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K'Far
Photograph: Courtesy of Mike Persico

The 25 best restaurants in Williamsburg

Williamsburg’s most excellent restaurants serve some of NYC’s best breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and bar snacks.

Amber Sutherland-Namako
Written by
Amber Sutherland-Namako
&
Time Out contributors
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New York City has some fantastic eating and drinking neighborhoods, and Williamsburg holds its own among the best. Hop on the ferry, catch the subway, pedal a bike or saunter over for some top-notch cheap eats, classic steakhouses, terrific pizza, buzzy new spots and special occasion destinations. 

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Best Williamsburg restaurants

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Williamsburg
  • Recommended

When Philadelphia's Laser Wolf opened an NYC edition on the 10th floor of the Hoxton hotel last year, the fun follow-up with terrific, unlimited salatim and a nice variety of good skewers arrived with more buzz than money can buy. K’Far came to a larger space on the hotel’s lobby level later in 2022: bigger, better, and puzzlingly easier to reserve. Enjoy the ease of entry over fantastic preparations of savory baklava, Palestinian lamb tartare, dorade and chicken schnitzel. 

  • Restaurants
  • Williamsburg

A shining jewel at the corner of Broadway and Bedford, Francie has been Williamsburg’s premier duck destination since it opened at the end of 2020. The fantastic waterfowl is adorned in a bouquet of vibrant flora before it’s presented tableside and its crackling skin is sliced to reveal the juicy meat inside. This dish, along with Francie’s caviar soufflé cakes, pastas and heritage pork all helped it earn a Michelin star in the blink of an eye.

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  • Restaurants
  • Chinese
  • Williamsburg

The team behind highly regarded Cafe China (which reopened in a new location last year) opened this Sichuan spot in 2017, and the crowds haven’t thinned since. Reserve a table in the buzzy dining room for a taste of Birds of a Feather’s best in class mapo tofu, tea smoked duck and spicy soft shell crab. Lunch specials are also available on weekdays from noon to 4pm. 

  • Restaurants
  • Williamsburg

Caribbean-inspired menus including salt fish avocado toast and sweet plantain pancakes at brunch and braised oxtail, jerk chicken and jackfruit tacos at dinner top tables across Kokomo’s stylish interior and at its award-winning outdoor dining setup. Pair plates with rum punch and fun cocktails. 

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  • Bars
  • Cocktail bars
  • Williamsburg
  • price 3 of 4

Williamsburg cheered when this beautiful area staple reopened after a long pause that began in 2020. Now back in action in its chicly weathered dining room and fairytale garden, MP has all the marvelous martinis and raw bar bites it first became famed for a decade ago. 

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Williamsburg
  • Recommended

The above love for K’Far is not to say that Laser Wolf isn’t also worth a visit. The lively viewstaurant was one of NYC’s best new restaurants of 2022, and, once you’ve patiently waited for entry live on site or staking out its reservation platform, the fresh, warm pita, wonderful hummus, babaganoush, gigantes and live-fired skewers are almost enough to make you forget all the work it took to nab a seat. The beautiful water and skyline tableau seals the deal. 

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  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Greenpoint
  • Recommended

Kru’s “modern interpretation of hundred year-old Thai recipes took best-of lists by storm shortly after it opened late last summer, also earning introduction to the ​​Michelin Guide and a spot as a James Beard semifinalist in short order. Some of those interpretations pack wonderful heat, like in the beef tongue curry, and smoked whitefish relish with anchovy, shrimp and chili pastes, coconut cream and grachai, is a milder favorite. 

  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

Red-sauce joints like this are tailor-made for old-school standbys, not novelties. Forget the sides of vegetables when heaping portions of penne alla vodka, baked ziti and chicken Parm hit the spot. When so much of Williamsburg feels unrecognizably new, Bamonte’s holds the torch for neighborhood charm.

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  • Restaurants
  • Steakhouse
  • Williamsburg
  • price 4 of 4

Much-discussed Peter Luger is an endless source of fascination in and outside of NYC, and it'll take more than occsional derision to strip its classic status. Chances are, your out of town guests would rather grab steaks, chops, and great burgers here than at trendy new options, and it'll remain among the city's most august institutions well past any viral headlines. 

  • Restaurants
  • American creative
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

Marlow and Sons rustic looks date back to 2004. By day, it operates as neighborhood shop before its evening transformation into a destination dinner and cocktail spot. Oysters, Arctic char and pork sandwiches are all on the present menu. 

