BEST
MEDITERRANEAN
BAR OMAR
188 Grand Street
(718) 388-0411
www.chez-omar.com
A little slice of Paris in Northern Brooklyn, Bar
Omar – the sister shop of the original Chez Omar
in France – is the best in the borough for cuisine
of its kind. Located in the heart of Williamsburg,
right on Grand Streeteet, Bar Omar’s buzzy,
sophisticated nook serves up creative cocktails
and classic North African dishes like couscous
and tagine, as well as Mediterranean favorites like
lamb and kefta. Adorned with antique-looking
mirrors and a storied menu that plays off its
predecessor’s in Paris, Bar Omar is a mini getaway
for Brooklynites looking for a night of fine
Mediterranean dining.
BEST MEXICAN
RESTAURANT
CALEXICO
645 Manhattan Avenue
(347) 763-2129
www.calexico.net
Named after a small town on the border of
California and Mexico, Calexico is a familyowned
and operated eatery that – with a total of
seven locations nationwide – excels in top-notch
Mexican cooking. What started as a food cart in
SoHo, selling tacos and burritos for a few bucks,
quickly grew to become the establishment it is
today, including its famed Greenpoint location,
which takes the cake for best Mexican in the
borough. Its menu boasts all the favorites –
from guacamole and carne fries to burritos
and quesadillas – to fun and festive dishes like
Calexico’s sizzling fajitas. All that, coupled with its
tremendous customer service, helps make it the
best Mexican restaurant in the borough.
BEST MIDDLE
EASTERN
TANOREEN
7523 Third Avenue
(718) 748-5600
www.tanoreen.com
Tanoreen is a household name in its hometown of
Bay Ridge. The famed Middle Eastern restaurant,
deep-rooted at the corner of Third Avenue and
7Sixth Streeteet, has received critical acclaim
since its inception in 1998. The Zagat rated
restaurant, which showcases the Middle Eastern
home cooking its chef and owner Rawia Bishara
grew up with, has made a name for itself with its
out-of-this-world fare. Its menu, which proudly
boasts something to please just about any palette,
comes complete with Middle Eastern classics like
Hummus, Baba Ghanouge and Kibbie, as well
as Mediterranean twists on things like Streetffed
Cabbage and Brussel Sprouts (a fan-favorite,
fried and doused with a tangy tahini-yogurtpomegranate
sauce and topped with pangko
breadcrumbs). Pair that with its exceptional
dessert menu and unbeatable atmosphere and it’s
no wonder Tanoreen was named the best in the
borough.
BEST ORGANIC
EATERY
THE COOP
9504 Fourth Avenue
(718) 680-0269
Streetll relatively new to Bay Ridge, The Coop
has already earned bragging rights. Located just
off the last stop of the R line in Brooklyn, this kidfriendly
restaurant-meets-espresso bar features an
indoor/outdoor play area (or “coop,” if you will),
allowing parents and caregivers to enjoy their
coffee, pastry, brunch – or even a glass of wine or
a tall mimosa – while their kids have a little fun.
To boot, the eatery boasts an impressively organic
menu (all of its eggs and dairy are organic and/or
locally sourced), featuring fan-favorites like
the Churro Waffle (doused with cinnamon sugar
and love, so say owners), and the Avocado Smash
(an Instragram-worthy rendition of the classic
avocado toast social media loves so much, topped
with onions, tomatoes, microgreens and pink salt).
All that and then-some help make it the best .
BEST RESTAURANT
SERVING VEGAN
DESSERTS/PASTRIES
VAN LEEUWEN ARTISAN ICE CREAM
620 Manhattan Avenue
(347) 987-4774
www.vanleeuwenicecream.com Sweets is
the word at this famed ice cream shop.
What started out as a buttery yellow truck
traveling the streets of New York City, Van
Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream prides itself on
using ingredients perfect by “nature, not
science.” All of its ice creams are made from
scratch out of its Greenpoint location, which
takes the ice cream cake for best restaurant
serving vegan desserts in Brooklyn. The
Classic scoops are crafted with nothing more
than fresh milk and cream, cane sugar and
egg yolks. The Vegan scoops are made with
house made cashew milk, organic coconut
milk, organic extra virgin coconut oil,
organic cane sugar, pure cocoa butter and
12 BEST OF BROOKLYN 2017 • winnERS GUIDE • BESTOFBK.COM
organic carob bean. Both recipes result in a
rich, decadent, naturally perfect ice cream.
