I walked up and down Vanderbilt Ave looking for a place to satisfy my craving for hearty but serious Italian. The name did not tip me off, but the menu at the door seemed promising. Lively Wednesday crowd. No-one wanted to leave. I ordered a glass of a beautiful Chianti Classico Riserva. The fact this was on the menu tipped me off that this was not a typical italian. Antipasto- Straciatella-anchovy in olive oil: STELLAR Pasta: Fresh Parpadelle with a "white bolognese". This is the Tuscan real deal! Entree: Skate Cheeks in a saffron and sweet peas risotto with olve tapenade! This is not typical NY Italian fare. OUTSTANDING!!! So happy I found THIS PLACE. The bartender poured me a taste of the Falanghina which paired superbly with the fish. When hungry and wayward in Prospect Heights, vieni qui! read more

Wayward Fare - Skate Cheeks - Mediterranean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

It took me a minute to try Wayward because I always end up at Alta Calidad, but to no surprise I enjoyed everything I ordered The service was fast and friendly, The focaccia bread amazing , the dips so good, especially the eggplant one. I ordered the branzino and it was phenomenal with some roasted potatoes to compliment it. The drinks were well balanced and they have a great martini happy hour during the week. Well done!! I need to come back to try the pastas Restaurant is small, they have a few tables out front but the ambiance and mood of it all is welcoming and moody read more

I came to Wayward Fare with a group of friends for dinner, and we loved it. The interior is sleek and modern, but warm and welcoming at the same time. The illuminating wood oven at the back set the tone for our evening: the atmosphere was warm and inviting, service was friendly, and food was great. First off, they hand an excellent happy hour with 2 cocktails for $10, including the excellent Olive Branch[1], and $8 wood-fired bread plus an antipasto with choice of eggplant (with roasted peppers, black garlic, and walnuts), black lentil hummus (with black truffle and herb purée), and whipped cured lardo (with pink peppercorn). The 2 choices of pizza (bianca and amatriciana) are a great option to share. The cocktail list holds its own beyond happy hour: four negroni variations, a molasses-and-bitters Figment, an espresso martini available with tequila or vodka, and a rotating spritz selection[2]. AND a choice of 4 zero-proof cocktails for $14. The wine options include Vermentino, which is a white wine variety I absolutely love[3].I think I just found my favorite HH spot in Brooklyn... For starters, we shared the crudo with hamachi, ajo blanco, cucumber, black lime, tamarind-tomato water). The presentation was beautiful, and the dish was very delicate in taste, borderline bland. Perhaps it needed some more seasoning. The housemade tagliatelle with shrimp, preserved lemon, and bottarga (I love bottarga!) were bright and briny; just excellent. The gnocchi alla romana with vadouvan curry, sweet potato, and parmesan was equally great. The special uni spaghetti with black ink was amazing. I love both uni and squid/cuttlefish ink pasta, so I HAD to try this dish. Order it if it's on that night The branzino filet with baharat spice, garlic-herb vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes was perfectly cooked and super-tasty. For dessert, we shared the freshly-made bread pudding with toffee caramel and olive oil chocolate gelato. A perfect finish to a fantastic meal. Wayward Fare is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that's genuinely hard to find: ambitious without being pretentious, globe-trotting without being unfocused. And perfect for any occasion: a meeting with friends, a date, or even a business dinner. -------------------------- [1] vodka, gin, Cocchi, olive oil. [2] $15 spritz with 3 choices: classic, nysa, and Tropez. [3] Highly underrated, Vermentino is hard to fin at restaurants and wine shops alike. read more

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What a cute place to have a happy hour cocktail in the neighborhood! It may be on the pricier side, but there's definitely quality that delivers. read more

