15 Best Restaurants in Boerum Hill, New York City

La Vara

$$ | Cobble Hill Fodor's choice

The accent at this diminutive restaurant with exposed-brick walls and ample bar space is on Spanish tapas with Moorish and Jewish influences. Choose among many tasty small plates, including eggplant with cheese, fried artichokes, and a daily selection of savory croquettes. The suckling pig is excellent, especially when accompanied with a glass of sangria in the pretty garden area.

One Girl Cookies

$ | Boerum Hill Fodor's choice

Vintage serving pieces, a hand-painted family tree, and life-size family photos adorn the interior of this aqua-walled bakery and café beloved for its old-world charm and tasty, bite-size cookies. The whoopie pies—chocolate or the very popular pumpkin—and cupcakes are worth checking out, too. The free Wi-Fi, spacious seating, and pleasant atmosphere invite lingering.

Rucola

$$ | Boerum Hill Fodor's choice

Magnificently prepared seasonal vegetables in sides, salads, appetizers, and pastas are the focal point of the menu at this dark-wood Italian restaurant, but don't overlook entrées that range from roast chicken to perfectly prepared branzino or a leg of lamb. Dining at the communal table in the center of the restaurant is fun; opt for bar seating or the few two-tops for a more intimate meal. The cocktail menu has intriguing concoctions, and dessert usually includes at least one pie selection from Brooklyn's Four & Twenty Blackbirds.

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Bar Tabac

$$ | Boerum Hill

A happening French bistro, with well-worn decor and live jazz several nights a week, Bar Tabac has been a neighborhood mainstay since opening in 2001. The aperitifs are impeccably chilled, the steak au poivre sizzles seductively on the grill, and the moules have just the right amount of broth for dipping your frites. This is the ideal destination for a romantic late-night bite, weekend brunch (perfect at a sidewalk table), or, if you're looking for a big party, Bastille Day.

Bien Cuit

$ | Boerum Hill

Locally ground flour, hand-mixed doughs, and European recipes are among this artisanal bakery and café's secrets to success. Some regulars drop by to stock up on classic challah, French pain de mie (a sweet bread good for sandwiches or to toast) and baguettes, and Italian Pugliese loaves, but others come for the pastries, sandwiches, or quiches. It's hard to choose among the cranberry danishes, fruit tarts, chocolate pecan tortes, or the flawless croissants, the latter served plain or with various fillings.

Café Pedlar

$ | Cobble Hill

The folks behind Frankie's 457 and Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens operate this bustling café whose limited seating only heightens its cachet. The expert staffers pull espresso drinks and pour-overs made with the latest and greatest roasts from nearby Stumptown. If you want to try something different, look for the output of "guest roasters" like Mad Cap from Grand Rapids, Michigan, or Anchored Coffee of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At the pastry counter you can pick up cookies, croissants, quiches, or the toothsome soft pretzels.

Court Street Pastry Shop

$ | Cobble Hill

A celebrated remnant of Cobble Hill's Italian-American past, this family-owned bakery delivers classics to savor: cannoli, pies, spumoni, custard ices, exquisitely layered Neapolitan-style sfogliatelle,and rainbow cookies by the pound. The vintage sign alone may be reason to visit, but even better is the intoxicatingly delicious interior, where you can discover everything from seasonal pastries to sugar-free cookies.

Henry Public

$$ | Cobble Hill

On a quiet Cobble Hill street, this dimly lit tavern is charmingly styled like an old-time saloon, and the antique and wood decor and fabulous zinc bar set just the right tone for simple standards cooked well. Best bets include the grass-fed burger, a grilled-cheese sandwich with apple slices, and the signature turkey-leg sandwich. The wines are from New York State, and the beers skew regional, too.

Hibino

$$ | Cobble Hill

There’s something almost zenlike about the food at this open, airy restaurant. The traditional and modern sushi rolls, the Kyoto-style obanzai (Japanese tapas), and the smooth, creamy homemade tofu served in small glass bottles will leave you feeling relaxed and satisfied. The reasonable prices and daily specials keep locals coming back for more.

Mile End

$$ | Boerum Hill

Named after the Montréal neighborhood known for its bagels, Mile End serves takes on Jewish deli staples, the Montréaler way: with smoked meat. Hearty sandwiches include the Eli Reuben (smoked meat, corned beef) and the Big Jewcey (a hamburger patty topped with smoked meat). Now with an expanded dining room, diners come not just for sandwiches, but for their matzoh ball soup, or the quintessential Québecois dish, poutine.

Mile End

$$ | Boerum Hill

Smoked meat in the form of brisket, turkey, chicken, and duck plays a starring role at this Montréal-style Jewish deli-restaurant that's nearly always full. The brisket finds its way into the signature smoked meat sandwich, the breakfast hash, and even poutine—french fries blanketed with gravy and cheese curds. The sizable menu also includes matzo ball soup, chicken livers, a Reuben, and other deli delights. The bagels are made the Montréal way, boiled before being baked in a wood-fired oven. The butcher-block tables at which diners sit are as sturdy as the cuisine.

Sam's Restaurant

$$ | Cobble Hill

If it looks old-school, it's because it is: Sam's has been around since the 1930s, and though the decor is a bit tired, the red leather banquettes and walls hung with faded photos from days gone by have a decidedly charming effect. The Italian fare is classic and comforting, including good thin-crust pizzas. Other specialties are the veal and chicken scaloppine, with thin slices of meat layered with prosciutto and mozzarella in a thick wine sauce.

Shelsky's of Brooklyn

$ | Cobble Hill

Owner Peter Shelsky pays homage to the traditional Lower East Side deli by stocking the classics—bagels, babka, and the like—but often with a nouveau-Brooklyn twist. Gravlax, Nova, and smoked salmon, for example, share space in the refrigerator with house-cured Jamaican jerk salmon, Mexican achiote salmon, and other deli delectables like pickled herring, whitefish salad, knishes, and prepared salads. You can purchase by the pound or opt for one of the excellent made-to-order sandwiches. For an amusing 1990s fashion flashback, check out Shelsky's bar mitzvah photo album on the ordering counter.

two8two Bar & Burger

$$ | Boerum Hill

Burgers, beers, and fries: that's what you'll get at this low-key joint. Among stroller-toting parents and neighborhood regulars, sidle up to the bar (or grab a table in back) and sink your teeth into a patty that was ground that morning by local butcher Los Paisanos. The headliner is the two8two burger, topped with roasted poblano chilies, cheddar cheese, and two8two sauce (mayo, ketchup, and spices), but there's also a lettuce wrap burger for the gluten-free or merely carb-phobic. The bar features craft beers on tap, including a couple of local selections, as well as the chipotle-habanero Bloody Mary—it's as hot as it sounds.

Two8Two Burger

$ | Boerum Hill

Burgers, beers, and fries. That's what you'll get at this low-key burger joint. Among stroller-toting parents and neighborhood regulars, you can sidle up to the bar (or grab a table in back) and sink your teeth into a burger patty that was ground that morning by local butcher Los Paisanos. The headliner is the two8two burger, topped with roasted poblano chilies, cheddar cheese, and two8two sauce (a combination of mayo, ketchup, and spices), but there's also a lettuce wrap burger for the gluten-free or merely carb-phobic The bar features a variety of craft beers on tap, including a couple of local selections, as well as the chipotle-habanero Bloody Mary–-it's as hot as it sounds.

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