Park Slope’s leafy streets and broad sidewalks lend themselves to outdoor dining, as do the rear patios of its brownstones. But alfresco seating alone does not make an exceptional meal—especially when the weather is less than delightful. Below are some neighborhood restaurants where the food is so delicious, you will not mind if you need to eat indoors.
56 Fifth Avenue (between Bergen Street and St. Marks Place)
As you sit at one of the dozen or so tables on Alchemy’s rear patio, amid trellised vines and leafy trees, you will find it difficult to believe that this site previously housed a hardware store. You might find that fact equally difficult to believe when you sit inside the snug gastropub, with its exposed-brick walls, gleaming wood tables, and antique bar. And once you tuck into its refined take on pub grub—mac-and-cheese with peas and bacon, fish and chips, veggie, turkey, and grass-fed Angus burgers—all thoughts of power tools and plumbing supplies will disappear. If you stop in for brunch, try the sweet Guinness pancakes served with fresh fruit; should you need a wake-me-up, opt for the jalapeño grits.
339A Second Street (between Fourth and Fifth Avenues)
This New American restaurant has earned nearly as much praise for its spacious rear patio, which include pub tables for drinking and tables under a canopy for dining, as for its menu. Benchmark caters to carnivores; steaks and chops from pasture-raised cattle make up much of its dinner offering. But pescatarians and vegetarians will not go away hungry, with roasted acorn squash and Scottish salmon among the main dishes. The restaurant scores extra points for its Cookie Dough Egg Roll dessert, with house-made espresso gelato and miso caramel, and for a cocktail dubbed the Rye’n Gosling’s, made with Old Overholt rye, Gosling’s Black Seal rum, Grand Marnier, and ginger syrup.
162 Fifth Avenue (between Douglass and Degraw Streets)
Shelves of potted plants, wood-plank fencing, and mismatched tables, chairs, and settees give Bricolage’s brick-floor rear patio the ambience of an artsy homeowner’s backyard. But even your artsiest neighbor might be hard pressed to serve up Vietnamese delights such as house-made banh canh (a thick soup of coconut milk, tofu, noodles, and pickled vegetables) and coconut-braised pork belly with caramel sauce, ginger, and Thai chili. Regulars know to start things off with summer or crispy imperial rolls (or both). The eclectic beer menu is heavy on local brews, though on a balmy summer evening on the patio, the Vietnamese gin and tonic, flavored with Thai basil and Chinese cucumber, just might be the perfect sip.
446 Dean Street (at Fifth Avenue)
Once temperatures rise, the garage-style façade of Broccolino lifts open and tables spill out onto the sidewalk, all the better to feast on the sun-warmed Italian fare. Start with fried calamari, zuppa di pesce, or a selection of cheeses and salamis. But be sure to save room for a salad (brussels sprouts and pecorino, perhaps?) or a classic homemade pasta (paccheri with braised lamb ragù? black linguine with shrimp in tomato sauce? cavatelli with luganega sausage and broccoli rabe?). Do not forget the entrees, which include Milanese-style chicken breast, branzino piccata, and grilled skirt steak. And definitely be sure to finish with a homemade Italian ricotta cheesecake or panna cotta.
441 Seventh Avenue (at 15th Street)
Weather permitting, tables line both of Camperdown Elm’s front facades, beneath awnings and alongside flower boxes hanging along the wrought-iron railings. The vibe is almost Parisian, though the menu is seasonally focused New American. Recent dishes on the brunch menu included oysters with a citron mignonette, coconut-pecan praline pancakes, and avocado with spicy gochugaru mayonnaise; dinner options included dry-aged duck with beets and chestnuts and rib-eye steak served with aligot (a creamy, cheesy French version of mashed potatoes). One advantage to dining indoors is the ability to sample the bar menu, which includes duck liver mousse, bacalao croquettes, and fried chicken.
