The very best restaurants in Park Slope

Aspiring restaurateurs in Park Slope should study this convivial Fifth Avenue pioneer. Neighborhood stalwart al di là remains unsurpassed in the area. The affable owner handles the inevitable wait (due to the no-reservations policy) with panache. And the wait is worth it for the belly-warming Northern Italian dishes.

Franny’s was like the perfect ex-girlfriend that somehow got away. You loved the pizza restaurant deeply for more than a decade, and your friends wistfully recount the time they first met her. But, damn, if you haven’t found a keeper in Fausto, the seasonal Italian beauty that’s slipped seamlessly (sans pizza) into Franny’s former space.

Camperdown Elm is the rare kind of place where beautiful, technique-driven dishes are presented as food you’ll want to devour, rather than art you’re meant to behold. Featuring butcher-block tabletops, this cozy eatery serves New American dishes with a slight Asian touch.

Edward and Lien Lin—husband-and-wife vets of San Francisco's the Slanted Door—turn out a Vietnamese menu with Chinese and French influences, including Sriracha-butter chicken wings and banh xeo crepes filled with shrimp, at their 50-seat seasonal gastropub with an outdoor garden.

This Park Slope sushi spot pioneered the affordable omakase menus that seems to have taken over the city. Order the fresh fish from different tasting menus that won't break the bank in the undecorated space. 

We expect a lot from our junior celebrity chefs chasing the spotlight on reality TV. But while many who looked so good on the small screen have failed to live up to their promise, Dale Talde proves his worth. His eponymous spot is so understated, it’s as if he’s hoping his fans don’t notice it’s there—with its dark-wood booths and mahogany carvings depicting dragons, foo dogs and samurai swords, the place feels like an old-school bar and grill crossed with a 1970s Chinese restaurant.

The café's spirited menu is described by some as “contemporary” American, but the intensely rich flavors are garnered through the use of old-school ingredients. From appetizers to desserts, the kitchen sends out food that may not be flashy, but sure is delicious. A lively staff, a wine list with genuine bargains and creative, fairly priced cocktails round out this first-rate neighborhood dining experience.

The use of organic, sustainably raised ingredients from local producers is why Rose Water earned a loyal following of locals who settle in the muted, earth-toned room to peruse a menu that changes frequently but is reliably stacked with bold flavors. Main courses may include grilled striped bass with fiddleheads, bacon, shiitake mushrooms and almond milk or tender braised beef short ribs with braised red cabbage, mustard spaetzle and horseradish-dill cream.

This Mediterranean restaurant in Park Slope draws inspiration from Turkish cuisine and fresh ingredients. You can also opt for the chef’s selection of mezes, or cold vegetarian appetizers in the narrow, minimalist space. 

There’s no house mill at this Brooklyn outfit, but there are plenty of grains. The menu showcases the stuff throughout its seasonal menu: Spelt from Massachusetts’s Four Star Farms is rolled into a trio of garlic knots (everything-bagel–spiced); a panzanella salad sports triticale and focaccia folded with polenta; and a variety of flour strains are used for pizzas. Farms are cited on the menu, and the restaurant takes its name from the chef’s mother’s farm in Rhinebeck, New York.