As a resident of Park Slope for 2 years, I’m excited to share all the best restaurants in Park Slope with you. No gatekeeping here!

Park Slope has a fantastic selection of Italian restaurants and brunch spots.

But what I’ve discovered during my time in this lovely neighborhood, is that there’s tons of hidden gems representing cuisines from all over the world.

I’m talking about the newly opened Malaysian hot spot Curry Mee and the hearty, soul-warming Ethiopian haunts at Ghenet.

Then there’s the revival of the Cali-Mex joint La Taqueria, which grace the neighborhood for over 20 years before reopening early this year, just one door down its original location. The tacos there are the best I’ve ever had, period.

Join me as I take you along the ride for the best restaurants in Park Slope!

Best Italian Restaurants in Park Slope

1. Fausto

This vibey Italian restaurant is the perfect place to fall in love. The ear-shaped orecchiette comes with hunks of fennel braised pork and tuscan kale ($27).

The cauliflower is a punch of different flavors, mixed in with fragrant pine nut, tangy currant and a savory anchovy caper vinaigrette ($16).

This hip, groovy restaurant is a welcomed departure from the comfortable charm of Park Slope.

2. Terre

This fresh pasta restaurant gets many things right. Openly hidden amongst the charming interior are real caskets of balsamic vinegar, stored in line with the traditions of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy.

The taglinolini is prepared with tender, grass-fed venison in a white ragù ($29).

The papperdelle is cut so thin and rips nicely in the complementing slow-cooked boar ragù ($32). Consider starting with the black truffle burrata and the 30-month aged prosciutto ($27).

3. Pasta Louise

Pasta Louise’s fresh pastas make you sigh with pleasure upon first bite. They’re based on recipes that founder Allison Arevalo learned from the namesake Grandma Louise when she was young.

Their cacio e pepe is best-selling for a reason, with fragrant cracked pepper and salty pecorino ($16.50). It’s jaw-dropping with a side of spicy, crispy prosciutto on top ($4).

“I’m very immersed in the neighborhood,” Allison said. With two kids who go to school in Park Slope, she focused on creating a family-friendly experience at her restaurants from the get-go.

“I can ride my bike to all three [locations] on my way home,” Allison said, referring to her cafe on 8th Street, the restaurant on 12th Street and Bar Louise.

Shortly after Allison lost her sister Lenore to cancer in 2018, she attended a talk by socially-conscious chocolatier Shawn Askinosie, who spoke of losing his father and “turning your biggest sorrow, your biggest grief into something that you’re most proud of.”

That talk inspired Allison to start the Pasta Rose Scholarship, which is named after Lenore’s two daughters, Jasmine Rose and Scarlet Rose. The initiative grants one winner $10,000 in funds toward the cost of attending college.

“We definitely have people who hear about the scholarship, and who come here to celebrate things like their last cancer treatment or when they’re in remission,” Allison said. “I love when they tell me because I also love surprising them with a free dinner,” she said. “It’s special that they think of this place to celebrate things like that.”

Happy Hour is a deal here; enjoy spritz and chips for just $12 (on Tue-Fri from 3-5pm). If you’re into their cocktails, head over to Bar Louise for a comfy but upscale vibe, also in Park Slope.

4. Faun

The vibes are immaculate at Faun; the aura of the place beckons a glass of red. I found it to be the perfect place to celebrate my birthday with my mom and brother. The pasta is hand-rolled fresh, and the steak is deliciously seared. The portions are on the smaller side; but for an occasion or a date, this is a wonderful neighborhood spot.

5. Al Di La

Run by husband and wife team Emiliano Coppa and chef Anna Klinger, Italian restaurant Al Di La has been a neighborhood fixture for over 25 years. Sheets of homemade tagliatelle are perfectly cooked al dente in a flavorful, textured ragu. It’s one of the few places you can get braised rabbit, one of Al Di La’s northern Italian signatures. With an iconically rusty tin ceiling and heavily draped curtains that don’t look like they belong in this century, Al Di La is an intimate dinery fit to celebrate a special occasion or to impress visiting family. Frank Bruni of The New York Times has rated it two stars.

6. Crosta

Nothing can quite beat a burning hot pizza fresh out of the oven. Crosta gets so much right with their sourdough pizza, whose dough is naturally risen for 48 to 72 hours. Everything is delicious, but my personal favorite is the spicy chorizo with mozzarella and Manchego cheese ($19).

