A darling new cafe just opened in Brooklyn Heights, and it seems like all anyone can talk about is its bathroom. A majority of visitors around late lunchtime on a recent weekday had something to say about the W.C., which has a hidden door disguised by decorative shelving.
There is a doorknob, to be fair, and it’s to the right of the gelato case, which displays several house-made varieties. But first, coffee. And bánh mì, and bún.
The cà phê trứng ($3.75) is a few velvety sips of espresso, condensed milk, sugar and egg yolk with a little bit of bite and a little bit of sweetness—like a vampire’s kiss served in a paper cup. Drip’s on the menu, too ($2.50 and up), plus lattes ($4.25+), cold brew ($5.75+) and a wide variety of teas ($3). All this plus generous WiFi make it one of the neighborhood’s most welcoming daytime hangouts in a while. The password’s just printed on a sign beside the register, but I hadn’t seen one offered as a matter of course in a while.
That’s where you order, too, and they’ll bring your food and drinks out to the bright, brick-lined dining room where faux vines are arranged here and there. It seats a couple dozen at square, lacquered, shallow wood-grain tables. Seafoam green covers the chairs and a gleaming espresso machine on the counter. Queen, 80s-era George Harrison, and that one good Kiss song play at an appreciable volume, and sunshine streams in through the wide, sidewalk-facing windows.
The classic bánh mì ($11.50) is one of several varieties, each a collage of the standard daikon, pickled carrots, cucumber and cilantro, but they’re particularly perky with pronounced individual flavors here, which is less standard. The classic is arranged on a baguette with mayo, dainty layers of pâtè, jambon and pork roll to nearly overflowing effect that still holds together, defying the laws of sandwich fillings. The optional jalapeños are actually doing their job, too, bringing real heat rather than the typically hollow/hopeful offer to make it spicy. Each selection is more like two sandwiches; put the halves back together and it must measure nearly a foot long. Beef, sliced chicken thigh and tofu options all hover around $11.
Diem’s bún bowls ($11.75-$12.75) are outstanding. A bed of vermicelli noodles is layered with a mosaic of ingredients like turmeric fish, peanuts, fried shallots, dill, scallion and cilantro. It's almost too pretty to disrupt, and each individual item has its merits–the texture and the brightness of the shallots, the zippy dill–but they really sing when properly combined. This, too, is fairly large in size for a substantial lunch.
The cafe’s hours creep a bit into dinnertime, but it’s primarily an earlier operation with a zag as a dessert destination: They make fantastic several gelato varieties on site. In keeping with Diem’s established oversized offerings, a small ($5.50) is packed about one-and-a-half lengths above its cup’s height, and you can mix flavors like amaretto and chocolate-raspberry. Vegan flavors like vanilla bean and pistachio are also available, but they might vary from week to week.
The sum of Diem Eatery’s parts–its abundance of expertly prepared, delicious caffeine vehicles, its fortifying menu items with enough variety to keep coming back, and free keys to the internet make it not only a welcome new neighborhood spot, but also a solid new work-from-not-home locale.
You might even be able to hide from your boss in the bathroom for a minute.
Vitals
The Vibe: A place that actually wants you to be there, with WiFi, nice natural light and good food and cafe drinks.
The Food: Huge bánh mì, generous bún bowls and terrific house-made gelato.
The Drinks: Enough caffeine varieties to keep you alert all day, including a rich, velvety cà phê trứng.
Time Out Tip: The bathroom’s charmingly hidden in plain sight, but we bet you can find it if you’re ‘sweet.’
Diem Eatery is located at 79 Atlantic Avenue and is open Monday and Tuesday from 8am to 7pm, Wednesday from 8am to 5:30pm, Thursday and Friday from 8am to 7pm, Saturday from 9am to 7pm and Sunday from 9am to 6pm.
