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Among artisanal ice-cream fans, nobody has earned a more passionate following than Ample Hills, the Prospect Heights creamery started by screenwriter Brian Smith and his wife, Jackie Cuscuna. Their Gowanus branch churns with families and ice-cream aficionados, who pack the second-floor terrace and attend ice-cream-making classes. Favorite flavors are Mexican Hot Chocolate and Salted Crack Caramel.
305 Nevins St., Brooklyn, New York, 11238, USA
Known For
- The dark chocolate--based It Came from Gowanus
- Rooftop terrace
- Windows into the production kitchen
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$ | Red Hook |
Original creations like the Brookster (chocolate chip cookie dough baked inside a brownie) and delicious interpretations of whoopie pies, blondies, bars, and cookies keep this sleek bakery and café buzzing. There are breakfast items and a few lunchtime savory selections, too. Buy the cookbook so you can re-create the recipes at home.
359 Van Brunt St., Brooklyn, New York, 11231, USA
Known For
- Creative brownie recipes
- Comfy seating
- Homemade granola (take some home)
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$ | Greenpoint |
When Williamsburg's best European-style bakery wanted more space, it opened a Greenpoint outpost and included a rustic communal table, antique finishes, and hand-painted wallpaper. From house-made focaccia to financiers, there are plenty of mouthwatering choices (including vegan and gluten-free options) for breakfast and lunch. At breakfast you can watch the bakers in the open kitchen as you sip your morning coffee and snack on a raspberry pistachio muffin or Norwegian skolebrød. Soups and sandwiches on freshly baked bread are served at lunch.
105 Freeman St., Brooklyn, New York, 11222, USA
Known For
- Croissants and other European pastries
- Rustic chic vibe
- Vegan and gluten-free options
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$$$ | Upper West Side |
With a colorful, modern interior and an oasis of a patio out back, this Upper West Side gem is the pan-Mediterranean restaurant vision of owner Tuvia Feldman and executive chef Eli Buli. Bustan, which means "garden" or "orchard" in Hebrew and Arabic, churns out dishes that draw inspiration from three continents. Make sure to start with the mezes "for the table" and lather your house-made taboon bread (a flatbread) with warm hummus and spicy feta spreads. Main courses range from lamb kebabs to branzino a la plancha (grilled on a metal plate) served with za'atar-seasoned labneh (Greek yogurt) to Moroccan-style vegetable couscous. Save room for the "nemesis" dessert, a baked chocolate mousse with salted caramel pearls and vanilla ice cream.
487 Amsterdam Ave., New York, New York, 10024, USA
Known For
- Meze platter for the table
- Smoked trout and house-made taboon bread
- Good value
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$ | Lower East Side |
The all-American junk-food staple is elevated to high art here, with fresh seasonal ingredients, real fruit, and imported chocolate mixed into the batter. Traditionalists croon over the vanilla-bean doughnut, but there are plenty of exotic flavors to tempt taste buds: the dense, fudgy Blackout is covered in crumb topping; carrot-cake doughnuts have a cream-cheese filling. Choosing is the difficult part: options include cake doughnuts and yeast doughnuts, as well as "doughseeds." There are other locations around the five boroughs.
379 Grand St., New York, New York, 10002, USA
Known For
- Creative, seasonal flavors in cake and yeast varieties
- Fudgy Blackout doughnuts
- Fun decor
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Pie, ordered whole or by the slice, is why you come to this rustic flagship of the Elsen sisters' enterprise. The bakers are experts on the topic, having written a definitive book and appeared in basically every food magazine around. The café usually has five or six pies, plus a variety of baked goods.
439 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11215, USA
Known For
- Salted caramel apple pie
- Whole pie orders
- Seasonal speciality pies
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$ | Harlem |
This family-friendly burger joint on the bustling, brownstone-lined corner of 124th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard has a retro malt-shop interior adorned with headshots of Black entertainers and vintage Jet magazine covers. The eatery's name is a clever take on the world-famous Harlem Shake dance made popular by Harlem resident Al B, and also gives a nod to its rich organic milkshakes—such as the decadent Red Velvet, locally made with real cake and Blue Marble ice cream. Creative burgers include the award-winning Hot Mess, which is topped with pickled cherry pepper and bacon relish, American cheese, and smoky chipotle mayo. Tasty nonbeef alternatives, like the house-made veggie burger, the Hot Honey Chick sandwich (dark meat fried chicken drizzled with Mike's Hot Honey), or the simple, yet satisfying cheese fries are staples of the reasonably priced menu. There's happy hour on beer and wine during the weekdays 4--8 pm or go booze-free with a myriad of old-fashioned soda options, like the cherry-flavored Cheerwine or Earp's Sarsaparilla. Find even more seating out on the covered patio and during the summer months expect live jazz on Sunday, adding to the energetic vibe.
