224 Best Restaurants in Brooklyn, New York City

If you worship at the altar of Neapolitan pizza---thin-crust pies baked quickly in blistering brick ovens---Lucali is a worthy pilgrimage. Ordering is simple: there's one large pie and a choice of toppings from beef pepperoni to vegetables like grilled artichokes; and calzones in two sizes, which come with a side of marinara sauce. Pizzaiolo Mark Iacono opened his cozy restaurant in a former candy shop to insure his beloved neighborhood haunt wouldn’t turn over to a chain. Lucali quickly established itself as a top-ranked pizzeria. Arrive early and plan to explore Carroll Gardens. They'll call your phone when a spot is ready, which could be hours later.

Yakitori—tasty morsels on skewers—has long been a staple of Japanese cuisine. As the name would suggest, this restaurant takes the age-old concept and runs with it in a faintly Gallic direction, its open kitchen churning out grilled bites on skewers, artfully arranged on plates, or, in the case of the pommes dauphines (crispy spheres of potato), wrapped in paper cones with a delectable dipping sauce. Don't miss the cocktails on tap and delicate desserts, both of which also have a creative East-West slant.

With its green-and-white-striped awning, this place looks like a vintage grocery store, but don't let that fool you. This a buzzy bistro from restaurateur Andrew Tarlow is a destination for in-the-know foodies, featuring locavore cuisine on two different menus. The grab-and-go daytime menu includes pastries, gourmet sandwiches, and salads, while the sit-down night menu features creative plates celebrating the bounties of local fishermen and farmers. 

Nathan Handwerker, a Polish immigrant with a $300 loan and his wife Ida's secret spice recipe, founded this Coney Island hot dog stand in 1916. Fast forward over a century, and this New York City institution has endured with a cultlike following among celebrities and heads of state, paving the way for international franchises. While Nathan's may be synonymous with hot dogs and fries, they also offer burgers and other sandwiches. At this original location (not to be confused with the one a block away on the boardwalk), you can also get seafood—even fried frog legs.  The biggest day of the year at Nathan's is always July 4, when competitive eaters and fans converge on Surf Avenue to crown that year's hot-dog-eating champion.

Despite scathing food critic reviews in recent years, steak lovers (and food bloggers) continue to embrace to this steak institution that's endured since 1887. It's known for dry-aged cuts of meat and classic steak-house sides, as much as its old school, high-handed waiters. While burgers, lamb chops, and salmon are on the menu, the reason to make reservations is indisputably their prime aged steaks, served in cuts for one to four people. Book a table as far ahead as possible, as choice dining times fill up more than a month in advance. 

The New York outpost of Andy Ricker’s famed Portland, Oregon restaurant continues to serve delicious Thai food that goes well beyond the dishes typically found on menus here. Knockouts include the pork belly and pork curry, the boar collar, the wings, and the papaya salad, but it’s hard to go wrong—and the servers give excellent guidance.

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. 

Smorgasburg, the acclaimed open-air food market, is the portmanteau of smorgasbord and Williamsburg, its founding location at Marsha P. Johnson State Park. Here, vetted food vendors serve delicious treats to foodies (and provide photogenic content for food influencers), from arepas to yakitori. Even with the Smorgasburg branded concept dispersing crowds of foodies across other locations across New York, Jersey City, LA, Miami, Toronto, and Sao Paolo, the original Williamsburg location still draws close to 30,000 people each Saturday in the summer, so get there before noon if you don't want to spend most of your time there in queues. The original Smorgasburg is open from April through October, but check the website for details of the other locations in Brooklyn Manhattan.

Friendly service and convivial, colorful crowds have transformed this bi-level, renovated warehouse into a welcoming, quirky neighborhood institution with rotating art shows and frequent DJ sets. The kitchen's organic menu changes daily, plus there's a weekend brunch with live Americana music. 

A deservedly popular special-occasion destination, this waterfront institution complements its exquisite Brooklyn Bridge views with memorable top-shelf cuisine served by an unfailingly attentive staff. Lobster, lamb, duck, and strip steak are among the staples of the prix-fixe menu ($195). The chocolate Brooklyn Bridge mousse delivers the perfect ending to dinner. 

Outfitted with candlelit tables and a twinkling rear garden, this romantic destination is well worth the sloping walk up from the waterfront. Seasonal menus include inventive new American fare and crowd-pleasing brunch dishes, with a couple of pasta dishes and classics like roast chicken, chicken liver mousse, and pork chops always in rotation. Wait times can be considerable, but the cozy bar pours potent cocktails, local beers, and wine by the glass in the interim.