- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Abistro - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants African African
154 Carlton Ave(between Willoughby Ave & Myrtle Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
- Nearest Transit:
-
Fulton St (G)
Clinton - Washington Avs (G)
Lafayette Av (A, C)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
174 reviews for Abistro
Review Highlights
-
"I am curious about that Senegalese Fried Chicken." In 30 reviews -
"Dessert was a delicious spiced bread pudding." In 18 reviews -
"The highlight of this dish for me was the jasmine rice cake." In 6 reviews
Loading...
174 reviews in English
-
Review from Sasha B.
8/13/2011
Great find in Fort Greene. It's on the edge of the up and coming part of Ft Greene...
The place is very small only seats about 15-20. It is very casual, no frills, all about the food. There was only one waitress, she was very fun and took the time to really help you walk through the menu. But don't expect fast service.
BYOB too!!
I had the grilled catfish special and my friend had the steak frites. Both were very good -
Review from Kevin M.
Brooklyn, NY
3/27/2012
6 months ago
Very dissapointed today brunch was closed on Saturday during operating hours with no reason why.
We were starving from working out, paid 2 hours for parking, bought a bottle of cold wine for nothing. We ended up not eating lunch for until 3:30....
The other restaurant does not have byob which is the main reason why it's not quite as popular...
way to destroy a good place -
Review from Taueret M.
Brooklyn, NY
11/21/2011
I really enjoyed the open kitchen and super friendly servers. BYOB is a plus. There is a wine shop right around the corner.
We had the calamari to start and it was underwhelming and basic. I wanted more fried spicy peppers.
The fried chicken and a catfish special were flavorful.
I would definitely go back if we were planning on being in the neighborhood. -
Review from Alex R.
Southington, CT
10/21/2011
Don't let the look of the outside front entrance scare you away. From the onset it looks like you are walking into a Cuban prison, and when you get inside it can be questionable-but once you meet the staff and get your food it is all worth it.
Went on a Thursday night. We were the only people in the place and we felt pretty out of place. Once we ordered we were so happy we trusted Yelp.
We started with a house salad and a beet salad. Both were tasty and had nice size portions. The lettuces were very fresh.
I had the marinated tofo. It came over a rice cake which tasted almost like apple pie with the nutmeg in it. It was very tasty. There was also some sauteed kale on the plate with sliced strawberries and cucumbers. Although I don't think the ingredients really meshed together-the presentation was stunning and it was enjoyable.
My friend got the salmon. It was cooked well and came with a couscous. It received positive reviews.
My one qualm is that the prices are fairly high for the location and atmosphere. $13 for a starter salad? Its high but also BYOB which can end up making it a much lower cost at the end of the meal.
Give it a try! -
Review from Carl L.
Brooklyn, NY
7/24/2011
Ok, I had to try the new location as they took over Tommy Cellar's restaurant which was a favorite watering hole of mine for many years. I had been to the cramped location off Myrtle Ave and the food was great but the seating....too small for me and i never went back.
The new place now has finally cemented this place as a restaurant where you can stretch your legs out and not kick someone.
The service and food was spot on! The chef is a wizard at making cuisine and you will not be disappointed. I had the octopus salad and a burger which you can not find better anywhere. Also ordered the salmon just to try it and it was made to perfection! This restaurant will be mentioned as one of Brooklyn"s....pardon...New York's BEST after it is all said and done. -
Review from Raphael D.
Brooklyn, NY
6/16/2011
Probably one of the best culinary surprises I've had in a while. We came in pretty late for brunch but the waitress let us slide because we had been waiting over a half hour. I can see why people would think she's rude but I liked her. Anyway...
Here I was expecting the same old lineup of things with pancakes and eggs and other odds and ends and they do have some of that but if it's your first time go for the Senegalese chicken which is a real showstopper. I don't know how they prepare this massive cut where it's cooked through with no dryness at all and the sauce is this awesome combination of spicy and savory and rich. If you're hungry the single serving will definitely fill you up.
The new location is a lot bigger so the space and wait times shouldn't be as big of an issue anymore. -
Review from Sheila W.
Brooklyn, NY
10/5/2011
I went with my husband to Abistro on DeKalb Avenue for an early dinner. I had the blackened catfish with the most delicious creamy grits with a speckling of green chili peppers. The portions were very filling and I ate everything on the plate. Can't remember if salad was with it. My husband had the Sengalese Fried Chicken with collard greens that were quite tasty and a sort of pineapple potato on the side. He is not one for eating out but we know the Owner and we wanted to come in a welcome him to our side of town. The smile that appeared on my husband's face showed that he enjoyed his food very much. The food was excellent and we plan on returning. Service was very good and to top it all off, we both had peach cobbler. We hobbled out of the door full and quite happy. Please check this place out, you will not be sorry. We will return soon.
