<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nRiver Cafe, set on the East River, has stunning views of the lower Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. Serving refined American cooking, it’s on the pricey side but also one of Brooklyn’s most memorable dining experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA vegetable terrine from La Vara, in Brooklyn. Photo credit: Howard Walfish<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Italian fare in Brooklyn<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn New York, and Brooklyn in particular, it sometimes feels as though there\u2019s an Italian restaurant on every block. Consider it a delicious local tradition. From old-school Italian-American joints to restaurants focused on regional Italian cooking, Brooklyn has plenty to choose from. The four below, a mishmash of elevated and old-school places, should give you your red sauce fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Al Di La<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nTranslated loosely as \u201cthe great beyond,\u201d Al Di La has long been a Park Slope favourite. This cosy neighbourhood trattoria focuses on Northern Italian cooking, with a menu of handmade pastas, hearty classics and seasonal dishes. It’s primarily a walk-in restaurant, so be prepared to wait at busy times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Bamonte\u2019s<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nOpened in 1900, Bamonte’s is one of Brooklyn’s great old-school Italian-American restaurants. This Williamsburg institution still serves classic red-sauce dishes and feels like a trip back to another era.\u00a0The wonderfully old-fashioned dining room is filled with vintage photographs and traditional d\u00e9cor. Come for the chicken parm, lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs, and stay for the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Bar Ferdinando (formerly Fernando\u00b4s Focacceria)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nFerdinando’s Focacceria was a Brooklyn institution, serving from this spot since 1904. Today, the historic restaurant has been reimagined as Bar Ferdinando, bringing a fresh take on its Sicilian roots. Expect arancini, panelle, pasta, focaccia sandwiches and plenty of Italian wine in this Carroll Gardens favourite.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Lilia <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nMissy Robbins’s Lilia is one of Williamsburg’s most popular Italian restaurants, and for good reason. The menu combines handmade pasta, wood-fired seafood and simple Italian cooking, with dishes that change with the seasons. Start with the legendary cacio e pepe frittelle before moving on to one of the beautifully made pastas.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGourmet pasta? Count us in. Photo credit: Gabriella Clare Marino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Pizza: The best of Brooklyn\u00b4s best<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPizza and Brooklyn are pretty much synonymous at this point. Generous amounts of cheese and a crispy underside dough thanks to the gas-burning ovens. Slice shops are ubiquitous in Brooklyn but if you want to ensure you\u2019ll get a quality pie in the borough, add one of these five spots to your Brooklyn food tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>L&B Spumoni Gardens<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nL&B Spumoni Gardens has been a Bensonhurst institution since 1939. Known for its crisp base, fluffy crust, tangy tomato sauce and generous layer of cheese. Don’t leave without trying the homemade spumoni, the old-school Italian ice cream that helped put this Brooklyn landmark on the map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Lucali<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nShow up to Lucali, a BYOB pizza place in Cobble Hill and put your name on the wait list which opens at 4pm. Then you can go somewhere for a drink and wait to be called. It might be hours. But it\u2019s worth the wait at this legendary pizzeria.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Ops<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nLocated in Bushwick, Ops is one of the best pizzerias in the city. The wood-fired pizzas have a distinctive sourdough crust, and the restaurant has an excellent natural-wine list to match. It’s a great combination of seriously good pizza and a relaxed neighbourhood wine-bar vibe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Paulie G\u2019s<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nInventive wood-fired pizzas in Greenpoint. Paulie G\u2019s is a popular stop on the Brooklyn pizza tour of any self-respecting pizza lover. You can get pies topped with guanciale, kale, orange blossom honey, red grapes, or brisket from Hometown Bar-B-Que.\u00a0There\u2019s also a good selection of vegan pizzas, making this a crowd-pleaser for just about everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Roberta\u2019s<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis Bushwick pioneer helped put the neighbourhood on New York\u2019s culinary map. And its wood-fired, Neapolitan-inspired pizzas remain the main attraction. The thin-crust creative pizzas are excellent and the famous Bee Sting, topped with soppressata, chilli and honey, is a favourite on the menu, alongside plenty of other creative pies. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPizza and Brooklyn…name a better duo. Photo credit: Mary Kresge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Top-notch Brooklyn sandwiches<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe sandwich might be one of the world’s simplest foods, but here they know how to turn it into something special. From classic deli creations to oversized Italian heroes piled high with flavour, Brooklyn is home to plenty of sandwiches worth seeking out. Here are a few of the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Brennan & Carr<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nSince 1938 Brooklynites have been patronizing Brennan & Carr for its great roast beef sandwiches. It\u2019s served on a Kaiser roll and then doused in its own rich pan drippings.A gloriously messy, old-school sandwich experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Defonte\u2019s<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDefonte’s has been piling Italian-American goodness onto bread since 1922.