It can be hard to find a reasonably priced sandwich in Clinton Hill that goes beyond the bodega options nearby. Peck’s has knockout sandwiches, especially of the gooey breakfast variety, like the “Golden One” (a latke, two fried eggs, green chile, and cheddar), served on a squishy Portuguese bun. Take the sandwiches to-go or sit outside in the back patio that has several picnic tables — also one of the neighborhood’s more clandestine work spots.

No restaurant has received more buzz and lines in Fort Greene in the last five years than Saraghina Caffè, the fancier sibling to the team’s Bed-Stuy pizzeria. The food is good (think supple pastas, a crudo bar, and a luxurious tiramisu), but it’s clear people come here more for its grand interiors, fashioned in the style of a cafe in Milan, that look like Brooklyn’s answer to Bar Pisellino. Either way, the people-watching is top-notch — and it’s a sexy date spot to play a guessing game about the price of customers’ apartments.

This isn’t the best Latin American restaurant in Brooklyn, but it’s easily the best in Fort Greene. Husband and wife team Felipe Donnelly and Tamy Rofe, who also run Comodo out of Manhattan’s Freehand hotel, are responsible for this cozy restaurant with duck confit tacos, pão de queijo burgers, clams al pastor, and lots of wine. Look out for its monthly “Sunday Asados,” when the team invites guest chefs to barbecue in the restaurant’s backyard.

Miss Ada is one of the best options in the neighborhood for a sit-down meal, and everyone seems to know it. The dining room hums with life around peak dining times, and while a third of the restaurant is set aside for walk-ins, it’s worth making a reservation. Start with an order of fluffy pita bread and a few shareable dips — whipped ricotta, lamb shawarma over hummus — then graduate to larger plates like a za’atar-crusted salmon or a brick chicken with harissa and preserved lemon.

The owners of this underground bar also run Guevara’s, across the street, but head here for groceries, craft beer, and sandwiches priced between $17 and $25 a pop. The meatloaf comes highly recommended, but if you’re visiting at night, it’s gotta be the hot chicken sandwich, which comes slathered in Kewpie mayonnaise and hot honey. Look out for Tuesday night trivia, “jumbo wing Monday,” and other weekly events.

A restaurant that serves garbage? Yes, you read that right (kind of). Brian Heiss opened this ode to his native Rochester in early 2022 with a take on the regional delicacy known as “garbage plates” — essentially behemoth sharing plates of picnic-y items like hamburger meat and pasta salad, as well as vegetables (the more controversial of additions). If you’re not in the mood for trash, fear not as the restaurant also serves smash burgers. Brooklyn Hots is also BYOB and encourages customers to shop next door at Radicle Wines, where Heiss is an owner.

Feel hot and order small plates at Place des Fêtes, a French-sounding wine bar that specializes in Spanish wines and seafood. The restaurant, set below street level, comes from the team behind Oxalis, a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in Prospect Heights. The vibe here is more casual. Everything, from its stuffed mussels to a la carte plates of fancy ham, while wines by the glass start at $12 each.

Fast-casual isn’t exactly Clinton Hill’s strong suit, but Chef Katsu upped the game when it started serving its Japanese bowls and sandwiches from this Greene Avenue storefront. The specialty here is the namesake katsu sandwiches — which come with either chicken, salmon, pork, or mushroom.  But don’t sleep on one of the rice bowls, such as the teriyaki portobello with shishito peppers, pickles, and a jammy egg. On the beverage menu, drinks run the gamut from yuzu-mint lemonade to hojicha lattes.

Fradei Bistro, the brainchild of co-owners Simone Finotto and Clement Besset, serves one of the city’s great affordable tasting menus, a place where it’s possible to order a short set menu without breaking the bank. The five-course menu ($110 per person) changes every three weeks, and diners don’t know what they’ll be getting until each course appears, but past dishes have included za’atar chips with whipped feta, rigatoni with tres leches cheese, and a frozen sweet corn dessert. As for wines, just select a color and chat with your server and they’ll pick something out for you. 

Locanda Vini e Olii is located in a former pharmacy and still has the vintage exterior signs to prove it. The charming, low-key interiors make Locanda feel like a true neighborhood spot, special to the area but not necessarily known across the city (though it’s a reliable, much easier-to-get-into alternative to Saraghina Caffè). Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, or simply looking for a nice dinner out, Locanda always delivers on its spritzes — made with saffron, rosemary, and other ingredients — and pappardelle with beef ragu.

This Clinton Hill restaurant has spawned a second location in the West Village and a small chain of pizzerias operating under the name Emmy Squared. None make a burger quite like here. The legendary Emmy Burger, a thick patty topped with aged cheddar and caramelized onion on a pretzel bun, is easily one of the best in the city. We should mention that it costs more than $30, which thankfully includes fries, but it won’t disappoint on a special occasion.