Free Williamsburg

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

Freehold

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Freehold has an unusual theme — it’s a hotel bar, lobby, and restaurant, without the hotel. It’s certainly a bit gimmicky, but somehow it all coalesces without feeling like a theme restaurant. First of all, the space is enormous, which makes it a comfortable place to grab a fancy cocktail or have a low-key dinner. Outside, there’s a large, grassy courtyard with tables and ping pong which becomes crowded with a very “New Williamsburg” set during the warmer months. The food won’t blow you away, but is always pretty darn good with standouts including the Chicken Sandwich, a Lobster Roll, and Whiskey Peppercorn Mussels. We especially like mornings and afternoons at Freehold Monday-Friday when it transforms into a comfortable workspace with a clientele that’s largely on their laptops. Breakfast is served daily and there is a weekend brunch.

Featured Reviews

  • Just as the Ace Hotel lobby did for Flatiron start-up bros, the Freehold offers a community space for Williamsburg’s upwardly mobile set (but with no rooms upstairs). The reception desk is actually a coat check, while the hostess, who lends out Monopoly and Risk, goes by “concierge.” Beneath 16-foot-high ceilings, the freelancing afternoon crowd logs onto free Wi-Fi and takes meetings on mid-century-modern couches. But come sundown, social-media managers let loose with $3 pint specials, outdoor Ping-Pong, and standup- comedy shows.

  • The grassy, spacious outdoor area of this bumping Williamsburg hangout is an apt setting for a cold Bud and a house burger, finished with pickled onions, American cheese and special sauce. Once you’ve had your fill, you can challenge your bargoing buds to a match of outdoor Ping-Pong.

  • The entire space is designed to mimic a hotel lobby, from the front desk/concierge area to the flexible seating design that offers both couches and comfy chairs as well as larger tables for groups to set up. During the day, the large bar offers breakfast and a place to perch while plugging away on a laptop (they offer free WiFi). In the evening, TVs might emerge from their hiding spots and show a local sports game. At night, the music is louder, the lights are dimmed and dancing on all the surfaces is encouraged.

Getting There

Grand Ferry Tavern

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Grand Ferry Tavern is a cozy, under-the-radar Gastropub specializing in great cocktails and fresh seafood. Come for a snack and a refined, old-timey spirit; linger for an entree if you’re feeling hungry. We love their Fried Oysters and Littleneck Steamers. Landlubbers will be happy too with their Wild Mushroom Sheppard’s Pie, Burger and Mac & Cheese dishes. Grand Ferry Tavern, which is a stone’s throw from the East River hearkens back to another era, but without ever feeling too self-conscious about its maritime inspirations.

Featured Reviews

  • Paisley wallpaper, a mirrored back bar, and ornate chandeliers give the space (from the owners of the Richardson in Greenpoint) an antique feel; while windows overlooking Kent Avenue and the open courtyard in the rear keep the bar well-lit and airy. Come just for drinks or make a meal out of dishes like an Ipswich-clam roll and beer-braised brisket.

  • Outfitted with wood banquettes, damask wallpaper and vintage Harper’s Weekly prints depicting East River life, the bar features 20 Old World European wines and 14 draft beers from all-American harbor towns: Hood River, OR’s Full Sail IPA, Cisco Whale’s Tale Pale of Nantucket and Baltimore’s Heavy Seas Loose Cannon. The seafaring-themed cocktail program includes quaffs like the Hey Sailor, which features navy-strength English gin, Salers aperitif, Aperol and lemon juice; while the Seven Seas Cooler mixes Amaro Braulio, honey, Lapsang souchong tea and 100-proof rhum agricole. Brett Ackerman (Diner, Marlow & Sons) captains the pub-grub menu, lining out a full raw bar (Ipswich clams, East Coast littlenecks), saffron-flecked clam chowder, beer-braised brisket and wild-mushroom shepherd’s pie.

Getting There

Guadalupe Inn

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A Mexican restaurant, cocktail bar and supper club from the same people behind Mesa Coyoacan. The menu is gluten-free with shareable dishes including Veal Meatballs, Tacos Estilo Baja (beer-battered fish tacos) and Grilled Octopus. Larger dishes include a fantastic Whole Fish Wrapped in Plantain Leaves ($28) and Roast Spring chicken with Mango and Jalapeno salsa ($36). Be sure to order one of their Mezcal or Tequila cocktails. Check their calendar for live music and burlesque.

Featured Reviews

  • The folks behind Williamsburg’s Zona Rosa and Mesa Coyoacan are putting their Mexican credentials to the test in Bushwick with swanky restaurant and cocktail bar Guadalupe Inn… this 80-seater distinguishes itself by pairing delicious food (veal meatballs and green rice, grilled fish wrapped in plantain leaves) with Manhattan-esque aesthetics (brown leather booths and disco balls hanging next to chandeliers).