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Bars
  • Wine bars
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended

Walk into co-owner (and former LCD Soundsystem frontman) James Murphy’s intimate, convivial natural-wine–focused restaurant, and you’re in for a treat. A roster of daily specials keeps you on your toes, and the drinks are abundant. Think of this spot as a Wine 101 class.

  • Restaurants
  • Steakhouse
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

Also one of the best steakhouses in NYC, St. Anselm has plenty more on its menu, including salads, partridge, lamb, fish and rabbit, plus a nice variety of vegetable sides. The lengthy wine list has a lot of options to pair with these varied options. 

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  • Restaurants
  • Peruvian
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

Citrusy ceviche and golden-skinned rotisserie chicken are among several solid options at Llama Inn. This lively, light-drenched terrarium of a restaurant offers a wide array of Peruvian fare. 

  • Restaurants
  • Eclectic
  • Williamsburg
  • price 3 of 4

Dinner at double Michelin-starred Aska is a 12-14 course affair that will set you back $295 per person for preparations that incorporate Maine lobster, caviar, truffles, trout and scallops in aesthetically relaxed surroundings. It also recently introduced a ten-course weekend lunch for $70 less. 

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  • Restaurants
  • Pizza
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

Originally opened in 2010 in the old Brooklyn Star space with backing from top pizza purveyor Roberta's, brilliantly titled Best Pizza now has two Brooklyn locations and another pair beyond. Swing by for fantastic whole pies, heroes, salads and fan-favorite grandma slices.

  • Restaurants
  • Diners
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

The menu is small but mighty (and ever-changing) at this much-lauded spot from restaurateur Andrew Tarlow. An early address on Williamsburg's culinary map, the kitchen is still turning out hits like brick chicken and grass-fed burgers more than two decades later.

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  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

James Beard Award–winning chef Missy Robbins continues to pack her Italian stunner with guests who come from far and wide for Lilia's super-popular pasta. It still isn't easy to get a table, but it's worth the effort for an up-close look (and taste!) of those Instagram-famous mafaldine noodles with pink peppercorns.

  • Restaurants
  • Soul and southern American
  • Williamsburg
  • price 1 of 4

The undisputed star of this fried food fave is the moist chicken with irresistibly crispy batter, but the sides keep us coming back. Order the Superbowl, with baked beans, hush puppies, collards and your choice of corn bread or biscuits. Save some appetite space for the banana cream pie.

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  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Williamsburg
  • price 1 of 4

This 380-square-foot ramen shop from noodle whiz Yuji Haraguchi specializes in ichi ju san sai—a traditional Japanese meal of one soup and three side dishes—for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, snag a seat at the four-stool counter overlooking the open kitchen, where Haraguchi turns out a reservations-only, daily-changing ramen tasting.

The Commodore
  • Bars
  • Gastropubs
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4

The Commodore is a bar with divey proclivities and a longer menu than some restaurant-first operations. Choose from booze (and hangover) friendly items like fried chicken, nachos, burgers and fries. Sandwiches and salads are also available. 

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  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Williamsburg
  • price 3 of 4

Wood-fired pies in varieties like Margherita, 'nduja and grandma-style are just a few of the attractions at this relatively roomy Italian restaurant. Chicken Parm and Milanese, and grilled branzino are also available, and Barano offers $15 pasta plates on Tuesdays. 

  • Restaurants
  • American
  • Williamsburg

Pheasant's lovely backyard is tops for temperate afternoons and evenings made for lingering. Brunch brings sticky buns, French toast and BECs, among other options, and dinner includes burgers, bouillabaisse and braised pork shoulder.

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  • Restaurants
  • Williamsburg

A satisfying $15 lunch special, $28 three-course prix fixe, wide variety and generously portioned plates that actually pack some heat make Atithi an excellent neighborhood restaurant worth going out of your way for. We’ve previously enjoyed the cauliflower pakora and spicy lamb saag. 

  • Restaurants
  • American
  • Williamsburg
  • price 3 of 4

Unlike the name suggests, Sunday in Brooklyn is indeed open for brunch and dinner every day of the week. The rustic three-story space offers cozy vibes and an outdoor patio. Dishes like malted pancakes with hazelnut-maple praline shine on their brunch menu, and black cod pastrami and fried togarashi chicken arrive in time for dinner.

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Williamsburg
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended

Misi followed Lilia (above) in 2018. Like Lilia, it's a challenge getting in here, too, but the now five-year-old expansion does offer an opportunitity to double your chances for a place at one of pasta perfector chef Missy Robbins' tables. 

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