Restaurant reviews: Brooklyn

Breakfast/Brunch

Sunday in Brooklyn, Williamsburg

This popular Williamsburg restaurant is best known for its brunches. The atmosphere is relaxed but it’s usually packed. The interior is exposed wood beams with an open kitchen on the ground floor and a wood-burning oven. The spicy chorizo hash with fingerling potatoes, fried eggs and pecorino is perfect for blowing away the cobwebs from a night out. It has plenty of kick and can be mopped up with the outstanding bread – made in-house. Meanwhile, the more traditional morning fare of cheddar scramble, eggs and Long Island home fries is hearty and tasty. There is a good selection of homemade pastries and sandwiches for lighter bites. The malted pancakes with hazelnut maple praline is their showstopper and you can see why.

Lunch

Frankel’s Delicatessen, Green Point

Slightly out of the way but worth the walk, this modern Jewish deli deals in the classics - fish salad, bagels, brisket and more. With only a few seats, a counter and likely a queue (especially at the weekend), be prepared to eat your food on the go. The egg cheese and pastrami bagel is very messy but incredible. The pastrami is chunky and falling apart, the cheese melting and the bagel perfectly toasted. A poppy seed with cream cheese is what it should be. The potato latkes are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The dips of sour cream and apple shouldn’t work but very much do. The only slight disappointment is the black coffee, which could be stronger.

Dinner

Roberta’s, Bushwick

Walking towards Roberta’s you start wondering if you’ve taken a wrong turn a few blocks back. The area doesn’t seem like home to one of New York’s most famous pizza spots, surrounded as it is with industrial warehouses and the odd dry cleaners. In keeping with the hipster vibe, the restaurant is actually in an old garage, with façade intact. Over the years it has expanded to take up what seems like most of the block. There’s a big backyard with communal picnic tables – but it’s January. Inside, however, it has the feel of an 80s ski cabin with wood panelling and old classics playing on the radio. The pizzas are why people started frequenting here more than a decade ago and after a few slices you understand why. The crusts are crispy, the bases thin and the toppings fresh, and there’s a good selection of local beers. What more could you want?