September food news: The first matcha gelato café in Brooklyn and Naya opened in Park Slope, Greenpoint gained a hand-roll bar and a gelateria, City Point a family-friendly diner, Red Hook an all-day diner and bar, and Williamsburg a Southern joint across from McCarren Park.
September Openings
Peral | Tacos and coffee | Bed-Stuy
Peral began full service at 105 Saratoga Avenue, from the teams behind Mexico City’s Cicatriz and Brooklyn’s own Olmo — house-made corn tortillas, guisados and salsas meant for dousing, with a morning coffee-and-tamales cafe to follow.
Radisa Osteria | Handmade pasta | Carroll Gardens
Radisa Osteria reopened in September at 241 Smith Street under a new team from Balera, with handmade Emilia-Romagna pasta from chef Maicol Cusumano and a wine list built on small Italian producers. Open daily from 5pm.
Ayune | Japanese hand rolls | Greenpoint
Ayune opened at 664 Manhattan Avenue from Robby and Cristin Wijaya, whose sushi spot Wasabi closed this summer after 26 years on the same avenue. Old Wasabi favorites sit alongside hand-roll sets of three to six rolls from $19.
Santa Chiara Caffè | Italian caffè and gelateria | Greenpoint
Santa Chiara Caffè soft-opened at 227 West Street, the first Brooklyn shop for the Long Island City caffè: small-batch gelato, pastries, paninis and pizza, with finishing touches and a liquor license still to come.
Limousine | Cocktail bar | Greenpoint
Limousine opened at 632 Manhattan Avenue, the former Ponyboy space, from the owners of Five Leaves and Goldie’s. Cocktails and small plates, 3pm to 2am daily; grown-ups only in practice.
Carnegie Diner & Cafe | All-day diner | Downtown Brooklyn
Carnegie Diner & Cafe opened at 445 Gold Street, inside DeKalb Market Hall at City Point, in the former Sixpoint Brewery space. It is the Manhattan diner’s first Brooklyn location, from owner and executive chef Stathis Antonakopoulos. All-day breakfast, a dozen kinds of pancakes, a burger list long enough to stall a table, oversized comfort dishes and head-turning milkshakes, plus plant-based options for vegan eaters. Open 8am to 10pm weekdays and from 7:30am at weekends.
Gotham Burger Social Club | Smash burgers | Williamsburg
Gotham Burger Social Club opened at 216 Grand Street, its first permanent Brooklyn location after a long residency at Threes Brewing in Greenpoint. Founder Mike Puma’s smash burgers were named among the ten best in the country by Food Network. The 1,500-square-foot room leans mid-century Oklahoma, home state of the fried onion burger.
NAYA | Lebanese fast-casual | Park Slope
The fast-casual Lebanese chain known for its shawarma and falafel bowls and rolls opened its Park Slope outpost at 311 7th Avenue, between 8th and 9th Streets, in the former Dave’s Hot Chicken space. It is the first NAYA in Brooklyn with kids meals on the menu. Kids 12 and under ate free with an adult meal on opening weekend, and free Lebanese-inspired soft serve ran Thursday through Sunday of opening week.
Val’s Diner & Bar | Diner and bar | Red Hook
Val’s opened at 347 Van Brunt Street at Wolcott Street, across from PS 15, in the former Pitt’s space. Victoria Viscusi, chef Allie Gassaway and Laine Pelka run it as an all-day neighborhood hangout with diner fare and classic drinks at affordable prices. The kitchen stays open until 10pm and the bar until midnight.
Aokō Matcha | Matcha café and gelato | Park Slope
Aokō Matcha soft-opened at 155 Fifth Avenue, in the former TBaar space between Berkeley Place and Lincoln Place. Founded in August 2025 by Isabella Pang — the name joins ao (green) and ko (child) — and backed by the Kyuramen Group, it bills itself as America’s first matcha gelato café. The menu is built on customisable matcha strength, a matcha parfait layered with warabimochi, mochi and red bean, and a roasted hojicha soft serve.
Ferguson’s Country | Southern restaurant and bar | Williamsburg
Ferguson’s Country opened at 732 Lorimer Street, on the southeast corner of McCarren Park, from Alabama native Scott Ferguson and Gabriella Mann of Baba and Baba Cool. The menu runs to ribs, fried chicken sandwiches, shrimp and grits, fried okra, hush puppies and warm pimento cheese, with a moonshine list and a jukebox spinning country 45s. Walk-ins are welcome; reservations are on Resy.
Bebo | Georgian | Brooklyn Heights
Bebo opened in the former Luzzo’s space at 145 Atlantic Avenue: a Georgian restaurant named for the owners’ grandmother — Bebo means “grandma” — with khachapuri-style home cooking and plenty of vegetarian options.
148 Noble Street | European and New Orleans | Greenpoint
148 Noble Street opened in the former Noble wine bar space, Chez Ma Tante alum Gabriel Borges’s own European-meets-New Orleans restaurant. Open Thursday to Monday, 5–11pm.
