Brooklyn welcomed several new restaurants this December, including an Afghan bakery in Brooklyn Heights, an Indian restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn, a cocktail bar in Park Slope, a Jewish deli in Prospect Heights, two sports bars in Williamsburg, and a Malaysian restaurant in Greenpoint. Plus, more exciting openings are coming our way in 2026! Brooklyn Heights favorite Ingas Bar will open a sister restaurant in Boerum Hill, and Ugly Baby, which closed in Carroll Gardens, will open a new concept in Williamsburg. Scroll all the way down for more openings-to-come.
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This month’s restaurant closings
Several major restaurant closures were announced this month: Fulgurances Laundromat in Greenpoint, Llama Inn and Fette Sau in Williamsburg, and Winona’s in Bed-Stuy.
- Mooburger | Cobble Hill | The burger joint on Court Street is closing after many years of serving families in Cobble Hill & Carroll Gardens.
- Oma Grassa | Fort Greene | The pizzeria Oma Grassa closed this month. The popular spot was located on Fulton Street not far from Barclays Center.
- Casa Azul | Park Slope | The Oaxacan restaurant has announced that they will be closing after 7 years at 369 7th Ave.
- Winona’s | Bed-Stuy | This Bed-Stuy restaurant serving seasonal dishes will close December 20. The team will continue to operate Dolores, also in the neighborhood, which serves Mexico City-inspired food and cocktails.
- Sweet Anaëlle| Bushwick | A comfort food spot known for its chicken and waffles and all-day happy hour closed its doors at the beginning of December.
- Llama Inn | Williamsburg | This Peruvian restaurant under the BQE in Williamsburg will close this month after 9 years in business. While the Brooklyn location is closing, Llama Inn’s outposts in London and Madrid will remain open.
- Fette Sau | Williamsburg | Fette Sau, which has served Williamsburg barbecue since 2007, will close its doors this month. The restaurant was known for its Texas-style brisket, sausage, and pulled pork. A second location of Fette Sau will remain open in Philadelphia.
- Mekelburg’s | Williamsburg | The specialty grocery store, which closed its original location in Clinton Hill about a year ago, will also close its Williamsburg location. Mekelburg’s was known for babka, breads, sandwiches, and beer selection.
- Fulgurances Laundromat | Greenpoint | An offshoot of the Paris restaurant offered a unique dining experience, with rising chefs crafting their own seasonal tasting menus. In its place, new restaurant by Fulgurances alum Kevin Finch is in the works. Gigi’s will serve rotisserie and wine.
This month’s restaurant openings
Diljān Bakery | Brooklyn Heights
The team behind Little Flower Cafe in Astoria and Blue Hour in Bushwick—which recently closed—has opened an Afghan bakery at 330 Hicks Street. They serve flatbreads using Afghan ingredients such as saffron, cardamom, pistachio, and apricots. Diljān will also serve samosas with ground halal lamb and beef, a pastry called Saffron Shah, filled with saffron pastry cream, and the sheer pira, an Afghan milk fudge topped with custard.
T&Y Kitchen | Brooklyn Heights
A new Hainanese spot serving noodles, sticky rice cakes, and Hainanese chicken has opened on State Street in Brooklyn Heights.
Kashi Indian Cuisine & Bar | Downtown Brooklyn
Kashi opened December 17 in Downtown Brooklyn, serving North Indian dishes from slow-cooked biryanis to char-grilled kebabs, plus handcrafted cocktails. Located at 266 Livingston Street, the space is colorful and bright, with elaborate lighting and a welcoming bar.
Brooklyn Café in The Tillary Hotel | Downtown Brooklyn
The Tillary Hotel in Downtown Brooklyn has a new coffee and breakfast cafe open 6:30am-2pm daily, serving coffee and espresso classics alongside seasonal beverages. The food menu includes pastries, overnight oats, yogurt parfaits, and breakfast sandwiches. They also have grab-and-go snacks from their market.
Juici Patties | Downtown Brooklyn
This Jamaican chain now has a location on Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. Started by Jukie Chin when he was just 16 years old, the brand is now expanding across Brooklyn.
Casa Rina at LaRina Pastificio & Vino | Fort Greene
The Italian restaurant LaRina Pastificio & Vino has opened up a new upstairs space, dubbed Casa Rina. They are hosting private dinner parties and pasta classes. For more information, contact la************@***il.com.