100 W. 124th St., New York, New York, 10027, USA
Known For
- Tasty fries including jerk or chili-cheese
- Organic milk shakes and yummy burgers
- Annual Miss and Mr. Harlem Shake contest
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$$ | Harlem |
When Harlem resident Susannah Koteen opened Lido in 2011, she became one of the pioneers of Restaurant Row, which blossomed along Frederick Douglass Boulevard. A laid-back, yet classy restaurant with boundless appeal, this authentic Italian eatery is a neighborhood go-to for a casual dinner and the perfect date spot. The restaurant prides itself on its locally sourced ingredients and has become one of the most popular brunch spots in Harlem. Try the tuscan crostini with burrata and poached pears drizzled with honey and topped with sage as a starter and wash it down with a truly spectacular cocktail known as the Kiwi Breeze, made with coconut rum, kiwi puree, brown cane sugar, and white grapefruit juice. For brunch, don’t skip the braised short rib hash or spaghetti with veal meatballs. And to top it off, add bottomless mimosas for $20.
2168 Frederick Douglass Blvd., New York, New York, 10026, USA
Known For
- Bottomless mimosas for brunch
- Friendly service and excellent daily specials
- Patio seating
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$ | Boerum Hill |
Vintage serving pieces, a hand-painted family tree, and life-size family photos adorn the interior of this aqua-walled bakery and café beloved for its old-world charm and tasty, bite-size cookies. The whoopie pies—chocolate or the very popular pumpkin—and cupcakes are worth checking out, too. The free Wi-Fi, spacious seating, and pleasant atmosphere invite lingering.
68 Dean St., Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA
Known For
- Tasty cookies
- Whoopie pies
- Vintage flair
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$ | Greenpoint |
This tiny bakery has made a name for itself with standouts like vegan salted chocolate-chip cookies, pistachio agave cookies, and currant-rosemary scones. The seasonal specials are equally mouthwatering—just try to resist the bourbon-maple-pecan pie made for Thanksgiving. In warm weather, take your goodies up the block to WNYC Transmitter Park for a picnic that will make everyone jealous.
31 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11222, USA
Known For
- Mouthwatering cookies and cakes
- Homegrown ethos
- Vegan options
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Tokyo-born chef Tomoko Kato came up through New York's famed Le Bernardin and the East Village teahouse Cha-An before opening this pastry shop. Her inspired desserts marry Japanese flavors and French techniques, resulting in original creations like black-sesame crème brûlée, sake ice cream, and green tea mousse cake. Ingredients like matcha, yuzu, and mochi are sourced from Japan, appearing alongside seasonal items like chestnuts and cranberries. Sit at the dessert bar for a three-course tasting of sweets, or take them to go.
568 Union Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11211, USA
Known For
- Japanese-French pastries
- Matcha lattes
- Great design
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Upper West Side |
The New York interpretation of what many consider one of America's finest restaurants (the Napa Valley's French Laundry), Per Se is chef Thomas Keller's Broadway stage—set in a large, understated dining room with great views of Central Park. Keller embraces seasonality and a witty playfulness, and some dishes are world-renowned, such as the tiny cones of tuna tartare topped with crème fraîche or the "oysters and pearls"—tiny mollusks in a creamy custard with tapioca. The menu changes daily. Dessert service is a multicourse celebration of all things sweet, including a choice of 27 house-made chocolates. Service is sublime, as you'd expect. An à la carte "salon" menu is available in the front barroom, but let's face it: if you snag a reservation, there's nothing else to do but submit to the prix-fixe.
10 Columbus Circle, New York, New York, 10019, USA
Known For
- Reservations needed at least several months ahead
- Prix-fixe menus (service included in price)
- Nine-course tasting menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$ | Bushwick |
Roberta's completely transformed this industrial district in 2007 with its destination wood-fired pizzas topped with hyperlocal ingredients—many herbs come from their garden on-site, a former garage and yard. Their acclaimed pies with innovative combinations and signature crusts have wowed pizza connoisseurs so successfully, Roberta's has expanded well beyond this groundbreaking original location, with a frozen pizza line and outposts as far as Singapore. Here, where it all began, there are also pastas and mains, served in a room that extends to a patio and tiki bar.