Mythily | Tamil and South Indian | Williamsburg
Mythily, Top Chef alum Rasika Venkatesa’s Tamil and South Indian restaurant named after her grandmother, opened at 129 Havemeyer Street between South First and Grand Streets. The menu explores the cooking of Tamil Nadu, including a rasmalai tres leches, in a 33-seat dining room with a nine-seat bar. Open Wednesday to Saturday 5–10pm and Sunday 4–9pm, with reservations on SevenRooms.
Bombay Birria | Indian-Mexican taqueria and deli | Bay Ridge
Bombay Birria opened at 6424 Fourth Avenue at 65th Street, by the 65th Street subway: a halal birria taqueria and corner deli-bodega, all counter service.
Coming soon
Allegretto al Forno | Williamsburg | Coming soon
The team behind Francie is opening a Southern Italian restaurant at 132 Broadway. There is no website yet and no opening date, only an Instagram account and a location, so treat this as one to watch rather than one to book.
Best Friend Cafe | Prospect Heights | Coming soon
A new coffee shop is coming to 535 Carlton Avenue, its windows already painted with “Best Friend — Coming Soon” art. No website or opening date yet, so consider this one to watch.
Breads Bakery | Williamsburg | Coming soon
Breads Bakery, the Manhattan chain best known for its chocolate babka, is coming to 470 Kent Avenue. The date is still to be announced.
Fira | Williamsburg | Coming soon
A Greek frozen yogurt shop is going into 294 Bedford Avenue, promising the thick, tart style with protein and probiotics and a toppings bar. No opening date yet.
Swaine’s | East Williamsburg | Opening Fall 2026
A seasonal café and restaurant is taking over 577 Lorimer Street, the former Pomp and Circumstance space, with a fall opening promised on its site.
Doubles | Brooklyn Heights | Coming soon
The Caribbean-inspired restaurant with two Hamptons locations is taking over the former Plymouth Deli space at 90 Henry Street — roti and doubles alongside smash burgers, fried chicken, salads and smoothies. No opening date yet.
Coniglio’s Di Napoli | Williamsburg | Coming soon
Nino Coniglio of Williamsburg Pizza and Lucky Charlie’s is opening an old-school red-sauce restaurant at 616 Metropolitan Avenue: bone-in chicken parm, coal-oven pizza and an Italian-import bar. Early fall.
Naked Tomato | Williamsburg | Opening in October
Eyal Shani (Miznon, HaSalon) is bringing a modern Israeli diner of skewers, salads and dips to Williamsburg Wharf this fall, alongside J’s, a wine bar from Popina’s James O’Brien. It opens in October at 476 Kent Avenue.
Pari | Williamsburg | Coming soon
A seasonal French restaurant at 138 North 8th Street from Eleven Madison Park and Carbone alumni Max Aronson and Harrison Geller, with a retractable glass facade. November.
Café Wands | Carroll Gardens | Coming soon
Justin Wands is replacing Gus’s at 215 Union Street with a laptop-free café of single-origin pour-overs, laminated pastries and evening cocktails. Opening November 1.
Lucky Day | Greenpoint | Coming soon
Danielle Sinay, a local mom and former journalist, is turning the old Blue Light Speak Cheesy space at 158 Green Street into a family-friendly café, small grocery and community room — breakfast and lunch to start, with grilled cheese and tomato soup for the little ones, diaper-bag essentials on the shelves, and events for kids and grown-ups. Opening this fall; no date set yet.
Caputo Bagels | Park Slope | Opening October 5
James Caputo, whose family’s Caputo Bake Shop closed in Carroll Gardens after more than 120 years, is opening a bagel shop at 81 Fifth Avenue, near Prospect Place, on Monday, October 5: hand-rolled sourdough bagels, including a take on the bake shop’s famed lard bread, according to Eater NY.
Smør Bakery | Carroll Gardens | Now open
Smør, the Nordic-inspired bakery with shops in the East Village and Williamsburg, opened its Carroll Gardens location at 361 Court Street, at the corner of President Street, with pastries, coffee, breakfast and lunch, plus a to-go window, according to its Instagram.
Sesilya | Park Slope | Coming soon
Sesilya Restaurant & Bar, serving Georgian cuisine and wine, will take over the former Negril BK space at 256 Fifth Avenue, between Carroll and Garfield Streets. Its signage is up and interior renderings by Orea Collective show the dining room, according to Park Slope News; no opening date has been announced.
La Mestiza | Fort Greene | Opening mid-October
La Mestiza, a Latin American-inspired bakery and cafe by day with vinyl and wine at night, will open at 154 Carlton Avenue with a soft opening in mid-October and a grand opening shortly after, according to the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership.
Rimal Seafood | Bay Ridge | Coming soon
Rimal Seafood, a restaurant and fresh fish market, is coming to 7812 Fifth Avenue; its signage is up. No opening date yet.
Closings
Sweet Chick | Chicken and waffles | Williamsburg
Sweet Chick’s original at 164 Bedford Avenue, open since 2013 and once backed by Nas, quietly closed; its other locations continue.
Partners Coffee | Coffee roastery and café | Williamsburg
Partners Coffee closed its original flagship and roastery at 125 North 6th Street after nearly fifteen years. Its other city cafés stay open.
OddFellows Ice Cream Co. | Ice cream | Williamsburg
OddFellows closed its Domino Park shop at 40 River Street; its DUMBO and Chelsea shops continue.
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