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Steak tartare at on a blue plate.
Lingo is chef Emily Yuen’s anticipated follow-up.
Andrew Bui/Lingo

The 15 Hottest New Restaurants in Brooklyn, May 2023

New to the list this month is a Japanese American restaurant in Greenpoint and the home of Brooklyn’s most popular breakfast burritos

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Lingo is chef Emily Yuen’s anticipated follow-up.
| Andrew Bui/Lingo

Eater editors get asked one question more than any other: Where should I eat right now? While many people still consider Manhattan the locus of New York’s dining scene, some neighborhoods in Brooklyn have become dining destinations in their own right. On this map, you’ll find the latest Brooklyn debuts drawing NYC’s dining obsessives.

New to the list in May: Lingo, a new Japanese restaurant from an alum of Bessou; Ursula, an expanded home for Brooklyn’s most popular breakfast burritos; and Little Egg, a daytime cafe with breakfast plates and pastries.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

For more New York dining recommendations, check out the new hotspots in Manhattan, Queens, and the Hamptons.

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The stretch of Greenpoint Avenue near Transmitter Park has seen a wave of openings in recent years, including the tapas bar El Pingüino, the Mexican restaurant Panzón, and 21 Greenpoint from the restaurateur Homer Murray, son of actor Bill Murray. Lingo landed on the scene last month, bringing “Japanese-influenced American food” to the block. Early hits include teeny tamago sandwiches and a whole fried chicken topped with chile gremolata.

A collection of dishes on a table from Lingo.
Lingo opened in Greenpoint in April.
Andrew Bui/Lingo

Michael Solomonov is building a headquarters for his Philadelphia restaurants at the Hoxton Hotel in Williamsburg. First up was grill house Laser Wolf, which opened on the rooftop in last spring, and now there’s an outpost of his bakery and cafe K’Far on the ground floor. The pastel and plant-cloaked dining rooms are perfect for a special occasion dinner with out-of-town visitors or a hungover brunch with friends. In the mornings, look out for pistachio sticky buns, olive omelets, and breakfast sandwiches on chewy Jerusalem bagels.

Sticky buns, borekasim, bagels, and more on a table.
Brunch is the move at K’Far.
Lanna Apisukh/Eater NY

Super Burrito

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North Brooklyn is home to some of the city’s best burritos right now, with help from New Mexican restaurant Santa Fe BK and the pop-up Border Town. Rounding out the scene is the new location of Super Burrito, which started with a stand on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk in 2017. The shop specializes in massive Mission burritos, stuffed with rice, beans, cheese, and salsa by default, with the option of meats like al pastor and carne asada. Keep an eye on the restaurant’s Instagram for weekly specials, like California burritos and this riff on Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme.

Two hands hold unwrapped burritos.
Super Burrito is one of the city’s premier burrito spots.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Sushi On Me

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The city’s most unhinged sushi counter has touched down in Brooklyn. Sushi On Me, the underground Jackson Heights restaurant known for its sake-fueled parties, opened this second location in Williamsburg last year, and it’s managed to stay faithful to its rowdy roots. Workers behind the bar keep the sake flowing, while a live DJ perched overhead supplies the small, one-room restaurant with vibes. The $129 omakase includes 18 courses of sushi and sashimi, plus unlimited sake. Cash only.

A sushi chef serves nigiri sushi to two patrons at the bar
Sushi on Me started in Jackson Heights in 2020.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Baby Blues Luncheonette

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Even before the pandemic, the city’s old-school diners were becoming an endangered breed. Eisenberg’s and Odessa are no longer here, but a new crop of more modern restaurants is helping to fill the void. There was MeMe’s in Prospect Heights before it closed, and Golden Diner in Two Bridges, still home to some of the city’s best pancakes. Baby Blues Luncheonette is the latest, providing a Greek spin on the theme. The menu has everything you need, from an “HLT” sandwich (halloumi, lettuce, tomato) to fig jam toast and baklava banana bread. Coffee is unlimited.

A plate of eggs with halloumi.
Eggs with halloumi at Baby Blues Luncheonette.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Lula Mae

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Lula Mae recently opened on a crowded stretch of Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill, giving the neighborhood a home for Cambodian cooking, still a rarity in most parts of the city. Helmed by Dan San, an alum of Manhattan restaurants Chinese Tuxedo and the Tyger, the restaurant’s atmosphere is casual, with dishes that run from oysters with fried shallots to a Chinese kway teow (fried pastry) served warm with tom yum butter and chicken pate.

