My favorite dive bar. Delightful innovative, limited menu, small portions.. Great local beer selection, indy wines and clever cocktails.

I was in NYC for a week, and this place had the best food of the trip. Which is a very bold statement — this city knows how to cook.

I live in Greenpoint and this, among the many options, is still my favourite. I love the food, the drinks and beers. Service is great too

Went for a burger night and the burgers where amazing. Had bean salad and an iceberg wedge. Otherwise I've only had oysters there and they were tasty too

Great small plates of food. Lovely wine and cool staff. Quite pricey but worth it for a great. Great vibe.

One of my local favorites, amazing food, friendly staff members, great cocktails and ambience is on point.

Quality food and great drinks in a cozy atmosphere, by one of the best restaurant owners in Brooklyn.

Elite vibes in Greenpoint. Cozy bar, perfect for a date or drinks with a close friend. The only thing fresher than the cocktails and food is the playlist.

Neighborhood staple. The always rotating food menu never disappoints. The cocktails and wine selection are fantastic. The space is cozy and at its peak with the wood burning fireplace roaring.

It's been here for a long time. Beautiful neighborhood spot. Good drinks. Try it.

Stopped in for a drink, but the menu was so appetizing we had to indulge. The potato salad and squid sandwich had absolutely no right to be as delicious as they were. Will absolutely come back.

Innovative menu that rotates but always is great and surprises. Wine is consistently good. Service is fantastic. Feels like Brooklyn.

Located at the bottom corner of a street in Greenpoint, this isn't the type of place you'll find by accident... but find it you should. I popped here in our last night before flying home – and wished we'd come here earlier. It was cold outside (snow was on the way) and they had the wood fire lit, so the whole place had a lovely smokey smell. We sat by the fire and an enthused barman greeted us, advised us on drinks, and recommended dishes too. He brought me a sample of his suggested cider to ensure I liked it before giving me a larger glass. Around us, people were happily chatting, and the whole place had a friendly, fun, relaxed atmosphere. The food arrived (mine a cheese plate, my other half's an oyster dish) and both were delicious. We left feeling like we'd found a real gem.

Perfect for that afternoon drink and share plate vibe. Each time we go the menu changes and it feels like a happy surprise each time. World class food and delicious cocktails. No way you can have just one!

Quaint & rustic gastro-pub with top notch food and organic/biodynamic wine selection. Servings are small and prices are on the higher end but well worth it! Returned for a 3rd time so updated from 4 stars to 5. Keeps getting better! Superb food time & time again, rice & schmaltz gets a very special mention as does "the countdown" cocktail.

very cute cozy spot. The fireplace was lovely on a cold night. The martini was spot on. would want to be back for food

Small and crowded. We went on Sunday for the smoked chicken. Absolutely amazing, melts in your mouth. They smoke the chicken out back on Sunday in the warm months. Worth the wait. We had a salad which was very tasty as well.

Low key spot with high end, unpretentious food and drinks

Delicious cocktails in a cozy, shabby chic atmosphere. The bites are small and each dish was great. Order a bunch and share. Perfect location for a first date.

Everything is good here, both food and drink. Sit outside for a great view of Manhattan, but inside it's like a 1930s dockworker's pub. Staff is great, menu is seasonal. Oysters are not cheap but insanely good.

Good bar. Their fish soup is good!

+1

One of the best bars in Greenpoint. Many craft cocktails to choose from. Awesome natural wine list. Plenty of different beers available as well. Food is incredible, haven't found a single thing I didn't like. Perfect for happy hour during the week. Get some oysters and a glass of chablis, can't go wrong. Also, hell raiser chicken on Sundays in the summer/fall is to die for. they occasionally do popups as well with other restaurants from around the world which are always exhilarating events.

Original building from the 1920's, has the speakeasy flare. Cozy and comforting, a popular place for all types. The original old grandeur still remains. Lovely cocktails, appetizers, and the staff are wonderful!

Cozy and delicious bar. Great for a drink or a full dinner. Recommend the mochi cake!!

Awesome little hideout! A bit out of the way, but that's what makes it so great. This place is perfect for the winter cold - they have an amazing wood burning stove inside the bar! Definitely will make the trek here again.

Excellent drinks and great music in a cozy space. Try to sit by the wood burning stove if they have it going.

+2

Excellent food. I usually don’t trust fusion food but they do it right. Authenticity in Korean flavors with western interpretations. Can’t speak so much for drinks since I don’t drink, but vibes are great, food is amazing - also love how there is a specific sequence to the food. It’s very carefully curated.

