Williamsburg is one of the most dynamic restaurant neighborhoods in the city, offering skewers and salatim with a view of Manhattan, Sichuan sit-downs, and pasta palaces. While there are plenty of legacy spots that anchor the neighborhood, new mainstays are a magnet for locals and tourists alike. Read on for more favorite Williamsburg restaurants right now.
Read MoreThe Restaurants That Define Williamsburg Right Now
From Chino Latino restaurants to top-notch pizzerias
Le Crocodile
“French classics done well” could be the motto behind Le Crocodile, a swanky restaurant from the folks behind Greenpoint’s popular brunch spot Chez Ma Tante. Yes, this is a restaurant on the ground floor of a hotel. Yes, it’s still worth visiting. It’s hard to go wrong on this menu of hits, but standouts include the leeks vinaigrette, an entree-sized portion of escargot, a pâté made from mushroom instead of liver, and a plate of steak frites that’s worth its $45 price.
Laser Wolf Brooklyn
With its location atop the Hoxton Hotel, offering spectacular views of that little town across the East River, Laser Wolf is Williamsburg’s latest destination restaurant, and you’d best make reservations far in advance. Basically, the place is a type of Israeli skewer shop known as a shipudiya. Here’s how it works: You pay a fixed price for a grand tray of appetizers, followed by a large charcoal-grilled beef-, poultry-, or fish- kebab (there are vegetarian options, too), then finish up with a small dessert. The apps are the best part.
Santa Fe BK
Santa Fe BK makes margaritas as God intended: muddled by hand with tequila, triple sec, and citrus, available in single or double portions, spicy or non-spicy. The cocktails are a strong vote of confidence for the smothered burritos and enchiladas that follow, comforting dishes that are rarely done justice in New York City. Order them blanketed in red or green sauce (made from Chimayo and Hatch green chiles, respectively) or a mix of both, called “Christmas style.” In the mornings, they serve some of our favorite breakfast burritos out of a takeout window.
Bonnie's
Bonnie’s has become the mascot of our city’s so-called reservation crisis, whereby everything cool feels impossible to get into. Don’t worry; it’s only partially true.This restaurant, from a former Win Son chef, can book its tables two weeks out within minutes, but there are a handful of seats at the bar set aside for walk-ins each night. The reward for those who persevere is a bathroom designed for mirror photos in addition to well-executed Cantonese American dishes, including “cacio e pepe mein,” cha siu glazed pork served in the style of a McRib, and that $53 fish.
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Emily's Pork Store
Not much has changed since Emily’s Pork Store. The small sandwich shop still sells meats and cheeses by the pound, like it did when it opened in 1974, plus baked bread, jarred sauces, and anything else you’d need to throw an Italian dinner party. First time at the shop? Try the classic pork sandwich. It comes with provolone cheese, broccoli rabe, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
Cozy Royale
The name of this full-service restaurant from the Meat Hook is fitting: The dark wood and mismatched vintage art displayed really do make it feel like a home dining room of sorts. Much like any tavern worth its salt, the move here is the burger, which these days features Sungold jam, scallion aioli, pickles, and American cheese; it comes with pretty damn good fries, too (a rarity in 2022, as complimentary fries become few and far between). If red meat isn’t what you’re after, try other cozy classics like the chicken Milanese.
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Bamonte's
Red-sauce Italian fare is Bamonte’s specialty, and it’s been serving it to the neighborhood since 1902. That old-school mentality shows: The waiters wear tuxedos, tables are draped in white tablecloths, and there’s opulent decor like chandeliers and red drapes. Rest assured, the food still stands up, especially standout dishes like baked clams, chicken Francese, pork chop with sweet or hot peppers, and spaghetti with meat sauce.
Huda
Gehad Hadidi, the owner of Midtown institution La Bonne Soupe, opened this more personal restaurant influenced by his Syrian heritage with Lebanese and Palestinian influence. The space feels right for a more mature date night serving smashed cucumbers with labne and chamomile; blistered grapes with tahini and feta; and the crowd-favorite shish barak, Lebanese tortellini cloaked in yogurt sauce.
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather is still our go-to for top-notch Sichuan food in Williamsburg, even with newer arrivals serving food from the province. A long communal table at the heart of the restaurant is part of the draw. The menu offers modern inventions — pork and okra “mini rolls,” fried eggplant accordions — as well as more traditional dishes. The stylish restaurant comes from the team behind Cafe China, a Midtown restaurant that held a Michelin star from 2012 to 2019.
St. Anselm
Peter Luger may reign as the best steakhouse in Brooklyn, but the more intimate St. Anselm holds its own with pitch-perfect steaks and a menu where nearly everything touches the grill. The butcher’s steak with garlic butter is the way to go.
Chino Grande
Look for a new menu — recently overhauled by chef Christine Lau, formerly of Kimika — that keeps the spirit of New York’s old-school Chino Latino restaurants alive. There’s ceviche, chicharrón with fermented chile paste, crab rangoon toast, pork wonton caldo, and so much more. This Williamsburg restaurant from a co-owner of Win Son also bills itself as a “karaoke saloon” (starting at 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 p.m. on weekends).
