Linger Cafe & Lounge

Had the egg sandwich croissant… Very nice! This place is perfect if you want to read a book or iPad for a few hours. Will definitely come back if I’m in the area

Sad to see that Linger Café has closed. Visited the café when it first opened and planned to go back with bloomspot certificates, but alas… the café is no more. In the words of the Cranberries: Did you have to? Did you have to? Did you have to let it …

As of May 31, 2012 Linger Café is effectively CLOSED, statement verified by:

Great spot to relax and unwind. Ate breakfast there today and the wait staff was very friendly/​helpful. For several customers they moved additional seating outside so customers could enjoy the great weather and were incredibly pleasant about it. The overall decorations have a very cool, laid back feel. The eclectic seating makes for a fun environment, much better than the traditional table tops at most other places.
The food took some time, but was worth the wait. Had breakfast there today and would definitely go back. The strawberry french toast was very good, and all the food smelled wonderful. It was fresh and hot when it arrived and well plated.
All in all, a great experience. Would definitely go back and eat there again.

Pros:
— Nice outdoor area for smokers
— VERY cool decoration hanging from and covering the entire ceiling. I want it in my apartment !
— Clean bathroom
— Awesome couches and coffee tables. Some of the couches look like they belong in the Alice in Wonderland movie.
Cons:
— Buttermilk Raspberry Muffin… BLEH! I have never tasted a muffin so mediocre in my life. It actually didn’t look that appetizing sitting in the pastries case but I was super hungry and it was around 430pm so I thought it’d be a nice treat to myself. WRONG. It’s not inedible, because I ate the whole thing, but there’s just nothing good about it. My mouth was definitely not salivating.
— Chai Latte: Once again, very mediocre. I drank it, but didn’t enjoy it.

I had the unfortunate timing of going there for a study session when they were having a scholarship inspirational story telling night.
A couple of earphones and some high blast music was enough for me to ignore them while they finish.
I got a cheese plate, goat and manchengo with a little bit of jelly, for 9 bucks. It’s only $ 6 if you chose to go with only one type of cheese. I love goat and was going to go with that only, but my ex-​coworker from a job 3 years ago (surprise, surprise) recommended the manchengo (I’m so spelling that wrong and am too lazy to google it) and I didn’t have the heart to say no. And besides it’s not like I didn’t like the cheese.
I had a mulled wine, $ 7, to go with the cheese. It wasn’t my type of drink. First off it’s hot, second it’s sweet. But never having had it before I thought might as well. Not a bad choice for someone new to wine, or enjoy sweets.
After the speeches ended, I moved to the best spot (imo) –the little alcove right in the front at the window. It had a little window sill big enough for sitting with cushions and a little square table with a lone chair. I was the only one left and being a weeknight it wasn’t all that busy. I didn’t mind since I was there to study.
While catching up with my ex-​coworker, I also tried the bagel with dill cream cheese and ham (they ran out of lox and I still wanted something salty to go with the cream cheese) and a little cup of spicy hot chocolate. Bagel itself was sweet, lightly, and the cream cheese was generous. The combination with a slice of ham went perfectly. The cocoa? Not so much. I’ll stick to regular hot chocolate next time. If that, they have a small selection of bottled beer and I’m likely to go with that instead.

This is a nice place to go for a relaxed brunch; I’ve been a couple of times. The menu is always different, seasonal, and creative. The food is good, and so are their baked goods.
The only thing that could make it better would be if it was open more often/​later. I live nearby and there aren’t many good cafes open after 7.

Stopped by here for a late Saturday brunch to hear the lovely tunes of the Marcus Guy Band (Chris Loxley on cello). It’s a great little spot to have a coffee, beer or mulled wine and well, linger.
I can highly recommend the ricotta and pumpkin butter stuffed french toast and the mulled wine hit the spot on a blustery November day. We’ll certainly go back when in the neighborhood.

I love this place! I was here for a blogger workshop and fell in love instantly with the fabulous shady back yard on a crazy hot august like pre-​summer day in June.
Not only the was the event fabulous, but the brunch menu was pretty great. I had a bangin’ sweet potato and bacon omelet! :) others indulged in one of the speciality french toast dishes or grilled watermelon salad, yum!
But even better everything changes with the seasons, serving fresh yummy seasonal goodies in unique dishes. Better still the place is definitely lounge with curated beer and wine selections and small bites menus. If I ever move back to nyc i want to live in the building above Linger Café & Lounge!