Please note that A Bistro has relocated to Vanderbilt and De Kalb Avenue and is thriving. We went for our 8th Anniversary on January 10, 2012 and had a delicious meal. Please let everyone know that they are open. We had a delicious pumpkin/corn soup with a touch of shrimp and apples. Very creamy and smooth. We both had the Sengelese Fried chicken and as always it was very well done with collard greens and a rice/pineapple cake. Dessert was peach cobbler, to die for.
We had a wonderful dining experience and plan on returning. They are OPEN! -
Review from Alicia W.
Brooklyn, NY
4/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
The staff and owners of this restaurant took what could have been the worst restaurant experience, and transformed it into the best restaurant experience, with their amazing kindness.
I chose this restaurant for our party of 3 based solely on the great Yelp reviews, although I didn't realize that a RESERVATION WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL... the restaurant is smaller than my tiny studio apartment and was absolutely packed.
The incredible smells coming out, the incredible sights of the dishes around us, and the incredible kindness of the waitress Shell, who promised to help us out with a table although she was clearly stressed and overbooked already, persuaded us to stick around. We waited for about an hour and a half in the entryway while people with reservations kept coming in and being seated. All the while, Shell kept coming over with friendly encouragement for us.
I'm sure many would have given up, but we were starving, not familiar with the neighborhood and somewhat pot-committed. By the time we sat, I almost couldn't keep my head up from starvation. But here was Shell to the rescue! Along with several hugs and pats on the back, Shell and the owner gave us 2 free appetizers and a free dessert for our trouble. We ate like kings and couldn't have been happier. The food was 100% worth it.
Next time we will make a reservation. -
Review from annie t.
2nd visit for a quick lunch. The staff this time around was rude to us. Our waitress was quite annoyed when we asked her to repeat the special of the day. I felt rushed with my order. It would have also been nice of her to inform me that my escargot app included olives ( i despise olives).
Overall the food was still good. But the place is losing its luster.Listed in: BK, Will be back!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/1/2011
Long trek to Fort Greene from East Flatbush but totally worth the wait. Pleasantly surprised that… Read more »
-
-
Review from B P.
Brooklyn, NY
3/23/2011
How deeply disappointing. Given the many stellar reviews of abistro, my wife and I were excited to take her brother and his girlfriend to try it when he visited NYC. I hope we can chalk it up to an off night, but I probably will never know as I don't plan to come back.
The space itself looks so promising- tiny kitchen/dining room combo, smells great when you walk in, tight quarters but comfy. It's good that it's comfy, as it takes about 45 minutes to get your appetizer and an hour to get your food. That was one of our problems- we were really quite hungry and after waiting a full hour for the entrees, I finally asked one of the wait staff (politely) if we would be getting our food soon. He shrugged, then went to the kitchen, and came back with two of our plates, saying "I guess it pays to ask, huh?" I really shouldn't have to ask to get my food which was, apparently, sitting there for some time.
Then the mussels came. Two of us ordered them- I ordered a "full" size, she a "half," with about $7 difference in the price. The server set down the bowls which were *exactly* the same size. I mentioned this, and he said "I just serve it." and walked away. Later, when I asked again if he was sure it's the two different orders, he asked "well did you count them?" No. No, I did not individually count the mussels you served me to make sure you did not send me the wrong size. How lazy of me! I certainly always count the number of french fries in my order to make *sure* Burger King didn't give me a small instead of a medium. What was I thinking?
So after we were done, I checked our shells. And do you know what? They were the same. The server eventually charged us both for half, but given our insane wait for food, the extremely poor and downright unpleasant server, and the stress of having to constantly flag someone down to get our food or any water, that doesn't cut it.
And I do want to be very clear that we were polite, pleasant and patient. I'm not a bitchy diner, and I am respectful to staff.
In the end, the real pity was that the food was not very good. The trout salad was great, but every other dish was barely a "meh." If after all that the food was astounding, I would return to see if maybe we just had a bad evening, but not for mediocre food. I'm honestly amazed at all the glowing reviews. Maybe you'll have a better experience, but I thought it important to have at least one counterpoint to all the 4 an 5 stars. -
Review from Veronica N.
New York, NY
2/15/2011
I made a reservation for Valentines Day, 9pm 5 people. Seated appropriately, took our beer to keep in the fridge. Since it was Valentines Day they had a pre fix menu, 3 course plus complimentary champagne $50 (does this mean we should bump this up into a $$$ restaurant?). My table had the butternut squash soup with tiger shrimp & New England baked clams, the creamy soup came luke warm but flavor made up & the clams were perfect.
So why the 1 star?
9pm reservations, put in orders by 9:10pm, finished appetizers by 9:30pm, 10:40pm still no entrees? What?
Yes, that's right.
Valentines Day, this restaurant the size of my living room could not keep track of their "biggest" table even though they were adequately staffed.
Verdict: Apologized, "comped the appetizers", we took our beer & got the hell out of there. -
Review from Matthew P.
Brooklyn, NY
1/20/2011
Though Abistro is a nice place in many ways, the very high ratings are starting to make me lose faith in the Yelp collective.