The prices are expensive for me, but what I expect to pay for a craft cocktail in an intimate space. The service was quick and friendly and the restoration/decor are among the best of what I have found in the city for romantic date bars.

One of my favorite neighborhood bars. Friendly staff, great cocktails, food is good too albeit a bit on the pricey side. Would 100% recommend!

We literally ordered one of everything on the menu and every single thing was delicious!! Scallops, chicken curry, heirloom tomatoes, shrimp, steak tartare…also had great wine by the glass. Good friendly service and pleasant atmosphere. Loved it!

Cute and cozy bar with light bites; perfect spot for a date or small group of friends. Servers were friendly and accommodating. Their cocktail menu looks great, but I enjoyed the Pitt Nat they had by the glass

This is where my partner and I went on one of our first dates. It’s absolutely gorgeous inside and is well thought out. I love sitting by the wood stove when it is cold out. Well thought out food menu that’s small, but each menu item is well thought out and offers delicious options to go with any drink you may order. I highly recommend. I am so happy they survived 2020. Go there. You’ll love it.

fantastic small menu, great drinks, wonderful fire place. don’t let anyone know about this place though, it’s supposed to be a secret

Absolutely delicious and unique — the gin/coconut cocktail was so interesting, not too sweet. Raw fish appetizer and chicken entree were both awesome. Will be back!

We love Achilles Heel and make a point to visit every time we come to New York City. Great service, friendly staff, and really good food. It's a little off the beaten path for us since we typically stay in Manhattan, but it's definitely worth a visit. It's super cute.

One of my favorite restaurants in New York right now and a perfect neighborhood spot. Edmond is the new chef and everything on the updated program is delicious. Would love to be a regular here.

This is a perfect local bar with a ton of historical character. The cocktails are amazing and the alcohol selection is original so whatever you like, ask the bartender for a recommendation based on that. I had three different drinks and was never disappointed. It's rare for bars like his to have such amazing food but that is exactly what you get. I had Braised beef AND Bluefin! If you're stopping in fir a couple drinks and suddenly get hungry, you won't have to leave to grab something. You're in fantastic hands in this restaurant. Be prepared for a true dining/ bar experience! The decor is phenomenal!

I like this place a lot. It’s delivered every time I’ve been there. Friendly staff, quality drinks, great food.

solid wine list, relaxed vibe. is honestly great if you want something low-key but high quality. love how the kitchen area is open to the dining area

Very friendly, courteous and generous staff. Enjoyed the wine, Burrata and the cocktail which I am not remembering the name but have a picture. That was delicious. Loved the overall experience here.

Beatriz Beckford

The food. The food. The food. I can’t say enough. Cozy local bar with an incredible menu and good drinks. Service is top notch. I’ve been several times and this place never disappoints. Definitely recommend.

Stephanie Park

A really nice cozy bar with wood fireplace. Drinks were great but the castelvetrano olives were exceptionally great.

Ben Legg

What a lovely bar! Really charming atmosphere, background jazz tunes and lots of candles. Cozier than most English pubs (I say that as an Englishman). Knowledgeable, chatty staff and great food. I had the porchetta ribs, washed down with KCBC Hazy IPA. Both delicious! Highly recommended for a relaxing, cosy evening.

Slaven Radic

Just best, new Asian kick on food is amazing, and it’s crossing state border … when we said in Maine Ogunquit to random ppl we live in Greenpoint, they immediately talked about this place , and how it was amazing and of course we can confirm it. Thank you for great food, great hosts and great atmosphere! Just tried rib on new menu and it was so delusions. Must !

Chris

Had a tomato appetizer, chicken, and ribs. Love how tight the menu is. One of the best meals I’ve had all year

Aaron Simmonds

Don't live in New York anymore, and I hadn't been here in about 7 years or more. It's still as special as I remember it. Small place that fits all your needs -- a casual to more special experience both fit in the cozy space. Great dishes (a really nice Spring Panzanella dish that I'm still thinking about and hope Los Angeles can step up its game and match) and a nice choice of wines. The place hit the spot and I couldn't be happier with the welcoming waitstaff that took good care of us. The menu is small and thoughtful and brought to mind how great it can be not to have a ton of options, but rather a high-quality few that all deliver. Looking forward to the next time I am in town and can make it over to Achille's Heal. Hopefully, it's sooner rather than later.

Karen Wyck

Great food! The menu is well curated with many different flavors. Great attention to detail with presentation and seasoning. Love the skate wing and jimmy nardellos. The cocktail menu is also worth sampling!

