abistro

 

18

52

Justine S.

Brooklyn, NY

Yum. Yum. Yum.

Everything I tried, which was everyone else's dish in addition to mine, was phenomenal. We started with the plantain gnocchi.... amazing.  I had the Moroccon Salmon which came with Jasmine couscous in a peanut plum sauce....woah. Definitely the best salmon dish I have had in New York City.. Also, the burgers were delicious and came with fried(yum) and a salad.  Lastly, dessert:  We had the spicy bread pudding and some chocolate cake... the bread pudding is to die for.  

The wait staff are beyond friendly & even a bit sassy in a playful way.
Perfect birthday dinner for a special friend - they made the night!!!

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1

8

Jeff K.

Brooklyn, NY

I'm kicking myself today because I've lived in the neighborhood for four years and only last night went to abistro.  Too early to say perhaps on only one visit, but I'm pretty sure it's my favorite neighborhood restaurant now.  Bold, complex flavors, but not overwhelmingly so, nary a false step among the four dishes.  The room is very casual, the kitchen is truly open - meaning the room is no more than an extension of the kitchen, and it's a welcoming, comfortable kitchen at that.  The waitress works the whole room so the service was a little slow, but the atmosphere erases any inpatience I and my friend may have had--it was such an enjoyable dinner.  Everyone eating there seemed to be having the same experience; it was a happy, somewhat festive crowd.  Don't be an idiot (as I was for four years) and go!

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18

56

Sharon K.

Brooklyn, NY

4 1/2 stars

After reading the reviews for Abistro, I plotted and planned and finally lured the SO to come here (he doesnt like leaving the neighborhood and is not a foodie). First let me say that if it weren't for the picture posted on yelp, I wouldnt have known the place - so thank you to whoever posted the pic. Walking into this place was like walking in on a little dinner party - it was very intimate. When people say this place is tiny, it is seriously tiny - like the size of my living room tiny.  Despite this, I did not feel cramped. The size just added to the charm of the place.

Anyway, onto the main event. I ordered (based on the reviews - thank you fellow yelpers)

Plaintain Gnocchi (as an app) - I wasn't sure what to expect here.  I love plaintains, and I love gnocchi, so I went with it. These were breaded fried plaintain (sweet) bites essentially. They were pretty good on their own, but what really did it for me was the sauteed spinach (w/ lots of garlic and mushroom) served with it. Put a little bit of that on the fork with a bite of the plaintain...mmmm....sweet and savory at the same time. The plaintains were served over a curry sauce which was fine - I dont think that was necessary, but I guess having the sauce kept the whole dish from seeming a bit dry.

Senagalese Fried Chicken - the chicken itself I felt was just okay, without the mustard sauce, it would not have been memorable. The mustard sauce was was spicy without being too spicy, and added just the right amount of zing to the dish. I think i must have chased the chicken all over the dish just to get all the mustard sauce. This dish was also served with the same garlicky sauteed spinach - couldnt get enough of it. The highlight of this dish for me was the jasmine rice cake.  I had no idea what a rice cake was before this (or rather when I think rice cake i think of those cardboardy quaker oats things). Anyway, what ended up being on my plate was a thick round taste of heaven. It was crispy on the outside, and soft and sweet on the inside. The rice was moist and not sticky at all. Can I get one of these to go? How about two?

Bread Pudding - moist, perfect,  slices of heaven served with icecream and two different sauces (one berry and one caramel?) I dont know what else to say. I can still taste this hours later.

Service was fine. The server did not come back to check on us after delivering our food (which usually is an issue, and I deduct from the tip accordingly( - but everything was perfect, so it was a non-issue.

Will be back - next time brunch!

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22

27

Gray S.

San Francisco, CA

While visiting a friend in New York, he insisted that a group of us go to abistro. When I asked what kind of food they served, he replied "all you need to know is the food is sexually delicious".

I was not let down. I split the special omelet of lump crab meat and shrimp and an order of the french toast. Yes, the food was the truth. If I ever move to New York, I'm moving within spitting distance of abistro.

