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 Eater

131 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.384.7273

Cuisine: American
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Price: $$
Hours: Open 24 Hours
Cards: All Major
Booze: BYOB
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Time Out New York says:

Williamsburg night owls in search ofa 3am breakfast have a new option with the arrival of this 24-hour diner. In addition to the standard omelettes, there are a few wacky creations, like BBQ-shrimp pancakes and the Machete plate (mac and cheese with eggs). The massive menu is also vegan- and vegetarian-friendly—look for meatless burgers and meatballs made with spiced beets.

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

Bembe

81 South 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.387.5389

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Mon-Thu 7:30pm-4am; Fri-Sun 7pm-4am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full Bar
Happy Hour: None
NY Mag says:

Alongside the Williamsburg Bridge, Bembe is a world apart from its concrete, industrial environs. Inside, the bi-level lounge feels more like Miami or a steamy, fun-loving Latin American hotspot, with a tropical drinks menu—mojitos, rum punch, a tasty vodka concoction marinated in and served from an actual watermelon—and an airy, island-like décor of exposed brick and blonde wood. (The slightly exotic, accented bartenders, both male and female, lend another degree of authenticity.) But more than anything else, it’s the sexy, ethnically-diverse crowd dancing (some expertly, some not) to vibrant Latin music, spun by a DJ but sometimes accompanied by live drummers, that really makes you feel like you’re on vacation. Be warned: These booty shakers move with an enthusiasm and determination—sans attitude—that’s contagious.

The Village Voice says:

A refreshing break from the lily-white Williamsburg hipster scene, this cozy brick-walled lounge is a relaxing place to enjoy sweet island-flavored drinks early in the evening. But Bembe heats up as the night goes on, with DJs spinning multicultural beats, often accompanied by hand percussionists as the sexiest people you’ll ever see rub up against each other.

c/o The New York Times

346 Bedford Avenue
(Near South 3rd Street)
Brooklyn NY, 11211
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718.218.7067

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Mondays from 12-10 pm, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 6-10 pm
Booze: Beer and wine
Subway: L to Bedford Ave., J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
NY Mag says:

A few days a week, An Nguyen Xuan, a Vietnamese chef who was born and raised in France takes over Simple Café in Williamsburg and operates it as Bep (meaning “Kitchen” in Vietnamese): “I serve Vietnamese staple dishes like pho, bánh mì, bun, and fried spring rolls.” There are also specials, like caramelized pork belly with pickled bean sprouts. Xuan is using natural ingredients and hoping to offer an alternative to current Vietnamese restaurants, which she says are sometimes too expensive and use too much MSG. Hmmm. We have yet to encounter these expensive Vietnamese joints, but if she claims hers is cheaper and better, we’ll see her soon!

In January, An Nguyen Xuan opened Bep, which means “kitchen” in Vietnamese, at the Simple Café in Williamsburg. At first, the concept was confined to Mondays, restaurants’ day of doldrums. But the experiment proved so popular that last month Bep expanded its hours to Thursday through Saturday nights. Mr. Xuan’s food tends to the Hanoi style, which uses herbs and spices more subtly than its southern counterpart. Texture is key. Cha gio ($4.50), fried spring rolls, are chubby with pork and mushrooms, their rice-paper skins crisp and bubbled without being oily. A steamed rice crepe is tucked around crunchy pork and silky Vietnamese ham ($10). Many of the brief menu’s supplemental specials deserve to be staples, like the catfish, coppery with turmeric and aromatic with dill, atop vermicelli ($10), and a tangy salad of mango, cabbage and banana blossoms ($9). But the pho ($8) lacks character, and the banh mi ($5.50) are filled with too gentle a hand. Still, it’s rare at this price to find such exquisite details as the dried sour plum bobbing among the mint leaves in the house-made lime soda ($3).

Bistro Petit

774 Driggs Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.782.2582

Cuisine: French
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Price: Moderately Priced
Hours: Mon-Fri 3pm-12am; Sat-Sun 12pm-12am
Cards: None
Booze: None
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Time Out New York says:

Jean Georges alum Seung Park combines his French training with his Korean background at this diminutive Willimasburg takeout spot. Expect East-meets-West crossover dishes, like kimchi bouillabaisse, made with local, seasonal ingredients.

NY Mag says:

French standards—duck confit, steak frites—are joined by a few international riffs, like the kimchee that is added to the bouillabaisse at Bistro Cafe.

BlackBrick

300 S. Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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Cuisine: Coffee Shop
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Price: Moderately Priced
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 7am-8pm
Cards: All Major
Booze: None
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Delivery: No
We say:

Beautiful new coffee shop serving Stumptown coffee, Jacques Torres hot chocolate, and coming soon-fresh baked goods.

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.

Crown Victoria

60 S 2nd St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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917.719.6072

Death By Audio

49 S 2nd St
Brooklyn, NY 1122
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No Phone

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Vary
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Beer and Wine
Happy Hour: None
Calendar: www.myspace.com/deathbyaudioshows
NY Mag says:

Out of the tradition of DIY basement shows and illegal loft parties comes Death By Audio, a utilitarian two-room hall neighboring the Diamond Sugar Refinery on a low-traffic, industrial block in Williamsburg. Community performance spaces pop up (and disappear) constantly, and Death By Audio, a recording studio and gear factory by day, feels barely more established since the setup is deliberately minimal, and transient: a low-level stage flanked by large-scale pieces from a rotating cast of local artists; and a secondary room, often utilized as a dance hall (equipped with a projector for ambient screenings of dystopian seventies flicks and other trippy fare). Lineups of obscure noise-rock dudes or experimental electro German drone-pop come together anywhere between three or four days a week or once a month. Ubiquitous Todd P. often pulls the strings.