Kary Sartan

Such a cute little corner place. Very intimate. Drinks are perfect as well as the bites they have. The bartender, Jackson, was such a delight. Places like this make me so happy. A-Z win! (CRUDO IS A MUST) just do it!

Ryan Merkley

Perfect spot. Neighborhood staple. Great cocktails, friendly and fast service. The fried chicken and curry made my day. Just perfect.

Julia Kim

Fantastic food and drink in a fun cozy atmosphere! Wonderful Korean chef and creative, ever-changing menu. Highly recommend a visit to Achilles Heel

+4

Patrick No

Wow! Truly wow’d by this place. New chef Sunny is doing something really great here. The food program is wonderful, we had the Hwe, Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls, and Mochi Cake. The hand rolls are great, tuna delicious! $9 each, so not cheap but definitely a tasty bite. The Hwe was extremely delicious, think of it as Korean poke. The lemon gochujang was very nice, and not overpoweringly spicy. It had a really nice crunch factor as well, everything was definitely well thought out in the dish. We also got their dessert which was told to us by our server, who was great BTW. It was so good! Food fantastic, wine fantastic, service fantastic, music fantastic. I will be back here soon.

Andrea DiCastro

What a great vibe! Met a friend here for a couple drinks and food. Local vibe where they bring in rotating guest chefs for the food. The menu was Korean and it was all delicious. The cocktails were also inventive and tasty. The staff were so nice! Cost was not cheap but the quality was good. I would definitely go back here if I am around the area.

+1

Mariia Goshchevska

We are so lucky to have this place near our home. The terrace is so atmospheric and nice place to be, especially in the evening, by the sunset time. You can actually see the sunset from there! Food is tasty and cocktails are refreshing. Thank you guys for this

Maria

Achilles Heel was recommended by a friend and I’m so glad we checked it out. The scene is cozy with a bit of an industrial feel. The team is super warm and welcoming and happy to make a drink suggestion. While we didn’t eat, our bar seat mates were ordering several things that looked delicious! Excited to try some bites on our next visit. *They have love music Fri & Sat

Julian Modesto

Damn, another standout spot from the Marlow Collective. I came for drinks and some snacks. Very vegetable forward. We had the butternut squash hummus with bread from She Wolf. Amazing. The She Wolf sourdough deserves a review on its own. We also had yellow beans and zucchini with mushrooms which tasted so seasonal. The drinks were a blast too. The shrub! Plenty of outdoor seating.

Solid spot overall, especially with the addition of the outdoor seating. Drinks and food are both good, but nothing that set me over the edge thinking it was amazing.

Fun place ~ Unexpectedly Korean spot in Greenpoint. Great mocktails and personally love the rice cake.

This bar is a little more expensive but it's definitely worth the price. The food is really tasty! The staff is also really sweet and attentive.

Amazing chill vibe. Delicious bites. Yes, overpriced (could do without a $9 draft beer) but worth it...? Good place to meet the upper GP class and finally feel like you're one of the cool Brooklynites (without trying too hard). Cocktails are decent but I would say for real don't try so hard and don't get a cocktail. Get a beer and a shot special and good plate of food to share with your date or with friends.

Small cozy spot. The tiny menu changes often but the food and presentation was lovely. The only star off was our waitress wasn't very friendly. She seemed annoyed from the get go. Short with her answers. Not too long later out waitresses switch and the new one was friendly and nice

It is pretty incredible the level of food that comes out of their little kitchen. Really amazing flavors and ideas. The drinks are great too, and the ambience is hip and cozy. Prices are a bit steep.

Super cozy joint. If you don't know it's here, you probably wouldn't stumble upon it. Open wood burning fireplace with small benches in front the door, and on the day we went, an amazing DJ spinning unknown new waves tunes in this appropriately dark yet warm atmosphere. The cocktails are okay and the food is, admittedly, a little on the weird side, blood pudding and such, but a solid winter time hangout regardless.

Fun atmosphere, though there isn’t much demarcation between the bar area & dining area. Drinks were good, bartenders were nice. I like the exposed open air kitchen. Whole place feels very rustic.

As the Greenpoint waterfront develops, Achilles has gone from a hip hangout at the edge of Brooklyn to a go-to spot for the nearby condo dwellers. It gets very busy. Food is cooked in a corner of the bar on induction, and changes frequently - expect hits and misses.