Let's start with the food: It's good, but you have to like a lot of sweetness in your meal. Of course I expected the plantains in coconut oil to be sweet, but when the much discussed Senegalese fried chicken and my companion's Tofu dish were also very sweet, it took the overall meal enjoyment down. Perhaps I'm too sensitive to what I would consider excessive sweetness throughout the menu? Perhaps we just coincidentally ordered 3 sweet dishes?
The plantains are good. Somewhat similar to maduros at a Cuban restaurant, but these have a soy-type sauce on the bottom. They grew on me.
The Senegalese chicken disappointed. Not that it wasn't flavorful, but it tasted a lot like chicken with Dijon mustard creme sauce that I make at home (mine is better). A lot of sweetness also throughout, including a soggy sweet potato pancake, and some greens sauteed in some sort of sweet molasses.
My companion's tofu was very good. (just sweet).
They don't serve coffee, which was disappointing, but the tea was good. I skipped dessert because as you can surmise from this review, I had enough sweet flavor throughout the meal.
The restaurant is very small, and we were seated right next to the door and caught an arctic blast each time it opened, despite the curtain.
Nice decor, good service. I really wanted to love it, but just like it. I don't think I'll rush back, but it's worth a try if you have a sweet tooth for apps and entrees. -
Review from Michael M.
Brooklyn, NY
2/19/2011
It's stupid good. Best food I've ever had in my life. I had the senegalese fried chicken and my 3 friends each had something different so that we could sample.
We also got fried plantains and 2 desserts.
It was good. We brought
wine.
No cork fee. Maybe there was one. Who knows. When you bring your own wine the whole world smiles with you. Oh I just remembered someone got moules and they were the most flavorful
seafood i've ever had. Everything just had so much going on. It was kind of a lot to take in so you should probably bring wine. -
Review from Ricky R.
11/1/2011
abistro is a limited seating senegalese fusion restaurant in fort green. from the outside the restaraunt doesnt look like much, but once youre inside things get better.
the tiny restaurant has an open kitchen so its not exactly a quiet atmosphere. the place can be interpreted as romantic, just not in the "candle lit" kind of way. maybe 'comfortable' is a better word. as for the food, it hits the spot.
ive never had authentic senegalese before so i cant vouch for its authenticity, but i can tell that their menu has been westernized a bit. if you want abistros signature item, go with the senegalese fried chicken. dont expect it to resemble the fried chicken youre thinking about however, as it tastes/looks like baked chicken in a sweet/tangy mustard sauce.
abistro is BYOB. so umm BYOB. you should also book a table if youre trying to go on the weekend as there are only about 20 seats in the place. -
Review from Jasi B.
I've had brunch and dinner at abistro.
To kick off the beginning of my bday weekend, that I had every intention of keeping ratchet as possible...including a bday dinner at Chipotle, I decided to have dinner at abistro with some friends.
Heeding previous reviews we booked a reservation.
We were about 10 minutes late and there was no seating when arrived. But one person in our party was excessively late, she was the only one who didn't drive, so it all worked anyway. And they were nice enough to give us a free appetizer and dessert.
The food is amazing. Both times I've eaten here, me and my company have greatly enjoyed the food. Even my CIA attending little brother who will nit pick at everything, enjoyed the food. My Father who orders fish where ever we go (snapper or catfish exclusively) enjoyed the friend. My halal vegetarian friend and bourgie PG county friend both enjoyed it as well.
Last night I had the special duck confit, came with a MASSIVE amount of food. The last time I had duck was at Au Pied de Cochon, which is one of the first times I actually had duck and enjoyed it. APC is pretty hard to match and abistro came pretty close. Someone else noted on here that they didn't care for how everything is sweet and I'm not a fan of subbing actually flavor with sweetness. It's cheating the tastebuds and I did note that abistro's food does sway on the sweet side, however it still maintains a rich flavor profile, as the sweetness isn't that strong. Unless your eating the rice cake, which is dessert in the middle of a dinner platter. Oddly enough, the one non sweet item on my plate was the creamy grits which were very savory with a hint of Parmesan. For all the sweetness, I could have skipped dessert if it wasn't free. Was the least outstanding thing to touch our table.
Next day leftovers were even more delicious.
Fresh tasty food indeed. -
Review from renje g.
1/10/2011
Despite it's small dining area, and the Friday night, our reservation seated us promptly. This was good. The bad part was the seating was very tight. I was touching backs with the person behind me and to go to the bathroom, I would have had to ask this person to move, as well as my neighborhood who trapped me in. Luckily, I did not have to go through this.
They have on bathroom in the corner, that I saw many people enter in and out of. I went in, not expecting the greatest of smells, but I was happily mistaken. Their bathroom is the most exquisite smelling bathroom I've been in.
My food ranged from good to great. I ordered the Senegalese Fried Chicken expecting great things. It was just ok. FYI. It wasn't even fried. The Mrs. ordered the duck special, not that was fall out of your chair delicious. We also had the sweet plantains, calamari, and bread pudding dessert. These were all alright.
