11's: Brooklyn Wine-ish Bars to Spend 100-ish Dollars At
Getting moderately analytical about where to eat radicchio-based salads and drink skin contact wine
11's: Brooklyn Wine-ish Bars to Spend 100-ish Dollars At
For a while now, I’ve been fixated on the category commonly referred to as “wine bars.” What started as a designation for, well, wine-focused bars — places to drop by for a bottle and a few snacks — has become a catchall for restaurants that defy easy categorization.
That’s what we’re talking about today: the difficult-to-articulate restaurants that have somehow landed in the wine bar category, despite being at least as much about food as wine. Small in stature, chef-driven, seasonal cooking, wine-forward, bistro-esque. Not necessarily French, but definitely a little Euro.
I have a tumultuous relationship with this class of restaurants. When they’re good, they can offer some of the city’s most memorable dining experiences — places that captivate you with thoughtful cooking and whisk you away with warm hospitality. When they’re bad, they can feel like fleece jobs — overpriced food, dainty portions, and half-assed service.
These days, $100 per person seems to be the baseline for dinner in New York. This, of course, is not true at my beloved Yemen Cafe, where you’ll be fed like royalty for a much smaller sum. But at wine bars — especially those where you’re seeking a buzzing ambiance, a drink (maybe two), and a proper meal — it’s going to reliably run you a Benjamin.
It’s not a small amount of money. And I’m not someone who brushes off a shitty, unfulfilling experience easily (see: Most Disappointing Meals of 2024). I want that money to be well-spent. I want the meal to feel worth it.
I’m always looking for thoughtful restaurants where the food, service, and ambiance come together with cohesion — where there’s a clear vision and something unique about the offering. I want service that’s polished, flashes of hospitality that make me feel taken care of, and a touch of spontaneity to pair with reliability. When it all comes together, $100-ish feels like a fair value.
And so I got analytical with it. I ranked 11 of these “wine-ish bars” across 8 categories: Ambiance, Service, Small Plates, Large Plates, Beverages, Desserts, Value, and Repeatability. I promise I won’t bore you with math, but each category has a corresponding weight, resulting in a formula of 50% food + beverage, 50% everything else.
My goal was to see — using my personal values — which of these spots is the most “worth it.” It cuts through any bias of liking a restaurant for how it fits my aesthetic, and gets down to the core of what the restaurant is actually offering.
Below are the results, from worst to first. Highly subjective, but ultimately, a pretty honest answer to the question: Where should I spend 100-ish dollars at a wine-ish bar in Brooklyn?
11's: Brooklyn Wine-ish Bars to Spend 100-ish Dollars At
11] Popina Columbia Street Waterfront District, Brooklyn
What it does well: Popina is approachable — reservations are easily had, and walk-ins are always doable (there’s a reason for this). It’s chilled out, easy-going, and there’s a happy hour with solid value.
Where it struggles: Besides the hot chicken milanese, the food is largely forgettable. Their menu is pasta-centric, yet all the pastas fell flat — undercooked noodles, broken sauces. The room is generic and vibeless. The service is a means to an end. It was an uninspired meal in almost every way.
Why you should go here: I probably wouldn’t send you here.
10] Margot Fort Greene, Brooklyn
What it does well: The bright, breezy room that sits behind a royal blue facade on Lafayette Avenue always catches my eye. I’ve never had a bad dish here.
Where it struggles: I haven’t had any truly great dishes. Margot feels safe — it’s missing a sense of identity and a clear vision, which comes through in the food and energy. It feels like a restaurant that could be anywhere in the U.S. There’s a pervasive standoffishness — from the hosts, servers, and their overall digital presence — that strikes me the wrong way.
Why you should go here: If they’re hosting an interesting pop-up dinner, it’s a great room to eat someone else’s food.
09] Bar Bête Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
What it does well: Bar Bête serves some of the best small plates in all the land. The chicken liver parfait with pistachio and Italian plum jam is luxurious and wonderful. The tuna toast is zesty, spicy, and stellar. It’s also one of the more fairly priced places on this list.
