Williamsburg has been a restaurant destination for long enough that the mythology has calcified. The restaurants that made the neighborhood’s reputation in the 2000s and early 2010s are now established institutions; new restaurants open against the backdrop of that reputation, and not all of them deserve the neighborhood’s reflected credibility.

The guide below covers restaurants that have earned their places independent of geography. Each of them would be worth going to if it were in a less famous neighborhood.

Lilia: The Pasta Restaurant

Lilia at 567 Union Avenue is Missy Robbins’s Italian restaurant and the most important fine dining destination to emerge from Brooklyn in the past decade. The pasta program — sheeps’ milk cacio e pepe, lamb rigatoni with fermented chili, agnolotti with brown butter — is executed at a level that competes with the best Italian cooking in Manhattan. The wood-fired dishes and the antipasti round out a menu that is consistently one of the best in New York. Reservations on Resy, released 28 days in advance, are competitive. The walk-in bar seats are worth trying for.

Peter Luger: The Institution

Peter Luger Steak House at 178 Broadway has been dry-aging porterhouse steaks on premises since 1887. The restaurant is cash only, reservations are required, and the menu is essentially one item: the porterhouse, sliced tableside, ordered by the number of people. The bacon appetizer is the correct starter. The German potatoes are the correct side. The sauce, served in a small pot on the side, has been made the same way for over a century. There is no wine list to speak of. This is the experience of eating in one of the oldest steakhouses in the world, and it delivers on that premise.

Fette Sau: The Barbecue

Fette Sau at 354 Metropolitan Avenue is the best BBQ restaurant in Brooklyn and one of the better ones in New York City. Order by the pound at the counter — the brisket, the pork belly, and the lamb ribs are the anchors. The housemade sausages are excellent. The beer garden operates in warm weather and is one of the better outdoor dining spaces in Williamsburg. The lines on weekend evenings can be significant; weeknight visits are calmer.

Sunday in Brooklyn: The Brunch Destination

Sunday in Brooklyn at 348 Wythe Avenue is the most consistent brunch restaurant in the neighborhood. The malted pancakes have been the signature dish since opening, but the full menu — egg dishes, grain bowls, coffee drinks — is well-executed throughout. The room is beautiful. Weekend waits are real; arrive at 10am when they open or book in advance.

The Commodore: The Bar Food That’s Actually Good

The Commodore on Metropolitan Avenue is primarily known as a bar but the fried chicken (served until late, crispy, properly seasoned) is legitimately excellent bar food. The cocktails are reasonably priced for Williamsburg. The space is warm and the crowd is neighborhood rather than tourist. A good option when you want a complete meal that doesn’t require a restaurant formality or an 8pm reservation.

Also see: our Williamsburg neighborhood guide

Also see: our best Williamsburg bars guide

Also see: our Brooklyn date night restaurant guide

Also see: our Harlem restaurants guide

Will

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