Dosa Royale | Fort Greene
An Indian restaurant and bar is now open near BAM in Fort Greene, serving dosas, curries, biryani, and tandoor dishes. They also serve cocktails made with ingredients like house-made ginger syrup and cardamom bitters.
Golden Ratio | Clinton Hill
Redwood Hospitality, the team behind Café Mado, Place des Fêtes, and Laurel Bakery, is opening a new cocktail bar at 216 1/2 Greene Avenue. Every drink on the menu can be ordered either hard or “soft,” with zero alcohol. They will also serve a menu of veggie-forward bar snacks.
Athena Keke’s| Clinton Hill
Coming soon to Greene Avenue, Athena Keke’s is a sports bar celebrating women’s sports. Part of the NY Liberty Bar Network, it will host live games and be kid-friendly during the day.
Laurel Bakery at Cafe Mado | Prospect Heights
Already established on the Columbia Street Waterfront, the popular Laurel Bakery has opened a second location in Prospect Heights, taking over Cafe Mado’s coffee counter on Washington Avenue Wednesdays–Mondays. They will expand next door to Cafe Mado in the next few months.
Gertie | Prospect Heights
Gertie—which closed in Williamsburg in June—is now open in Prospect Heights with a new counter-deli concept. At its latke bar, customers choose toppings like smoked fish, apple butter, sour cream, pastrami, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. The menu also includes bagels, bialys, chicken schnitzel, tuna and whitefish salads, matzo ball soup, pickles, knishes, babka, and black-and-white cookies. They make their own sodas and egg creams and serve creative coffee drinks like the chocolate egg cream latte and the B&W coffee shake. With a full liquor license, Gertie offers cocktails such as borscht Bloody Marys and Aquavit pickle martinis. They take over the former R&D Foods space and share a backyard with R&D Goods next door.
Folk | Park Slope
The team behind the Park Slope restaurant Lore has opened a new cocktail bar at 689 6th Avenue. Folk serves both craft cocktails and small plates by chef Jay Kumar (also of Lore in Park Slope) in a cozy space. Dishes include crab risotto, a tuna tartare, biryani arancini, masala latkes, plus shareable snacks like a pu-pu platter and deviled eggs.
DOK | Park Slope
A new Thai restaurant has opened on 2nd Street in Park Slope, serving curry, fried rice, noodles, and stir-fried dishes.
Lidl | Park Slope
Lidl opened this week 80 Baltic Street, at the corner of 5th Avenue and Baltic Street. The supermarket is part of the Paseo on Fifth development, which includes two luxury apartment buildings and various retailers on the ground floor. Similar to Trader Joe’s and Aldi, Lidl offers a broad assortment of products, including its 49-cent butter croissants, private-label Butcher’s Specialty meats, and Bon Gelati mini ice cream bars. Shoppers can also find gourmet favorites like frozen tiramisu, aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and authentic prosciutto. Lidl will be open 8am-9pm daily.
Candy Shoppe at Peppino’s Pizza | Park Slope
The pizzeria Pepino’s has opened an old-school candy shop in the back of their restaurant at 469 5th Avenue. Customers will find Swedish fish, gummies, and more colorful vintage candies! They also have a Candy Shoppe location in Bay Ridge.
Ouma | Prospect Lefferts Gardens
A new all-day cafe has been launched by the team behind Polly’s Cafe. Located on Flatbush Avenue, Ouma serves fresh-baked pastries including salted honey butter & buckwheat currant scones, brioche buns, cinnamon buns, and more.
Barker Cafeteria | Bed-Stuy
This new all-day cafe in Bed-Stuy serves focaccia sandwiches, soups, and pastries, including a must-try roast beef sandwich. They also have a chicken noodle soup, homemade scones, and more baked goods. Open Wednesday through Sunday 11am-4pm, closed Monday and Tuesday.
Dinner service at Tlacualli Breakfast | Bed-Stuy
Chef Santiago Lopez’s Tlacualli Breakfast, a Mexican restaurant known for its diner-style breakfast and brunch dishes, is now serving dinner.
Blazers Sports Bar | Williamsburg
Blazers is a women’s sports bar now open on Bedford Avenue, in the Old Man Hustle comedy club space. The female-owned spot serves beers, cocktails, mocktails, and sports bar food like wings, fries, and guacamole. Hours are 4pm-12am on weekdays and 12pm-12am on weekends.