A plate of dark noodles with a fried egg on top.
Lort cha from Lula Mae.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Slutty Vegan

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Meatless burger chain Slutty Vegan touched down in Fort Greene last fall, and the Brooklyn neighborhood may never be the same. Employees stand outside of the restaurant calling customers “sluts” through branded megaphones, and lines continue to wind down Fulton Street on weekends. Whether the company’s branding makes you want to squirm or get in line, it can’t be denied: These vegan burgers have fans, and the Brooklyn location is just the beginning of Slutty Vegan’s expansion plans in the five boroughs.

A sea of customers with iPhones and cameras gathers out front of Slutty Vegan in Brooklyn, New York.
Slutty Vegan celebrated its grand opening with a block party last fall.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Ursula Brooklyn

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Ursula is off to a hot start at its new location in Bed-Stuy, a much-needed expansion for a New Mexican restaurant that used to operate out of a small storefront in Crown Heights. The new space is bigger, but nowhere big enough for the hordes of customers who amass out front on weekends in search of enchiladas and burritos smothered in green chile: Show up on a Sunday morning, and don’t be surprised to be quoted more than an hour wait for a table of two. Things are slower at night, when a separate menu is served and a bar supplies the restaurant with cocktails.

A child on a scooter is surrounded by a handful of adults waiting for a table in a restaurant.
Crowds amass in front of Ursula on weekend mornings.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Bobbi’s Italian Beef

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Bobbi’s Italian Beef opened in Cobble Hill last fall, bringing Chicago dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and other foods from the Windy City to the neighborhood. The restaurant used to operate out of the Dekalb Market Hall in Downtown Brooklyn, but a bigger storefront has made way for more sandwiches — there are 13 in total — and a 30-seat dining room. Order the Italian beef, a sandwich stuffed with thinly sliced top round that’s dunked in meat juices right before serving.

A Chicago-style hot dog with a side of tater tots is served in a red basket with parchment paper.
A Chicago dog with celery salt tots.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Little Egg

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Egg, a breakfast favorite in Williamsburg for 15 years, closed during the pandemic, but the restaurant is back and littler than ever at this new storefront in Prospect Heights. Now run by Evan Hanczor, its longtime chef, Little Egg serves the greatest hits from the original restaurant, like pancakes, French toast, and eggs “Rothko” served with a side of broiled tomatoes. New to the menu are egg katsu breakfast sandwiches and a lineup of pastries that includes rhubarb crullers and Cara Cara orange olive oil cake.

An overhead photograph of a plate with french toast.
The French toast at Little Egg.
Audrey Melton/Little Egg

Bar Mario

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Bar Mario moved into the old Fort Defiance space in Red Hook earlier this year, bringing an Italian restaurant and bar to the neighborhood. The scene feels a bit like a movie set with throwback chandeliers and retro tile flooring in a cozy dining room. Consider a few appetizers, like diminutive slices of veal, fried artichokes, and charcuterie, as well as gnocchi and daily pasta specials. True to its name, the restaurant doubles as a fantastic place to drink Italian wines and cocktails.

Vitello tonnato at Bar Mario.
Vitello tonnato.
Melissa McCart/Eater NY

Akara House

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New to the Crown Heights stretch of Nostrand Avenue is this Nigerian food counter specializing in veggie burgers made with black-eyed pea fritters. Patties are made from a mix of mashed black-eyed peas, garlic, ginger, onion, and chile, then fried and stacked with American cheese, mayo, and lightly pickled cucumbers on slices of soft, sweet agege bread. The burgers aren’t perfect, and you might think you’ve been catfished when you see one in person, but they’re a bargain at $6 for one or $10 for two.

A hand grabs for a vegetarian burger perched on a red railing outside on a sunny day.
Akara burgers are affordable and filling.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Masalawala & Sons

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The team behind the city’s only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant is back with another hit, this time in Park Slope. Masalawala & Sons is the second coming for a restaurant the team used to run on the Lower East Side under a similar name, but the menu’s been revamped with dishes that aim to bridge the gap between what’s eaten in Indian homes and what’s served in Indian restaurants. Highlights on the menu include macher dim (a sac of fish roe that’s poached in curry) and daab chingri (tiger prawns served in a young coconut shell).

A close-up shot of red and orange sauce and food in a red clay bowl, garnished with shredded green herbs.
Macher dim, a sac of fish roe that’s poached in curry.
Adam Friedlander/Masalawala

Find Syrian and Korean food, not Syrian Korean fusion, at this popular Windsor Terrace takeout shop. The menu is divided in two sections — Korean dishes on the left, Syrian ones on the right — with kimchi fried rice, chicken shawarma, bibimbap, mezze, and banchan. One of the most popular dishes here is the bulgogi “fat boy,” a barbecue beef burrito wrapped in a greasy pancake that can also be ordered with chicken or tofu kimchi.