My biggest complaint was the closeness of the kitchen to the eating area. Normally I wouldn't care, but I was in full view of the kitchen, and I saw some practices that I'd rather not have seen. Being a student in public health, I shouldn't have eaten the food, but that idea went away once the plantains came.
The best part was the next day. The food has the best re-heat value of any place I've ever been to. I think I liked the food the second time better than the first time. For that, they get an extra star.
PS: As you may know, this place is BYOB. If you forget this there are two wine places around the corner on Myrtle Ave. On is very hood, complete with winos and bulletproof glass. But directly across the street, is one that is the complete opposite and 100x as nice. -
Review from Rahsaan C.
Brooklyn, NY
3/8/2011
Chef Abdoul, Mama Cass and company always have me leaving this place with my belly full and my palate utterly delighted and sated. Whether it is something totally savory like the spiced catfish I had with caramelized plantains and greens or the A-burger with Senegalese Salsa, abistro never fails to have me singing its praises.
I don't eat out often, so when I do I like to makes sure I get my money's worth and I always do here. Thank goodness, it's a few doors down from my apartment. Every friend I've ever taken her has loved it.
The staff is totally cool and friendly. They seem to know everyone in the neighborhood. Miraculously, I've only had dinner at abistro. I, along with my brother and some friends will be dining there for brunch on Sunday. I've no doubt that my company and that day will also marvel at this place's offerings.
If you love extraordinarily fantastic -tasting meals and are a fan of bringing your own liquor, get thee to abistro... stat! -
Review from Jul B.
Brooklyn, NY
1/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
On everything I love, it gets no better than abistro.
A few Fridays ago - I had dinner with a friend around 7:30PM and the place was at capacity (no other available tables). I strongly suggest reservations or you'll get your feelings hurt. I believe abistro is owned by a Sengalese family who actually works in the kitchen and as hosts. The space is very tight and warm. It is very pseudo low-key Brooklyn.. everything I love. The food was delicious - I ordered from the daily specials.. my dish was unforgettable - cocunut plantains as a starter followed by a snapper dish - YUM! cooked just right, flavorful.. and enormous portions. My friend had the trout & it was delish.The service was incredible.. the waiter was gorgeous. Loved it... Instantly one of my favorite BK spots.
I'll be back very soon.
Rember..
BYOB
Call ahead for a reservationListed in: Places I adore
-
Review from Le Anne A.
Brooklyn, NY
10/20/2011
I had my birthday dinner at this place. It was amazing. My friend suggested it. We were a small party so appreciating the intimate atmosphere was even more meaningful to us. It feels as though you're in someone's kitchen watching them cook for you. A great feeling! The menu is small but still manages to offer a great range. Arrive on time for your reservation and enjoy the wonder of Abistro. Also, take advantage of the fact that they are BYOB, making it even more of a treat to be guaranteed your favorite wine or liquor with great food!
-
Review from Adam Z.
New York, NY
5/23/2011
We had reservations and sat down right away on time. Great mussels, and that famous chicken was incredible too. Nice, rather large-sized portions.
We sat by the kitchen and it was very clear that the chefs were highly knowledgable and totally pro. We did have to wait 60 minutes from ordering for our entrees to arrive. But they were great. -
Review from Ben L.
3/15/2011
We stumbled into this little hole-in-the-wall almost on accident after another restaurant in the area was too packed. Sweet serendipity.
This was my first exposure to Senegalese cuisine so I really had nothing to gauge the experience on other than how many times I uttered, "mmmmm jesus H., try this!"
We were treated to a complimentary order of fried plantains. Best I've ever had. Then we had fried frog legs and mussels. Amazing. One of us had the fried chicken that was great, and the rest of us tried the specials, the blackened catfish being my personal favorite. All unique and muy increible.
The chef and waitress were fun and personable.
I can't find one thing wrong with this place. Bravo. -
Review from Heather S.
Brooklyn, NY
2/23/2011
1 word... Phenomenal.
Service was great...food was superb. I got the duck - super moist throughout. He got the salmon and nearly didn't finish it. (I say nearly, because of course he did.)
I will be back. -
Review from Justin W.
Brooklyn, NY
12/10/2010
Quite possibly my favorite restaurant in New York City. Plus you can bring your own bottle of wine. The decor is amazing. The Senegalese-French fusion menu is great and the service is excellent.
Go to this place now. -
Review from mike l.
Brooklyn, NY
2/20/2011
We step inside abistro and get stared at. "What the FUCK are you rich hipsters doing in my neighborhood?!" What a way to start our Fort Greene day trip than with daggers.
Customers & cooks aside, the waitress was wonderful. Thankfully I resisted the urge to run back to Smith St, because the food was great. I had the fish and grits and the wife had the fish sandwich. The grits were unreal and the fish was like Hill Country Fried Chicken - perfectly crispy & flavorful, but no where near greasy. Fish sandwich was essentially the same thing minus the heavenly grits. I'm eating it now, in fact.
