Eric Sze and Andy Chuang, the duo behind 886, a casual stir-fry shop in the East Village, continue to spread the gospel of Taiwan’s diverse foodways. Wenwen is the more elegant of the two restaurants but it shares the same boozy DNA as 886, especially with upscale riffs on Long Island ice tea highballs (try the family-sized version for $69). Line up early when Wenwen opens for the BDSM chicken (the birds sell out quickly), or drop by later for numbing celtuce with Sichuan pepper, crispy fried tofu with garlic-soy paste, and youfan sticky rice with bacon and dried scallops.

Achilles Heel is one of those places that strikes the right note any time of day: casual or date-ready, good for a full-blown meal or just drinks. Technically more of a bar, this spot from restaurateur Andrew Tarlow (behind North Brooklyn heavy-hitters like Diner), still has a substantial small plates section that changes frequently, with whatever’s in season. During the winter time, Achilles Heel has a fireplace for warming up.

A neighborhood staple since 2015, this hybrid cookbook store, specialty grocer, and Italian cafe doubled in size over the pandemic, leaving plenty of space for Italian pastries, pop-up dinners, and a specialty sandwich menu offering saucy Sicilian staples like a gooey meatball parm on focaccia. Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

One of the remaining hold-outs from when Greenpoint was teeming with Polish food, Karczma serves up classics like white borscht in bread bowls, sausages with cabbage, and the lesser-seen creamy pickle soup. During the colder months, the old-fashioned dark-wood tavern dining room is especially cozy.

Justin Bazdarich’s Greenpoint hotspot is an airy, plant-filled dining room that feels like you’re on a splurge-y vacation. Sip frozen grapefruit palomas as you dive into tuna tartare, lamb-squash blossom tacos, and shrimp ceviche tostadas.

A Parisian hit has come to Brooklyn and built out a space in a former laundromat, Fulgurances is a “chef incubator” that feels more like a fancy dinner party. A restaurant without a permanent chef, Fulgurances hosts visitors to reconstruct the entire menu and wine pairings every few months, for an $89 tasting menu.

Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop had lines down the block from the moment it opened in 2018, an off-shoot of a sit-down pizzeria a few blocks over. Order the Hellboy Squared, an “upside down” Sicilian slice with pepperoni, hot honey, and a sesame seed bottom, or the Freddy Prinze, a vegetarian version without meat or honey. A bar in the back offers beer, more seating, and screenings of classic movies.

Like a slice of Mexico City tucked into residential Brooklyn, this counter-service taqueria serves street tacos piled high with longaniza (a cousin of chorizo), al pastor, suadero, and other meats. The small space with no alcohol is meant to keep customers moving, but it only sort of works: Customers take videos of the tripa being charred with a handheld blowtorch or consider their options at a salsa bar with cilantro, onions, and other toppings. Expect to find a line around peak meal times.

Long before Manhattan Avenue was lined with trendy coffee shops, this local stalwart was serving sprinkle-dusted doughnuts by the dozen. Not much has changed at this cash-only bakery since 1953, which suits the clientele just fine. Doughnuts start at just over a buck each and breakfast sandwiches are equally reasonable — prices have refused to rise with the neighborhood’s profile. The early morning weekend rush sees a mix of old-timers and night owls drifting home from nearby nightlife spots like Good Room and Ponyboy in search of warm crullers. 

This Japanese restaurant from Sunday Hospitality (behind Sunday in Brooklyn and the relaunched El Quijote) has plenty of group-friendly booths inside, as well as “winter village” set-ups in the attached backyard that can seat between five to 20. The menu features dishes like pork jowl with yuzu kosho and chicken karaage, but leave room for the white sesame soft serve. Bring the experience back home at the team’s next-door sake shop Bin Bin.

The dining room at this high-ceiling restaurant warrants entry on this list alone, while the food is good enough for a celebration or important date. Order the bread basket and dips to start, then graduate to dressed-up veggies (the little gem salad is layered with tahini and curry leaves) and proteins, like fall-apart za’atar ribs or a kabocha squash that’s just as good.

Forma Pasta Factory serves something we wish was more common in Brooklyn: well-portioned, actually good bowls of pasta starting at $13. Part of the secret is that the “factory” — really, all of the pasta is made in-house — operates as a fast-casual business. Order at the counter from a sandwich board menu, grab a number, and then wait patiently for spaghetti pomodoro or pappardelle bolognese to arrive. Some of the best dishes here are the daily pasta specials. Many of the restaurant’s noodles can be ordered in bulk to take home.

From the group behind Pebble Bar and a kitchen led by Wildair alums Quang Nguyen and Amanda Perdomo, this Greenpoint newcomer is undeniably hip. The restaurant does solid bistro fare with some creative twists (think duck confit croquettes, fried chicken sandwiches, wedge salad with granola, and warm pretzel buns). Overall, the spot, located across from McCarren, feels something like a Brooklyn younger sibling to the Odeon, with warm lighting well-suited for dates.

Peep’s Kitchen is one of Greenpoint’s most slept-on restaurants, a small family-run operation that’s churning out some serious fried and glazed chicken. The gangjeong chicken is stir-fried in a sticky, sweet sauce, then topped with sesame seeds and almonds, while the padak (a more traditional fried chicken) comes with a scallion salad, a refreshing topping. Both are boneless, but we’re not complaining. It’s easy to pick out the spot by its blue mural depicting chicks grazing in chef’s hats along McGuiness Boulevard. There’s no seating, but the restaurant is located a short distance from McCarren Park and delivers on most ordering platforms.