Brooklyn / Williamsburg
Williamsburg
Restaurants
Fifteen places worth the L train, ranked by someone who eats here. Real prices where they exist, and a straight answer where they do not.
Checking which of these 15 kitchens are open right now…
- 15 verified spots
- 3 Michelin stars
- 1 open 24 hours
- lunch from $14
Looking for a drink deal instead? → Williamsburg happy hours
The best restaurants in Williamsburg right now are Lilia for pasta, Aska for a $375 two-Michelin-star tasting menu, Francie for the duck and a star it has held since 2021, L’Industrie for the best slice in Brooklyn, and Birds of a Feather for a $14 Sichuan lunch. I checked all fifteen against each restaurant’s own site in August 2026. Where a place publishes no prices — and four of these publish none at all — this page says so rather than making a number up. Below they are grouped by the essentials, the cheap end, the non-European cooking, and the daytime spots. The L at Bedford drops you in the middle of it.
The short version
- Best overallLilia — the mafaldini, and a walk-in bar seat if you skip the 30-day Resy scramble.
- Best valueBirds of a Feather — $14 Sichuan lunch special including rice, weekdays till 4:30.
- Best sliceL’Industrie — the burrata slice, and Pizza Today’s 2026 Pizzeria of the Year.
- Best brunchSunday in Brooklyn — $18 pancakes, walk-in only. Leo opens 9am and takes bookings.
- Open right nowKellogg’s Diner — genuinely 24 hours, $15 burger, since 1928.
At a glance
Prices are from each restaurant’s own current menu. Where it says unpublished, the restaurant genuinely does not post one.
| Restaurant | Known for | Best for | Hours | $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lilia | Mafaldini with pink peppercorn | Dinner, or a walk-in bar seat | Dinner only · Mon–Thu from 5pm · Fri–Sun from 4pm | $$$ |
| Aska | 12–14 course tasting, $375 | A once-a-year dinner | Wed–Sun 5–11pm · closed Mon–Tue | $$$ |
| Francie | Crown roast of duck for two | Dinner, a proper occasion | Mon–Thu 5:30–9:30pm · Fri–Sat 5–10:30pm | $$$ |
| Peter Luger Steak House | Steak for two, the porterhouse | Lunch burger, or the porterhouse | Hours not published online · call 718-387-7400 | $$$ |
| Misi | Occhi with bottarga and lemon | Weekend lunch | Mon–Thu 5–9:30pm · Fri–Sun lunch 11:30am–2:30pm, dinner 4:30–9:30pm | $$$ |
| L’Industrie Pizzeria | The burrata slice | A slice standing up | Hours not published online · walk-in counter, no reservations | $$$ |
| Leo | Clam pie $26, margherita $20 | Weekend brunch, dinner outside | Mon–Fri 5–11pm · Sat–Sun 9am–11pm | $$$ |
| Kellogg’s Diner | Kellogg’s burger $15, patty melt $15 | Breakfast, 4am, anything | Open 24 hours, seven days | $$$ |
| Bonnie’s | Cha siu McRib $29 | Dinner, six nights | Tue–Thu 5:30–10pm · Fri–Sat 5–10pm · Sun 4–9pm · closed Mon | $$$ |
| Birds of a Feather | Weekday lunch special, $14 | Lunch. Genuinely. | Lunch Mon–Fri noon–4:30pm, Sat–Sun from 11am · dinner to 10pm | $$$ |
| Kru | Beef tongue jungle curry $34 | Dinner, weekend lunch | Mon–Thu 5:30–9pm · Fri–Sat to 10pm · Sat–Sun lunch noon–3pm | $$$ |
| Laser Wolf | Salatim, charcoal skewers, soft serve | Sunset, or weekend lunch | Sun–Wed 5–10:30pm · Thu & Sat to 11:30pm · Fri from 3pm · Sat–Sun lunch 11:30am–3pm | $$$ |
| Le Crocodile | Steak frites $52, roast chicken $44 | Breakfast, weekday lunch, brunch | Daily from 7am · lunch Mon–Fri 11am–3pm · brunch Sat–Sun 10am–3pm | $$$ |
| Sunday in Brooklyn | Sunday Pancakes, $18 | Brunch, if you will queue | Daily · breakfast 8–9:30am · brunch 9:30am–4:30pm · dinner 5–10pm | $$$ |
| St. Anselm | The butcher’s steak | Weekend lunch, a bar seat | Mon–Fri 5–11pm · Sat–Sun noon–4pm and 5–11pm | $$$ |
Map: where these 15 restaurants are
Everything runs from South 5th up to North 14th, and east to Manhattan Avenue. The L at Bedford is the middle; the G at Metropolitan gets you to the eastern half faster.