The McCarren | Williamsburg
The McCarren, a new neighborhood sports bar, cocktail hub and daytime coffee spot is now open in the former Thief space on Union Avenue in Williamsburg. The food menu includes bar far and Irish-leaning comfort dishes, like Irish sausage rolls, wings, mozzarella sticks, and flatbreads. Cocktails include a Jalisco Sunrise and Irish whiskey-spiked Apple Never Falls. You’ll also find Guinness on tap.
The Sparrow | Williamsburg
The Sparrow is a 1930s-style Art Deco cocktail bar and restaurant at 185 Broadway in South Williamsburg. The menu will offers a full raw bar with seafood towers, shellfish, crudos, and caviar. Their other specialities include: their house burger, steak frites, in addition to sharable plates.
Soul of Palestine | Bay Ridge
A new restaurant serving authentic Palestinian dishes has opened at 7626 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge.
Common Meadows Creamery | Williamsburg
A favorite Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea vendor, Common Meadows Creamery has opened a shop on Grand Street in Williamsburg, with unique flavors like hojicha, plum, and apple (sourced from Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook).
Bodhi But Hungry | Williamsburg
A new breakfast cafe has opened in Williamsburg on Hope Street, serving matcha, pancakes, soft eggs, and light bowls. They are closed Monday and Tuesday, but open Wednesday–Friday 8am–1pm and weekends from 8:30am-2pm.
Kelang | Greenpoint
The team behind Sunset Park’s Hainan Chicken House has opened a new Malaysian restaurant in Greenpoint. While their liquor license is yet to come, they are serving classics like Hainanese chicken and parathas stuffed with red lentil dahl, plus inventive fusion dishes like ravioli in brodo with lime leaf ricotta.
Coming soon to our neighborhoods
Keep an eye out for more updates on these upcoming spots! Our list is organized by neighborhoods, with the expected opening dates.
Pura Vida | DUMBO | Opening in 2026
The all-day café based out of Miami opened its first Brooklyn in Williamsburg this spring, and will open another outpost in DUMBO soon. The new cafe will be 4,000 square feet, located at 79 Front Street. Pura Vida focuses on health food, with avocado toast and egg dishes for breakfast, salads, wraps, and bowls for lunch, plus superfood smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and wellness shots to drink.
Ingas Bar Sister Restaurant | Boerum Hill | Opening in 2026
Ingas Bar, a popular neighborhood restaurant in Brooklyn Heights, has announced that they will open a sister restaurant in Boerum Hill, in the former space of Café Kitsuné. They aim to open in late winter or spring. The new spot will have an adjacent bar on Bond Street, which will follow the restaurant’s opening.
Bar Ferdinando | Carroll Gardens | Opening date TBA
Sal Lamboglia, the chef behind Cafe Spaghetti, Sal Tang’s and Swoony’s, will open Bar Ferdinando, a reimagining of the 120-year-old Ferdinando’s Focacceria, which closed last year. The new all-day spot will serve snacks, focaccia sandwiches, and classics like Sicilian rice balls, pane e panelle, and octopus salad, alongside an Italian-inspired cocktail program. The restaurant will preserve original artwork and fixtures from the historic restaurant as an homage to the neighborhood institution.
Trudie’s Tavern | Carroll Gardens | Opening Winter 2026
The team behind Gertie (formerly in Williamsburg, now moving to Prospect Heights) will also open a new concept in Carroll Gardens, in the former home of Buttermilk Channel at 524 Court Street. The new spot will be called Trudie’s Tavern, and will serve steak and rotisserie chicken, burgers, chicken and waffles made with matzo, steak and seafood towers, and more. They’ll also have a kid’s menu!
Hōp | Red Hook | Opening Winter 2026
Two former staff members of Red Hook Tavern (and husband-and-wife team) will open a new Cambodian restaurant at 58 Van Brunt Street. For now, they are offering a pop-up at Runner Up in Park Slope, Wednesdays–Sundays 4:00-8:30pm. Book here!
Roast Coffee | Park Slope | Opening date TBA
Based out of Murray Hill, Roast Coffee has announced that they will open a new location on Prospect Park West.
Dial Up Days | Park Slope | Opening Winter 2026
A 90s/Y2K-inspired spot serving sandwiches and ice cream open on 7th Avenue between Berkeley Place & Union Street this winter.
Thursday Bread Coffee | Park Slope | Opening Winter 2026
A new bakery serving Swedish breads and pastries is coming to Park Slope this winter. They will serve Nordic-inspired coffee and light bites in addition to breads and baked goods. The bakery will be located at 140 5th Avenue.
