Bar Akariba

77 1/2 North 6th Street
Brooklyn NY, 11211
view map
718.388.6160

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Wed-Sun 6pm-Midnight
Price: $$$
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: Japanese/Oysters
Booze: Full bar (specialized in sake)
Happy Hour: No
Menu: Click Here
Grub Street says:

Shaul Margulies and Motoko Watanabe, the couple that owns Zenkichi, have converted their Williamsburg izakaya’s backyard into Akariba, a 40-seat lounge specializing in what Margulies calls “the deadly combo of sake and oysters.” Once it opens next Thursday, it’ll feature a seasonally rotating ten-item menu of oysters (everything from Blue Points to Kumamotos), small bites such as grilled toro, and within the next weeks, sashimi prepared by Zenkichi’s chef Tetsuya Akikawa, who honed his sushi skills at Jewel Bako. Desserts will come form Zenkichi.

Most of the dishes (excluding the sashimi) will be priced from $5 to $10, and cocktails made from beer, wine, and sake (which will also rotate seasonally) will cost $8 to $11. We’re told Akariba translates to “the glow of a lantern in the dark,” and as you can see in our slideshow, the interior (capped by a glass ceiling) is every bit as sultry as its sister establishment. Reservations won’t be accepted — just find Zenkichi’s hidden door and Akariba’s is a little bit to your right. Listen for the jazz …

Time Out says

Husband-and-wife restaurateurs Shaul Margulies and Motoko Watanabe have added this izakaya-style bar in the backyard of their Williamsburg Japanese restaurant, Zenkichi. The glass-enclosed patio is outfitted with marble tables, cast-iron lanterns and an abundance of leafy plants. The cocktail list will have a Japanese bent, with hand-chipped ice and concoctions like a lavender lychee-tini, made with pureed lychee and shochu. The selection of 10 to 20 seasonally changing sakes, meanwhile, is meant to be paired with oysters, which are offered raw, grilled or sautéed, along with a limited selection of other small bites.

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.

Aqua Santa

556 Driggs Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.384.9695

Cuisine: Italian
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thur Noon-11pm; Fri Noon-midnight; Sat 11am-Midnight; Sun 11am-11pm
Booze: Beer and Wine
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
NY Mag says:

The name means “holy water” in Italian. But secular types shouldn’t read too much into that-any worshiping at Mario La Manno’s laid-back, candlelit trattoria is for his rustic Italian cooking-thin-crust pizzas, simple pastas, and entrees like a red-wine-and garlic-sauced pork tenderloin. And the holiest water on the premises comes in a bottle with a Calabria label.

Metromix says:

Acqua Santa claims to be the place where “gluttony is not a sin.” Their menu makes good on that promise. Choose from a wide selection of rich pasta and seafood dishes and moderately priced Italian wines. Their sumptuous garden, which is open all year, will make you feel you are relaxing at a rustic winery.

Aurora

70 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.388.5100

Cuisine: Italian
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thu Noon-3:30pm (Lunch), 6pm-11pm (Dinner); Fri Noon-3:30pm (Lunch), 6pm-midnight (Dinner); Sat, 11am-4pm (Lunch), 6pm-Midnight (Dinner); Sun 11am-10pm
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here Delivery: Yes
Zagat says:

Tucked away in a isolated southeast corner of Williamsburg, this cozy brick- and wood-lined Italian has immediately become a take-out, delivery and drop-in boon for culinarily starved types who like its cheap prices and homemade pastas via a chef from Piedmont; the place has the feel of a branch of Max, which bodes well for its future.

NY Mag says:

Rome native Gaspare Villa named his rustic new restaurant after a favorite place in Tuscany. “I used to drive two and a half hours to get there,” he says. The trip to Aurora from Manhattan is much quicker, and well worth it for big bowls of chef Riccardo Buitoni’s maltagliati ragu. Not to mention, Villa now reaps the biggest benefit of a Brooklyn lease: a huge garden.

c/o Brownstoner

204 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.6599

Cuisine: Italian/Gourmet Pizza
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thurs 12pm-4pm (Lunch), 5pm-Midnight (Dinner); Sat 12pm-4pm (Lunch), 5pm-1am (Dinner); Sun 12pm-4pm (Lunch), 5pm-Midnight (Dinner)
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Time Out New York says:

Though its name means “hugs and kisses” in Italian, Baci & Abbracci carefully balances its grandma-style Italian rusticity with a Euro-chic sensibility. Subtle architectural touches, like saucer-shaped light fixtures and a chrome-furniture-filled back garden, lend the casual eatery a modern, space-age look. The old-world influences pop up in the kitchen. The bulging wood-burning oven (imported from Naples) evokes the homeland, and Sorrento native Francesco Mastellone tosses the pies. In addition to pizzas, the menu includes classic dishes like sauteed calamari and veal milanese. We especially liked the polpa e patate appetizer, meaty hunks of octopus and boiled potato slices tossed with slivers of zesty raw garlic, olive oil and plenty of parsley. We also enjoyed a sauceless pizza topped with chewy smoked mozzarella, strips of mild pancetta and caramelized onions. Unfortunately, the crust lacked the crispness of a perfect thin-crust pie. A dessert, torta di nonna, with custardy sabayon, chocolate-cream piping, and crushed, toasted pine nuts and pecans, was named for — you guessed it — grandma.