68 Fifth Avenue (between Bergen Street and St. Marks Place)
With leafy branches poking through the trellis roof, hanging lanterns, wood-plank fencing, and a fountain, the rear patio of Convivium Osteria transports you to a farmhouse in the Italian countryside, The interior does the same, thanks to its rustic wood tables and exposed brick and stone walls adorned with hanging copper pots. Once you begin eating, the illusion of being in Italy is complete. Because much of the produce is bought from local organic farmers, the menu changes seasonally. Recent starters included polenta with oyster mushrooms and Taleggio cheese, pancetta-wrapped organic chicken livers, and farro with cranberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and caciotta. Among the house-made pastas were tonnarelli with shrimp and tomato and ravioli stuffed with green apples and ricotta served with duck ragù. The secondi were just as alluring, with options including a roasted rack of lamb crusted with pine nuts served in red-wine sauce and braised rabbit with olives, capers, and prosciutto served with polenta crostini.
787 Union Street (at Sixth Avenue)
Rose Water. Image: Simon Doggett/Flickr
From spring through autumn, there are few better ways to begin your Saturday or Sunday than sitting at one of Rose Water’s outdoor tables amid the potted flowers and hanging plants, watching passersby and planning your day while sipping a ginger-pineapple agua fresca or a kumquat sangria between bites of a smoked pollack fishcake or challah French toast. Enjoying the restaurant’s fabled brunch indoors is nearly as delightful, however. The same holds true for its dinners, indoors or out. The menu changes frequently, as many of the ingredients are locally and regionally sourced. Recent entrees included black-truffle risotto, veal cheeks with brassicas and Pecorino, and sea scallops with fennel, capers, and golden raisins.
295 Fifth Avenue (between First and Second Streets)
The rear patio of this Thai restaurant has an urban garden-party vibe, thanks to the gravel-covered floor, the slatted walls, and the minimalist chairs and tables. The interior has a similarly modern, almost spare appeal. There is nothing minimalist about the flavors of the dishes, however. Start with tom yum, a hot and sour soup with your choice of shrimp, chicken, or tofu, or yum hed, a salad of white mushrooms with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions in a spicy vinaigrette. Pad thai is, of course, an option, but so are a variety of curries, such as kang panang gai (chicken with peppers and crushed kaffir leaves in a panang coconut sauce) and kang nuur (beef, eggplant, zucchini, bamboo shoots, peppers, and carrots in a red coconut curry sauce). You have a choice of stir fries too, including chicken and broccoli in oyster sauce and shrimp with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and onions in a fresh garlic sauce.
61A Seventh Avenue (between Lincoln and Berkeley Places)
Like Song, Spice is a Thai restaurant with a sizable but minimalist rear patio (though Spice’s patio has the added feature of a tree growing within it). The menu is a bit more extensive than that of Song. In addition to a variety of fried-rice variations (such as pineapple fried rice with chicken, shrimp, and squid), curries, and noodle dishes, entrees range from the intriguingly named Thai Volcanic Chicken to crispy red snapper with spicy tamarind sauce to Mongolian Deluxe (pineapple, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, celery, and cucumber in a sweet-and-sour sauce). Be warned: You will want to order dessert. Options include profiteroles filled with peanut butter, banana cheesecake rolls with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, and warmed Thai taro bread pudding. Spice is also quite proud of its cocktail menu, with offerings such as Thai Mule and Botanical Tart.
369 Seventh Avenue (at 11th Street)
Kung pao chicken and waffles at Talde. Image: amanderson2/Flickr
Like Camperdown Elm, this Asian-American restaurant makes the most of its corner location by setting up bistro tables beneath the awnings on both of its facades. Sitting inside the sunny eatery is no hardship, though, especially as much of its elaborate mahogany woodwork was designed by a celebrated 19th-century Japanese artist for the mansion of a department-store magnate. The menu is a kaleidoscope of flavors and influences. Highlights of the weekend brunch menu are pretzel pork and chive dumplings served with spicy mustard and kung pao chicken and waffles with coconut brown butter syrup. For dinner, you might want to start with mushroom buns served with garlic-pepper mayo before seguing into crispy oyster and bacon pad thai, a whole roasted branzino with banana leaf, turmeric, and tomato, or brussels sprouts with green sambal sauce.