A person wearing a red sweater clutches a burrito overflowing with bulgogi.
The bulgogi “fat boy.”
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Hainan Chicken House

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As the name suggests, Hainanese chicken rice, in all its permutations, is the star at this Sunset Park restaurant. The dish can be found at restaurants across the city, but Hainan Chicken House is one of the only places to make a Malaysian version, where the rice is shaped into a ball. In addition to traditional versions of chicken over rice, the menu lists curry laksa mee and other noodle soups. Portions are large and prices are quite affordable.

Curry laksa mee and the roast chicken thigh set.
Roast chicken thigh and curry laksa mee.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Lingo

The stretch of Greenpoint Avenue near Transmitter Park has seen a wave of openings in recent years, including the tapas bar El Pingüino, the Mexican restaurant Panzón, and 21 Greenpoint from the restaurateur Homer Murray, son of actor Bill Murray. Lingo landed on the scene last month, bringing “Japanese-influenced American food” to the block. Early hits include teeny tamago sandwiches and a whole fried chicken topped with chile gremolata.

A collection of dishes on a table from Lingo.
Lingo opened in Greenpoint in April.
Andrew Bui/Lingo

K'Far

Michael Solomonov is building a headquarters for his Philadelphia restaurants at the Hoxton Hotel in Williamsburg. First up was grill house Laser Wolf, which opened on the rooftop in last spring, and now there’s an outpost of his bakery and cafe K’Far on the ground floor. The pastel and plant-cloaked dining rooms are perfect for a special occasion dinner with out-of-town visitors or a hungover brunch with friends. In the mornings, look out for pistachio sticky buns, olive omelets, and breakfast sandwiches on chewy Jerusalem bagels.

Sticky buns, borekasim, bagels, and more on a table.
Brunch is the move at K’Far.
Lanna Apisukh/Eater NY

Super Burrito

North Brooklyn is home to some of the city’s best burritos right now, with help from New Mexican restaurant Santa Fe BK and the pop-up Border Town. Rounding out the scene is the new location of Super Burrito, which started with a stand on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk in 2017. The shop specializes in massive Mission burritos, stuffed with rice, beans, cheese, and salsa by default, with the option of meats like al pastor and carne asada. Keep an eye on the restaurant’s Instagram for weekly specials, like California burritos and this riff on Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme.

Two hands hold unwrapped burritos.
Super Burrito is one of the city’s premier burrito spots.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Sushi On Me

The city’s most unhinged sushi counter has touched down in Brooklyn. Sushi On Me, the underground Jackson Heights restaurant known for its sake-fueled parties, opened this second location in Williamsburg last year, and it’s managed to stay faithful to its rowdy roots. Workers behind the bar keep the sake flowing, while a live DJ perched overhead supplies the small, one-room restaurant with vibes. The $129 omakase includes 18 courses of sushi and sashimi, plus unlimited sake. Cash only.

A sushi chef serves nigiri sushi to two patrons at the bar
Sushi on Me started in Jackson Heights in 2020.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Baby Blues Luncheonette

Even before the pandemic, the city’s old-school diners were becoming an endangered breed. Eisenberg’s and Odessa are no longer here, but a new crop of more modern restaurants is helping to fill the void. There was MeMe’s in Prospect Heights before it closed, and Golden Diner in Two Bridges, still home to some of the city’s best pancakes. Baby Blues Luncheonette is the latest, providing a Greek spin on the theme. The menu has everything you need, from an “HLT” sandwich (halloumi, lettuce, tomato) to fig jam toast and baklava banana bread. Coffee is unlimited.

A plate of eggs with halloumi.
Eggs with halloumi at Baby Blues Luncheonette.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Lula Mae

Lula Mae recently opened on a crowded stretch of Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill, giving the neighborhood a home for Cambodian cooking, still a rarity in most parts of the city. Helmed by Dan San, an alum of Manhattan restaurants Chinese Tuxedo and the Tyger, the restaurant’s atmosphere is casual, with dishes that run from oysters with fried shallots to a Chinese kway teow (fried pastry) served warm with tom yum butter and chicken pate.

A plate of dark noodles with a fried egg on top.
Lort cha from Lula Mae.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Slutty Vegan

Meatless burger chain Slutty Vegan touched down in Fort Greene last fall, and the Brooklyn neighborhood may never be the same. Employees stand outside of the restaurant calling customers “sluts” through branded megaphones, and lines continue to wind down Fulton Street on weekends. Whether the company’s branding makes you want to squirm or get in line, it can’t be denied: These vegan burgers have fans, and the Brooklyn location is just the beginning of Slutty Vegan’s expansion plans in the five boroughs.

