Runner Up

Lovely, lovely. We are definitely returning! It’s like eating at a friend’s house. Zach and Marshall are very gracious. Each dish had so much intention.

Excellent menu with distinctive and diverse offerings to make everyone happy. From the delicious bread beginning, the herbed olives, the fabulous fish dish to the excellent desserts, this was a wonderful dinner. The wine offerings were high quality and our server was a knowledgeable and non-pushy Som that steered us toward a couple great bottles. The only negative was the blasting horns of the fire trucks that drove down the street that would honk just outside the patio wall in our ear, but that’s just Brooklyn ...

An intimate and delightful atmosphere. Incredible food and amazing wine pairings. Overall such a treat—would absolutely return!

Bianca R

Mili’s pop up here was outstanding. Truly a great experience. The rating should go to Jose and Alexis. The dishes were simple but beautifully balanced and every detail accounted for. We loved them all. I think the cheese dish was one of my favourite things I ate all year. The pork was expertly cooked and so flavourful. Would love to come again to any popup here because the space is also lovely and intimate. Thanks for a great meal!

Kristina N

This was our first time coming to this restaurant. My husband and I were the first ones there and they were still prepping. The service was great and it’s a very very intimate spot like there’s only 6 bar seats and one 4top. The prefix menu was amazing and everything was so delicious. I’m glad the menu changes because we definitely want to go back and try new things. Wine options were on point too. If you’re looking for a casual date spot, then I would recommend. Also get the money bread, you won’t regret it!

Robin Krupnick

runner up is SUCH a wonderful place. snagged a last minute resy after eating winner sandwiches for a year, and WOW. food was outstanding — a nice meal, without being too stuffy / over fancy. love the intimacy of the space & the experience of sitting at the counter while everything is being fired. super accommodating to allergies, too. we ordered the focaccia+whipped ricotta, meats & cheeses, the bitter greens salad, and the short rib. short rib came with a bowl of baby purple lettuce, pickled radishes and cucumbers to wrap the meat into. Loni & Freddie were so welcoming and passionate, we had a lovely time!

Anna Toptalina

Today I visited this cafe with my colleagues (a group of about 20 people). We sat on the second floor, it’s a converted apartment, but the atmosphere is simply unique and authentic, which I’m delighted with. Service at the highest level. The food is incredibly tasty, I liked the salads, especially the yellow beet salads. It should be noted that I ate it for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. My colleagues were delighted with the pork and even took extra. The chicken is definitely delicious. In general, this is an ideal place for a company to have a great lunch or dinner.

D S

Exceptional dining experience. Wonderful food served in a beautifully lit and intimate environment. The chef prepared a well sourced and seasonally appropriate menu, show casing marvelous flavors through simplicity that allowed for a natural pop of colors. Each dish excites the visual mind and palate. A wine list that stands up to the food is rare to find at this price point and setting, runner up exceeded expectations, thoughtful curations that only amplified the experience. Having incredible options means nothing if you don't have the service aptitude to bring it all together in a meaningful way, the team here handled each step with care representative of all the fantastic facets of this fantastic evening.

Michael Cheng

Gem of a restaurant. This place offers two dimmer sessions and we went to the earlier one for my birthday. Sat at this cute bistro table with privacy from other guests and enjoyed the atmosphere and all the food. The waitress and chef were very knowledgeable and upbeat, and they had good as attentiveness throughout the service. We enjoyed confits, salads, steak, soups, and mousse, with fine wines that came with a story. It felt intimate and more like a home than a restaurant where we were being hosted. Loved it 10/10.

Julian Modesto

We have another winner. Delicious baked things, seasonal vegetables and mains. Be sure to get something baked like the monkey bread or at least a baguette. I had the monkey bread, chicken & ricotta meatballs with a baguette, squash & endive, and potatoes. The breads.......incredible. You can probably get anything here and be satisfied. I sat outdoors (I think this is their only feasible set up). The lighting and ambiance were nice. They give you blankets. Friendly service and delightfully fast. You write in your food order. I'm excited to try the cocktails and desserts next time.

David

Such a wonderful place. It's very small and intimate on the inside, you can watch the chefs prepare your dishes right there. We had the focaccia bread, the scallops, and the fisherman's pie. You can tell love and care goes into every dish. The focaccia bread was fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It came with a delicious whipped ricotta. The scallops were the star, they were cooked nicely and served on a delicious spread that I can't really describe as anything but amazing. The fisherman's pie was hearty without being too heavy, and was very tasty and satisfying. My only note would be that the dishes were all a little heavy on the salt.

Andrea W

Great experience! Wonderful staff! Amazing food and wine! There is little seating inside(about 5-6 bar seats) but many outdoor spots. We opted for the bar and loved it. We ordered olives, cheese, bread(winner 😉), the croquettes(top tier), a bitter salad(fab) and the meatballs. The wine list is splendid and although we didn’t order cocktails- looked impressive. Can’t wait to return to try everything else on the menu! Beautiful addition to Winner.

Mark

First off let me just say that this is the type of establishment that we all wish was across the street from where one lives. Every dish that came to the table was delicious, and tasty. Loved the sausage. A great change of pace to have a French-style sausage rather than Italian or Spanish. The wine list was large enough that I have no doubt anyone could locate a bottle they could love. My wish however would be a larger selection of wine by the glass. Other than that no complaints, and we walked away saying to ourselves we'll be back. And, back soon. This is a worth the trip type of place. Go.....you will not be disappointed.

