Blackbird Parlour
image c/o Gowanus Lounge
CUISINE: Coffee/Tea/Sandwiches/Wine Bar
ADDRESS: 197 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.599.2707
HOURS: Mon-Fri 8am-11:30pm; Sat, Sun 10am-11:30pm
CARDS: All Major
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
TIMEOUT SAYS: From the owners of Queens hangouts Oleput Lollipop and Sparrow comes this Greek-inflected café. Choose from 23loose-leaf teas, plus sandwiches—like a grilled manouri cheese—that reflect the proprietors’ Hellenic heritage.
Comments
Attitude with a capital A, pastries stale, tea is ok (so hard...), and so is the water. the best thing about this place is the location, major people watching place, and if you're earning your Bachelors in being a douche, you HAVE to work here. on the flipside, the douche factor applies mainly to bar counter staff, not waitresses.
Posted by: Bburg foodie | April 5, 2009 10:40 PM
Contrary to some of the comments below, I have found the service at Blackbird to be quite friendly and attentive. Perhaps overly so. The music is always great and the patrons are interesting. Slightly overpriced tea but otherwise, I'm a fan.
Posted by: missy | February 27, 2009 08:41 PM
This place has a very cozy and charming atmosphere. It is a perfect place to bring a first date. More importantly there are usually attractive people there so maybe it is a good place to meet a potential first date. The coffee there is one of my Williamsburg's favorites.
Posted by: Mercedes | January 26, 2009 02:50 AM
A little too expensive, and the service is... strange. I'm pretty sure at least one of the waitresses has been stoned three out of four times I've gone in, and the owners look like they just walked off a fishing trawler. Weird vibe, kinda creepy. Rude wait staff. If there was a better 1am alternative, I don't think I'd go back.
Posted by: Searcher | October 6, 2008 06:18 PM
worst service ever. the worst. i live near and every time i go back thinking maybe my last server had a bad day...but they're just lazy. it would be okay if you could just go up to the counter.
Posted by: lady | September 2, 2008 08:38 PM
Is it just me or is the coffee here pretty bad? at $2 for a small to-go cup, you should at least get higher quality than bodega coffee, no?
Posted by: Rich | August 28, 2008 12:57 AM
been to this spot quite a few times and had a really good experience. the beers and wines are good and the sandwiches are just fine. the prices were a bit high, but this is a very different williamsburg from even a couple years ago. as for the service, i ve found it quirky, and a bit pretentious but always efficient. over all, its a nice place.
Posted by: william | August 8, 2008 05:22 PM
What a disappointment. I've gone several times, both to rest my tired feet, brain and spirit after an exhausting day at work and just to support a new, local business. Every time, EVERY TIME, stand-offish attitudes, poor service, mediocre bites and standard blah coffee. The place drew me in when it first opened by playing beautiful music...and quickly dissolved into an irritating atmosphere. Does not have any hospitality although today the cashier did flash a beautiful, genuine smile when I went to pay. The server never even acknowledge me getting up to ask if I needed anything. Another server asked his table if she'd finally decided (looking over his shoulder with his hand on his hip - he couldn't even face her!) I'm not high maintenance so simple, mature, professional courtesy is okay. REALLY. And if it's on the menu, then stock it. And if you're out of it "because it's not selling so much" then open your lips a little to form the words clearly and push them out with a nice breath of air so the customers can understand what you're saying. Sorry, I would've loved to have continued to give you business but I'm a sucker for even trying the few times after the first visit. Today was the last time. My ghetto corner bodega has better vibes than this joint.
Posted by: Lisa | July 22, 2008 11:19 PM
SERIOUSLY the worst service I have ever experienced. Anyone who wrote this place is amazing has some sort of investment in the establishment. When there are as many employees as customers and it still takes 20 minutes to get bad service there is a serious problem. Terrible. Bad. Bad. Terrible.
Posted by: vela | June 7, 2008 08:02 AM
Blackbird parlour has the worst service in the entire city. I have dined in every borough and have never encounterd such snoody waitresses. That place should be deserted by everybody so they understand that people who walk into their business keep it alive and not giving them a decent service means death to that business.
Posted by: amadou | May 27, 2008 04:26 AM
so...I've given this place three chances now. The food is not really special. Neither is the coffee. And the cookies are not good either.
Service is terrible. The wait staff seems forget your order . Also, they tend to disappear.
The space is nice though. Really nice. And the music selection is good. Not much else to say.
Posted by: Michael L | May 11, 2008 11:56 PM
fantastic place- I love the atmosphere; it feels like 1920's Paris! The food is great as is the service, which I found friendly and capable. Go here and sip on a beer and you will be transported to old world Europe.. Best place in Billyburg.
Posted by: anita rogers | May 7, 2008 12:48 AM
place is interesting, organic wines by the glass, good beers, and the food is thoughtful...all worth returning for
Posted by: abnermo | April 25, 2008 07:59 PM
Went there last night for a hot beverage. Impressive at first but greatly disappointing service. I read a sign that says there is table service available for those sitting. So i sit down and wait 10 minutes before i am acknowledged and given a menu. I decide to move to a table and was given permission by the server but then the menu is taken from me and i have to wait several more minutes to get it back to order. Too long of a wait for loose tea and a really tired/ stoned server with a "i dont care what you think of me, i just want out of here" mentality gave me a poor impression. Then after sitting for no more than an hour and half, i was charged for two coffee pots. Nice try. For the most part I enjoyed the atmosphere and the sandwiches smelled like potential success. but not that night.
Posted by: greenpoint | March 10, 2008 03:07 PM
totally agree with the below commenter. really cute but it's so odd in there. and super slow when you finally do figure out who/where to order from. ugh.
Posted by: the rug | February 29, 2008 05:42 PM
this is a beautiful place but a little mixed up... is it a coffee place, bar, lunch place? do you sit? do you order at the counter? do you WAIT for the host?
once we found a table, we were given menus and forgotten about. after waiting over 15 minutes to be acknowledged and the lack of choices on the lunch menu, we decided to leave. the waitress cheerily said goodbye to us, completely unaware that is was her neglect that was losing her customers. I'm sure the tips from the wireless campers who buy 1 coffee for 4 hours were sufficient!
Posted by: stef | February 29, 2008 05:16 AM
The space is absolutely lovely!
Posted by: someguys | February 27, 2008 04:21 AM
They don't serve food aside from muffins and such until 12 or 1pm.
Posted by: flower | December 20, 2007 08:10 PM
Cozy, comfortable, great food.
Posted by: fingerlickingkitten | November 26, 2007 08:30 PM