Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood has been known as “Little Poland” for its population of Polish immigrants who have settled there. Greenpoint has been a home for Polish immigrants since the 1880s and today, there are plenty of local Polish restaurants, bakeries, and small businesses that anyone can visit and support. Karczma, located off of Greenpoint Avenue and Manhattan Avenue, is a cozy Polish restaurant with charming rustic interiors that serves a wide array of Polish dishes. Some options you definitely should try are the grilled pork shoulder (Karkówka) which is served with grilled vegetables and French fries, and the plate of Polish specialties (pierogis, potato pancakes, Polish kielbasa, hunter’s stew, and stuffed cabbage).

Where else can you dine directly underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and enjoy a full menu of international meals? 7 Old Fulton Street (the restaurant) is located directly on Old Fulton Street right by the Brooklyn Bridge Park and a great place to eat some great pasta, lamb shank, grilled salmon dijon, and salads. This location is the best if you’re in the mood to people watch, check out Brooklyn’s picturesque DUMBO neighborhood, and enjoy a filling meal.

What’s a stop in Brooklyn without visiting the Brooklyn Inn and experiencing a slice of New York City history? Located in Boerum Hill right off the Bergen Street subway stop is the Brooklyn Inn, which first opened in 1851 and is still opened and operating to this day. For locals, the Brooklyn Inn is a cozy place with beautiful interiors to grab a drink and have some fun. This 170-year-old bar and saloon has lived through multiple chapters of history, from the Civil War to the Great Depression, both World Wars, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to serve Brooklyn residents and visitors.

Located two blocks from Washington Park in Park Slope is Benchmark, a steakhouse that used to be a carriage house in Brooklyn. Washington Park used to be the original home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1898 to 1913 before moving to Ebbets Field. Benchmark’s spacious patio and dining space makes it the perfect place for summer outdoor dining with friends and family. Benchmark’s menu features many different steak cuts, fondue, pierogi, and hushpuppies.

This image is of 509 Coney Island Avenue, which is where Werkstatt stands today. Werkstatt is an Austrian restaurant located in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn that has a full menu of delicious Austrian meals to choose from. Werkstatt has multiple schnitzels options served with potato salad, bucatini Bolognese, leek risotto, and more.

You can't go all the way out to Coney Island without stopping at Nathan’s Famous. Arguably one of the first fast food restaurants, the hot dog stand was founded by Nathan Handwerker in 1916. By 1920 moved to 1310 Surf Avenue, where it remains in business today. Nathan's signature product gained its first international exposure when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt served Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to the King and Queen of England when they visited the United States in 1939. Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York (1959-1973) once said, “No man can hope to be elected in his state without being photographed eating a hot dog at Nathan’s Famous.” Though it’s now a world-wide brand, and you can get a Nathan’s hot dog from many street vendors throughout the city, it’s worth the trip to this flagship location.

Vivid, a Caribbean-American bistro, is located a short way from Prospect Park on Avenue D in East Flatbush. Since 1930, when this image of Public School No. 208 was taken on Avenue D (very close to Vivid), the East Flatbush neighborhood has modernized significantly. Vivid has a wide variety of Caribbean-American cuisine for all visitors and patrons. Appetizers include coconut and pepper shrimp, samosas, and escoveitch fish tenders. For all entrees at Vivid such as their jerk chicken, steamed red snapper, oxtail, and more, the entrees come with white rice, peas, fries, mashed potatoes, or sweet plantains.

Charles M. Gage opened his restaurant at 302 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn in 1879. Eugene Tollner joined him as a business partner in 1884, and the establishment became known as Gage & Tollner. The restaurant moved to 372 Fulton Street in 1892, and though it changed hands a few times over the years, operated successfully there until 2004. In its heyday, it was frequented by icons like Truman Capote, Mae West, and Jimmy Durante the restaurant served upscale clientele a menu focused on fresh seafood—specifically oysters, which at one point, they had more than 50 different ways to prepare—amongst elegant surroundings, and recently reopened in April 2021.