Kimberly Jung

Lovely, lovely. We are definitely returning! It’s like eating at a friend’s house. Zach and Marshall are very gracious. Each dish had so much intention.

Don Holly

Excellent menu with distinctive and diverse offerings to make everyone happy. From the delicious bread beginning, the herbed olives, the fabulous fish dish to the excellent desserts, this was a wonderful dinner. The wine offerings were high quality and our server was a knowledgeable and non-pushy Som that steered us toward a couple great bottles. The only negative was the blasting horns of the fire trucks that drove down the street that would honk just outside the patio wall in our ear, but that’s just Brooklyn ...

CJ Wittus

An intimate and delightful atmosphere. Incredible food and amazing wine pairings. Overall such a treat—would absolutely return!

Had an amazing experience here. The spot only seats ten people (one table) so makes things feel very intimate and unique. Our server was super helpful with making selections, everything was very tasty. Favorite course was probably the ribs.

We had the best experience at Runner Up. Not only was the food incredible and so fresh, but the service was equally impressive. We were treated like friends and left with happy hearts and stomachs. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a unique Michelin quality culinary experience! Will definitely be back.

This place is stellar. We went for Valentine's Day, and the tasting menu was legitimately some of the best food I've had in New York. The food was inventive and delicious. It's small and intimate, which gives it a lovely atmosphere. Perfect for date night or when you want a damn good meal. I will be going back regularly.

Christopher Sienza

Had an amazing experience here. The spot only seats ten people (one table) so makes things feel very intimate and unique. Our server was super helpful with making selections, everything was very tasty. Favorite course was probably the ribs.

calvin thompson

Intimate, delicious, no frills. Had an excellent tasting menu for a very affordable $50. Only one chef & one server, absolutely lovely service. Great wine list too!

Emilia Curcic

We had the best experience at Runner Up. Not only was the food incredible and so fresh, but the service was equally impressive. We were treated like friends and left with happy hearts and stomachs. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a unique Michelin quality culinary experience! Will definitely be back.

PROS: Wonderful, fast service, and loved the creative menu! Also always enjoy a relaxed chef's counter environment in an intimate venue. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and skilled. And they seemed happy to be there which always contributes to a good vibe! CONS: Halfway through the service (~5:30PM on a Wednesday) they suddenly started blasting music which made it harder to converse through the meal. The pork was a bit overcooked and dry. And in total our meal ended up being $235 for two tasting menus + two cocktails which seemed a bit high. Their tasting menu on their website was priced at $60/pp so even if the drinks were $20/ea, with tax + tip we were expecting it to total ~$200.

Would be a great local that I would spend a lot of time at if I lived nearby. Sat outside on a pleasant evening and probably ordered too much food for two (we took the chicken home). Service was quick and the food was served in rapid fire so it didn't quite feel like a leisurely meal, but definitely more hits and misses

Was super excited to try this place because it’d gotten such great reviews. Service was great. While there were certain dishes I absolutely loved, particularly the monkey bread and little gem salad, both of which I would love to have every day of my life, others were just ok, like the sausage and corn hence the 4-star review.

Yiyi Zhang

PROS: Wonderful, fast service, and loved the creative menu! Also always enjoy a relaxed chef's counter environment in an intimate venue. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and skilled. And they seemed happy to be there which always contributes to a good vibe! CONS: Halfway through the service (~5:30PM on a Wednesday) they suddenly started blasting music which made it harder to converse through the meal. The pork was a bit overcooked and dry. And in total our meal ended up being $235 for two tasting menus + two cocktails which seemed a bit high. Their tasting menu on their website was priced at $60/pp so even if the drinks were $20/ea, with tax + tip we were expecting it to total ~$200.

Chris Quartly

Would be a great local that I would spend a lot of time at if I lived nearby. Sat outside on a pleasant evening and probably ordered too much food for two (we took the chicken home). Service was quick and the food was served in rapid fire so it didn't quite feel like a leisurely meal, but definitely more hits and misses

Sofia Daboub

Was super excited to try this place because it’d gotten such great reviews. Service was great. While there were certain dishes I absolutely loved, particularly the monkey bread and little gem salad, both of which I would love to have every day of my life, others were just ok, like the sausage and corn hence the 4-star review.

I’m very disappointed with my recent dining experience at the restaurant during which they were offering a Cambodian menu. The papaya salad is beyond horrible. It was way too salty and hard crab shells were spread over the salad which almost cracked my teeth. The drink was very minimally poured for the price. The servers were happy chatting with each other and ignored me for 10 minutes before taking order. Most importantly, please stay with the American / European cuisine and stop messing up with other types of food. You weren’t as creative as you thought.

Ximeng Tang

I’m very disappointed with my recent dining experience at the restaurant during which they were offering a Cambodian menu. The papaya salad is beyond horrible. It was way too salty and hard crab shells were spread over the salad which almost cracked my teeth. The drink was very minimally poured for the price. The servers were happy chatting with each other and ignored me for 10 minutes before taking order. Most importantly, please stay with the American / European cuisine and stop messing up with other types of food. You weren’t as creative as you thought.