Pins are numbered to match the table above – tap any pin for the order and directions.
The five that define Williamsburg
Three Michelin distinctions, one lost star, and the pasta room the whole neighborhood is measured against. More citywide picks in our best restaurants in NYC guide.
Lilia Open now
The verdict: the restaurant Williamsburg is measured against, and it has not slipped. Missy Robbins cooks pasta in a converted garage on Union Avenue and the mafaldini with pink peppercorn is the plate people cross boroughs for. The sheep’s milk agnolotti with saffron and honey is the other one. The local move: reservations drop 30 days ahead at 10am, but the bar and the handful of outdoor tables are held for walk-ins, and they are a genuinely realistic way in on a weeknight. The honest caveat: Lilia publishes no prices anywhere on its own site, and it is dinner only — there is no lunch here, ever. For that, go to Misi.
Aska Open now
The verdict: Brooklyn’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant, and the only place on this page where you should know the number before you walk in. The tasting menu is $375 a head, twelve to fourteen courses of Nordic cooking out of a Williamsburg warehouse, and the wine pairing starts at another $250. That is the whole offer — there is no bar menu and no shorter version, whatever the booking sites suggest. The honest caveat: closed Monday and Tuesday, and the price above excludes tax and gratuity. Worth it if you care about this kind of cooking. A trap if you are looking for dinner.
askanyc.com · See our best tasting menus in NYC
Francie Open now
The verdict: the best special-occasion dinner in Williamsburg, and it has held its Michelin star every year since 2021. Chef Christopher Cipollone cooks a New York brasserie menu inside a limestone former bank on Broadway — the 30-day dry-aged crown roast of duck for two is the order, and the cheese cart is not a garnish, it is a course. Martinis come to the table. The local move: it takes Resy, SevenRooms and OpenTable, so if one is full try the next — almost nobody checks all three. The honest caveat: dinner only, no prices published online, and there are no Sunday hours listed anywhere. It also runs a happy hour — that one is on our Williamsburg happy hour guide.
franciebrooklyn.com · See our Michelin-starred restaurants in NYC
Peter Luger Steak House
The verdict: still worth going, and you should know exactly what you are walking into. Pete Wells took its New York Times stars away in 2019 and Michelin took its star in 2022 — it has not got either back, so anyone still calling it Michelin-starred is working from an old list. What has not changed is the dry-aged porterhouse, the extra-thick sizzling bacon, and the creamed spinach. The local move: the Luger-Burger is served daily until 3:45pm and is the cheapest way to eat here. The honest caveat, and it ruins evenings: no credit cards. They take cash, US debit cards, US checks with ID and the house card. Luger publishes neither prices nor hours on its own site — call before you go.
peterluger.com · See our best steakhouses in NYC
Misi Open now
The verdict: Lilia’s sister on Kent Avenue, and the one to book when you actually want to eat pasta at midday. The fettuccine with buffalo butter and black pepper is the simplest thing on the menu and the best; the sheep’s-milk-ricotta occhi with bottarga and lemon is the one you will describe to people afterwards. Vegetables get equal billing, which is rarer than it sounds. The local move: lunch runs Friday through Sunday, 11:30am to 2:30pm, and it is meaningfully easier to get than dinner at either of Robbins’s rooms. The honest caveat: Resy drops 28 days out here and 30 at Lilia — people mix the two up and miss both.
misinewyork.com · See our best restaurants in the West Village
Pizza, diners and the cheap end
The everyday Williamsburg — a counter, a table, and a room that never closes. See also our best pizza in NYC guide.