NY Magazine says:

Patrons of this casual, low-fanfare eatery can bank on a warm welcome, if not the kisses and hugs promised in the restaurant’s name. The decor is inviting, too, with rustic tables, a wood-burning pizza oven, marble countertops, and Italian tilework. Balancing confident panache with unpretentious ease, B&A isn’t edgy or superhip and doesn’t strive to be. The kitchen favors solid, well-crafted renditions of antipasto, pasta, and pizza, including the welcome familiars linguini with clam sauce and four-cheese pie (quattro formaggi). Antipasti, served in generous, easy-to-share portions, focus on fresh vegetables and shellfish, and set off richer sauced dishes like pasta with fennel in cream sauce and the visually ravishing violette di Parma, jewel-toned red beet gnocchi in cheese sauce. But pizza is the high point here: With crusts that are tender, chewy, and crispy in all the right places, these pies boast decision-defying toppings like smoked mozzarella, pancetta, and caramelized onions, and fresh bufala mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and arugula. Lucky locals say that this newcomer is sure to give the now-established Fornino, which opened in 2005, a hearty run for its well-beloved pie. Mangia bene, Williamsburg. Weekend brunch features frittatas and eggs Benedict along with eggs to order and a breakfast pizza, topped with tomato, mozzarella, egg, and diner’s choice of ham, sausage, or smoky pancetta. Recommended Dishes: Lattuga alla Trentina salad, $9; Baci & Abbraci pizza , $13; verdure ripiene, $11

c/o NY Mag

32 Withers St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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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:

Bamonte’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

c/o Zagat

323 Graham Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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347.899.7599

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon.-Wed. 4pm.-2am; Thu.-Fri. 4pm.-4am.; Sat. 12pm-4am; Sun. 12pm-2am
Price: Moderately Priced
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Food/Menu: Healthy Bar Snacks
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: No
Time Out New York says:

Gather a group for the 40-ounce cocktails, like a pisco-pineapple punch, at this Williamsburg tavern, from alums of the Breslin and Gallery Bar. You can also order individual-sized tipples—like the Poppa’s Pride (bourbon, ginger, mint, lemon, soda, Angostura bitters) or the Mea Culpa (tequila, Punt e Mes, Velvet Falernum, lime)—at the butcher-block bar. Dishes made with seasonal ingredients, including a roasted beet salad with Greek yogurt and a Wisconsin dog with house-made mustard and aged cheddar, form the menu of elevated comfort food.

Metromix says:

The owners of this Williamsburg watering hole stick to the basics: wine, beer and small plates. Oh, and there are also those giant cocktails meant to share, but drinking far too much is the status quo for this bar-laden ‘hood. The no-frills bar has taken over the space that used to house Phoebe’s Café, and if you’re part of a big group (or a really strong liver), you can booze it up with one of the giant beverages like a pineapple punch. There is also a list of affordable international wines and small plates that will go well with all that booze in your belly. A few of those frankfurters with housemade mustard before bed, and you’re bound to minimize the after-effects of your bender.

c/o The New York Times

33 Havemeyer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206
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718.599.2210

Cuisine: Pizza
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All major
Price: Moderately Priced
Hours: Mon-Sun Noon-10pm
Booze: None
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Delivery: No
BK 365 says:

Located on the sleepy block between North 7th and 8th Street on Havemeyer in Williamsburg, Best Pizza has opened for business. Taking over the former Brooklyn Star space, the three amigos Frank, Gavi, and Akhil (ah-keel) are turning out some incredibly tasty slices with prices in line with far more average pizza joints.The team putting this together? One of the former Brooklyn Star owners Joaquin Baca and the Bushwick crew from Roberta’s are backing the venture. They’ve tapped pizzaiolo Frank Pinello who’s hopping over the East River from Keith McNally’s restaurant on the Bowery, Pulino’s Bar & Pizzeria. For those that pay attention to the world of pizza in this city, a pedigree worth attention.

The spot is bare bones with all of the signage consisting of either masking tape or paper plates with friend-emblazoned graffiti. One of the best labels in the joint is above the beer tap ($4/pint or $13/pitcher) that reads No Weeezing The Juice. There are 16 chairs in the white walled dining room looking into the kitchen where you can watch the guys slice and dice the fresh ingredients and feed them into the wood burning stove.

They’re serving up slices at $3-$5 with toppings from the Brooklyn Grange (when the season permits). The menu features a handful of staples, but the best way to order is just by walking up and asking what’s coming out fresh. Upon my visit that happened to be the Grandma Slice (plum-tomato sauce, hint of anchovie, local mozz), which held the perfect ratio of crisp to doughiness on a thin (but not too thin) crust with the proper level of sauce and cheese.

