Willow

Exceptional experience all around. Perfect weekend brunch. Tucked away in Crown Heights. Immediate service.
We had: the soft scramble, celery root and potato hash, pancakes and side of potatoes. No one was better than the other.
Service was flawless, never had a half empty cup of coffee or glass of water. Our server Ben took great care of us, with recommendations and thoughtful answers. Can’t wait to come back again!
Thanks Willow!

This is a foodies delight! Be prepared to spend over $ 100 and enjoy some good wine with unusual food items. really cute space, cozy but not crowded. wait staff was fun and helpful as the menu was confusing.

— Awesome brunch!!!
— Tiny, so come early or during non-​brunch hours
— Not many meat options, but that’s alright
— bread pudding and kimchi rice were fantastic
— toast and jam was worth the carbs

Came here for dinner and was quite pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is pretty small and intimate, but didn’t feel cramped even though the whole place only seats 26. It’s dimly lit, and feels like a great location for a date night.
We opted to sit at the bar to be closer to the bartender (we were in need of some cocktails and we were drawn by the wall of liquor), and it was a good choice. The menu is pretty small as it changes up with what’s seasonal. The menu is meant to be a shared meal. There are some bite-​size plates to start, some small plates and large plates. We got a good mix of things between 2 people – housemade pickles, carrot soup, mackerel ceviche, beans on toast, and pork belly. I was pretty impressed with everything! I’m already a lover of pickles, and the chef here is quite into experimenting with pickling everything – it was the first time I’ve had pickled mushrooms! The carrot soup they plated into 2 servings for us, was creamy and true to a simple well-​seasoned pureed carrot. The only thing I’ll say is that the mackerel and the pork belly was a little overly salted for my palette… but not enough to significantly affect the meal. Additionally, the cocktails were superb! Between us, we had 4 different cocktails and each were carefully concocted, fresh, and well-​balanced. Not to mention each drink was beautiful and presented with some drama.
I can’t wait to return for another meal sometime, and hopefully next time I’ll be able to save some room to try their desserts.

This place is great for sharing, and I was overall pretty pleased leaving here. Some of the dishes were super strong, and a few of the share plates were less exciting. The octopus was unexpectedly great.
Have a go here for sure, but go with a few others who like to eat.

It’s possible that we hit this place on an off night but the food was not great and the service was incredibly slow. When we got there, we were told the Tuesday tasting menu would take 45 min. 2 hours later we still weren’t done. Perhaps the server was new but it was obvious he didn’t feel comfortable and educated on the food and wine menus.
If the cuisine had been exceptional, I wouldn’t have minded the service too much. But all of the courses appeared off in some way. The first dishes were bland and unimpressive. The main dish, a chicken, was very salty and difficult to enjoy.
Maybe this place takes a certain palate; I’ve been to many incredible restaurants in Brooklyn and have a hard time understanding the hype with this one.

This is a newish place in the neighborhood and very convenient to me. The tasting menu was a complete surprise and delight — I had no idea what to expect but with each dish I kept looking at my dinner companion with the surprised OMG try this face. They definitely love their food here. I left not completely stuffed and kind of feeling like I could go for a bowl of cereal but that’s a good thing since I’m trying to be healthier. I will be back! It’s a little fancy for its setting right next to the C train at Franklin, across from a Dunkin Donuts, but you’d never know it once you are inside.

My roommate and I had brunch here back in September, and it was great! We arrived maybe 30 minutes before the end of brunch time and felt kind of bad about it, but the waiter and other staff there were totally gracious and welcoming.
We each ordered a coffee and the kimchi fried rice. I also got a side of the potatoes with blue cheese mayo. Everything came out really quickly and the fried rice was AMAZING, much better than I was expecting! The potatoes had a bit too much mayo on them for my taste, but they were still good. The portion size was also perfect.
The only slightly negative thing that I would say is that their brunch menu might be lacking for those who are craving more classic brunch options. The steak and eggs is probably the closest thing they have to classic brunch, but it’s also $ 19.
The atmosphere was intimate and friendly. Even though it’s located basically right below the train station, you totally forget about the rush of Fulton St once you’re inside. The curtains on the windows let a lot of light inside while providing some privacy to diners.
Again, the waitstaff here is awesome. So friendly and genuine.