L’Industrie Pizzeria
The verdict: the best slice in Brooklyn and, as of August 2026, Pizza Today’s Pizzeria of the Year. Massimo Laveglia has been folding these since 2017 and the burrata slice — a plain-ish square with a torn ball dropped on after the bake — is the one that made the queue. Get that and a margherita. The local move: go to 254 South 2nd Street. There are now three L’Industries, including two in Manhattan, and the Williamsburg original is the one people mean. The honest caveat: they publish neither prices nor opening hours on their own site, there are about a dozen stools, and the line is the price of admission.
lindustriebk.com · See our best pizza in NYC
Leo Open now
The verdict: the sit-down counterweight to L’Industrie, and the better call if you want a table, a bottle and an actual evening. The sourdough is tangy enough to notice. Margherita is $20, the clam pie $26, the NY slice pie $30, and the Leo Burger is $20 and genuinely good. The local move: weekends they open at 9am for brunch — pancakes $16, French toast $16, half a roast chicken $28 — and it is one of very few places in Williamsburg where you can book an outdoor table rather than gamble on one. The honest caveat: they publish no brunch cut-off time, so do not turn up at 3pm expecting pancakes.
leo-nyc.com · See our best brunch in NYC
Kellogg’s Diner Open now
The verdict: the most useful restaurant in Williamsburg, because it is open when nothing else is. The 1928 diner on the Metropolitan and Union corner shut for a renovation and came back in September 2024 with Jackie Carnesi in the kitchen, and it is now genuinely 24 hours a day, seven days. The cooking is diner food taken seriously with a Tex-Mex lean: the burger is $15, the patty melt $15, ricotta pancakes $14, Texas French toast $15, and the lomo saltado is $28 and better than it has any right to be. The local move: braised short rib hash, $17, at an hour you would rather not admit to. Walk-ins always welcome.
Cantonese, Sichuan, Thai and Israeli
The neighborhood is not only pasta and steak. One current Bib Gourmand, one $14 lunch, and the best skyline you can eat in front of. More in our best Chinese restaurants in NYC guide.
Bonnie’s Open now
The verdict: the most fun dinner in North Brooklyn and a current Michelin Bib Gourmand. Calvin Eng cooks Cantonese American food that is neither nostalgic nor apologetic — the cha siu bkrib sandwich is $29 and is, unmistakably, a McRib built by someone who can cook. Fuyu cacio e pepe mein $22, salt-and-pepper squid $21, whole fish $37. The local move: reservations drop every morning at 10am, thirteen days out, and they hold back a few tables and bar seats for walk-ins daily. The honest caveat: closed Mondays, and the address reads Greenpoint to a lot of people — it is Williamsburg, 11211, up on Manhattan Avenue.
bonniesbrooklyn.com · See our best Chinese restaurants in NYC
Birds of a Feather Open now
The verdict: the best-value lunch in Williamsburg and it is not close. The weekday lunch special is $14 including rice, noon to 4:30, and it is ma po tofu or kung pao chicken cooked by the team behind Cafe China. Dan dan noodles are $14, ma po tofu $20, Chungking spicy chicken $28, the braised whole fish in chilli $35. The local move: they run a “Library Lunch” — the dining room is open midday for people working, with wifi and outlets, which no other restaurant on this page will let you do. The honest caveat: the Michelin star belongs to Cafe China and to the chef personally, not to this room.
birdsofafeatherny.com · See our best cheap eats in NYC
Kru Open now
The verdict: the most interesting Thai cooking in Brooklyn, and the menu tells you so by refusing to serve pad thai. Ohm Suansilphong and Kiki Supap cook century-old recipes straight: beef tongue jungle curry $34, a lamb massaman built as a pot pie $38, crispy honey soy pork belly $45, roasted branzino $28. There is a three-course tasting at $55, which is the sensible first visit. The local move: weekend lunch, noon to 3, is the easy door. The honest caveat: Kru took a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2023 guide and is not on the 2025 list — several write-ups still print it undated, which is how a three-year-old award becomes a current claim.
krubrooklyn.com · See our best Thai restaurants in NYC
Laser Wolf Open now
The verdict: the best view you can eat dinner in front of in Brooklyn, and the food is not an afterthought. It is on the roof of The Hoxton with an uninterrupted Manhattan skyline, and the format is fixed: a spread of salatim and pita arrives, then a charcoal-grilled skewer, then brown sugar soft serve. The local move: reservations open 21 days ahead at 10am on Resy, which is the only reason anyone gets a sunset table. The honest caveat: Laser Wolf publishes no prices on any of its own menus, so go in knowing you cannot check the damage first — and there is a different Laser Wolf in Philadelphia whose menu keeps getting quoted for this one.