A sea of customers with iPhones and cameras gathers out front of Slutty Vegan in Brooklyn, New York.
Slutty Vegan celebrated its grand opening with a block party last fall.
Alex Staniloff/Eater NY

Ursula Brooklyn

Ursula is off to a hot start at its new location in Bed-Stuy, a much-needed expansion for a New Mexican restaurant that used to operate out of a small storefront in Crown Heights. The new space is bigger, but nowhere big enough for the hordes of customers who amass out front on weekends in search of enchiladas and burritos smothered in green chile: Show up on a Sunday morning, and don’t be surprised to be quoted more than an hour wait for a table of two. Things are slower at night, when a separate menu is served and a bar supplies the restaurant with cocktails.

A child on a scooter is surrounded by a handful of adults waiting for a table in a restaurant.
Crowds amass in front of Ursula on weekend mornings.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Bobbi’s Italian Beef

Bobbi’s Italian Beef opened in Cobble Hill last fall, bringing Chicago dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and other foods from the Windy City to the neighborhood. The restaurant used to operate out of the Dekalb Market Hall in Downtown Brooklyn, but a bigger storefront has made way for more sandwiches — there are 13 in total — and a 30-seat dining room. Order the Italian beef, a sandwich stuffed with thinly sliced top round that’s dunked in meat juices right before serving.

A Chicago-style hot dog with a side of tater tots is served in a red basket with parchment paper.
A Chicago dog with celery salt tots.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Little Egg

Egg, a breakfast favorite in Williamsburg for 15 years, closed during the pandemic, but the restaurant is back and littler than ever at this new storefront in Prospect Heights. Now run by Evan Hanczor, its longtime chef, Little Egg serves the greatest hits from the original restaurant, like pancakes, French toast, and eggs “Rothko” served with a side of broiled tomatoes. New to the menu are egg katsu breakfast sandwiches and a lineup of pastries that includes rhubarb crullers and Cara Cara orange olive oil cake.

An overhead photograph of a plate with french toast.
The French toast at Little Egg.
Audrey Melton/Little Egg

Bar Mario

Bar Mario moved into the old Fort Defiance space in Red Hook earlier this year, bringing an Italian restaurant and bar to the neighborhood. The scene feels a bit like a movie set with throwback chandeliers and retro tile flooring in a cozy dining room. Consider a few appetizers, like diminutive slices of veal, fried artichokes, and charcuterie, as well as gnocchi and daily pasta specials. True to its name, the restaurant doubles as a fantastic place to drink Italian wines and cocktails.

Vitello tonnato at Bar Mario.
Vitello tonnato.
Melissa McCart/Eater NY

Akara House

New to the Crown Heights stretch of Nostrand Avenue is this Nigerian food counter specializing in veggie burgers made with black-eyed pea fritters. Patties are made from a mix of mashed black-eyed peas, garlic, ginger, onion, and chile, then fried and stacked with American cheese, mayo, and lightly pickled cucumbers on slices of soft, sweet agege bread. The burgers aren’t perfect, and you might think you’ve been catfished when you see one in person, but they’re a bargain at $6 for one or $10 for two.

A hand grabs for a vegetarian burger perched on a red railing outside on a sunny day.
Akara burgers are affordable and filling.
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Masalawala & Sons

The team behind the city’s only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant is back with another hit, this time in Park Slope. Masalawala & Sons is the second coming for a restaurant the team used to run on the Lower East Side under a similar name, but the menu’s been revamped with dishes that aim to bridge the gap between what’s eaten in Indian homes and what’s served in Indian restaurants. Highlights on the menu include macher dim (a sac of fish roe that’s poached in curry) and daab chingri (tiger prawns served in a young coconut shell).

A close-up shot of red and orange sauce and food in a red clay bowl, garnished with shredded green herbs.
Macher dim, a sac of fish roe that’s poached in curry.
Adam Friedlander/Masalawala

SYKO

Find Syrian and Korean food, not Syrian Korean fusion, at this popular Windsor Terrace takeout shop. The menu is divided in two sections — Korean dishes on the left, Syrian ones on the right — with kimchi fried rice, chicken shawarma, bibimbap, mezze, and banchan. One of the most popular dishes here is the bulgogi “fat boy,” a barbecue beef burrito wrapped in a greasy pancake that can also be ordered with chicken or tofu kimchi.

A person wearing a red sweater clutches a burrito overflowing with bulgogi.
The bulgogi “fat boy.”
Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Hainan Chicken House

As the name suggests, Hainanese chicken rice, in all its permutations, is the star at this Sunset Park restaurant. The dish can be found at restaurants across the city, but Hainan Chicken House is one of the only places to make a Malaysian version, where the rice is shaped into a ball. In addition to traditional versions of chicken over rice, the menu lists curry laksa mee and other noodle soups. Portions are large and prices are quite affordable.

Curry laksa mee and the roast chicken thigh set.
Roast chicken thigh and curry laksa mee.
Emma Orlow/Eater NY

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