All that, and its delectable menu of flavors,
make it a clear-cut winner for best of the
best borough-wide.
BEST ROMANTIC
DINNER
THE RIVER CAFE
One Water Street
(718) 522-5200
www.therivercafe.com
Who wants to go on a date and stare at a wall?
What better way to spice up a romantic outing for
two than with the breathtaking views provided by
Brooklyn’s own The River Café. This landmark
eatery in the heart of DUMBO is renowned not
just for its superb food and refined service but,
perhaps most notably, for its beautiful views of
the Manhattan skyline and New York Harbor.
First opened in June of 1977, the restaurant –
now newly renovated – has been serving up an
American menu (which blends both classic and
innovative cooking techniques with American
and international styles) as well as an unbeatable
atmosphere. Its views aside, the décor at River
Café is enough to take the cake alone. Walk in and
be transported, as River Café is more than just an
award-winning restaurant – it’s an experience. No
wonder it’s the best in the borough when it comes
to a nice night out with your lover.
BEST SANDWICH
DEAL
ROLL N ROASTER
2901 Emmons Avenue
(718) 769 -6000
www.rollnroaster.com
This famed Brooklyn establishment, deep-rooted
in its hometown of Sheepshead Bay, is famous
for putting cheese on “anything you please.”
This retro fast-food joint – open for nearly half a
century – has become a Brooklyn landmark, loved
for its unbeatable roast beef sandwiches (which
pair ever so beautifully with its ooey, gooey cheese
fries, and of course, its late hours). Renowned for
being “simply delicious,” this Emmons Avenue
gem seems to be sticking around. After all, it was
dubbed the home of the best sandwich in the
borough.
BEST SEAFOOD
RANDAZZO’S
2017 Emmons Avenue
(718) 615-0010
www.randazzosclambar.nyc
Lauded as the best clam bar in all of New York
City, Sheepshead Bay’s own Randazzo’s is the best
of the best when it comes to seafood in Brooklyn.
This longtime Italian seafood joint has been
serving up raw-bar fare and red-sauce dishes
in a casual waterfront venue for years on end.
From calamari to shrimp to mussels and beyond,
Randazzo’s Clam Bar does it all, and it does it the
best. Its home borough says so.
BEST
SPANISH
SALUD BKLYN
7204 Third Avenue
(718) 333-5228
www.saludbklyn.com
When you think best Spanish food, you
don’t necessarily think Brooklyn. Though,
one of Bay Ridge’s newest eateries is hoping
to change that – and, thanks to you, it just
did. Salud Bklyn, a Latin-American, Spanish and
tapas-centric eatery at home on Third Avenue,
brings Latin flavor and traditional Spanish dishes
(with an added flare) to its hometown of Bay
Ridge. Located just blocks from the Bay Ridge
Avenue subway station, Salud Bklyn’s menu
boasts a number of rich culinary traditions of both
Spain and Latin America (like the fan-favorite
Chicken Paella for three), which, paired with
its intimate fine-dining experience, help make
the restaurant a destination, rather than just
restaurant. Plus, they do brunch! What more
could you want out of a restaurant? It’s no wonder
why you voted it the best Spanish restaurant in
Brooklyn.
RESTAURANTS
/www.chez-omar.com
/www.calexico.net
/www.tanoreen.com
/www.vanleeuwenicecream.com
/www.therivercafe.com
/www.rollnroaster.com
/www.randazzosclambar.nyc
/www.saludbklyn.com
/www.chez-omar.com
/www.calexico.net
/www.tanoreen.com
/www.vanleeuwenicecream.com
/BESTOFBK.COM
/www.therivercafe.com
/www.rollnroaster.com
/www.randazzosclambar.nyc
/www.saludbklyn.com