Where it struggles: Twice now, I’ve been shockingly let down by the larger plates — rubbery duck with a flimsy skin; overcooked wagyu; fried skate wing that was almost entirely breading. I’ve never experienced such hot starts to a meal, only to be let down in the back half. Bete’s iconic yellow cake with dark chocolate frosting and sea salt has many die-hard fans, but I found that thing dry as hell.
Why you should go here: For a glass of wine (or two), and whatever small plates speak to you. Bar Bête feels neighborhood bistro-y, and more like the true-to-form wine bar in a way that allows for a snacky dinner that won’t get side-eye from a server.
08] Ops Bushwick, Brooklyn
What it does well: Ops has been serving consistently great pizza in a brick-clad, woody, comfortable room in Bushwick for nearly a decade. The wine is always a treat, and their quirky, aperitivo-forward cocktails hit the spot. Ops remains one of the more slept-on pizza restaurants in the city.
Where it struggles: I don’t have any major complaints about Ops. The small plates are super simple — things like butter beans, charcuterie, and a pile of radicchio dressed in oil and vinegar. Not bad, but not noteworthy. Their desserts aren’t anything special, either.
Why you should go here: To get a night in Bushwick rolling with crisp sourdough pies and fizzy fernet & sodas in a room that could warm the coldest of souls.
07] Ingas Bar Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
What it does well: One of my favorite rooms in all of New York — Ingas is a candle-lit oasis on a quiet corner of Brooklyn Heights. It’s sophisticated, but far from stuffy. Ingas carries a tight, easy-to-navigate menu — the focal point being a bang-up burger & fries, which is always why it comes to mind for me. And why it’s so repeatable.
Where it struggles: Besides the burger, the food is thoughtful and well-executed, but never mindblowing. I always walk out spending a little more than I would have thought or hoped, which I suppose is a function of doing business in Brooklyn Heights. I’ve watched as the burger price has crept dollar by dollar from $20 to $25 over the past year.
Why you should go here: To eat a burger, fries, and gem salad in their humming bar room, taking in the infectious buzz of the patrons, and the basslines.
06] Fradei Fort Greene, Brooklyn
What it does well: Fradei might be the most charming restaurant in New York, with just 15 seats in its rustic, intimate, ever-so-slightly subterranean dining room. The hospitality is warm as can be — the owner, Clement, touches every table and masterfully controls the room. When Fradei’s food hits, it really hits. Few places execute crudos, carpaccios, and salads this well.
Where it struggles: The tight menu changes often, and it’s not a place where I’ve found myself loving everything, every time. A taleggio and beef cheek stuffed caramelle was one of the best pasta dishes of my life, immediately followed by a smoky, acidic pork collar that was completely out of balance. There’s not much value to be found here — one of the more expensive spots on this list, dinner here edges closer to $150/pp.
Why you should go here: To celebrate something special with a touch of intimacy. It’s a place to go when you want to be looked after and cooked for. It’s also a great place to take your parents to show them something very New York, which is to say a mind-bendingly small restaurant.
05] Sailor Fort Greene, Brooklyn
What it does well: I’ve gone on and on about all the reasons I’m a fan of Sailor. It’s the most well-designed restaurant in the entire city. The larger plates — like golden roast chicken, buttery sea bass, and tender bavette steak — are all masterfully done. Sailor adds layers of approachability with its $9 glass of house wine, as well as by leaving half the seats every night for walk-ins.
Where it struggles: At times, I’ve experienced a cold, almost bitter level of hospitality here. Service is curt, direct, and even inconsistent for the level of sophistication the restaurant aspires to have. Pacing from the kitchen can be completely out of whack, with painfully long gaps between courses.
Why you should go here: To eat at the best restaurant in Fort Greene, bar none. For a swanky brunch centered around a silly-delicious French toast and a legendary April Bloomfield lamb burger. To crush a half chicken and fries at the sturdy wooden bar on a rainy Wednesday night.