Yet another restaurant in NYC that’s the sister restaurant of an already existing restaurant, Willow is located immediately underneath the pillar of the Franklin Avenue C train in a smallish, efficiently exploited triangular space.
Six beer selections on draught; I ordered whatever appealing sour was available at the time after being provided a taste. Willow also had the fine Spanish Sarasola cider then along with a saison, stout, IPA, and some dark ale.
A little surprising there was no pilsner at all, but given that they’re not serving hamburgers, fried chicken, grilled chicken, fish and chips etc… perhaps not that much so. If you want a more basic beer you’ll apparently just have to go with the saison. The wines also didn’t seem to include any typical cab/​merlot/​pinot grigio/​chardonnay varietals in case that is of significance.
«Complimentary» bread service featured a flat bread served with a very «green» tasting condiment; I felt less guilty about skipping the wheatgrass juice that morning…
For the starter I chose the asparagus/​mint/​sour cream soup; a chilled purée with some nuts & seeds that added appreciated texture and which was in fact overall quite good.
My main was the poached hake w/​lobster, the waitress cheerfully pronounced the claw as lobster «tail»; regardless I’ve had better lobster. A generous quantity of shishito peppers accompanied along with «wild» watercress, half a bit wilted and the other half more raw, on top of the broth/​reduction/​sauce; a decent enough plate at $ 23 even accounting for the lackluster lobster.
A manager, owner or other staff member told me menu items change very frequently. It now finally appears the majority of the selections are different from months ago.
Midway through devouring the seafood plate some rap music came on; mellow enough yet still making relatively abundant use of the N-​word. There were no African-​Americans present either as customers or staff and regardless of whether the music selection was politically correct or politically incorrect, it certainly seemed rather… odd.
The one black person present in the restaurant during the entire time I was present made quick use of the restroom before leaving without making any purchase. Management quickly closed the door which had prior been kept ajar to the pleasant weather. You’d think Willow would be more eager to help out a brother in need given their other expressed cultural mores.
I’d consider returning to Willow, but hopefully the music selection might be better.

Had a brunch menu on a Saturday. It took a while for the food to be prepared but it was worth a wait. My baked eggs were delicious and very filling. Great cocktails and good service.
The brunch deal is $ 28 which is not a great deal but there is absolutely nothing to complain about, the food was prepared with care and the atmosphere was very nice.

Puffed rice! Genius! Our server was completely lovely.
The fixed menu is a TREMENDOUSLY good deal.

I’m ashamed to say it’s taken me 6months to try out Willow.
I read a review on this place months ago, which raved about their asparagus soup. Unfortunately, they did not have the asparagus soup, but the carrot soup on last night’s menu was just as dreamy. (How can one complain about a restaurant that offers new options?!)
I really cannot complain about a damn thing. Everything was rich, super flavorful, and nothing I’ve been offered at other businesses nearby. The food options are one of a kind. The servers were very knowledgeable, friendly, and gave us great recommendations on what to order and how many shared dishes we need for 3 people. (I believe we did 2 from each course.)
If you’re a local, don’t bother reading further… give your ass a try!

It’s so rare to find a place in which the ambiance, service, and food are all just perfectly done that you feel the restaurant was created for you. It’s the kind of place that you want to tip more (we left over 25%) because you’re just so satisfied.
Thank you, Willow, you gave me a wonderful dining experience.
Go for yourself you won’t be disappointed!

We ate here last weekend. Willow is a bit of a hipster spot that falls between fine dining and casual. We were seated promptly and ordered wine and a cocktail. «The Willow» cocktail was really flavorful and well made. Wine was great too.
We ordered Hake and Skirt Steak with two starters including the aged beef and pierogis.
The food was really good, but nothing was really innovative or knocked our socks off. Service was friendly and prompt as well. Raises the notch of dining in the Bed Stuy area but is to expensive to be a real neighborhood joint.

Fantastic addition to the neighborhood! Tiny and intimate, the restaurant is understated and sets up diners for the delightful, fun and of course delicious meal to come.
My most recent meal at Willow was brunch and it was so good. We had the pancake, the kimchi fried rice and the baked eggs. Each was unique, bold in flavor and simply fun to eat. Highly recommend the brunch!