You know, I looked around and it's not like we were the only honkeys at the Apollo. We were the least hipstery people there! Welcome to the neighborhood, try the fish. -
Review from Jane K.
8/3/2010 1 Check-in Here
There's just something about abistro that makes me want to jump up and down and do cheerleader leg kicks. Perhaps it's the price point: excellent dinner with appetizers for under $30 a person. Perhaps it's the service: friendly, helpful and attentive. Perhaps it's the BYO policy with Gnarly Vines around the corner.
Or, perhaps it's the Senegalese Fried Chicken that was so good I actually told my dining partner that it was horrible so that he wouldn't ask for a taste. And I'm a sharer. Unfortunately my plan fell through when he watched me sloppily shove large forkfuls into my mouth. I stuttered about how bad it was, how horribly inedible were those succulent pieces of spiced chicken on my plate. That pineapple scented jasmine rice cake, bathing in vegetables with Senegalese salsa in dijonnaise sauce... Yeah, the rouse did not last long.
Next time I'm going here alone and hopefully my cheerleader kicks will ensure nobody tries to eat my chicken again. -
Review from James R.
Brooklyn, NY
9/24/2011
Had a great pre-theater meal here. Beet and house salads, fried chicken and marinated tofu. Very well balanced food - a relative rare instance of successful fusion. With the iron grill over the doors and windows you'd have no idea how refined the food is and friendly the place.
-
Review from Candice A.
Brooklyn, NY
8/24/2010
I would have made this a 5 star if it was cheaper. but all and all, a bistro was pretty damn good.
waitress: would you like to sit over there when they leave? (a table that didnt receive a cold draft from the door)
me: sure, that would be great
*5 mins later*
me: are you sure their leaving? when I usually see two girls talking, and one of them had her hands cupping a candle. It looks like they're having a long intimate conversation.
waitress: its okay. they just paid the bill. I'll take care of it.
10,000 points for the waitress for interrupting their girl talk for the sake of hungry hungry burger seeking diners.
The waitress was super awesome. and the burgers were fantasmic. I love how she reminded us it was byob and encouraged us to bring something in. anyway, the burger was hefty and the many fries and salad on the side made us happy customers. Though its a bit hard to come back here and not think about ordering those burgers again. I am curious about that Senegalese Fried Chicken. -
Review from Katie Z.
New York, NY
1/4/2011
Yummy, interesting, and tiny/cute little Fort Greene eatery. I called one Friday night and asked if I needed to make a reservation for dinner for two people and the woman deadpanned: "Um, yes." How rude, I thought, until I walked in and saw that they have a total of like 4, maybe 5, tables. Then it made sense. Of course you need a res.
The extra good news, it's BYOB. That always saves mucho dinero on dinner and allows you to get that extra entree with the money you would have spent on booze. Or at least that's what I do. Maybe some people save it? Weirdos.
Anyway, all of the food was good -- the mussels were a standout. The chicken, I think they called it fried chicken even though it isn't at all, was sort of weird and not that good. But the rest of the food was yummy. -
Review from Eva C.
Manhattan, NY
3/16/2011
I've never had West African Segalese food before! I had no idea of what I was supposed to expect but to my surprise, wow!!! their jasmine rice with fried chicken and segalese sauce was amazing! The restaurant is very small but something about the place makes it very cozy and even romantic! It's BYOB as well.
Quick tips would definitely be the fried chicken with jasmin rice, as well as the mussels and frites! delicious! -
Review from Meg F.
Brooklyn, NY
4/14/2011 4 photos
Yelp sent me an e-mail about Brooklyn BYOB restaurant. (Thanks Yelp!) Abistro had great reviews, so I made a reservation. When we got there, the place was empty but it got packed.
We ordered fried calamari, today's special mussel, lamb shank and fried chicken. Fried calamari tasted good but the calamari was sort small. Mussel was so nice and creamy that I wanted to drink the sauce. Both entree were very well done. We wanted to try dessert but we were so full. Portion is huge. Next time we'd order 1 appetizer and 2 entree's. Overall it was great experience! -
Review from Bianca R.
New York, NY
10/24/2010
Cozy and unassuming spot! You feel like you are at a friend's home for dinner. Creative and delicious dishes!! Highly recommend if you're looking for a nice meal in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill area. Great staff and great food. mmmm, will be back again.
PS: BYOB so head to Gnarly Vines (fabulous wine store) just around the corner on Myrtle! -
Review from Bianca B.
6/5/2010
Abistro was a MAJOR disappointment.
Let's start at the beginning...
When I called to ask if I should make a reservation, I was told I probably wouldn't need to. So, I didn't. I didn't want to be locked into a time and then have to rush. Got there and of course it was PACKED. The server told me the wait would be 30 minutes. I said, okay and convinced my parents that 70+ Yelpers couldn't be wrong about the food being worth the wait. Well, 30 minutes turned into an hour and fifteen minutes.Every time a table cleared, a group of people who showed up 10 minutes before were seated. Why? Because they had reservations. Clearly, they spoke to a different person. I don't know why we kept waiting. Well, I do (hype! hunger!), but in hindsight, we should have just walked on over to Dekalb.