This place was a total total random find. Nobody tipped me off, although it turns out I know quite a few peeps that live in the neighborhood. Nope, I was riding my bike by here, and it was the watermelon gazpacho that caught my eye. THey also seemed to sell coffee, so I thought why not?
I locked up my bike, and stepped inside, to find a dark café, with gothic type furniture, and friendly staff. I don’t know what was with all the dark colors, but I ordered my food and shot and paid not knowing…
Walking towards the back of the place, to my surprise there is a door, and stepping through this door out of the darkness, like going down the rabbit hole, you are transported into a jungle garden in the back of the place. It’s a huge space, large enough to match various outdoor spaces i’ve been to in San Francisco. A smattering of tables, and people having conversations or just sitting with a book reading, and I realize why later my friend told me she goes here to study. A good spot to study for sure!
A few minutes later my soup comes out with my espresso shot. I won’t say much about the espresso shot, except it wasn’t third wave… What I will say though is I can only rave about the gazpacho soup. Who knew watermelon could be made into soup. This was sooo damn good. Wow.
If you haven’t been to this café, I would highly recommend adding it to your downtown brooklyn short list. It’s really great!

Came here for brunch with my boyfriend since he had a LivingSocial deal. The place is very cute, tons of indoor seating on cute couches, and tons of space outdoors in the garden (but very few tables).
I ordered the poached eggs on crab meat and my boyfriend ordered the fruit salad with yogurt. The poached eggs were great — good portion size. The fruit salad however was not so great — it was very tiny, consisted of a few strawberries and grapes and small pieces of orange and a small scoop of yogurt. I told my boyfriend he could have made it at home since we had just gone grocery shopping and had all the ingredients!
Cute café and lounge and would definitely recommend it!

Love, love, love this place!
Stopped in late afternoon on a Saturday to find they were closed for a private event. We asked the woman behind the counter (maybe the owner?) if she’d be willing to make us something anyway and she did! She offered us small bites or sandwiches and ended up making us the most delicious jamon croquetas.
We waited in the car while she cooked since there was a party in full swing. She showed up curbside in about 15 minutes and delivered the croquetas to our car! I love this woman!
Can’t wait to go back and check it out when they’re open and we really can «linger»! :-)

«Linger» is a really appropriate name for this place, given how long I’ve been sitting here, waiting for my sandwich (over a half hour now and counting). It’s a long time to linger for a sandwich.
This backyard is really big and lovely, though. It could use a few more tables, but otherwise it’s a great space with great shade.

I have no idea why I am still studying for exams. Really I need to get my act together and be a real adult. But for the moment, I am a student and finals are painfully happening.
I have a hard time studying at home. I have too many distractions, such as stalking Unilocal,peeping in the fridge every 20 seconds, watching youtube videos, cuddling with my cat, and mysteriously snuggled up in my bed after a half hour of studying.
I always pass by this place when out for a run, so today I decided I would get lunch here and study. The place was pretty empty with a few people on their laptops and sipping their coffee.
It was a warm and breezy day and so I decided to sit in their backyard garden. Lush, beautiful and serene. I ordered a bagel with lox. It was the best bagel and lox I had in a long time. It came with an everything bagel toasted and smeared with dill cream cheese, a heaping helping of lox on a lightly dressed bed of greens, a small dish of capers and a small dish of egg yolks. This really hit the spot and gave my brain fuel for thought.
The ice coffee was also fresh and strong. I also tried the hot chocolate, but I would skip on that.
A great place to hang out and just linger for a bit. I will be back, but hopefully, to just lounge on one of their comfy couches and finish some good summer reading.

Great spot! The name «Linger» really says it all. Perfect place to just hang out, chill out, relax, read a book… if you study, this is a great spot. I’m not going to lie though, the gothic looking sign is misleading. It has always kept me from going in… until I saw it on Unilocal.Based on the sign, I thought it was some dark lounge… with weird, gothic music… completely out of character for the neighborhood. But it’s nothing like that… at least not during the day. I don’t know about at night. I know they have a lot of live music.
I came here for brunch on the first amazing weekend of Spring. Bright, sunny day and we were able to enjoy it here with the outdoor seating in the back! It was so lovely. There isn’t a lot of seating so when you find something, you should snatch it up quick. This limited seating really is what makes this place great — it creates a large, open space. The tables are far from the next. You won’t end up having to listen to the conversation next to you!
The food here was also pretty good. I tried a creative twist on french toast — french toast made with a croissant. It was delicious! How can you go wrong!
I’m definitely coming back here and you should too!

Honestly, I just want to talk about The Cranberries. But for your sake, I’m not going to tell you the story about the fistfight that erupted in my apartment because a grown man really, really wanted to listen to The Cranberries. I’m going to stick to the subject at hand and talk about my experiences with Linger Café. (You’re welcome.)
There are two of them.
1. I walked by one evening, and there appeared to be a reading of some sort happening. Everyone on all the comfy couches were paying rapt attention, so I paused in the doorway to listen for a moment. When the speaker came to a stopping point, she spotted me and said, «I see you! Come inside!» I, of course, burst into tears and ran away. But as I ran, I thought, «Hmm…I should come back someday.»
2. I came back to pick up a cup of coffee for my friend, because I’m a really, really great guy. The sweet French girl behind the counter couldn’t decipher my mumbling, and prepared two cups. To make amends for wasting a cup of coffee, I bought one of her apricot scones, fresh from the oven. It was delicious, and I only wish I was able to eat it in the beautiful and shockingly spacious backyard. Perhaps next time.
I must admit that when I gave my friend her coffee, she referred to it as «funky.» I don’t drink coffee, so that’s not really a big deal to me. But I thought you should know.
To sum up: Awesome backyard, nice French countergirl, occasional readings, comfortable seating, great scones, possibly «funky» coffee.