<\/strong> This Red Hook institution serves an enormous selection of overstuffed heroes, from roast beef and fresh mozzarella to sausage and peppers – and its famous Nicky Special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Nathan\u2019s Famous<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIs a hotdog a sandwich? It\u2019s been debated for years, but we had to include Nathan\u2019s. It\u2019s certainly closer to a sandwich than pizza or steak. The original Nathan\u2019s Famous in Coney Island is where the legendary July 4 hotdog eating contest takes place each year. Nathan\u2019s has been serving its classic hotdogs since 1916, making this one of Brooklyn\u2019s most iconic food institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you’re in Coney Island, you need to stop for some Nathan’s. Photo credit: Joey Manley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Brooklyn\u00b4s Stand-out Steak<\/strong>houses<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nManhattan may have the bigger reputation when it comes to New York steakhouses, but Brooklyn can more than hold its own. Peter Luger has been serving legendary steaks in Williamsburg for more than a century, while the beautifully restored Gage & Tollner brings a newer energy to the borough’s steakhouse scene. Whether you’re after old-school New York dining or a more contemporary take on the classic steakhouse, these are essential stops on any Brooklyn food tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Peter Luger<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPeter Luger is a must-visit for anyone who loves steak, and one of Brooklyn’s great culinary institutions. The Williamsburg steakhouse has been serving its famous dry-aged, USDA Prime beef since 1887, and its old-school atmosphere remains remarkably unchanged. It famously lost its Michelin star in 2022, prompting plenty of debate among New York food critics, but that hasn’t diminished its legendary status. If you’re looking for a classic New York steakhouse experience, Peter Luger remains a Brooklyn food-tour essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Gage & Tollner<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nGage & Tollner first fired up its steak-cooking burners in 1879 and went through the 20th century as one of the most popular restaurants in Brooklyn. It shut down in 2004 and the space became a TGI Fridays and then an Arby\u2019s. But in 2021 something miraculous happened: the original Gage & Tollner reopened in the space and today is serving up some of the finest steaks in the borough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Hometown Bar-B-Que<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis Red Hook meat mecca isn\u2019t a steakhouse but we\u2019d be remiss to pass on Hometown Bar-B-Que anyway. After all, it\u2019s the best barbecue in the city, if not north of the Mason-Dixon line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>St. Anselm<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nNearly everything at this superlative Williamsburg restaurant is cooked over an open fire. Including the stunningly delicious steak. St. Anselm\u2019s ax-handle ribeye is a mountain of meaty goodness. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSteak and baked potato is another fabulous combination to try while in Brooklyn. Photo credit: hiwarz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Dessert in Brooklyn<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBrooklyn does sweet stuff too. There are ample amounts of ice cream parlors, bakeries, and sweet shops, you could do a Brooklyn food tour on dessert alone. But if you want classic Brooklyn desserts, here are two spots to put on your radar that have both stood the test of time and generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Peter Pan Donuts<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPeter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop has been a Greenpoint institution since 1953. Still family-owned and operating from its original Manhattan Avenue location, this old-school doughnut shop turns out thousands of fresh doughnuts and pastries every day. The Blueberry Buttermilk remains one of its most popular choices, but with dozens of varieties to choose from, you may want to pick up a few and make your own tasting box<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Junior\u2019s<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nJunior’s didn’t invent cheesecake, but it has been perfecting its famous version since 1950. Today, the Downtown Brooklyn institution is almost synonymous with New York-style cheesecake, and its original recipe is still used more than 75 years later. Creamy, rich and famously indulgent, Junior’s cheesecake is hard to resist – don’t leave without ordering a slice.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJunior\u00b4s cheesecake is a reason in itself to take a trip to Brooklyn. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>More Brooklyn Food Favourites<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNot every restaurant can fit into a neat Brooklyn category. But we cannot have a guide for a Brooklyn food tour without including the below restaurants. They\u2019re too good to ignore and if you\u2019ve come to New York to eat, these are, to borrow the famous phrase from Michelin, \u201dworth a special journey.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Aunts et Uncles<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAunts et Uncles puts a modern Brooklyn spin on Caribbean-inspired plant-based food. This favourite serves creative vegan versions of Caribbean classics, from hearty sandwiches and bowls to flavour-packed sides and its signature Peppa Sauce. Located on Nostrand Avenue, it remains a standout for plant-based dining in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Bonnie\u2019s
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