Finally, we were seated. We had to yell our orders because the music was so loud. My mom was uncomfortable. I ordered trout. My dad ordered lamb. My mother asked for fried chicken because she wanted to taste the rice cake it came with. We also decided to try the akara and calamari appetizer. The only drinks they have are sorrel and ginger juice. I can deal with ginger juice but I felt for those who don't like bold drinks. Ginger is spicy. Sorrel is too, too sweet.
The server came back and told us they were out of akara. Then she came back a little later and told us they were out of trout. Why didn't she know this before? Well, I don't like salmon if it's not smoked, so I ordered the tofu. Full disclosure: I was initially very curious about the tofu dish, and very willing to try it, but still pretty bummed about the trout.
The calamari came. Salt. That's all we tasted. Nothing but salt. But we were hungry, so we finished it, dousing every bit of it in the pineapple mango chipotle sauce.
My parents diluted their ginger juice with water, then asked for ice. The server came back. "Um, we're out of ice."
Wow.
I started cracking up because I was so annoyed but didn't want to curse or be disrespectful.
Now, to me, the solution would be send someone to the corner store for a bag of ice. But no, the servers just stood around chipping away in vain at a little hunk of ice they found.
The entrees finally came. My dad's lamb looked good. He said it was dry-ish but the coconut grits were delicious. My mom really disliked her fried chicken. That horseradish sauce ruined it. She said the greens were too salty. My father had a piece and shook his head, laughing. "Awful." And that rice cake she was so excited about? They must have been out of those too, because hers came with potatoes instead. She ate about half then pushed the plate away.
My tofu with strawberry sauce, kale and yucca was.... you guessed it... terribly salty. Salty to the point your tongue burns a little. It was pretty gross. I didn't finish it.
I felt like the server was avoiding us because we looked so miserable. She was always kind and smiled a lot, but I guess she knew we weren't enjoying ourselves at all. She came over and placed a complimentary dessert on the table. I didn't try any. I was really over the whole place. As my parents ate the cake and ice cream, I watched as the servers couldn't figure out how to work the credit card machine and ended up calling in an older woman (owner, maybe?) for help. There was a couple seated next to us who kept looking at us and then at the servers and shaking their heads.
Before we left, the server asked if it was worth the wait. I didn't hesitate to say it wasn't. She apologized. I know that's all she could do. But moments later, I heard her talking about me with the other server. "I mean, if you're a vegetarian, you can see, it's hard to eat here." Vegetarian? I ordered calamari, akara, and trout. It wouldn't have been so miserable if she'd been aware of what they were out of before we ordered. The only hard part was sitting with all that salt on my tongue. More annoying was that they were talking about me while standing ten feet away. At least wait until I leave.
I couldn't wait to leave. Leaving was the best part. My mother could hear again. She kept apologizing, since it was my birthday dinner and all. I told her it was fine, more my fault than anyone else. I should have been more flexible about where I wanted to eat.
I made a salad when I got home, ate a piece of dark chocolate and called it a night. -
Review from Peter D.
8/28/2009 3 Check-ins Here
If you've ever seen Pulp Fiction, you know what I mean when I say I knew I'd found someone special in my girlfriend, because at Abistro we were able to shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence. That is, at least until the baby next to us started screaming its head off as its parents had what sounded like a relationship-ending fight, sobbing and yelling uncontrollably.
But other than that, the atmosphere at this little spot near Fort Greene Park was delightful. One of my favorite aspects of the entire experience is that it's all one room. This means you get to smell all the deliciousness wafting out of the kitchen area as they prepare both your meals and those of the people around you.
The service is stellar as well. Abistro appears family-run, with most of the serving done by a lovely woman and a man in a Kiss Tour t-shirt. I'm not sure whether or not that was a uniform. When we arrived, they informed us it was BYO, and directed us to a nice little wine shop down the street.
Once we got settled with our wine, we decided to start with the calamari. Served in a taco salad shell, the squid was lightly battered and fried with peppers. It was nicely done, especially the dipping sauce. Watch out for the jalapenos hiding in there though. My counterpart was lulled into complacency by the many bell peppers and a bit shocked when she bit into one.
For my entree, I had the shortrib special served over couscous and kale. It was very well-cooked, and pleasantly presented. And although at first I wasn't sure how I felt about its intense, curry-based flavor combinations, it grew on me as I ate it, and I ended up cleaning the plate.
The Senegalese fried chicken called her name, and when it arrived we discovered that it is not breaded and fried in the Southern sense. (Things are done differently in Georgia and Senegal. Weird, right?) It was fairly tender, and I enjoyed the mustardy onion slaw on top. There was also a sweet cake of some kind beneath it, and since I didn't even get a chance to try it before she sucked it all down, I'm assuming it was fantastic.