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Super Burrito
Super Burrito started as a seasonal stand at Rockaway Beach. It now has year-round locations down by the water and further north in Williamsburg. Burritos are the thing to order. The al pastor is the best meat on the menu, but the chicken is good, too. Or, try a California burrito, with meat, cheese, and french fries. The bar at the back of the restaurant, called 320 Club, has cheap thrills, like “pico back” shots with pico de gallo and Adios Motherfuckers.
Fini Pizza
Fini Pizza is a new-school slice shop with a couple of pies you won’t find anywhere else. Try the tomato, pictured here: It’s covered in crunchy breadcrumbs for texture and drizzled in Calabrian chile oil for heat. Also good: The white slice, served with a wedge of lemon on the side, and “long hot shallot,” topped with hot Italian peppers. Slices start at around $5 each.
Misi
Misi, in the heart of the $3 billion Domino Sugar redevelopment, offers a menu that’s more streamlined than that of older sibling, Lilia. The antipasti lists fetching variations on vegetables (grilled baby artichokes with mint; butter beans with spigarello kale), while the mains are pastas both simple and elaborate (fettuccine with butter and Parm versus chitarra with braised lamb and pepperoncini). Save room for gelato for dessert.
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A-Pou's Taste
A-Pou’s Taste is a small Taiwanese cafe that has the feel of a well-worn neighborhood spot. It opened in 2017 serving top-notch dumplings — pork and pumpkin are best — in the afternoon and fan tuan and egg sandwiches in the morning.
The Four Horsemen
Opened in 2015 by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Four Horsemen remains one the best restaurants in town. Diners can sip on a glass of fun pet-nat and find Michelin-worthy small plates that lean expensive but are perfect for a celebratory night out. It’s rare for a wine bar to hit a home run with both its drink and food menus, but this Williamsburg favorite strikes the right balance by creating a place where wine lovers, a see-and-be-seen fashion crowd, Francophiles, and restaurant enthusiasts can all sit elbow to elbow.
Leo
Leo is our pick for sit-down pizza in the neighborhood, a buzzing spot that’s just as good for grabbing a well-made Negroni as a whole pie with clams or spicy sausage. The corner restaurant comes from two of the partners behind Ops, one of Brooklyn’s best pizzerias. The pies there definitely have the upper hand, but Leo’s are plenty good, coming out bubbly with a little char. The non-pizza menu is substantial, too, with meatballs, Caesar salad, pastas, and more.
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Gertie
This corner cafe punches way above its weight class with its menu of modern Jewish dishes and baked goods worth going out of the way for. The chicken schnitzel with challah is a banger, and the bagels remind us of some of Manhattan’s best, even if they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. Grab a seat in the well-decorated front dining room, which invites customers to linger with a menu of cocktails and wines labeled “day drinking.”
L'Industrie Pizzeria
Massimo Laveglia’s slice shop remains one of the city’s great pizzerias — a place for paper thin Roman-esque slices, and a place to leisurely sip beer or wine in the spacious outdoor shed. Burrata slices show off a nice contrast between cool, milky dairy and warm tomato sauce, though the truffle pizza is the sleeper hit here. Laveglia creates a bit of wonderful magic by blending good mushrooms, salty mozz, and a touch of truffle paste. The pricey fungi add a sweet perfume, without ever overpowering things.
Aldama
With Aldama, Christopher Reyes and Gerardo Alcaraz have given New York one of its most ambitious new guard Mexican restaurants. Swing by the electrically charged bar room, or book a table for al pastor tacos with pineapple-serrano gel, sliced duck breast on heirloom tlacoyos, and a stunner of a vegan mole with black truffles and fragrant corn tortillas. Or heck, just pop in for a few shots of mezcal and for the bumping soundtrack.
Diner
Andrew Tarlow’s seminal restaurant has been open since 1998, pioneering the current farm-to-table, nose-to-tail, local, sustainable, etc., movements in the borough. Roll your eyes, but Diner is still cranking out New American fare like brick chicken and braised beef with dandelion greens that draw in locals for lunch and dinner. Similar dishes, and better versions of them, can probably be found elsewhere in the borough, but the cool vibes and tight service have made this restaurant a modern classic.
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Ensenada
Chef Luis Herrera, an alum of Blanca and Cosme, has come to Williamsburg with Ensenada, an ambitious mariscos spot that blends the sensibilities of Mexico City and Baja, California. That means kaleidoscopic aguachiles studded with shrimp, fish, clamato, cilantro, and sometimes lemongrass. Also look out for shrimp and fish tacos, as well as whole butterflied fish slathered in pastor-style spices. Jorsand Diaz, also a Cosme vet, heads up the agave program, with a few dozen mezcals to choose from. Bryce David, who owns nightclub Black Flamingo downstairs, is a co-owner.
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Win Son
A half-decade after opening, Win Son’s still got it. This Taiwanese American restaurant in south Williamsburg draws a crowd most nights with its unfaithful but delicious renditions of fly’s head, lu rou fan, and zhajiangmian. The team also runs Win Son Bakery, across the street, a small cafe worth a separate trip for breakfast (think: mochi doughnuts with scallion pancake bacon, egg, and cheeses) and dinner (wine with fried chicken and smash burgers).