Wayward Fare was an exception experience start to finish. From the moment we walked in, we were welcome with complementary welcome drinks, the food was outstanding and plentiful, the cocktails and wine were equally delicious, and insert any other hyperbolic and congratulatory adjective to award the service because they deserve one too. Wayward Fare is a solid spot for pretty much any type of occasion: great for dates (early or late in the game), solid pick for taking parents/family, and just as great for a big group given all of the sharing potential the menu has. Come hungry and leave buzzing on the good vibes and whatever alcohol you may consume. We came here as a party of three on a Saturday night. Wayward Fare had been on my list since it opened but I live on the Upper West Side so it is a bit of a trek. Finally, a good night presented itself and our dinner was planned. As I said, pretty much immediately upon getting seated they offer you a welcome drink and have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. The alcoholic option was a sherry-based aperitif, light and spiced, a nice way to start settling in. The space itself is bright and energetic, which is one of the aspects lending itself to the happy buzz that will settle in as you spend more time here. It's hard to go wrong with drinks here. They have tons of options, all seemingly great. I started with the Olive Branch (gin, vodka, Cocchi, olive oil), because I pretty much always need to start with the house martini wherever I go. Basically their take on a Vesper, which I expected. What was unexpected, however, was that it was served with a sidecar which literally made me squeal with joy because there is just something about a sidecar that makes a martini feel like a whole event. I then got a glass of the one orange wine they serve by the glass here, which was delicious. I ended with the Cafe Chai (vodka, espresso, kahlua, chai), an extremely decadent and delicious and dangerous take on the espresso martini. Food-wise, we got quite the sampling. This long list probably makes it looks like an impossible feast for three people but all of these were on the small side except the two mains (fish and chicken). Definitely a solid amount of food but not overwhelmingly so. There wasn't one wrong note the whole night, only standouts from a bunch of dishes that were already great at the very least. The food is a fusion of different Mediterranean preparations and flavors, making it familiar yet unique. Eats, below: Trio of mezze (Eggplant w/ roasted peppers, walnuts, black garlic, Cheese, and House Pickles) All three of our choices here were a hit. I would say the eggplant was probably my favorite, though one of the featured pickled veggies of the night was beets and those were a hit with all of us. Crudo (fluke, Asian pear, horseradish, buttermilk, bay leaf oil) Light and refined, thoughtful and subtly creative, we probably could have gotten a second order of this because each person only got one solid bite. But a heavenly bite it was. Grilled King Prawns w/ grape leaves, salmoriglio herb sauce It's hard to pick a favorite out of the night, but I'd say these were on of the two. My first time trying prawns wrapped in grape leaves and I'm not sure it could be done better because wow. Chicories Salad w/ bosc pear, olives, shallots, spicy vinaigrette A fun and colorful salad with plenty of flavor, featuring a lot of seasonal produce. This salad definitely checks all the boxes. Grilled White Asparagus w/ vadouvan hollandaise, rhubarb This dish was as tasty as it was unique and is certainly one of those preparations that remind you (or at least remind me) that your level of culinary acumen pales in comparison to that of the professionals. Red Snapper w/ stewed chickpeas, saffron aioli This dish caught all of our eyes separately and was the first to go on our list. Expectations were met and dare I say surpassed. Roasted Chicken w/ mushrooms, apples, walnuts, olives Before choosing to order this, we all agreed that we tend to avoid ordering chicken at restaurants because of how often we eat it on a weekly basis. But this dish came highly recommended so we went for it and were not disappointed. One of those warming and nourishing dishes that makes consumption a multi-sensory experience. read more

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After stalking the restaurant week menu online and on their instagram I was psyched to go check it out for my anniversary with my partner. Turns out they don't have it on Saturdays which I doubled back and can't find that said anywhere. This could have maybe been fine, but they didn't have a single item on the restaurant week menu on their regular dinner menu. No one cared that we came for the restaurant week menu. No one cared it was our anniversary (mentioned on the reservation). Also, an Italian restaurant with no espresso feels offensive. read more