Abistro allows you to order smaller portions of most dishes, which is convenient because not all of us have enormous appetites. However, I obviously forced her get the large portion of chicken, and since I am always wrong, we ended up taking home a good amount of it. I ended up inhaling it in front of an open refrigerator at 3 am though, so all was not lost.
My only major regret of our meal is that I didn't order the burger. It seemed wrong to do so at a place like this, but it looked so fantastic on the plate of the guy behind me. He left a few bites sitting there, and I would've asked him to finish it, but my girlfriend stopped me. Apparently that's not something polite people do. -
Review from Briana M.
10/20/2009
LADIES NIGHT!!
I had a girl date with Kat H., and decided (guiltily) to drop some dough on it! When she suggested abistro, I was allll for it, as it was in walking distance of work. Nothing like a little exercise before gorging yourself with food and wine!
Since I'm early for everything, I was able to observe the restaurant before there were any patrons (got there 15 minutes before opening). The staff were having a lot of fun prepping and joking around. I think it's great to eat at a place where the staff is clearly enthusiastic about the establishment and the food that they are preparing.
Once Kat arrived, she revealed a GIGANTIC bottle of wine. I had no idea that she was talking about a bottle of such gargantuan proportions. I knew we were going to be in for it.
The menu was definitely interesting, and since I had read so much about the fried chicken, I went for it. When you're faced with so many fascinating options sometimes all you can do is take a leap of faith. Yelp pushed me off the cliff. For an appetizer, we chose the fried calamari, which was presented beautifully. Along with the squid there were fried bits of bell peppers and jalapenos. I was in seventh heaven!
After a couple glasses of wine and picking at the fried crumbs at the bottom of our appetizer platter, our food arrived. Kat's mussels looked, and apparently were, scrumptious. My chicken was delicious, but I couldn't help but think "This tastes JUST like something my dad makes". Which is in no way an insult. He's an amazing cook. I just wished that it tasted like something I had never tried before. I loved the crispiness on the outside and the tenderness within, but the greens it was served upon had a slightly strange taste to them. I think it was the combination of spices. It was interesting, but not my thing.
Despite taking issue with said spices, I think that abistro is an amazing value for the quality of food. It was a little pricey, but the fact that it is BYOB definitely makes up for that. Between the food, the service, the company, and my drunkeness as I left, my experience at abistro was nothing but positive!Listed in: LADIES NIGHT, Dates are excuses to eat good…
-
Review from Furyk C.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 1/2/2009
Just like sex,
Just like love
Unlike Heroin
it's even better the second time
I think that ABistro is actually better once you know the staff - once you know the way things work - once you know the food - once you know the secret passwords and are a part of the cool crowd - this place RULES.
Tonight we had:
The Herbed Fries - so damned good it's mean, they were not special...aside form being the perfect flavored and cooked fry...GET these and forget the cat-soup
The Plantain Gnocci - were ok, a bit gummy and sweet for my tastes, but if you imagine that they are a lightly fried doughnut - then they are perfect.
The "African trout topped salad" was sadly under-described, but amazingly over-flavoured. It had an almost gravy-like dressing and crisp pan seared trout had fantastic taste and texture. one of the best at the table.
The (Special) crab cakes were amazing with an almost marshmallow texture and subtle flavor atop a rubble-pile of greens and veggies.
The lamb shank was AMAZINGLY tender and flavorful if overly intense...as with everything here the thought really is more important than the reality...
Reality?
It's an amazing place for face time. these may be the most genuine people in all of NY and MAYBE in all of the east coast...this is the place if you need some validation....just don't be late and don't eat too long if you are...1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/18/2008
This place embodies all that Brooklyn is/was/should be. it a a great open place without pretense… Read more »
-
-
Review from maria m.
11/3/2010 2 Check-ins Here
My boyfriend and I had one of our best brunches this past weekend at abistro. Now abistro has always been a favorite of ours-- first date there, Valentine's Day price fix dinner-- but Sunday's brunch took things to a higher level.
The restaurant is really tiny, but very cute. Some of the walls are a lovely magenta. The decor is very fresh, and I love the candid photographs on the wall.
My boyfriend and I squeezed into a back table, and eventually were joined by two women and an adorable baby. But we didn't mind.
I had the special-- eggs Benedict with trout. My goodness, delicious! The fish was tasty, and there was this extra layer of sauteed vegetables cooked just like my mother makes them. The accompanying home-fries were seasoned beautifully. No ketchup needed. The salad was fresh and the fruit was more than a garnish. This eggs Benedict platter was very generous; I wasn't able to finish my meal as usual, but goodness, I wanted to!
My boyfriend had the Senegalese chicken and spicy pancakes. I tried both, delicious! My boyfriend was raving about the pancakes which had "spice bombs" and were all around thick and rich.
Brunch was tasty but definitely pricey. Probably the most expensive brunch we had at 43 or some dollars. It was well worth. We'll be back, but not as often as we'd like. -
Review from Jeff O.