Came here over the weekend with a group of 6. We had made reservations but we didn’t need them since we were the first customers. We took their largest table which can only fit 6 people.
I got a chance to try the kimchilada drink, buckwheat pancake, savory bread pudding, potatoes (blue-​cheese mayo), and buttermilk dessert.
The drink wasn’t bad. A little kick to it. Fairly refreshing. It reminded me of a «latin spicy drink» but I forgot the name of it. In any case, I would have preferred the «latin spicy drink».
I enjoyed the buckwheat pancakes. It came with yogurt on top and strawberries on top and in the pancake mix. The pancake was evenly cooked throughout. It also had a very nice golden brown to it. I think they cooked it on a skillet but I’m not sure. There weren’t any burnt parts which was amazing. Despite all those ingredients, I still had to ask for syrup. There was quite a bit of «oil» on the pancake so the syrup helped cover it up. I thought the portion size was appropriate. They gave one big pancake.
The savory bread pudding was good. I do recommend eating it with chili, or something to make it spicy. By itself, it was just okay. The oxtail was overcooked and the bread pudding seemed a little dry. The shishito peppers weren’t spicy enough. I think the concept of the dish is excellent, just some more refinement.
The appetizer, potatoes blue cheese mayo was good. I myself don’t like blue cheese or cheeses for that matter but the potatoes were perfectly fried. None were burnt. All were crispy. All had the right amount of seasoning. I just didn’t prefer the taste of blue cheese on fried potatoes but everybody else at the table thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely a dish worth getting.
Lastly, the buttermilk dessert. I thought the dessert was made exceptionally well. It came in a bowl and it looked like they took effort in plating it. There was a good balance between tart, sweet, and «sour». The lemon poppy shortbread was excellent. It wasn’t stale and had the right amount of moisture to maintain some crunch and softness to it.
Overall this is a solid 3.5 stars. One thing to note is that it’s a small place and it can get busy very quickly. They don’t have a lot of wait staff so please do be patient. I thought the chef did an amazing job in coordinating all our dishes to be brought out at the same time and all the dishes were hot/​warm. Staff was extremely polite, friendly, and courteous.
I would definitely recommend this place.
One thing they started trying is a prix fix menu for brunch ($ 28). We didn’t go for this because we didn’t think it was that great of a deal. To each their own.

Willow is located in a very interestingly-​shaped (the interior is a bit zig-​zaggy), small area. It’s a casual space, though the food they serve is fresh, colorful, and ambitious.
Everything on the menu looked good, but there were some menu items that we regretted ordering – not because they were bad, but because we would have had a better experience had we ordered other dishes in their place. Plenty of dishes came to the table next to ours that looked and smelled delicious and we shared «oh man! We should’ve gotten that instead of this!» glances at each other.
— Four bites
These were literally four bites, so it was a bit silly of us to share them. Also, each bite didn’t really wow us and had very little flavor. The shishito pepper, for example, was just that – it could have had a more flavorful sauce or it could have been stuffed with something, but it was a regular pepper.
— Beef tartare, chili mayo, sesame cracker
Now if bites like these had been included in the ‘Four bites’ dish, I would’ve liked it more. The sesame cracker was light and thin, the chili mayo wasn’t overpowering, and the tartare wasn’t as buttery as I would have liked but tasted fresh.
— Fluke crudo, green strawberry, tapioca crisp
This was one of my favorites! The fluke crudo was refreshing and had little dressing; the tart green strawberry slices added freshness to this summer appropriate dish. The crudo was on a giant tapioca crisp and the crisp didn’t add or subtract from the crudo’s freshness, but it did add a cool textural component.
— Potato pierogi, morel mushrooms, ramps, sour scream
This was a solid dish. The pierogis were delicious with a great golden brown crisp. The accompanying potato chips were a little unnecessary, but the sour cream morels were wonderful. I only wish there were more!
— Skirt steak, charred gem lettuce, potatoes, blue cheese
This was a great dish. The skirt steak was prepared and cooked well. The charred lettuce was an absolute delight – they were tender, warm, and sweet. The potatoes were fried into french fries; I think I may have preferred roasted ones, but that’s just me being picky.
Likelihood of another visit:
Service was great, and the food was solid. I may be interested in going back during another season. 3.5 stars to 4 stars.