Wayward Fare - Key word being "this weekend" - Mediterranean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Some unique dishes here, but kind of expensive. I tried three dips - eggplant, brouillade, and ricotta - and gnocchi. I enjoyed the dips, particularly the rich and savory brouillade. The eggplant was tart and complex, and the ricotta was rich and creamy. The risotto had a nice sweet potato puree and delicate notes of herbs. The texture wasn't like most other gnocchi - it's fried on the outside and crumbly. I enjoyed the uncommon flavors, but I found the cost to be a bit high - my portion of the bill was around $40 after tax and tip for a very light meal. Maybe worth it for a splurge. read more

Wayward Fare - Gnocchi Alla Romana - Mediterranean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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GREAT restaurant for groups, as everything is sharing style. Service was fantastic and our waitress was very nice. They started us off with a complimentary drink sample which was a nice touch. Cocktails are really unique and well crafted. We must have tried half the menu (went a bit overboard on food). The sampler appetizer platter is a must order, my favorites were the eggplant and scrambled eggs. Enjoyed almost everything we ordered; the only dish I was meh on was the lamb dumplings. But the rest of the food was very good. They concluded the meal by giving us a free sample of chai as well, which was delicious (and something I'll def be ordering a full size of if I come back). read more

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My husband and I have been patiently waiting for this restaurant to open, as Prospect Heights has been lacking Mediterranean spots that honor both Greek and Turkish cuisines. After our first visit, I can confidently say we plan on becoming regulars here. We didn't have a reservation, so we decided to sit at the bar, where our waiter, Eric, gave us a fantastic introduction to both the cocktail menu and the sharing-plate style dinner menu. We kicked things off with the Olive Branch and Royal Spritz cocktails, and for appetizers, we chose oysters and lamb merguez dumplings. The drinks were delicious and strong, while the lamb merguez dumplings definitely stole the show. The dough was al dente, and the filling was perfectly spiced. The oysters were quite herbal and had a good kick to them. For our main courses, we tried the swordfish entrée, which came with a delectable garlic aioli and chickpeas on the side, as well as the steak and potatoes. Both dishes were delicious in their own right, but that swordfish was something special. I don't think I've ever had swordfish cooked so tender. The chickpeas paired with the swordfish created a lush, flavorful respite that blended extraordinarily well. My husband and I were practically licking the plate. We finished with cheesecake for dessert, which featured chocolate, tahini, caramel, and candied quince (think firm persimmon). It was the perfect size and offered a lovely end to our flavorful meal. Overall, the service was delightful and incredibly thoughtful. You could feel the eagerness to please customers, especially since it was only their third night open, but also a true passion for the menu and the vision the restaurant is striving to achieve with its eclectic offerings. Oh, and the design of this place is warm, sexy, and a bit art-deco-y. I highly recommend this place and suggest befriending the waitstaff, as the people here are genuinely kind and care deeply about the work they're doing. read more

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EXCELLENT restaurant. We are so lucky to have so many restaurant gems in Brooklyn, and this one was just added to the list. Every single thing we ate was BURSTING with flavor. The atmosphere was great for date night, friends dinners or large groups. The chef was very welcoming and friendly. The service was great, too. I can't wait to come back and try more things on the menu!! read more

Wayward Fare - Mediterranean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I wasn't sure what to get because the reviews online are kind of mixed, but I settled on the gnocchi and the mezze platter. The gnocchi was my favorite, it was nicely seared on the outside and in a lovely creamy sweet potato purée, with little dots of sauce and crispy chips. It had a nice curry flavor, was a little bit sweet but offset by the parm, everything worked together so well in terms of flavor and texture. It's not your typical gnocchi--romana is like a seared semolina cake--I've always been afraid to try it but this was a lovely surprise. As others have said, it was a bit on the small side, so not enough for a full meal but so delicious. I really liked the mezze platter too, the focaccia had a tasty sauce drizzled on it and the eggplant was well seasoned, I liked the pickles and the ricotta was ok but not a must. I would maybe try the brouillade or lardo next time. I'm giving this place the full 5 stars because although it's pricey, and the portions could be bigger, I haven't been wowed by a plate of pasta like this in a very long time. I want to try more! read more