This pizzeria is decently priced and a fantastic place to bring family and friends. The outdoor seating is wonderful in good weather.

Best Restaurants in Park Slope

7. Ghenet

Ethiopian restaurant Ghenet will feed your soul and your stomach (double). Founder Yeworkwoha Ephrem, who was born and raised in Addis Ababa, has been running this spot for 17 years. The patterned steel walls and shining blue LED strips around the ceiling make for a memorable, endearing departure from the lot in Park Slope. Though smaller in size, I can be a tanker with good food, but the combination dish for 2 people filled me up way high. I can’t wait to go back.

8. Haenyeo Restaurant

Haenyeo’s fusion surprisingly works. I stand by that as a Korean who is constantly disappointed by the typical k-town classics.

It’s proven by the dukboki fundido, with a sauce so deep it could stand on its own as a soup, bites of chorizo and hunky layers of Oaxaca cheese ($19).

The fluke crudo is beautifully served, with blood orange on top, dunked in a bright pool of olive oil with sesame seeds, and oozing with the pickled tang of chili jangajji ($20).

The potato pancake crunches underneath the bigeye tuna sashimi, adhered together with a creme fraiche to form a unique sensory experience ($18).

The kalbi jjim is the best cooked I’ve ever had, with the tender beef giving way to the bone ($46).

The Maine uni’s smooth texture and delicate scent saturates the bibimap ($36). Don’t skimp on the beignets; served piping hot, and completely snowed in powdered sugar ($12).

Haenyeo are the legendary female sea divers in Korea who go under water for minutes at a time to catch seafood. The plentiful marine delights and the photos of haenyeo on the wall are a nod to these tough women, past and present. This is Chef-owner Jenny Kwak’s third Korean concept.

9. Masalawala & Sons

Sticky, seared, aromatic and salty. Thick chutneys and braised mutton. Masalawala introduces Bengali cooking in a cheerful setting, with colorful murals covering the wall and pom poms playfully strung across the quintessentially New York tin ceiling. Masalawala was opened in inspiration of Roni Mazumdar’s father, who immigrated from Kolkata. Experienced restauranteurs Roni and Chintan Pandya run 7 other concepts across NYC and the greater metropolitan area.

10. Palo Santo

For 18 years, chef-owner Jacques Gautier has been delicately experimenting Latin American and Caribbean flavors at Palo Alto. The braised duck leg simmers in a chili and chocolate-based mole poblano. The grass-fed skirt steak is enjoyed with fresh chimichurri and rich yucca. The service and friendly and warm in this romantic, dimly-lit restaurant. What I love about chef Jacque’s dishes is that his garnishes and sauces accentuate the freshness and texture of the ingredients, rather than bury them, a culprit too common even in NYC. The $24 prix fixe brunch includes one non-alcoholic drink. Add $18 for one hour of bottomless mimosas or sangria.

11. Bricolage

It’s a little hard to focus on the loved ones you’ll bring to Bricolage when the interior decor itself is an art piece by co-owner Miro Gal. The seeming dozens of wall clocks, opaque TV sets and short bell lamps thrust Bricolage into the hip and modern category. It’s refreshing to experience this edginess with Vietnamese cuisine. The fresh summer rolls bounce with fresh veggies and delicate glass noodles that are not overcooked. The crispy imperial rolls with pork and shrimp set the scene for the culinary satisfaction that awaits you. Get the spicy garlic noodles with a side of marinated flank steak for a savory and filling meal.

12. Stone Park Cafe

For a calm, classy and family-friendly brunch, head over to Stone Park Cafe. The buttermilk pancakes are fluffy and plushy, and come with a tangy, delightful berry compote. The quiche is crispy and chewy in all the right places, housemade with spinach, mushroom and cheddar. Add $14 for a mimosa, bloody mary or bellini. Stone Park has been in business for 20 years and is owned by childhood friends Josh Foster and Josh Grinker, who grew up in Park Slope.

Best Casual Restaurants in Park Slope

13. La Taq

The tacos are out of this world at La Taq. The carnitas Michoacan are prepared the traditional way, simmering for up to 3 hours in a copper kettle. The al pastor is slowly cooked on a spinning trompo.

Hangry? Stuff yourself with the outrageous California burrito, which is so big it has to be wrapped in two tortillas by default.

This Cali-Mex joint is a reincarnation of the 20+ year business that founder Marty Medina ran, first as a pushcart in Brooklyn Heights, then as a restaurant just next door to the newly reopened location.

