c/o Brooklyn Now

205 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.302.2035

Cuisine: Sushi
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Price: $$$
Hours: Sun 1pm-11pm; Mon-Thur 2:30pm-11:30pm; Fri-Sat 1pm-Midnight
Cards: All Major
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Brooklyn Now says:

Innovative Japanese cuisine featuring fresh seasonal gourmet creations. The traditional yet upscale interior lends to an enhanced dining experience. Ako has quickly become a Williamsburg must for sushi night out.

c/o NY Mag

104 S. 4th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.237.7828

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Tue-Thu, Sun, 6pm-midnight; Fri-Sat, 6pm-2am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Food/Menu: Tapas
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Tue-Thurs 6-pm buy one cocktail, get one free
NY Mag says:

Every so often, an establishment lands in a certain neighborhood like a flying saucer — and what Kurve was to the East Village, the tapas bar Bar Celona undoubtedly is to Williamsburg’s South Side. Cynthia Diaz, the 27-year-old owner, has worked with her mother (a designer) to turn a former glue factory into something vaguely akin to the meatpacking’s APT. What really shines here are the drinks by Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay of the Tippling Bros., who also put together the list at Mercadito Cantina. There are two commendable savory options: savory options: a “gazpacho” spiked with Akvavit, sherry, and yellow Chartreuse; and a Paellarhinha that contains cachaça and sherry, but tastes mostly like a fresh pepper thanks to red-pepper saffron syrup. Also interesting, if you don’t mind a bitter take on the old fashioned: a version of the drink made with grapefruit and non-aged whiskey (if you haven’t tried whiskey before it has been aged in the barrel, it’s as clear as white tequila and tastes vaguely like oyster).

Blackbook Mag says:

Owner and former fashionista Cynthia Diaz’s stylistic prowess informs unabashed, swanky décor. Crystal chandeliers, benches suspended from gold chains, animal print lounge chairs, glittery marble bar, and fireplace. Artisanal cocktails complement Spanish tapas with a Latin twist. Ideal spot to impress a first date or spice up a long-standing relationship. Ultra sexy drinks Muy Sucio, Missionary’s Position, and Murcielago sure to ignite fiery passion. Romance over delectables like shrimp al ajillo, braised oxtail, and mushroom and morcilla tostones.

Cariño

82 S 4th St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.384.8282

Cuisine: Mexican
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$
Hours: Sun-Thur 11am-11pm; Fri-Sat 11am-Midnight
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
L Magazine says:

Well, it’s not that new… But thank crikey the geniuses behind beloved, now-shuttered Bedford Avenue mainstay Bonita (the staff and the cooks, to be specific), have managed to open a new spot just a block over on South 4th Street: Cariño. And boy is it good. The menu is simpler than Bonita’s, and the few specials seemed to reflect a trip to the market in Queens that very morning. We started with the house guacamole, a fantastic “more authentic” (we were told) version of the ubiquitous appetizer featuring a hard-to-get Mexican herb called papalo instead of lime juice and cilantro: it was peppery and bright, offering a complexity not often found in the more common recipe… (Unfortunately, papalo isn’t always easy to come by, so if “Ricardo’s Guacamole” is one of the specials, just order it.) We also shared a watercress, orange and jicama salad with a chipotle vinaigrette, a perfect balance of sharp and sweet.

We kept it simple with mains: fish tacos, and rajas (potato and peppers) tacos. Holy shit they were good. The (very fresh) fish was lightly deep fried and sat succulently (what’s with food writing and adverbs?) amidst the usual taco fixings, all fresh and finely minced, with a perfect drizzle of what must’ve been chipotle mayo. The same goes for my rajas, the finest, lightest version of it I’ve ever had.

Champs Family Bakery

176 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.2743

Cuisine: Vegan Bakery
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-1opm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun Noon-6pm
Booze: None
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Delivery: No
Vegan Baking says:

Champs Family Bakery is located in a quiet but fast growing section of Williamsburg, Brooklyn on 176 Ainslie Street (at Leonard). The owners, Brad Baker and Megan Blackburn aspire to create a classic New York bakery with a vegan flare. And all without using the V word which is refreshing. When I walked in the other day the establishment had a paint-is-still-drying-on-the-wall feel due to them just opening days earlier. You can clearly feel the energy that something amazing is about to happen in the cozy former grocery store location. There were many people hanging around, basking in the glow of the realization that… a vegan bakery is now open in Brooklyn! I could already hear the Cheers theme song playing in my head- this place is going to be the hangout for vegan bakers and sugar junkies alike.

Veg Guide says:

Champ’s Family Bakery is an all vegan bakery in Williamsburg offering everything from vegan rocky road cookies, carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and blueberry muffins to virtually non-existant items like vegan croissants. They use mostly organic ingredients and offer gluten-free and sugar-free options as well.

C/O Bushwick BK

50 Starr Street
Brooklyn, NY 11221
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Cuisine: Spanish/Tapas
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$
Hours: Mon-Sun Noon-11pm
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Jefferson St.
Delivery: No
Bushwick BK says:

“Authentic Cuisine from Spain Comes to Brooklyn,” proclaims El Mio Cid’s menu, which features dozens of hot and cold tapas, salads, meats, and shellfish.  Inside, the sponge-painted walls, mural of the Spanish countryside, and posters of namesake El Cid were reminiscent of an Olive Garden, though classic Spanish restaurants often do sport some element of kitsch. A hulking glass dispenser of sangria bobs with apple chunks. The big-screen television above the bar playing soccer matches on a Latin American sports channel is unfortunate, but the wines lined up in front of a back-lit frosted-glass wall is a nice touch. Decor aside, the menu is a range of Spanish standards prepared with differing levels of success.