I'm not a cocktail expert but I enjoyed my "Street Legal" drink here. My date who is more of a critic than I, did not enjoy theirs but I thought it was adequate. In both cases there was plenty of alcohol and I think the drinks are designed to make that more palatable with strong herbal flavors but my date was expecting something lighter and more fruity from their order. Service was great, speedy and attentive which was refreshing after many hostile experiences recently. I thought the atmosphere, completed by a roaring fireplace, was magnificent. Cost was a little high for me but I imagine is typical for greenpoint. No comment on the food; my date wanted out before I could even find out if there was such a thing. Would recommend but be prepared for powerful drinks (in more than one way) and a chunky but worthwhile bill at the end.

Lovely warm bar with Great Beers and Food. Not Ideal for big groups, but if you do be sure to make a reservation.

Enjoyed the atmosphere. Nice bar unsurprisingly very hipster. Cocktails are well made.

Analee Kasudia

Came here for a drink and food with my +1. Nice hosts were able to accommodate a table for us. I got the Club Med Martini, now my fave martini — strong and cool with a light sweetness (?) to round the end of a sip; perfect for spring. We also got a few of this season's dishes: bread and butter w/ anchovies, marinated olives and bar snack. Overall was a bit skeptical of the price per dish, although they were tasty. We'll be back!

J.Y

Cool pub with great selection of beers and small plates. I love the toast and the potato wedge. Definitely try them.

Winston S.

Ended our weekly group ride here. Good amount of outdoor space and cute interior too. There's also a wood burning furnace two can sit next to if you want to warm up. A friend ordered a Scotch and I was not familiar with either selection. Didn't seem like they had the usual standbys like Macallan. I had two cocktails, the Best Friend, bourbon based, and the Moon Ring, tequila based, and enjoyed both of them. A little sweet, but the spirits still punched through.

Ludovic MASSON

Place is cool ! I like the atmosphere and music is good. Food wise, it was good - we like it. But expect to have prosciutto on the top of the mackerel ?!? And a leek tart with not so much leek... Wine selection was just okay. We may go back for drink

Tom K

Intimate setting of dark wood and lowlight I didn't order food here just drinks . There was a DJ in the corner but could still have a conversation. Many ppl eating seemed happy

Summer or winter, service is like wearing Velcro shoes trying to run across a field of bubble gum: It’s a bit of a struggle, you’re not really sure if you’ll make it, and you leave feeling like you eventually got somewhere, but you’re knackered.

We came just for a nighycap. We ordered two old fashions. They were both very delicious. However, they were a bit expensive for two cocktails (35 bucks with tip). The decor and atmosphere was otherwise good.

This place used to be a good local spot. It's changed quite a bit. Food is still good but expensive. Same with drinks. They changes their policy on large parties so it makes more difficult to actually just go and drink at a table with group of friends. Still good vibe though.

So.... it's still a lovely space, but beginning to slide. Advertising the plywood street cabana as "patio" is a cheap deception when booking, and then oddly the tasty-sounding drinks are now watery as a cheap college bar. Even a simple Old Fashioned - which should be pretty much all whiskey - had no bite at all, so either the bottles are watered or the bartenders are negligent. Many happy memories from here, but don't plan for more, alas.

Great food, shame about the service which was just rude. Our food was forgotten/given to another table. We waited a looooong time for it to be remade and when the check came the server said she had comped an item which in fact she had not. When we questioned it, she said ‘well you ate it didn’t you??’ Plain rude and unnecessary end to good food. Prices are a little crazy $24 for 4 small shrimp.

Nice location, drinks are well priced, atmosphere is nice. But the food is extremely expensive for what you get. $22 pork was 1 slice of meat, which was nothing exceptional (for $13 you can get better, double portion, authentic bbq with sides)....im just emphasizing the small plates are smaller than you can imagine. Like, really really small. I figured it would be small but expected more for the price of an entree. I actually really wish i spent my money on something else. Waiter seemed embarrassed to serve it for $22. If youre rich, check it out im sure you’ll enjoy it

womp. pretty disappointed i have to say. First things first the setting is cute, there was a pot belly stove with a big fire near the entrance of the establishment. Points for that as that is very unique and definitely gave a certain ambience. However, the menu is tiny with very few (2) meat options, one of which was $45 chicken. The other was a single link of sausage on top of cooked cabbage. It was yummy cabbage and yummy sausage but damn… that wasn’t a meal. We left hungry while spending way too much money. Not to mention they had a DJ that night and he was playing mediocre punk music from different eras and the music was so loud I could barely hear anything. It’s a small intimate place, having the music that loud is unnecessary and unwarranted. The waitresses forgot about our table and forgot to bring us our second drink. I had high hopes. Probably won’t be coming back

The food is nice, but it comes out at intermittent times. We sat with a bowl of salad for half an hour whilst waiting for other things. Food is very pricey for small amounts. Drinks are ok, nothing to rave about. The atmosphere is boring. Very underwhelming place. Meh.