“What blew me away was the fact that people remembered us. And so we got hit hard when we first opened, which was great, because I ended up getting half of my old staff back,” Marty said. “This gentleman that just walked by – he’s been with me almost 30 years.”

Authentic to Marty means “our Mexican food from California,” where he was born and raised. “It was Mexico at one time, so we’re not bringing something new, right?” he said.

“There’s a few of us in the city that you’ll get the real deal. And then you get a lot of knockoffs,” he said.

For example, a lot of places put pork in the oven and “pass it off as carnitas,” but “that’s not carnitas. That’s pork roast,” Marty said.

“It cost a lot of money, labor-wise, to make corn tortillas,” Marty said. But head to La Taq and you’ll spot Maria – who’s worked with Marty for 12 years – making them fresh.

“It’s a process, and you got to be willing to put that time in,” Marty said.

14. Bonnie’s Grill

Bonnie’s is the place to go for burgers and wings in the neighborhood. But just as memorable as the food is the fervor and speed at which chef Kurt Schuler moves, which is on full display behind the bar.

Chef Kurt moves like a robot, accomplishing a dizzying array of dine-in and take-out orders all at once. But there’s a decidedly human rhythm and determination behind his movements, a certainty that comes from almost 17 years working at Bonnie’s, 6 days a week.

While cooking the wings to order takes more time, “nothing can beat it when it’s fresh and hot,” chef Kurt said. Those piping hot wings hit the spot dunked in blue cheese dressing.

Everything is made from scratch except the ketchup, including the barbecue sauce on the ribs, which are brined for three days, slow roasted and tenderly fall off the bone, Kurt said.

Come here for a Bill’s game. “It’s insane” and “very lively,” owner Steven Rodriguez, Bronx native and former manager at Times Square diner, says.

Bonnie’s been around for 25 years, which gives it “that vibe” that’s “a little hard to replicate when it’s a new restaurant,” Steven said.

Come on over and you’ll see Park Slopers and regulars galore. Bonnie’s is also a great spot to go before or after a game at the Barclays Center, which is just a 15 minute walk away.

15. Curry Mee

Newly opened in March 2024, Curry Mee is one of the rare Malaysian spots in New York City. Owner Joe Liao was introduced to the cuisine by his wife Sandra, who is Malaysian.

This is the neighborhood spot to unwind after a long day of work and try something new.

The duck is tender and lacks remnant gaminess. The coconutty broth of the chicken curry mee has a sheen of heat and the sumptuous egg noodles are just thick enough.

With 25 years of restaurant experience behind his back and another 40 years that his father’s put in Chinatown, it was about time that Joe opened his first restaurant. “If you still young, you need to do something like a more challenge,” Joe said. “It’s not easy, but at least you try.”

16. Banhmigos

My favorite thing to do is grabbing a banh mi from this joint, walking to Prospect Park and watching the sunset as I moan in the highest level of satisfaction. I don’t know what they’re doing with their banh mi, but it’s one of the best sandwiches (of any kind) I’ve had. The bread is chewy and never dry, and the pork is plentiful. As a Korean who embarrassingly avoids kimchi, I so love the pickled carrots and daikon radish, which do a tangy tango in my mouth. The cilantro is fresh and flavorful. 10/10 would recommend!

Best Restaurants in Park Slope (Conclusion)

In this article, we went over the best restaurants in Park Slope, which place the neighborhood squarely as a semi-essential destination in NYC.

These incredible neighborhood favorites include the tastiest Italian spots like Fausto, fast-casual style restaurants that are also great for takeout like Curry Mee, and places where you can experience wonderful cuisines like Latin American and Caribbean Palo Santo.

1. Fausto
2. Terre
3. Pasta Louise
4. Faun
5. Al Di La
6. Crosta
7. Ghenet
8. Haenyeo Restaurant
9. Masalawala & Sons
10. Palo Santo
11. Bricolage
12. Stone Park Cafe
13. La Taq
14. Bonnie’s Grill
15. Curry Mee
16. Banhmigos

Many of these restaurants have been around for decades, like Al Di La and Bonnie’s Grill, both which have been in town for over 25 years. We all know in New York City, when a restaurant survives and thrives for that long, it truly means something.

But we also cover impressive new spots, like Curry Mee, to keep things fresh and fun. 

I can’t wait for you to try these best restaurants in Park Slope!

Thank you for giving this article a read 🫶

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