Bamonte’s
c/o NY Mag
32 Withers St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.384.8831
Cuisine: Old school Italian
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs Noon-10:30pm; Fri Noon-11pm; Sat 1pm-11pm; Sun 1pm-1opm; Closed Tue
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here Delivery: No
We say:
Established in 1900, Bamonte’s has the best Italian atmosphere in the hood. Has an old-school, Sopranos feel and is gloriously hipster free. Plus, many of the pastas are homemade. Bamontes effin rules and is a hidden treasure. The best place in Williamsburg to take out of towners. Be sure to make a reservation on weekends. Bamonte’s will make you feel like you have gone back in time to experience the authentic American Italian experience in Brooklyn.
NY Mag says:
TAGS: Italian, Lorimer, Moderately Priced, Recommended, Restaurants, ★★★★ GreatBamonte’s attracts an unusual mix of customers: Some have been kicking around the place since the 1950s (as have the waiters), and others are drawn from Williamsburg’s now-thriving artists-and-yuppies community. You don’t need an archaeologist to identify the strata of renovations, from original chandeliers to mid-century paneling to a modern glassed-in kitchen. Stick to the basic appetizers: clams casino, mussels marinara, and prosciutto with melon. Salads are serviceable, but they just delay the inevitable: Bamonte’s gigantic handmade cheese ravioli, in a light tomato-and-meat sauce, are de rigueur, and among the finest available. Lasagna with chicken and spinach, too, is extraordinary. Many customers order pastas as their entrees, but for those who must have meat, stick to veal-the seafood isn’t quite so impressive. –Steven A. Shaw ” Recommended Dishes: Handmade cheese ravioli in tomato-and-meat sauce, $12.95; lasagna with chicken and spinach, $12.95; pork chops with hot and sweet vinegar peppers, $17.50
I lived in Italy for two years and have lots of Italian friends, so I am personally invested in getting to know the neighborhood Italian-American scene. Especially the food. I came to Bamonte’s really hoping to like it; the old school Italian-American atmosphere, the photos of DiMaggio & Louis Prima on the wall, the menu full of classics like parmigiana, scungilli and the like were just too appealing to me. So one day, I took my Italian friend out, figuring he’d get a kick out of the way food from the motherland translated in the melting pot of NYC’s unique immigrant culture.
But we were completely disenchanted by Bamonte’s once the food arrived. The food is just not up to snuff. Period. Cheap ingredients. Careless execution. High prices too.
I really don’t like to say this but if you’re looking for authentic and tasty Italian, I’d have to recommend the newer more foodie-oriented joints over neighborhood stalwarts like Bamontes.
For the record, while I can’t vouch for the old school restaurants, I think everybody should still support the Italian-American food stores. They all have superb bread, good affordable pasta, and other items at decent prices.