Wayward Fare - Gnocchi Alla Romana - Mediterranean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Small, but very nicely decorated new restaurant in Prospect Heights! Our friends recommended this place for their unique wood fired oven food and we were able to snag a last min reservation for 6. It's great to come with a big group to try everything on the menu, but be mindful of your total cost because things can add up very quickly! They start you off with a nice welcome drink of mint tea (can be boozy or non) We ordered most of the apps and a few large plates to share -Woodfired bread and mezze: out of the 6 choices, my favorites were eggplant, cheese, and haleem pate. 3 mezzes come with 1 bread, and you can order an additional bread for $6 (which I think is very steep) but the bread is delicious - buttery and fluffy - Chicories salad: light and refreshing salad, but some of the greens are a bit bitter - Oven roasted oysters: I'd skip on these.. they were nicely cooked but I didn't love the spices - Roasted squash: one of my favorites! Great flavor and texture with the yogurt and pom/pumpkin seeds - Lamb dumplings: Comes with a nice labneh sauce at the bottom, and this seems to be a popular dish, but I was ok just trying this once. They're very juice so be careful cutting into them! - Prawns: only comes with 2 per order, and comes out to about $9 pp. They're wrapped in grape leaves like dolma. and I thought it was a bit too salty and overcooked. Probably my least fave small plate - Cabbage: definitely not getting this next time! such a SMALLL portion for the price! It was probably 1/8 of a cabbage head and we didn't think there was anything special to t - Branzino: a lot of meat in this portion but the spices were a bit lacking compared to all the other dishes - Steak: Cooked perfectly and with a nice scallion butter on top. The potatoes were also great, but out of all the dishes.. this one tasted the most American. Overall, it was a good amount of food for 6 people but we had to double up on a few things that I didn't think were worth it (extra prawns, oysters, bread) Service is excellent with water refills throughout the night, recommendations, and explanations. They also end your meal with a chai drink I think it's a great new addition to the neighborhood, but now that we've tried almost everything on the menu, we know what to get next time in a smaller group. read more

I'd rate Wayward Fare four and a half stars. Mediterranean restaurant with an illuminating wood burning oven. The idea here is a medley of cuisines just off the beaten path of the Silk Road. Upon entry, there is a wonderful aroma of smoked fish. Full bar with some interesting house cocktails inspired by the menu. They kindly start you off with a complimentary drink. The offering during our visit was a sweeten white tea with St Germaine liquor. A scrumptious appetite enhancer! There were about ten wines by the glass mostly sourced from the Mediterranean along with some Americans. I opted for a glass of chilled while from California. The signature item here is the mezze platter with a buttery, folded bagel. I dubbed it the croissant bagel but my wife adamantly disagreed. For the dips, we opted for the eggplant, the farmers cheese, and the whitefish pate. The eggplant was my favorite of the dips; it was slightly smokey with a tomato forward taste. Farmers cheese was creamy and mildly funky. For the next course, we had the oven roasted oysters and the dumplings. The oven roasted oysters were one of the best bites I've had recently. The oysters were topped with a fermented cherry pepper sauce and seared Parmesan cheese. There oysters were perfectly tender but the star was undoubtedly the fermented cherry peppers. I highly recommend the oysters! It seemed like the bartenders were cranking out many cocktails, so I decided to pivot to one. I ordered one of my favorites - a mezcal margarita. It was well made but the house mezcal lacked the smoky, botanical character that I seek in mezcal. The dumplings were described as manti stuffed with lamb mergez. They were smaller and less doughy than manti though I can see where the inspiration comes from with tomato marmalade. It was a more Turkish style dumpling with my personal preference leaning towards the Georgian style. For the main course, we shared the porgy. It comes filleted, deboned, and aggressively charred. It was heavy on the oil and light on the salt. The head of the fish was wonderfully tender though it wasn't fully descaled. The fish cheeks were perfect and the fish head was probably the best part of the meal alongside the oysters. The rest of the fish was well cleaned and easy to eat. Matty and one of the bartenders took care of us the entire night. They were knowledgeable and very attentive. There was only one restroom which was single occupancy and spacious. We came on a Friday night and reservations were necessary. read more

