A Fort Greene guide

All of the best restaurants, coffee shops, and corners of delight in my neighborhood of Brooklyn!!!🤸🏼‍♀️

Nov 07, 2024

I LOVE living in Fort Greene. Last year, it was voted one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world, and while I may be slightly biased, I wholeheartedly agree. It’s the neighborhood in New York that I’ve called home for the past four years, and it’s the only place that’s ever truly felt like home to me, in my entire life. Effortlessly blending history, culture, and community, it’s the kind of place where you’re just as likely to stumble upon a cozy café with live jazz as you are to pass a stately, meticulously kept brownstone that’s been around since the 19th century.

A new, buzz-worthy restaurant seems to pop up every month — and seemingly, each opening is met with critical acclaim. On weekends, the Fort Greene Park farmers market comes alive with local vendors selling a variety of things, such as Pastel de nata, the most gorgeous Loewe-esque tomatoes you’ve ever seen, and $500 quilted hand-sewn chore jackets. The flower vendors make spectacular bouquets. It’s a total scene. And don’t even get me started on Fort Greene park! Sitting in the picnic field on a summer day is my ultimate happy place.

I could wax poetic for days on why I would never live in another NYC neighborhood again, but instead, here are my recommendations for the best places to eat, read, drink, date, and shop.

Shopping

Su’juk - Vintage store that also sells gifts and furniture.
Greenlight Bookstore - An excellent independent neighborhood bookstore that does a great job of highlighting local authors and their work.
Yu Interiors - I buy housewarming gifts here all the time!
Yours Truly, Brooklyn - Independent stationery store, founded by the owners of Greenlight. I go here for all of my greeting cards.
Cardinal Gift Shop - They carry very unique gifts and also have art class workshops (paper marbling, knitting, etc) that I am dying to attend.
Fort Greene Farmer’s Market - Saturdays from 8am to 3pm. An insane selection for being a small-ish farmer’s market, but it’s truly the best!
Fort Greene Park Artisans Bazaar - Saturdays from 8am to 4pm. Unique clothing, accessories, home goods, and more.

Reading/Picnic spots:

Fort Greene Park - My personal slice of heaven. I walk through it every day! Go in the morning before 9am if you want to see dog off-leash hour, or come chill in the afternoon and read a book under a 200-year old tree. As a family, we are here all the time, and we have practically raised our son in this park.
Pratt Sculpture Garden - Technically, this is in Clinton Hill, but it’s a stone’s throw away and is a gorgeous place for peace and quiet.

Ft. Greene Park is our home away from home!!! We basically live our lives here.

Coffee

Head Hi - An art/design center with a solid espresso bar. They host their own architecture + design book club, and carry a solid amount of books and international magazines. No laptops allowed!
Bittersweet - A great place to grab coffee and a solid sandwich before heading to the park.
Peckish - A good family-friendly coffee shop with donuts for the kids and dog treats for the dogs.

Pastries

Thea - One of the best bakeries in the city. Everything is incredible, you cannot go wrong here, but my personal favorites are the mango lebne maritozzi and the kataifi croissant. Excellent lunch options as well! Reminds me of Panaderia Rosetta in CDMX.
La Bicyclette Bakery - Your typical, classic french neighborhood bakery that turns into a wine bar at night.

Bars

Rhodora - Zero waste, natural wine bar with delicious small plates and impressive cocktails. Sitting outside on a summer day is peak people watching. Also a good first date spot (Mark and I had our first date here)!
The Great Georgiana - Your classic neighborhood watering hole. They serve great bar food!

Rhodora is the place to be on a beautiful day

Restaurants

Good for dining with friends

Theodora - This is truly my favorite restaurant in NYC. How lucky am I that it’s practically in my backyard? I always say this is a good one to come to with a big group, so you can try everything. Get the bread with whipped ricotta, the lamb, and the chocolate cake. The cocktails are exquisite too.

Theodora, my favorite restaurant in the city. Great ambience! Great bathrooms! Great cake! Skylights!

Good for solo eating

Sukh - Great thai food in a train car themed restaurant, with a lovely bar.

Good for dates

Sailor - A pain in the ass to get into, but worth the wait. My hack is going for lunch… you can usually walk in if you go right before they open. And the lunch burger isn’t to be missed!
Margot - Not terribly hard to get into, with solid food and natural wine, if that’s your thing. Cozy.

With live jazz music

Cafe Paulette - Very solid restaurant with a great steak frites and live jazz on Tuesday nights. Very romantic.
La Rina - Delicious Italian, with, you guessed it: live jazz on Tuesdays…

Restaurants with back patios/gardens

La Rina - …and did I mention they have the cutest backyard of all time? You won’t know you’re in the city.
Colonia Verde - A Latin American inspired restaurant that throws Sunday Asada parties in their backyard. It’s my dream to have a big garden party birthday here one year, because it’s so dreamy! They also have a greenhouse room you can eat in year-round.
Forma Pasta Factory - SOLID fast-casual pasta spot with a large backyard. Good grab and go fresh pasta as well. I always snag some and bring it home to cook.

Miss Ada - Delish Mediterranean spot with a back garden that is sun-drenched in the spring and summer. They use the herbs from their garden for their dishes and cocktails. I love this place for brunch.

Note: I will update this list on a rolling basis, as there are many places I’ve been dying to try (Strange Delight! Ikigai!), and new restaurants keep popping up at the speed of light.

xx,

Bella Darden

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