Lunch, brunch and walking in
Every spot here serves before 5pm and takes walk-ins in some form — the daytime Williamsburg, which is the half most guides skip. See our best brunch in NYC guide too.
Le Crocodile Open now
The verdict: the most useful room in North Williamsburg, because it is open from 7am every single day and it never stops. Breakfast, weekday lunch, an in-between «après-midi» service from 3 to 5, weekend brunch, then dinner. The bistro steak frites with maître d’hôtel butter is $52, the roast chicken with herb jus and frites $44, the filet au poivre $65. The local move: weekday lunch, 11 to 3 — same kitchen, same room, none of the dinner scramble. The honest caveat: the rooftop with the view is Bar Blondeau, a different venue upstairs in the same hotel. Le Crocodile’s weekday happy hour lives on our Williamsburg happy hour guide.
lecrocodile.com · See our best lunch spots in NYC
Sunday in Brooklyn Open now
The verdict: yes, it is the pancakes, and yes, they are worth it. Hazelnut maple praline and brown butter, $18 for a single, $23 for a double, $26 for a triple — order the single unless you have plans to do nothing afterwards. Avocado toast $19, cheddar scramble $23, the burger $25, wood-roasted half chicken $34. The local move: breakfast service runs 8 to 9:30am and almost nobody uses it, which is how you eat here without a queue. The honest caveat: weekend brunch is “almost exclusively walk-in based” by their own admission — there are a handful of reservations and you will not get one. Put your name down and go walk around.
sundayinbrooklyn.com · See our best brunch in NYC
St. Anselm Open now
The verdict: the steak to get in Williamsburg if you are not spending Peter Luger money, and it is back — a fire shut it and it reopened on 12 February 2025. Everything comes off a live fire, the butcher’s steak is the order, and the room is small and dark and smells like it should. The local move: weekend lunch, noon to 4, plus a limited number of first-come bar seats any night — call ahead, they say so themselves. The honest caveat: St. Anselm publishes no prices on its own menu at all (the only figures on the site are the cookbook and the t-shirt), so the numbers you have seen quoted are third-party and possibly stale. Dining room caps at eight.
stanselm.net · See our best steakhouses in NYC
Williamsburg restaurants: FAQ
What are the best restaurants in Williamsburg?
Lilia for pasta, Aska for a two-Michelin-star tasting menu, Francie for a one-star brasserie dinner, Peter Luger for the porterhouse, and Misi for weekend lunch. Bonnie’s holds a current Michelin Bib Gourmand. L’Industrie was named Pizza Today’s Pizzeria of the Year in 2026.
Where should I eat in Williamsburg without a reservation?
Kellogg’s Diner is open 24 hours and always takes walk-ins. L’Industrie is a counter with no reservations at all. Lilia holds its bar and outdoor tables for walk-ins, Bonnie’s keeps back a few tables and bar seats daily, and St. Anselm has limited first-come bar seats — call ahead.
Where is the best lunch in Williamsburg?
Birds of a Feather runs a $14 weekday lunch special including rice, noon to 4:30pm. Le Crocodile serves lunch Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm, with steak frites at $52 and roast chicken at $44. Misi does lunch Friday to Sunday, and St. Anselm and Kru both open midday at weekends.
Where can I get the best burger in Williamsburg?
Kellogg’s Diner’s burger is $15 and available 24 hours a day. Leo’s burger is $20 and on both the dinner and brunch menus. Peter Luger’s Luger-Burger is served daily until 3:45pm — but remember Luger takes no credit cards, only cash, US debit and its own house card.
Which Williamsburg restaurants have outdoor dining?
Laser Wolf is a rooftop on top of The Hoxton with an uninterrupted Manhattan skyline. Bonnie’s has heated and air-conditioned patio seating and takes walk-ins for it daily. Leo takes reservations for outdoor tables specifically, and Lilia holds a few outdoor tables for walk-ins in good weather.
Last updated: August 2026. Menus, prices and hours change – confirm with the restaurant before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
