THE DETAILS
Where to Stay
Housed in an early-20th-century factory on the Williamsburg waterfront, the Wythe Hotel (80 Wythe Ave.; 1-718/460-8000; doubles from US$350) is now home to 70 modern rooms and Reynards, a New American restaurant with a regularly changing menu. Nearby, the 64-room King & Grove Williamsburg (160 N. 12th St.; 1-718/218-7500; doubles from US$270) has a rooftop saltwater pool and a restaurant helmed by Michelin- starred chef Paul Liebrandt.
Where to Eat
Franny’s (348 Flatbush Ave., 1-718/230-0221) in Park Slope was one of the first eateries to put Brooklyn on the foodie map, followed by Frankies Spuntino (457 Court St., Carroll Gardens; 1-718/403-0033), where, more than a dozen years after its opening, you can still expect to wait for a table. Newcomer Talde’s (369 7th Ave.; 1-347/ 916-0031) has earned rave reviews of its own, as has the 28-seat Battersby (255 Smith St., Cobble Hill; 1-718/ 852-8321). In Gowanus, Littleneck (288 3rd Ave.; 1-718/522-1921) serves up New England seafood fare, while Roberta’s (261 Moore St.; 1-718/417-1118), a 20-minute drive to the northeast in Bushwick, has acquired a culinary reputation that goes well beyond its fabulous wood-oven pizzas.
Where to Shop
In Williamsburg, Strawser & Smith (487 Driggs Ave.;1-718/388-7600) sells furnishings repurposed from America’s industrial past, while Beam (No. 34, 240 Kent Ave.; 1-917/434-2302) offers home goods and accessories from a mix of established and emerging artists and designers. In the same area, Mast Brothers (111 North 3rd St.; 1-718/ 388-2625) creates beautifully wrapped artisanal chocolates.
This article originally appeared in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of DestinAsian (“Brooklyn, Old and New”)
