Restaurants in Red Hook: Where to eat in the Brooklyn neighborhood

"Your first priority when you finally snag a seat at Red Hook Tavern is to order the Dry Aged Red Hook Tavern Burger ($32-it's non-negotiable. A hefty find, this dry-aged patty cloaked in American cheese and topped with raw white onions is one of the best we've tasted in the city. Fill in the table with an order of Country Ham Croquettes, a martini and maybe something green like the Romaine Wedge Salad."

"Cozy is certainly a word to describe Café Kestrel-you'll certainly feel it as nestling against your neighbor is a feature of dining here. But here that's actually a good thing as closeness breeds a certain type of conversation, one where tables connect over squash blossoms and that chicken dish with dates and capers. Time Out tip: The Applesauce Sundae is kind of in a league of its own."

"A relic of the old Red Hook remains at Defonte's Sandwich Shop. This grab and go shop has stayed relatively unchanged since its founding in 1922, and frankly, we like it that way. Everyday you'll find the staff making fresh mozzarella, rolling out meatballs and slicing cured meats for its stacked subs. Plus, it was a favorite of the "Sopranos" cast back in the day, so any friend of Tony Soprano is a friend of mine."

Red Hook Tavern centers on a Dry Aged Red Hook Tavern Burger ($32) topped with American cheese and raw white onions, paired well with Country Ham Croquettes, a martini, and a Romaine Wedge Salad. The tavern is very small—six tables and a bar—making reservations essentially required. Café Kestrel is a compact contemporary bistro with close seating that encourages shared conversation over dishes like squash blossoms and a chicken with dates and capers. The Applesauce Sundae is sized for two. Defonte's Sandwich Shop, founded in 1922, produces fresh mozzarella, meatballs, and stacked cured-meat subs and operates as cash-only.

Read at Time Out New York