Lincoln Station | Park Slope | Opening date TBA
Lincoln Station, the cafe location not far from the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights, will open a new outpost in Park Slope, in the former Bare Burger space on 7th Avenue. In addition to coffee and cafe fare, the Prospect Heights location also serves draft beer, wine, and kombucha on tap.
Mariscos El Submarino | New location in Park Slope | Opening date TBA
This Mexican seafood joint based in Jackson Heights has recently expanded to Greenpoint and Clinton Hill, and will soon open another location at 226 7th Avenue in Park Slope, in the former hope of Maya Taqueria.
Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop | Gowanus | Opening date TBA
The beloved Greenpoint slice shop is slated to open a new location in Gowanus. It will be located in the former home of Ample Hills at 305 Nevins Street. Stay tuned for more updates!
Cafe Landwer | Williamsburg | Opening in 2026
Cafe Landwer, a Berlin based restaurant, is coming to Williamsburg in early 2026, taking over the space next to the Pod hotel. They started as a coffeehouse in Berlin and have expanded into dining over the past 80 years serving Mediterranean fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Fluke Moon (Ugly Baby) | Williamsburg | Opening February 2026
Ugly Baby, the beloved Carroll Gardens Thai spot famous for their spicy dishes, has announced that they will reopen in Williamsburg. Now known as Fluke Moon, they will take over the former Emmy Squared Pizza at 364 Grand Street, and hope to open in February.
Dolly’s | Williamsburg | Opening date TBA
Dolly’s, a lively neighborhood dive bar, is closing at 101 Kent Avenue and relocating to 146 Wythe Avenue. Stay tuned for a reopening date.
Motek | Williamsburg | Opening Winter 2026
A new location of Motek, the Miami-based Mediterranean restaurant chain known for its Israeli-inspired, kosher-style dishes has opened on Wythe Avenue. They serve lunch, brunch, and dinner, with a food menu including hummus, pita, schnitzel, and more.
New Restaurant by Chef Eyal Shani | Williamsburg | Opening date TBA
The renowned Israeli Chef Eyal Shani will also open a new restaurant at Williamsburg Wharf. The restaurant will occupy 4,000 square feet on the ground floor at 470 Kent Avenue. Some of Chef Shani’s restaurants have included Port Sa’id, Michelin-starred Shmoné, HaSalon, Miznon, and the Kosher-certified restaurant Malka, with NYC locations on the Upper West Side and in DUMBO. More details about Chef Shani’s new restaurant to come!
Breads Bakery | Williamsburg | Opening in 2026
Following their recent opening at the new Pier 1 Pavilion in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Breads Bakery announced that they will open another Brooklyn waterfront location at Williamsburg Wharf. Breads is best known for their chocolate babka, plus croissants, baguettes, and more baked goods.
Lidl | Williamsburg | Opening Winter 2026
The sweep of Lidl markets into the Brooklyn scene continues with a location in Williamsburg gearing up to open on Lorimer and Grand Street.
Allegretto | Williamsburg | Opening date TBA
From the team behind Francie, this new spot at 132 Broadway will serve Neapolitan pizzas, Southern Italian snacks, and more dishes like Fried Bucatini and Little Gem Caesar, plus Italian-inspired cocktails and wine on tap. The space will feature a wood-fired oven and a garden backyard.
Border Town | Greenpoint | Opening Winter 2025-36
Border Town, the popular breakfast taco pop-up, is expanding into a 40-seat casual restaurant at 189 Nassau Street. Mornings will feature tacos made with their famous tortillas, along with breakfast burritos, aguas frescas, and Mexican pastries. Dinner will include botanas and cocktails like micheladas and mezcalitas made with agave spirits such as mezcal, tequila, and bacanora.
New headquarters for Brooklyn Brewery | Greenpoint | Opening date TBA
Brooklyn Brewery will soon move to its new headquarters at 1 Wythe Avenue in Greenpoint, leaving behind their original space at 790 North 11th Street. Construction of the 41,000 square foot building is nearing completion.
Moka & Co. | New locations in Cobble Hill, Greenpoint & Bay Ridge | Opening dates TBA
This nation-wide Yemeni coffee chain is opening several new outposts in Brooklyn, including in Cobble Hill, Greenpoint, and Bay Ridge. Their menu includes traditional drinks such as Mufawar & Maleki coffee, Turkish coffee, and Saudi coffee, plus chai, iced options, and other classic espresso drinks.
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Updated: January 4, 2026. Main Image: Kashi Indian Cuisine & Bar in Downtown Brooklyn.