9/21/2007
Great food, cozy (small) and clean restaurant. What a glorious date place to show her you know all the amazing, little-known local spots. Seriously, if you take a date here, he or she will melt. Theres no sign outside, I only knew it because every time we passed, my friends would say "Jeff, you gotta go here."
Everything we ordered made me say "Woahh!" Such flavor in every bite. French influenced and flourishing with style. You can see the small kitchen in the room you eat in. It's only one man behind the stove. Artists don't collaborate.
Kick, richness, longing. These 3 words describe the eating experience.
I've only been here once, so my rating is shakey. But for that one night, that night in the stars, amongst the planets, where the gods sling their frying pans into the laps of Senagalese chefs; that night, ABistro attained a 5 star yelp rating.Listed in: Meals Which Made Me Cry
-
Review from Nicole B.
New York, NY
7/30/2010
Abistro. More like a sigh of relief, ahhhhhbistro.
This restaurant is definitely worth writing about. After a quick open house around the corner from this place, my boyfriend and I walked passed this almost-unmarked establishment. A small wooden bench sits outside this charming restaurant, and it almost lures you in to look inside the windows.
You walk in the door, and a you see five or six tables calling you to sit down. There are about three people working in the small, but open kitchen in the back, and you see a gorgeous hostess/waitress waiting to greet you.
The best part about it is that the tables are communal, so you could be seated next to strangers but finish your meal with some new friends.
Okay, no really, the best part is the BYOB. My boyfriend ran to the deli around the corner and bought a six pack. When he came back, the waitress immediately took the case and put it in the restaurant's fridge and made sure we always had a full beer in our hands throughout dinner.
And now, for the REAL best part: the food. We weren't that hungry so we ordered the mussels appetizer off their menu, as well as a calamari dish that was one of the day's specials. They were both served in this delicious, rich, slightly spicy broth with onions, bell peppers, topped off with this bread that was amazing soaked in the stew. The mussels and calamari were perfectly cooked. The portions were ideal for two people with a small appetite. But then, my boyfriend had to push the limits by ordering the spicy bread pudding for dessert. This dessert came with some light caramel drizzled across the plate and strawberry or raspberry sauce. Yes, it was so worth the extra stretch in my stomach.
All in all, one of the better meals I've had in New York, and one of the more romantic dinner dates I've had with my boyfriend. It definitely helped me fall in love with Fort Greene even more if not to just return to Abistro to try their fried chicken! -
Review from Jake A.
Brooklyn, NY
8/25/2008
Where to start, where to start.....
An essentially unmarked storefront scores some cool points, but the truth is, it doesn't matter. Abistro serves the type of food that legends are made of and what restaurants should aspire to create.
You could call it Senegalese fusion, but then i would call you a twat. The food is good and creative. Spinach side is holy shit.
All of the fish is incredible. I wouldn't change a thing about them, especially the salmon. The plantain gnocchi has a surprisingly complex flavor for little banana balls, though I would say they're a bit doughy (the snob hat is on now).
Then there's the burger. One of the best in the city, period. Please keep this a secret. It makes Resto's taste like McDonald's. Not only is the beef succulent and perfectly prepared, the bun is heaven and the ghostly yet present Senegalese salsa catapults it into the meat stratosphere. You don't need cheese or mushrooms on it, though 'taint bad with 'em either. I would not be surprised to find that the cows that make up these things were brought to earth on silver chariots solely for the use of the awesome chef and his babe wife (they have a rad tot too) who clearly must be grays or even reptoids for cooking so well.
Desserts are rich and capable of being conquered though they are large. I've had them all, and can attest to their excellent character ; sugary gentlemen waiting to sweep you off your feet and into a romantic world of fruit orgies and pie play.
ATMOSPHERE. It's good. Cool music and cool people. You feel comfy and welcome. Shit runs smooth.
And last but not least, it's BYOB! Wasted for cheapz! Huzzah, cause this makes the prices that much more incredible. I would honestly pay 3x what they charge here for this level of food. I have a lot of respect for this restaurant. God bless Clinton Hill for harboring such an oasis amidst the overpriced swill being peddled throughout Gotham. -
Review from Amy D.
Brooklyn, NY
1/11/2010
Yes. Simply yes.
I kind of have little orgasms when I think about the combination of orders my friends and I ate the last time we had brunch there. Baked egg - baked fuck yes. Crab omelet - decadent and, like, what? Seriously? Crab meat, in this omelet? Yes. So fresh, so well-prepared, so would eat one right now I dunevencare it's past midnight. But lastly, and this is top on my list of what I'm ordering next time I'm there - the spicy pancakes. They're, like, a cake, that, in your youth you only wished your multi-colored frosting-covered birthday cakes could make you feel like when you had that first bite. The flavor is autumn and sunshine, warm blanket and french moisturizer, picnics and the perfect outfit. I think I shall go there this weekend. Yes I will.
I have yet to eat there for dinner. Want.
