Free Williamsburg

The Williamsburg Brooklyn-based culture guide to New York and beyond.

House of Yes

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A spacious venue in Bushwick that features aerial performances, burlesque, live music, circus, theater, and cabaret performances in the former home of an ice warehouse. They also serve Moroccan & Middle Eastern food until 11pm most nights at their adjacent cafe Queen of Falafel. We recommend the Middle Eastern Plate (hummus, falafel, tahini, arabic salad, roasted eggplant & labne) which is a bargain at $12. Still, House of Yes is more about its performances and dance parties so be sure to check their calendar before arriving. On weekends they serve brunch from 11am-4pm.

Featured Reviews

  • Part Burning Man, part burlesque, and totally glitter-queer, this gorgeous, roomy bar combines great cocktails with a roomy performance venue. The Bushwick hot spot offers a dazzling array of events, from sweaty dance parties, bingo, bottomless brunch, and even an amateur burlesque night. Oh, yeah, and there’s a delicious Middle Eastern café, too.

  • This wild Bushwick spot opened in 2016 and quickly established itself as a reliable way for Brooklyn revelers to wear insane costumes and lose their inhibitions just about every weekend. With exhibitionist parties like “House of Love” and the immersive “Little Cinema” film tributes, along with a panoply of aerialists, magicians and dancers on retainer, House of Yes is constantly inventing new ways to make a night out more than just drinks at the bar.

Getting There

Brooklyn Barge Bar opens Thursday, plus the city proposes opening a bar in Transmitter Park

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Our favorite spot to take in a summer sunset, Brooklyn Barge Bar, is opening tomorrow. The floating barge has a full bar with picnic table seating on the land as well. They haven’t posted a 2017 menu yet, but we assume it will include many of the staples they served last year like burgers, peel-and-eat […]

Secret Project Robot reopening in Bushwick with a party on May 4

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And with the untimely demise of Shea Stadium, we’re happy to hear the news. The new location for Secret Project Robot is at 1186 Broadway in Bushwick, two blocks from the Kosciuszko Street J train stop. In addition to live music, performance, art installation and more, they will have a permanent bar called Cuckoo that […]

Authorities release suspects in alleged Greenpoint rape due to “inconsistencies” in victim’s account

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We were horrified to hear about the alleged rape that occurred Monday in Greenpoint in broad daylight. Police initially detained two suspects, but have since released them: Police declined to charge two men detained for raping a woman in a portable restroom Monday afternoon because of “a lot inconsistencies” in the woman’s account, the NYPD […]

Cafe Mogador

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An American cafe on the quieter end of Bedford Ave great for a casual, low-key meal. Rabbithole is not a “destination” restaurant and that’s a good thing when you want a reliably good brunch or an unpretentious dinner spot. The Lamb Burger is popular as is the Homemade Potato Gnocci with Wild Mushrooms. They have a small garden for outdoor dining in the warmer months.

Featured Reviews

  • “Everything is delicious” at these “popular” Moroccan “standbys” that are especially known for their “unbeatable” brunches; “tight seating” and “long waits” are part of the deal, but “gentle prices” help, and Williamsburg’s “cute indoor garden” is especially “charming.”

  • It’s a casual place serving Moroccan/Israeli food, although they do a more-or-less standard breakfast and brunch. Weekends get slammed, however, so expect a wait for brunch and dinner. And try to sit in the greenhouse-like area out back. It’s a good place to eat a chicken stew with couscous.

Getting There

Restaurant roundup: Chez Ma Tante opening soon, Fornino expands, The Gentry serving 13 poutines

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South Williamsburg’s Cow and Clover never really caught on and closed shop in late March. The good news is they’ve decided to partner with the popular pizza joint Fornino. Plans are in motion to open a new branch of the mini-chain in the space at 291 Kent Ave this month with a larger menu: Those […]

Birds of a Feather

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There’s a lengthy menu filled with Sichuan crowd-pleasers. The owners also run the well-regarded Cafe China in Murray Hill (and the less-well-regarded China Blue in Tribeca).

Featured Reviews

  • There’s a lengthy menu filled with Sichuan crowd-pleasers. The owners also run the well-regarded Cafe China in Murray Hill (and the less-well-regarded China Blue in Tribeca)… The decor is a bit weird, but endearingly so, with old, clunky furniture … but there’s also a minimalist feel with the light-wood communal table, booths, and two-tops…  Birds of a Feather has enough winners to warrant your attention even in this restaurant-saturated section of Williamsburg, and Sichuan fans hankering for some heat and tingle should be satisfied with the intensity of flavors here. A solid addition to west Grand Street.

  • Williamsburg locals seeking out classic Sichuan dishes will find some on the soft opening menu at Birds of a Feather. Dishes like mapo tofu with minced pork, braised beef in a spicy chili stew, sautéed string beans, and double-cooked pork are currently available, though the menu will likely see a few changes before the grand opening.

    Birds of a Feather, seating between 60 and 70 people, is the third restaurant for Zhang and Wang. Besides Cafe China, they also own China Blue, a Tribeca restaurant specializing Shanghai cuisine.

Getting There

Dokebi Bar & Grill

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The place to go in Williamsburg when you’re craving Korean BBQ. Less crowded than many of the places you’ll find in Koreatown ( if admittedly less authentic) Dokebi Bar & Grill is a neighborhood staple. Other than the BBQ, which can be cooked in the kitchen or DIY style at your table, standouts include their fantastic Korean Tacos, Tuna Sashimi Bibimbap, and a dish known as Japchae — stir-fried cellophane noodles made from sweet potatoes. Dokebi Bar & Grill is great for groups and even has a fairly impressive cocktail and craft beer selection, so you’re not stuck drinking Heineken. If you’re in Greenpoint, visit the charming Little Dokebi — a smaller, intimate version of Dokebi Bar & Grill with a more focused menu.

Featured Reviews

  • You see a Korean restaurant in Williamsburg, and immediately you think scene over substance. That this is not the case at Dokebi is evident as soon as you start slurping soon dubu, an unapologetically briny, fiery stew of clams, shrimp, and tofu. Fortunately, this dish is no aberration. Except for a flavorless rendition of japchae, the classic glass-noodle stir-fry, the food is fresh and tasty, from the banchan, the collection of little dishes that accompany the Korean meal, to the bibimbap, a pile of rice, meat, and vegetables that cooks in front of you in a scalding hot stone bowl.

  • While Dokebi isn’t as authentic as a K-Town favorite like Kunjip, if the name of your game is comfort, than you’ve come to the right place. You come for three things: ridiculous Korean BBQ tacos, Bibimbahp in a hot stone bowl, and the extremely Chronic Brunch that’ll take good care of your hangover,

  • a thoughtful, health-conscious menu that does not so much forsake tradition as refurbish it, with modern fixings… On a drizzly night, a trio of friends sat down on maple-wood seats hand-built to resemble those in the courtyards of traditional Korean homes. Over yuzu cocktails, the group began grilling slices of crimson kalbi (Angus off-the-bone short ribs) and sashimi-grade tuna, an addition that Kim made to accommodate pescatarians… Next up were Korean tacos, ranging from spicy fish to pork shoulder to tofu. All arrived on corn tortillas (instead of flour, for gluten-free diners), plumped with bean sprouts, lettuce, and radish. The unanimous favorite dish? Samgyeopsal, braised grass-fed Berkshire pork belly that crisps into golden hunks and melts on the tongue like a good dirty joke told by a dokebi: a touch naughty but indisputably satisfying.

Getting There