had been told explicitly that this food would be safe, but we decided to doublecheck and ask one more time. Our server went back to ask the kitchen and confirmed they were seeds - if I had eaten them, I would have ended up in the hospital (or potentially worse). While they apologized, my follow-up discussion with the restaurant included inaccurate information and did not make me feel comfortable that they understood the gravity of this situation. I would warn anyone with dietary restrictions to avoid going here. Additionally, there were two MASSIVE rats (I have lived in Brooklyn for a very long time and these were two of the biggest rats I have ever seen - probably each at least a foot long) running around in the area where guests were dining in the garden. Sad to say, I will never be returning. read more