It is with a heavy heart that I write this review. Achilles Heel has been my favorite NYC restaurant for more than a decade, and even though chefs have changed a couple of times, the quality of the food has been consistent and spectacular, up until now. The new menu consists of bland dishes with the same muddy flavor profile. The bread with the bean-dip was stale and unpleasant to chew, and could have used a simple fix of having it toasted. The presentations were messy and not fun to eat, like a microwave-dinner tasting braised chicken that floated in a murky sauce with impossible to decipher ingredients. The textures were all wrong - the mackerel erased by unnecessary heap of potato chips on top and the chicken paired with hard croutons underneath, giving each bite an unpleasant sensation like you are hitting a bone. Before the restaurant was a bargain for the quality of food vs the price, now the $200 price tag for two people made me feel cheated. I love this place so much and it was the saddest dinner of the year.

This was one of my favorite restaurants. Everything used to be spectacular and I learned to trust the restaurant even if the menu turned me off a bit. They consistently surprised and proved my sensibilities wrong... Until this last visit. The menu is now largely Korean inspired, which is great and I was hoping for bold flavors with strong spice. The menu wasn't terribly interesting but that's okay, Achilles is known to wow me when the words do not. Sadly the opposite happened. Every dish felt amateurish. A handful of potato chips on top of a veggie slathered mackerel with heavy tomato notes. The attempt at adding crunch just made it unpleasant to eat. The flavor was one blah note, the chips for textural crunch, and the buried oily mackerel just wasn't good or fun to eat. The braised chicken was similarly muddled for flavors. Certainly the meat fell off the bone but the butchering of the bird left the back in which when served over a bed of croutons also made this dish tedious and unpleasant to eat. Did I just bite a crouton or a spine? That was a question I had to ask myself more than once. Overall the technique wasn't there. The finesse wasn't there. This was a favorite place to be delighted by unexpected elevation. Now it seems to be a monotonous flavor note with nothing worthwhile to highlight as worth your time or taste buds.

I’d heard so many good things about this place and finally walked over to try it out with my boyfriend. There were only 2 other full tables, as we went early, but it took nearly 20 minutes to get our first dish, which was only (16 dollar) fresh peaches and cheese. It took another 30+ minutes to receive the pork dish which made both of us nervous as it was a little too pink and soft inside for comfort. It was also more than 50% fat and just mushy. Fatty pork is much better when crispy, a little gross how they served it. The spicy drink I got was good and my boyfriend enjoyed his wine but I wouldn’t bother with food here again, especially considering the outrageous price tag for mediocre food that takes forever. 100% recommend for drinks though and the location is nice.

Scallops weren’t fresh. They forgot to bring our bread. Lovely atmosphere but food and service need to upgrade.

The drinks are good/fair. The food is a no go. The portions are ridiculously small. Beware- you’ll leave hungry for a food bill that’ll likely be over 100$ for 2.

They have a fireplace!!! After that, it's just your average pharkw!t hipster, giving pharkw!t hipster service and pharkw!t hipster drinks. Pity. If they dropped all the nonsense and got over themselves, the place could be really fun.

Gentrification personified by entitled hipster waitstaff. So many other great bars and restaurants in the area. Do your self a favor and skip this place.

I don't ever leave negative reviews, but this experience registered. Spent a late afternoon after work here with a friend, place was half occupied, our bill was $250+, we tipped well. Drinks were light, food was memorable. Felt pretentious and self involved. Was told we had stayed too long, given there were open seats all through our evening. Service was committed to tips, but had not comped us a single shot. Spoke to lead to get progress. When that arrived still felt as if they'd care less, were busy focused on the dollar bills. Literally gave us the stinkeye. Perhaps disappointed that afterall we got a shot. Left with distaste and disgust. Neighborhood is beautiful but will not return to this spot. There are comparable restaurants nearby with better service, lower costs, and less attitude. Exactly what are their customers worth!?

Awful service. Server never came around, we ordered a drink and they took our menu and threw it (!!) onto my clutch bag on the bench and walked off. Not a fan. I really wanted to like this place — the drinks were good but the service was so bad I left a 20% tip and it left a bad taste in my mouth (I’m usually a 25% tipper.) won’t be back for awhile.

This used to be one of my favorite places in greenpoint. Now is so badly run. Bartender and chef were very unprofessional. They asked us to leave before we could finish our cocktails and we left zero tip due to inexistent service