261 Moore St., Brooklyn, New York, 11206, USA
Known For
- Internationally recognized pizza
- Patio with tiki bar
- Hyperlocal ingredients
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This rustic-chic farm-to-table American restaurant put Ditmas Park on the culinary map when it opened in 2006, and it continues to draw local regulars as well as an in-the-know crowd from Manhattan and beyond. The vegetarian-friendly, locally sourced menu changes seasonally, although the burger, house-made pickles, and award-winning fries with curry mayo are staples. Weekend brunch is especially popular—try the "adult grilled cheese" with apple slices or the smoked pollock cakes, and don’t miss the chocolate bread with sea salt or the spicy Bloody Mary. In warm weather, tables are set out in the backyard. Check the website for wine dinners and other events.
1108 Cortelyou Rd., Brooklyn, New York, 11218, USA
Known For
- Farm-to-table menu
- Excellent weekend brunch
- Rustic setting
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$ | Greenpoint |
Renowned for all-natural ice cream and exotic flavors like sorrel blackberry crumble and matcha green tea, Van Leeuwen has established a small ice-cream empire in New York City. Everything is made in-house from the highest-quality ingredients: special flavors like pumpkin are available seasonally, and vegan ice cream is especially popular. Greenpoint was the first brick-and-mortar shop, although its current location is down the street from the pint-size original. In warm weather, get a cone to go and stroll through nearby McCarren Park.
620 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11222, USA
Known For
- All-natural ice cream
- Vegan and gluten-free options
- Cute shop
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$ | Upper West Side |
What started as a bright-yellow truck slinging out scoops and cones on NYC streets back in 2008 is now a Gotham ice-cream superpower, including two outposts on the Upper West Side (the other store is a few blocks away at 253 Columbus Ave.). Van Leeuwen produces all of its flavors just across the East River in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Favorites like vanilla, strawberry, honeycomb, and cookies and cream are made with fresh milk and cream, cane sugar, and egg yolks, but it's often the unique and downright weird flavors that keep ice-cream lovers coming back, like Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese flavors. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the vegan versions of chocolate, salted caramel, and mint chip, just to name a few, are made entirely dairy free using house-made cashew milk, organic coconut milk, and organic extra-virgin coconut oil. Of course, don’t forget to add hot fudge.
448 Amsterdam Ave., New York, New York, 10024, USA
Known For
- Flavors both classic and offbeat
- Over a dozen locations, plus more in other states
- Stellar vegan varieties available
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This Turkish-owned bakery is a cozy stop for a quick breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack. Grab a table in front of the street art--style mural and settle in with sandwiches and wraps, or vegan and gluten-free pastries like the coffee cake (served with berries in summer, pumpkin in fall). Chocoholics should try the intense Nutella pouf, a flaky confection filled with Nutella and served warm.
347 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11211, USA
Known For
- Bakery with vegan and gluten-free options
- Street art mural
- Small but cozy space
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$ | DUMBO |
Jacques Torres's partner Herve Poussot bakes Gallic pastries (think fresh-baked fraisier with fresh strawberries and mousseline crème) and delectable quiches and croissants, and serves sandwiches on award-winning baguettes, in this spot across the street from Torres's chocolate shop. The petit storefront's interior is nothing special, but the staff are friendly and the seating is abundant.
85 Water St., Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA
Known For
- Coffee
- Great croissants
- Sandwiches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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This Bay Ridge institution has been around for more than a hundred years, and the ice-cream sundaes are the stuff of childhood dreams—the banana split is fantastic. There's a full menu of typical diner fare that's decent, but the sundaes are the real attraction.
6920 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11209, USA
Known For
- Root beer floats
- Classic diner vibe
- Run-of-the-mill diner food
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$ | Bushwick |
Conveniently located amid the street-art murals of the Bushwick Collective, this minimalist café has expansive windows perfect for art- and people-watching—though most of the crowd is busy staring at their laptops. Grab expertly pulled coffee on the go or stick around for Instagram-worthy healthy sandwiches, soups, and brunch dishes.
420 Troutman St., Brooklyn, New York, 11237, USA
Known For
- Healthy food
- Coworking space
- Great coffee