Pulpo al Mio Cid brings a bubbling cazuela, thin slices of octopus in a garlicky tomato broth, laced with wine and slivers of onion. The flavor is wonderful, punchy, the octopus a chewy tender. Gambas a la plancha, huge, meaty, flavorful heads-on prawns are a little sweet, smoky, spicy, and overall delicious. More solidly prepared tapas are the gambas al ajillo, shrimp in a robust garlic sauce, and sliced chorizo, just warmed through in a smoked red pepper broth. With lots of bread to soak up the remnants and juices, you might eek out a flashback of that one summer you spent in Galicia.

Escalibada was less successful. A healthy portion of roasted eggplant, peppers, onions, zucchini, and codfish was a wet mess that could have been saved with lots of salt and acid. Juicy almejas rellenas, stuffed baked clams, were blanketed in canned breadcrumbs; the bacalao a la viscaina, salt cod in a strangely fluorescent red pepper sauce, was middling.

The Paella valenciana, a meaty cocktail party of chicken, veal, shrimp, sausage, monkfish, mussels, and clams in saffron rice with peas and onions, is emblematic of the El Mio Cid experience — somewhat tasty, with plump shrimp but stringy lobster meat.

So pick around. The wine is cheap, and the menu is large — among some mediocre offerings are plenty of gems.

Haab

202 Leonard St
Brooklyn, NY 11206
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718.388.4261

Cuisine: Mexican
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $
Hours: Sun-Thur 11am-11pm; Fri-Sat 11am-Midnight
Booze: Beer and Wine
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Metromix says:

Taking its name from an ancient Mayan solar calendar, this second outpost of the Woodside-based Mexican eatery aims to please the Williamsburg crowd with a menu of south-of-the border classics. Think tacos ($2.50), quesadillas and enchiladas, plus platters like mango-papaya fish and red or green chilaquiles ($7–$11). The colorful hand-painted paper lamps and rainbow-bright sign should attract crowds to the 20-seat (plus 10 outside!) space. Bonus: Hungover hipsters can soak up a long night with a hearty Mexican brunch (chorizo-stuffed omelettes) on weekends. Owner Joaquin Velasquez plans to have his wine and beer license set within a few weeks.

L Magazine says:

Haab appeared tucked away on a forgotten stretch of Leonard Street a few months ago and it’s a shame more people haven’t discovered it. Owner Joaquin Velazquez came to New York from Puebla and opened the first Haab in Woodside, Queens, in 2004. His Williamsburg outpost is a modest but stylish affair, 22 seats in a narrow, bright space decorated with handmade paper lanterns from Puebla and rows of colorful Jarritos bottles in the front window.

The first thing I ever ate here was the burrito, one of the best in the neighborhood. All of the meat here is cooked to order; not high standards for, say, an upscale locavore restaurant, but a welcome guarantee from a tiny Mexican joint. The chicken here is tender and rich with the taste of herbs and guajillo chili, stuffed inside a soft tortilla with Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, rice and black beans. The al pastor isn’t bad either. They marinate the pork in pineapple juice laced with three different roasted chilies. If you really want to get crazy, you can opt for the Haab, featuring both the chicken, al pastor and grilled steak in one Frankenstein of a burrito. Wash one of those babies down with a couple of Bohemias or Negra Modelos and you’ve got yourself the impetus to one hell of a nap.

The tacos are equally as good as the burritos, while the tortas are a bit lackluster. Luckily, Velazquez is expanding his menu in the weeks to come to include entrees like chicken smothered in mole poblano and grilled rib-eye steaks. In warm weather, the 10 metal seats on the sidewalk patio get filled with neighborhood locals downing Mexican food and sipping red wine sangria.

Now, don’t get me wrong; this isn’t cutting-edge Mexico City cuisine or a New Brooklyn take on Mexican. This is simple, home-style Mexican food, made with care and sold at recession-friendly prices. It’s also the best of its kind in the neighborhood, a perfect place to fill up on burritos and beer without breaking your bank account.

c/o The Coffee Beaners

120 Norman Avenue
Brookyln, NY 11222
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718.383.7417

Cuisine: Sandwiches
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-10pm; Fri-Sun 9am-10pm
Booze: Beer
Subway: G to Nassau Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
The Coffee Beaners say:

Lunchbox Brooklyn is a cafe that serves bagels, egg sandwiches, pastries from Balthazar, salads, smoothies, juices, cupcakes from Stick Girl Treats and coffee from Brooklyn Roasting Company.  In addition to free wi-fi there are three computer stations with free internet service.

Greenpoint Gazette says:

On the corner of Eckford Street and Norman Avenue, one of Greenpoint’s favorite lunch spots has given itself a new summer makeover—and a new name, new menu and brand new vibe. Formerly Forest Natural, the little café has turned itself into The Lunchbox, a neighborhood brunch-and-lunch hangout spot that doubles as a take-out and order-in outlet for all sorts of delicious and inexpensive dinner party staples.

The Lunchbox now has an assortment of high-quality breads and coffees, a new selection of sandwiches, salads, smoothies and brunch options. In addition, the owners have ordered shelves for a lending library, where patrons can leave and take books at their leisure. Soon, there will be a variety of board games for brunch-goers to play while they sit, eat and relax in the Garden Spot. The Lunchbox will also start selling homemade lemonade and Arnold Palmers, as well as a variety of chicken, egg and tuna salads.