Williamsburg Brooklyn Restaurant Guide: * Sel de Mer

image c/o Grub Street

CUISINE: Seafood - Mediterranean, American
ADDRESS: 374 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.387.4181
HOURS: Mon-Thu, 4pm-midnight; Fri-Sun 11am-4pm and 4pm-midnight
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Coming Soon
BRUNCH: yes, weekends only
DELIVERY: None, take-out only
AVERAGE ENTREE: $15
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: None
NY MAG SAYS: Think of the menu at Sel de Mer, a new seafood-focused restaurant in the old Najeeb’s space, as “a Mediterranean–meets–Long Island kind of thing,” says chef-owner Jeff Slagg: whole roasted dorade and three moules-frites preparations, but also steamers, fish-cake sliders, and fish and chips. That goes double for the new bar. “I wanted it to look like an old dock,” says Slagg, who did a stint at Oceana and more recently ran the kitchen at Sweetwater. “I’m just really into the water.” With its curtained façade, simple décor, and affordable menu, Sel de Mer reminds us of another cash-only Brooklyn seafood bistro: the original La Bouillabaisse during its Atlantic Avenue heyday. Like that crowd-pleasing spot, Sel de Mer is without wine and beer, for now. But that temporary drawback only helps keep tabs low for meals showcasing generous portions of fresh, imaginatively prepared seafood, like a recent halibut special served over coconut-milk-creamed spinach with crispy potatoes ($14), and a curried grouper ($15) that chef-owner Jeff Slagg dreamed up on a stroll down East 6th Street. There are three versions of moules-frites, and a selection of whole fish of the day. But the best deal might be the pair of so-called fish-cake sliders: two hefty hake burgers on toasted English muffins, served with a mound of cole slaw and the expectation that you’ll need a doggy bag ($12).