Remember when you were a kid and sometimes you tasted something you’d never tasted before? Like the first time you ate a pickle? It was like a whole brand new thing and you had nothing to compare it to and you just had to decide on the spot, Do You Like This Thing?
You don’t get that feeling anymore. Now it’s all stuff you’ve already eaten. Oh yeah, you say: beets, I don’t like those. Dragon fruit, well, this is just a weird kiwi.
But the minted peas at Willow were a brand new thing for me. All fermented and umami with aerated yogurt and cured egg yolk and my mouth was like what the fuck is this, man, I’m not even sure this is food yet, but then it decided that it was and that these are the best peas I’ve ever had in my life. Which, I mean, I know, you’re not in the habit of thinking very much about peas — but someone at Willow put some thought into them, and here they are. I appreciate these peas.
This place is by the Pines team — that’s a restaurant in Gowanus on 3^rd Ave, you should check it out, it’s awesome — and it shares their inventive feel. (They’re also related in some way I don’t totally understand to the Littleneck people — that’s on the same block as The Pines — they all feel related, anyway. And they’re all amazing.)
So their pierogis were great, mostly for the morels, which were sick; the hake was just an excuse for an insane lobster sauce, but it was a good excuse (on a later visit this was monkfish, which makes more sense); soft shell crab was terrific. There were no misses here.
Hey, while we’re chatting, how are you on this whole «trees in your food» thing? I don’t think it’s specific to the Pines family, though I’ve seen it at all three places — here there was pine extract or something in my brilliant cocktail, and they gave us a spruce meringue with the check. I’ve seen spruce in a pie at Four & Twenty Blackbirds too, and Oiji is doing pine-​smoked mackerel, so I think trees are officially A Thing at this point. I’m cool with it? I mean, it’s different.
(ETA: Here’s NPR noticing it like a year and a half ago:
)

Great job on their first brunch! Interesting selection. Cured mackerel on a sourdough flatbread was great. Potatoes with a chili mayo was solid, also mild on the spice. Coffee was strong and rich.

Me encantó el lugar, es perfecto pues tienen una variedad de tapas para todo tipo de gusto. El servicio excelente, el lugar muy acogedor. Recomiendo el postre que es una delicia. Perfecto lugar para una cita.

UPDATE: Got a very cordial message from Willow stating that we came by on their 2^nd day of opening and that they are still working things out. Was encouraged to come back, try more of the menu, and also notified the pierogies are $ 9 now.
At any rate, I will try again and would love to hear other’s thoughts on their experience!
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Stopped in here to try it out after a drink at the nearby Glorietta Baldy’s.
We had really high hopes after reading an article in Eater. My partner used to live a stones throw away and we still have a lot of friends in the area.
The Good:
The interior is pretty, intimate and gets pretty good light thanks to some large windows despite being under the tracks. The staff is personable, accommodating, and friendly. We asked for our drinks to be separate from our food tab and they were happy to oblige. Drinks are the standard prices for middle range restaurants. Food came out in good time, presentation was pretty, and temperature was good. There were potatoes in the pickle plate that I really enjoyed. Had a nice solid Rose to sip while we tucked in.
The Middle:
I don’t want to say too much about the food because they *just* opened but I will say while good, it didn’t knock my socks off. We really were just stopping in for a drink and a taste so we ordered the pickle plate ($ 6), the chicken liver cannoli, and the pierogies ($ 12). The chicken liver cannoli was a cute invention and very very rich.
What could be better:
I really hate the word «cheap» when it comes to customers but I’ll use it right now just because I can’t think of another way to phrase. At any rate, I don’t consider myself «cheap». I’ve helped manage a restaurant, been a server for a number of years, worked for a local foods private chef, and am friends with chefs. I know that cuisine takes more than just ingredients. It takes creativity, labor, care, technique, and prep. I know this is why we pay a 2.5x mark up for alcohol. But I have to admit, when I realized I was paying $ 4 for each small potato filled dumpling, I had to pause. It seemed a little extreme and borderline tacky in a heavily gentrifying neighborhood. If there was a vast amount of labor involved in making them, it wasn’t coming through in flavor. I guess, I’d like the place to be well received in it’s new home but it might be better suited for Williamsburg or Manhattan.