There’s a lot of pie in this city and as far as a by-the-slice spot goes, Best Pizza isn’t a title that rings hollow.

Blackbook Mag says:

Brick Oven Gallery’s century-old cooker put back to its original purpose, cranking out classic New York pies. Serious skillz in the kitchen between pizzaolo Frank Pinello and Roberta’s and Brooklyn Star backing. Hubris suggested by the name, but the ’za is all that. Available by the slice (try the grandma) or full pies for a nice civilized meal.

Betto

Cuisine: Italian/French/Spanish
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: Moderately Priced
Hours: Tue-Fri, 5pm-midnight; Sat-Sun, 11am-midnight
Website: http://bettonyc.com
Menu: http://bettonyc.com/menu/
Booze: Full Bar/Notable Wine
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Delivery: No
Time Out New York says:

Jason Denton (‘ino, ‘inoteca) takes his menu of shareable Italian plates across the bridge with this bi-level Williamsburg restaurant. The industrial space features exposed brick, concrete floors and a graphic mural of Italy. Chef Shaunna Sargent—transferred from Denton’s West Village trattoria Corsino—draws on Union Square Greenmarket produce for a seasonal menu that also features French and Spanish flavors. Gather some friends for one of the family-style plates, like a whole roasted saddle of lamb or spaghetti with brisket-and-pork-belly meatballs.

Time Out New York says:

When it comes to trendy openings, Williamsburg seems to be ground zero these days. The latest? A bi-level Italian restaurant from restaurateur James Denton (‘ino, ‘inoteca, Corsino) called Betto. Boasting his Corsino chef Shaunna Sargent, the 60-seat newcomer has a Greenmarket-heavy seasonal menu that, while focusing on Italy, includes Spanish and French flavors for its long list of shareable small plates—think grilled plums and burrata ($10), mackerel a la plancha ($8) and spaghetti with brisket-and-pork belly meatballs ($18)—as well as for its “large format” options, which includes whole-roasted baby lambs, ducks and whole fish by the pound.

NY Mag says

Jason Denton of ‘ino and ‘inoteca brings a dose of eclectic European cuisine to this 60-seat, dimly lit restaurant, his first in Brooklyn. The eccentric menu offers several whole animals (heads and tails included), which change throughout the week. Of the more permanent edibles, the majority are not only well thought out, but quite hearty. Each of the ten variations of “market toast,” with charred bread is worth showing up for, and several could be consumed as a complete meal. The cheese selection, mostly from Vermont (the one West Coast exception being the Smokey Blue), is a curd-lover’s dream, and worth ordering as a complete set, of course, accompanied by a carafe of wine. The majority of the menu encourages sharing, with plates ranging from $6 for a set of 3 lightly fried squash and ricotta fritters to $14 for a heaping bowl of spaghetti with pork-belly meatballs.
Recommended Dishes
Market toast, $12; suppli, $6; squash fritters, $6

c/o Grub Street

67 South 6th Street
New York, NY 11211
view map
718.388.0908

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Menu: Click here
Website: biabargrill.com
Hours: Mon-Sun 5pm-2am
Price: Moderately Prices
Subway: J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Food/Menu: Vietnamese snacks
Booze: Full bar (specialized in Asian beers)
Happy Hour: No
Grub Street says:

Hipsterphernalia meets Southeast Asia at Bia, South Williamsburg’s new Vietnamese restaurant and bar. The owners of recently shuttered East Village dive bar Duke’s have brought their kitschy roadhouse décor with them, and auto-repair signs, tables made from oil drums, and plastic bar stools somehow successfully mix with Buddhas, plants, and paper lanterns. Named after the Vietnamese word for beer, Bia has a solid selection of craft brews and imports (some from Asia), and most of the dozen taps are already flowing. The cocktail list is short and a bit pricey, and the house wine comes from a wooden barrel at the end of the bar.

A full menu with “authentic Vietnamese” fare inspired by owner Duke Quan’s family recipes — think pho, banh mi, and, for summer, a raw-beef salad. The kitchen will hopefully serve daily lunch in the future, but they’l focus on dinner and weekend brunch at first. A wooden roof deck (pictured here) is situated directly under the Williamsburg Bridge, so it doesn’t have much of a view. But the picnic tables, lawn chairs, and wooden fences give it a funky backyard feel

Blackbook Mag says:

Good evening, Vietnam. Duke peeps cross the river, take over raw industrial space in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge. Rooftop bar provides views aplenty. Twin staircases lead to cavernous interior complete with balcony seating. John Wayne photos joined by recycled signs from the last tenant (“Vince’s General Auto Repairs”). Kitchen pumps out traditional grilled meats, rice dishes, and bánh mì (duh). Bar pours craft beers and old-fashioned cocktails, for better sipping under the rooftop umbrellas.