4.5* I dined at Wayward Fare a few weeks ago with a friend and really enjoyed it. Everyone went out of their way to make me feel like I was a regular even though it was my first time there. The place felt very warm and cozy. It feels like a date night place or somewhere you want to take someone special but also not feel stuffy. We were greeted with a complimentary drink, alcohol optional, highlighting the tea and spices of the Silk Road. It was outstanding. Actually, mostly everything we ate was delicious, some more so than others. The wood fired bread and mezze were tasty [$18]. We ordered the eggplant, cheese [farmers cheese], and haleem. My favorite was the eggplant, it gave baba ghanoush vibes. My only complaint is that the piece of bread is pretty small and it's kind of impossible for two people to share this one piece of bread given that there's three mezze. We had to ask multiple times for additional bread and were charged $5 for each one. We also had the dumplings [$18] and the roasted chicken [$36]. The dumplings were very good and reminded me of khinkali, a Georgian dumpling, also stuffed with meat. There were three to an order. The roasted chicken was very good as well. I loved the apples and olives. We got two desserts, the canele [$13] and the cheesecake [$13]. I think the desserts were less successful for me than the savory items. I don't really love rose water or syrup, which is what is on top of the canele. The spices in the cheesecake also didn't really work for me or my friend. They were both still very tasty but I don't think they are something I would order again. I also had two Pappy Longs [$17] which were excellent. It is a tequila based drink with grapefruit and lime. I really loved the spice rimmed glass. We ended up paying $123 after tax and tip. read more

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The service was excellent, and the drinks and the bread / mezze platter were both good, but everything else was atrocious. The dumplings were some of the the worst I've every had - they were bland and weirdly thick and chewy. For the chicken, they managed to recreate the flavors of $5 gas station orange chicken, but they charged nearly $40 for it. I'd consider going back back for drinks, but I'm never eating here again. read more

Food was okay not the greatest. You can't even take photos at this restaurant according to their "policy". I will NOT be coming here again.

Absolutely fantastic addition to the neighborhood! Already planning my next visit. Every dish was flavorful and full of unique textures and warm spices. The decor is gorgeous and interesting, and the staff were so lovely! Happy to explain the dishes and seemed truly passionate about the menu. The fresh baked bread was unreal! I am still thinking about the beef tallow butter on that perfect steak. read more

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The taste stays with you long after you leave. Staff members maintained a clean table by removing dishes often. Despite size constraints, this place stays busy. Wayward Fare delivers freshness you can taste. I found this place uniquely appealing. read more

Amazing food amazing service and such a cool spot! Highly recommend !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing experience--Staff is so kind and knowledgeable. Food is exceptional! One of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn!

Amazingly delicious food, well trained team and a beautiful space. Indoor and outdoor seating makes this place a gem!

This photo alone should say it all. The food, the ambience, the service and the people all make Wayward Fare what it is. A dining experience like no other in Brooklyn. Whether you speak to one of the co-owners, or one of the two people there named Eric, I couldn't recommend this place more. read more

Wayward Fare - Steak - Mediterranean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Brilliant new Brooklyn restaurant in Prospect Heights. What a transformation - for many years the space was a red sauces Italian place called Cataldo's. Now it is sleek, sexy and welcoming. Highly recommend the swordfish, the mezze and the roasted squash. We sat at the bar since all tables were full and received excellent service from Eric and the Matty (the general manager). read more

Everything about this place is amazing from food, cocktails to superb service by genuine staff.