Linger certainly brings a little variety to the Atlantic Terminal area. I imagine Brooklyn Flea regulars coming here often with the grungy background music and oddly (but oh so purposefully) placed Victorian furniture. It looks like a lounge, but doesn’t feel like one. Though I did sit on an ottoman with a portrait of a French woman behind me.
Initial Reaction: Modern goth meets Emily Dickinson poetry readings.
Food: Their brunch menu changes regularly. It was a savory day, and I very much enjoyed my poached eggs on swiss chard and parmesan grits served in a Asian-​style bowl.
Service: You order up front and they bring the food to you. The waitresses were very nice and accomodating.
Value: Very reasonable with most brunch items between $ 7-​$ 9. They do take credit card now (updating another reviewer’s cash-​only comment).
Left Thinking: The quiet hush in the air may be good if you have a Sunday morning hangover. Otherwise, brunch should be a more lively experience.

I stopped by Linger a few weeks ago for brunch. I ordered their filled French toast and a glass of wine. It was a nice brunch, albeit a bit frustrating to have to go out and get cash (they are cash only) after ordering my food.
The café does have nice ambiance and there were several people «lingering» in the back. I sat towards the front so that I could people watch and speak to the two counter staff and the manager. One of the counter staff spoke French, which was a nice plus and they were both nice, but not super attentive.
The wine I ordered, the Malbec, was OK, but the French toast a bit greasy, so I had to take off a star for that. Also, it later on did not agree with my stomach, so I took a bit off for that as well.
I will definitely be back for the coffee/​wine, but maybe not for the brunch menu.

The sign on the chalkboard wall says «we encourage you to sit down and linger…»
Being someone who generally listens to advice well, I chose to do just that. After browsing the small but well stocked brunch menu I chose an Egg Sandwich with Munster cheese and peppered turkey bacon. My partner in crime went with his favorite– bagel with salmon, chive cream cheese and all the fixings.
We asked for a cappuccino and a chai latte for me (one of my favorite drinks, and even at the steep $ 4.95 price tag i couldnt help myself once i read that it was «homemade»)
Shortly after finding our seats close to the door at the nicely sized table, we were served our drinks. I immediately fell in love with my chai. I started taking pictures as if these two mugs were housing Victoria secret models. Or even better– Huguain.
The meal took a bit to be prepared– about 15 – 20, but we were not even aware of this length do to the comfortable space and perfectly heated environment which was something i noticed immediately– as I was concerned wed be cold since we chose to sit fairly close to the door.
Of all the establishments ive been to this winter, Linger is the only one who has figured out how to actually heat their room so that I was not jittering throughout my stay.
When our food came i was in awe. They plated our dishes very well, and the size was much bigger then i expected. Although not huge, these dishes were just right. My sandwich was made with very fresh thick bread which was not over buttered or too crispy. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the cheese was not sparse and the pepper turkey bacon was Delicious and thick. Not undercooked and not burnt. The surprise was a thin layer of some sort of mustard with fresh mustard seeds that perfectly finished the meal. A small green salad on the side with a very tasty house balsamic vinaigrette cleaned the palate perfectly.
My friends salmon looked so fresh i almost found myself sneaking a piece to try. The cream cheese was so creamy and amply applied to the everything bagel that i found my mouth watering and his eyes filled with excitement as he discovered a full plate of capers, red onion and egg yolks. After he was done devouring it i was informed it was delicious and one of the best hed had (he orders this almost every sunday morning from restaurants all over ny).
Once finished we blew out the candle that we had lit on the table that had provided us that little extra comfort we needed and went to pay and say our thanks. The owner/​chef was very nice and we informed her wed be back very soon. I hope shes ready for me tomorrow.

This is definitely a chill and beautiful spot to sit down, relax, and have a cup of coffee or glass of wine with your friends or just by yourself. The space is architected and decorated nicely with modern design and eclectic yet comfy furniture. The best part is that there is plenty of space so you don’t have to fight for seats! They even have an outdoor courtyard. You won’t feel like you’re in NYC chaos.
I went here for brunch once. My experience was ok, I did expect better but I will go again for brunch especially when they have live music.
It’s too bad this is in the middle of Atlantic Ave. A place like this fits more in Park Slope but then again you wouldn’t have so much space.
I subscribe to their newsletter and they also host live jazz events, network events, and movie nights. Never went, but will need to check it out next time! We need more cafes/​lounges like this that brings in the community.