The interior is very intimate and the owners/staff are very friendly.  This place is cute and funky. Loved it.

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1

51

Lan C.

Brooklyn, NY

Wow, is the Senegalese food here zippy and spicy!  

The fried chicken is served with a fruity tropical relish and mashed.  The snapper is also spiced and delicious.  Not for the mild at heart though, because these are bold flavors.  Adding to the fine dining experience is the warmth of the husband and wife team whose restaurant this is.  They know their regulars and are friendly to newcomers.  There is a casual neighborhood feel to the small room, but the tablecloths and and plating elevates it.

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1

3

Brooke B.

Brooklyn, NY

I had such a great dinner at this restaurant.  It's tiny, personal, neighborhoody and very very good. I had the sengalese fried chicken which is life altering.  I find myself craving it all of the time.  It came with this little pineapple jasmine rice cake that was full of flavor and downright divine.  The chicken was perfectly breaded and fried with this delicious mustard sauce.  I had a plantain gnocchi as an appetizer that is out of this world.  Its a husband / wife operation which adds to the personality.  Service was excellent.

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21

13

evan c.

New York, NY

a mazing.

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Elite '08

55

160

Jeff O.

Wantagh, NY

Great food, cozy (small) and clean restaurant. This is a glorious place to take a date to show her you know all the amazing, little known spots. Seriously, if you take a date here, he/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 I had made me say "Woahh!" Such flavor in every bite.
Kick, richness, longing. These 3 things describe the eating experience.

I've only been here once so far, 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, A Bistro attained a 5 star yelp rating.

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Elite '08

77

202

Koku K.

Brooklyn, NY

Very, very small.   The food is fantastic, but I didn't have such great service the time I came here.  The owner's daughter was jumping around tables and running through the very tiny restaurant w/a friend.  Sensing our dissatisfaction, the owner made a comment to one of my friends I'll loosely quote, 'kids are harmless' and 'they shouldn't be bothering you'.  

I love kids just as much as anyone else who doesn't have to take them home, but I don't feel like I should have to compromise my dining experience because children are harmless.

BUT...the food is great, and that's probably an isolated incident, so check it out.

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Elite '08

110

304

Arthur O.

Brooklyn, NY

The best restaurant in the neighborhood.  My personal favorite.  

A tiny kitchen/dining area that seems like you're in someone's studio apt getting served up some delicious food.  There's an undeniable personal touch to the place - probably because the chef and his wife run it - I really enjoy it there.  

They don't really have a sign and it's tucked in Carlton, so it's very easy to miss.  For a good six months while living on the same block, I didn't even realize that it was a restaurant.  

Go check it out if you want some cozy dining experience to go along with great food.

Their daily specials are always a great choice, so are the main stays like abistro burger and fried chicken.

Best burger in NYC.

Don't forget to bring your own booze.

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13

19

Ben D.

Brooklyn, NY

between outstanding food, capable service and a BYOB alcohol policy, abistro is pretty much the archetype of what you want a hole-in-the-wall neighborhood restaurant to be. i've been there enough to hanker for a few variations on the menu, but i can't complain about anything i've picked off of it. the spicy chicken salad and plantain gnocci are worth cutting your favorite aunt's throat for.

i've never had any problems with renegade children in the restaurant. in fact, i think koku is probably lying about that --she always makes up these wild tall tales that involve youngsters. like the other day, she frantically tells us that a child had been hit by a car. so we run outside with our jaws of life and portable iron-lung apparatuses, only to discover that the pulverized little frame splayed out in the middle of classon avenue wasn't a child but a *pre-teen*. so you basically can't trust her as far as you can heave her.

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3

14

Alex B.

Brooklyn, NY

serves up some of the best tasting food in ft. greene.

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6

32

Josh H.

Brooklyn, NY

Very tasty fusion flair, with strong African influences. Don't pass up the seafood and soups -- Abdoul (the chef) has years of experience at Aquagrill. His wife Cassandra makes it feel like home. BYOB!

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