The Brooklyn Museum has always felt somewhat far-flung from Manhattan’s art world institutions, but as New York City’s second-largest museum, a visit to the massive Beaux-Arts landmark is a must. Besides its favorable pay-what-you-wish admission and First Saturdays (a monthly, free, after-hours program with art-making, live music, and tours), the surrounding Prospect Heights neighborhood has, in recent years, become a culinary destination in its own right.
After exploring the permanent installation of Judy Chicago’s 1970s masterwork, The Dinner Party, you’ll find that, in Prospect Heights, life imitates art. From the Brooklyn Museum, there’s no shortage of acclaimed restaurants, bars, and cafes within convenient walking distance (15 mintues or less!).
Our Favorite Restaurants Near the Brooklyn Museum
Breakfast & Coffee
Every neighborhood once had a version of Tom’s Restaurant (782 Washington Ave). Many have disappeared, but Tom’s has endured. Since 1936, Brooklynites have crowded the counter or plopped into booths at this old-school diner for silver-dollar pancakes and egg creams.
Radio Bakery (186 Underhill Ave), where all baking is done on-site, is open until 3:30 PM, but its inventive croissants and chocolate chunk cookies often sell out by noon so this might be a pit stop on your way to the museum rather than after.
On Vanderbilt Avenue, one of the neighborhood’s main thoroughfares, there’s a notable absence of national chains. A small line forms outside Canyon Coffee (601 Vanderbilt Ave), the independent Los Angeles-based roaster that cites the artist Georgia O’Keeffe as one of its primary aesthetic inspirations (the Brooklyn Museum hosted the artist’s first solo exhibition in 1927, and features several of her works in its permanent collection today).
Lunch & Drinks
Head to the backyard garden patio at Ogliastro Pizza Bar (784 Washington Ave) for wood-fired carbonara pizza topped with guanciale, egg yolk, and pecorino.
There’s more art to be seen at Cheryl’s Global Soul (236 Underhill Ave), where former Food Network host Cheryl Smith fuses American comfort dishes with international influences, like Thai coconut curry mussels and Moroccan vegetable tagines, in a space that serves as a gallery for local Brooklyn artists.
Franklin Park (766 Franklin Ave), a massive beer garden in a once-ubiquitous 2000s Brooklyn garage conversion, remains a laid-back neighborhood favorite after nearly two decades.
Ciao, Gloria (550 Vanderbilt Ave) is Baked founder Renato Poliafito’s all-day concept, where Italian-American culture meets classics like the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, reimagined with Calabrian chili aioli and focaccia.
Dinner
From the team behind Michelin-starred restaurant Oxalis, Cafe Mado (791 Washington Ave) brings fine dining concepts to a relaxed setting with a skylight atrium, blonde wood, and lots of plants. Go for handmade pastas and artful vegetable-forward small plates, like fried eggplant with harissa butter or grilled cabbage with salsa verde.
From the folks behind storied restaurants Hart’s, Cervo’s, The Fly, and Eel Bar, Zig Zag Oyster Bar (406 Prospect Pl), treats raw seafood like a casual, everyday trip to your local neighborhood hangout, celebrating New York’s rich history as the oyster capital of the world. No table is complete without a classic tower of oysters, shrimp cocktail, clams, and mussels, but don’t sleep on the standout crab dip and olive-oil ice cream with fernet.
With a “nose-to-tail” ethos, Randi Lee and executive chef Delfin Jaranilla butcher whole meats and fish at Leland Eating and Drinking House (755 Dean St). Nothing goes to waste at this sustainably minded restaurant, where in-house baking, fermentation, and local sourcing not only fuel the menu but also a monthly butcher class with a five-course tasting dinner.
Bars
Prospect Heights has too many outdoor spots to list, and Washington Commons (748 Washington Ave) is one of our favorites. With its large backyard and bring-your-own-food policy, it’s perfect for large groups want to get together but can’t decide on a restaurant.
A quintessential Brooklyn dive bar, Sharlene’s (353 Flatbush Ave) has all the necessities: a $10 beer-and-shot special, soft-serve frozen margaritas, and a $3 hot pretzel.
At Weather Up (589 Vanderbilt Ave), the mixologists no longer have the signature hipster mustaches of the 2010s. Still, the era’s interiors (white subway-tiled walls, a copper-topped bar) remain, along with a focus on mixology. It’s the kind of place where you can trust the “Bartender’s Choice,” a custom, off-menu cocktail tailored to your taste preferences. After a long day of choosing which galleries to explore and where to eat, leave the final decision to the experts.