  • It’s a surprising scene: a burlesque dancer—clad in sequins, tassels and not much else—lifts her leg until a stiletto heel grazes the top of her ear to the sounds of a live jazz trio. No more than a foot away, groups of men in Buddy Holly glasses and women in Stevie Nicks shawls feast on corn-masa tamales fitted with bone marrow ($11), and dark-plum mole studded with grilled octopus ($18).

  • Guadalupe Inn is a grown-up, fancy-ish Mexican place in a part of Bushwick where you mostly just find bars with beer/shot specials. Up front there’s a bar area, and all the way in the back there’s a dining room with a stage. That’s where host live music – so if you’re looking for a more interesting dinner-date spot in the area, grab a table back there. The food is modern Mexican, and their large-format al Pastor platter is fun to share.

Getting There

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

Ichiran

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The popular Japanese ramen chain makes its debut in Brooklyn. Ichiran encourages “low-interaction dining” in its 30, single-seat booths so patrons can concentrate on the flavor of the ramen dishes without too much chit-chat. A few tables are available as well, if you are not dining alone. The ramen is great but prepare to wait, since the lines are typically huge.

Featured Reviews

  • Ichiran’s signature tonktotsu ramen bowl costs $18.90. This may seem steep, but keep in mind that this is a no-tip establishment. There are seven different customizable categories, such as spiciness, richness, and noodle texture.

    The only other dishes available on the menu are a pork belly appetizer, a matcha tofu dessert, and a small selection of Japanese beers. If you find yourself with too much broth at the end of your noodles you can opt for the “Kae-Dama,” or noodle refill, at a half ($2.90) or full ($3.90) portion.

  • After nine years of plans and rumors, popular Japanese ramen chain Ichiran has finally opened its first US location in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and in addition to its specialty tonkotsu (pork) broth and handmade noodles, it’s also known for “low-interaction dining” — i.e. eating a meal without interacting with a single other person, not even your waiter.

  • In its “flavor concentration booths,” you can eat without the tedium of chatting to a companion, being welcomed by a host or even thanking a waiter. Arrivals are greeted by a lighted panel indicating which booths are available. Each diner is enclosed in a narrow space like a library carrel, in perfect solitude. Orders are taken and delivered by unseen servers. This sensory and social deprivation, the theory goes, allows for full savoring of the broth (pork bone only), the noodles (thin, not curly) and the toppings. It also encourages eating ramen in the Japanese manner — quickly, so the noodles do not overcook, and loudly, with slurping — without the worry of splashing or distracting a neighbor.

  • The restaurant, which has 61 worldwide locations, prides itself on serving just one type of soup: pork-bone-broth tonkotsu, which you have the option to order and eat without saying a word… Although the restaurant only serves one type of soup, Ichiran’s ramen is as customizable as it gets: you can adjust the strength of the dashi, the richness of the broth, the amount of garlic in the soup, whether or not it’s served with pork, the level of spiciness, the texture of the noodles, and add any extra toppings. All of this is done without speaking to a single person.

Getting There

Juliette

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A popular French bistro just blocks from the Bedford Ave L stop. The space is large and good for groups with a spacious rooftop dining space.

Featured Reviews

  • Juliette is a quaint French bistro that serves unfussy but elegant food in a large, romantic space. The multi-room restaurant includes a bar area, an indoor garden room with plants hanging from the ceiling, and a large rooftop patio. The dinner and brunch menus stick to classic French dishes like croque monsieur, steak tartare, and crispy duck confit, but you’ll always find a burger with pomme frites.

  • The large space comprises a bar area with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a banquette-lined back room, a glass-ceilinged indoor patio, and a large roof garden with its own bar. Throughout is a romantic mix of French country, deco, and Art Nouveau—warmly lit by antique light fixtures. The menu is equally classic, with an assortment of salads followed by favorites like moules and steak frites.

Getting There

Karczma

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Of the handful of Polish restaurants in Greenpoint, Karczma is our favorite. The waitstaff all dress in traditional polish outfits — cheesy but fun — and a handful of polish beers are on tap. The menu consists of hearty Polish classics like pierogis, kielbasa, stuffed cabbage, blintzes, and potato pancakes. A good choice would be to start with the White Borscht soup served in bread and then move on to the Plate of Polish Specialties – which is great to share. Nothing will blow you away, but pair the ambiance with a few Hofbrau Dunkels and you’re in for a good time.

Featured Reviews

  • Hearty offerings may include peasant-style lard mixed with bacon and spices, or a plate of Polish specialties piled high with pierogies (three varieties, steamed or fried, topped with sliced onions and butter), kielbasa, potato pancakes, hunter’s stew, and stuffed cabbage. Grilled plates can be prepared for two or three, while others, like the roasted hocks in beer, could easily feed an army. The quaint, farmhouse-inspired interior is efficiently staffed with smiling servers in floral skirts and embroidered vests.

  • Karczma’s wooden decor and waitresses in Polish folk dresses lend an Epcot-like sheen to the space, but beneath the wagon-wheel chandeliers, you’ll find some of the best authentic Polish food in town: standards like crisp, hubcap-size potato pancakes; stuffed cabbage topped with tomato sauce; and, every few weeks, more obscure offerings like sauerkraut soup and fried veal liver with apples and onions.