04] Four Horsemen Williamsburg, Brooklyn
What it does well: The ambiance at Four Horsemen is unlike anywhere else in the city. It’s a timeless design — engineered to look and sound great from every angle. The food is objectively very good across the board, but I always find myself most impressed by the smaller plates — crunchy salads, delicate crudos, and tender vegetables.
Where it struggles: Getting a table here, unless you know people, is quite the challenge. Hard to knock a place for it, but it does hamper repeatability. I’ve had brutal service experiences here — met with absolutely no warmth, and treated like an afterthought. Friends with industry ties often describe their royal treatment, which only adds to this frustration. There are times when the dining room feels full of Euro tourists checking their Michelin boxes off; you might need to step over enormous Miu Miu bags to get to your seat. It’s expensive, sometimes comically so.
Why you should go here: To eat at the most special feeling restaurant on this list. It’s impossible not to feel great in that room. The floor for a meal at Four Horsemen is super high — I’ve never met someone who straight-up didn’t like it here. If you want a guaranteed hit, this is a great choice.
03] Cafe Kestrel Red Hook, Brooklyn
What it does well: Whimsical and wonderful, Kestrel feels like a vortex to an alternate universe. The food is always great — rustic yet precise, comforting, and interesting. The charm of the petite dining room, whether you’re seated on top of your neighbors at the 5-seat bar or cozied into a corner 2-top, is magical. The service is sharp, witty, and never breaks character.
Where it struggles: I don’t think it does. Kestrel is about as well-rounded as a restaurant gets. There’s no possible combination of dishes that’ll leave you disappointed. It’s pricey, especially for a place so off the beaten path, but I’ve always left feeling like I got my money’s worth.
Why you should go here: To go somewhere excellent that your friends probably haven’t been to. For a solo dinner at the bar, especially if you’re in the mood for a roast chicken in a date, caper, lemon sauce (with a side of creamy, peppery mac and cheese).
02] Hart’s Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
What it does well: Hart’s is exactly how you’d draw up a perfect neighborhood restaurant. Beyond the slate-blue facade is an oddly shaped, but remarkably cozy and endearing, 30-seat dining room, where all thirty of those people are having a great time. It’s a place that’s been around for 9 years, but feels truly timeless. The ever-changing, hyper-seasonal menu composed of simple yet brilliant dishes never disappoints. It’s one of the rare cases where dessert is absolutely necessary.
Where it struggles: There are occasionally dishes that rely too heavily on olive oils and aiolis to carry the flavor. It’s one of the least formal dining experiences on the list — chatty staff that’ll get lost in conversation with tables, so not the best if you want an upscale service experience. The wine list is great, but tight (this isn’t a knock for me, but I’m sure it is for some).
Why you should go here: For any reason at all. For no reason at all. Especially for events, special menus (latke night!), and changing of the seasons (
turned me onto this methodology).
01] Place des Fêtes Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
What it does well: Very few restaurants have a service methodology as good as Place des Fêtes. It’s a warm, inviting, and unpretentious place that always leaves me in a better mood than I entered. I’ve never been poured a glass of wine or been made a cocktail that I didn’t enjoy. The food is always excellent, especially the simple pastas, and perfect preparations of meat and fish. It’s a dialed operation, but with enough casualness that makes it a fun place to eat. With modest planning, it’s an easy place to get a table.
Where it struggles: Portions can be shockingly small — some dishes are even too dainty to split. There are a few price traps on the menu, often the specials that’ll feature a sneaky luxurious ingredient. Wine is expensive, with only a few bottles coming in under $100.
Why you should go here: For something special. Birthdays, anniversaries, promotions. Although it’s casual, PdF still feels celebratory and elevated, mostly because the service is so attentive and kind.
Up Next
A Manhattan edition of this list… Drop a comment with a restaurant that fits in this category that you’d like to see in the mix. Demo? King? Ha’s??
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I agree with the scorecard wholeheartedly. Also please take me to Cafe Kestrel!!!! :')
got caught in pouring rain and went into place des fêtes for the first time and they were so nice and warm. Among the best hospitality i've experienced in new york. Great vermouth thing too