Getting There

King Noodle

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A fun, Southeast Asian noodle joint with a kitschy, tropical design and Tikki-style cocktails. Following mixed reviews when they first opened, the owners switched up the design making it slightly more tasteful and paying more attention to the food. Oddball dishes still remain like Mapo Tofu Chili Cheese Fries (pork chili, tofu, cheese and scallions) and Spam Fried Rice but more standard fare like a Whole Fried Fish and Green Curry Noodles are also in the mix. A fun place to take a group for a tasty, low-key meal.

Featured Reviews

  • After two years in Bushwick, the owners of King Noodles decided it was to time to revamp their restaurant in 2015. The swirly, psychedelic interior was swapped out for wood paneling and upholstered booths, though the disco ball and mirrored wall remain, giving the place a quirky ’80s-basement vibe. Menu-wise, the kitchen has shed its kitschy touches — so long, Doritos-topped kimchee carbonara — and taken on a more straightforward Southeast Asian focus, with gentler prices and bigger entrée portions. 

  • King Noodle’s MO is all about hyper-Americanized Chinese food, while combining unique ingredients to develop delicious and slightly avant-garde eats. Leave it to the crew that gave us Dorito kimchee carbonara to come up with mapo tofu chili cheese fries, which feature mouth-tingling Szechuan peppercorns, tofu, scallions, and good ol’ American cheese.

Getting There

La Superior

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One of several fantastic Mexican spots in North Brooklyn, La Superior’s focus is on affordable “Street Style” food — the simple, delicious type you’d find at a cart in Mexico City or SoCal. Start with the Chips and Guacomole (duh!) and one of their Quesadillas, a deep fried tortilla filled with an assortment of choices including steak, chicken, or poblano peppers and cheese. The tacos are simple, as they should be, and our favorite is the Chorizo. If you’re feeling more experimental, try the spicy Lengua Taco (beef tongue). The space is small and there’s typically a wait, but La Superior’s strong margaritas will help to ease the pain.

Featured Reviews

  • Williamsburg is now loaded with pricey new culinary hot spots [but] there will always be a need for Cheap Eats in this part of town, and La Superior has been feeding hungry hipsters and getting them ass drunk ever since they settled on Bedford Street, just a few years after the Dutch showed up. La Superior is a down-and-dirty Mexican taqueria, and it’s a cool one at that. This restaurant has always reminded us of a Williamsburg version of Café Habana, but with slightly less awesome food.

  • The half-moon-shaped “street style” quesadillas are a world apart from the typical gringoized versions; the masa crescents are small but substantial, stuffed with things like stewed chicken or poblano peppers and cheese. Tacos, served singly on mini corn tortillas for $2.50 a pop, are a handy way to round out your order. Try the chipotle-spiced shrimp or the lengua, diced bits of beef tongue with cilantro and onions.

  • … La Superior isn’t much to look at. This small restaurant in South Williamsburg emulates a small-town Mexican taqueria, but it reminded my friend of Southern California. A coat of red paint, a row of dim filament bulbs, and a scattering of posters for Mexploitation films with titles like “El Mal” and “Hijos de Tigre” pass for décor. Four well-worn wooden skateboards propped up alongside the service counter contribute to the Angeleno effect. A room that looks so nonchalantly slapped together doesn’t happen by accident, but you can never quite catch the signs of effort.

  • This comfortably dive bar-ish eatery’s plating up Mexican street/diner food like tacos (carnitas, pollo, hongos, etc), Torta Ahogada (sourdough stuffed w/ pork confit and beans), and Pollo Encacahuatado (chicken in mole peanut sauce). For the next few mon

Getting There

Le Barricou

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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

  • “A local favorite” known for its “great brunch experience”, this “old-school” East Williamsburg bistro offers “more-than-solid” French staples at “cost-effective” rates; just “expect to wait” when weekends roll around (“it’s totally worth it”).

  • Le Barricou is famous for its weekend brunch—though you’ll have to put up with a long wait, your patience is rewarded with dishes like supersize berry-covered pancakes ($10), a stellar apple frittata ($10) made with bacon and gruyere cheese or a classic croque madame ($13), a French grilled cheese sandwich made with ham and topped with a dribbling sunnyside-up egg… But dinner at Le Barricou is no wash, either. Fill up on flavorful hors d’oeuvres like escargot ($9) and mussels mariniere served with frites ($16); the Le Barricou house salad ($10), made with tomato, bacon, parmesan cheese and croutons, is a decadent treat. For entrees, the burger ($13) is a juicy hunk of grass fed Pat la Frieda beef, served with housemade pickles on a buttery brioche roll and paired with a side of frites. And the Coq au van is a delight, chicken cooked in rich red wine with lardon, baby carrots, pearl onions and a creamy potato puree.

Getting There