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AlMar
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
111 Front St(between Washington St & Adams St)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Neighborhood: DUMBO
(718) 855-5288
- Nearest Transit:
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York St (F)
High St (A, C)
Clark St (2, 3)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 8 am - 10:30 pm
Fri 8 am - 11 pm
Sat 9 am - 11 pm
Sun 10 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
43 reviews for AlMar
Review Highlights
43 reviews in English
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Review from Ed S.
New York, NY
4/28/2012
After spending the day at the BBG and Bklyn Museum, we showed up hungry and unaware that it was still 30 min. before dinner service started. We snagged a table anyway and enjoyed 1/2 priced happy hour drinks until they started dinner service. We ordered crostini to share, my friend made a dinner out of the meatballs and the arugula and fennel salad while I had the pappardelle w/ duck ragu.
Crostini w/ mascarpone and pecorino romano, topped w/ honey and walnut. At first sight, the two crostini look small. Then you pick them up and feel the heft and weight. Smooth mascarpone, tangy and tender pecorino and just enough honey to hint at sweetness w/o being intrusive. It was flavorful and balanced.
Meatballs in sauce were tangy and bright. I still think Sora Lella's was the best, but these aren't bad. You get two decent sized meatballs to an order.
Fennel salad: argula, fennel, orange and pecorino romano. Peppery, buttery, bright and refreshing. The only misfire were the oddly flavorless green olives.
Pappardelle w/ braised duck and shiitake mushroom ragu. The pasta wasn't al dente, but the sauce was flavorful and the dish itself came w/ a generous portion of tender duck. The duck itself was just gamey enough to remind you it was duck.
Tiramisu: the lady fingers tasted of strong espresso and were still tender w/o being mushy. The mascarpone dusted w/ cocoa was slightly sweet, possibly from vin santo. Served chilled in a martini glass.
tl;dr: Come in and enjoy the space and the food.
Note: bring cash cuz they don't take credit cards. -
Review from Isabel L.
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
I mean.. I came here right after my hour long power walk feeling pretty invincible. NOTHING was going to stop me.
Got the adrenaline was pumping full force, sun was out and I was with great company. The service here, however, really managed to go above and beyond to make sure my happy moment wouldnt last ..
Food:4
Ambience: 4
Service: 2
Its a nice space, and considering the weather was amazing this place didnt have a wait. I guess I know why now.
The food is decent, mostly sandwiches and egg dishes for brunch.
Dishes recommended include the Egg in a cloud toast, BLTs and Portobello Sandwich. Good but nothing you can't make at home if you tried.
Maybe I'll come back for dinner to try their " famed" pasta cause they didn't have it for brunch but then again there are tonnes of amazing italian spots in brooklyn maybe i'll just move on to the next one -
Review from Jesse A.
4/22/2012
What does AlMar do really well? Simplicity & freshness in Italian food.
That was what we really wanted that night, and that was what we got.
The place feels laid back, and on the weeknight when we were there is wasn't too busy, we didn't have to wait for a table. On the back wall of the restaurant they silently play black & white films, and the space is attractive and comfortable - sort of rustic-chic. The tables are fairly close together (we enjoyed a bit of table eavesdropping during the evening).
Cocktails to start: an Italian sour and a Camparini; both were excellent. Then there was the anchovy bruschetta, and for entrees, a special - a mini-meatballs pasta, and the pappardelle with delightful green things (asparagus, peas, fava beans). Normally we avoid ordering pasta when out, since it's so easy to do at home, but this time we were glad we did. The dishes were not too oily and tasted very fresh. The fava beans pasta gave us ideas for things we could cook at home. And the anchovies were AMAZING, big fat things, not like the skinny little salty anchovies we get at home.
If we lived around here, we would be regulars at AlMar.Listed in: Getting Fat in the USA
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Review from Laura G.
Brooklyn, NY
5/14/2012
Great atmosphere, good service. The food is enjoyable but not mind blowing. All stuff you could make at home pretty easily. I come here mostly because it's a comfortable environment, it's pretty quiet and it's a nice place to get away to for lunch and read.
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Review from Pamela S.
3/11/2012
Noted:
- delicious smell of seafood upon entering
- attractive decor
- crowd was mostly AARP, but that could have been the pre-theater hour
Ate:
- salad of arugula with beets, orange, pistachios - fresh, crisp, delicious
- appetizer of mussels in white wine sauce - plump, juicy, also delicious
I did not get to try the linguine with seafood, which I attempted to order; my friend Tardy McTarderson was 15 minutes late, and the waiter was told by the chef that putting in an entree order at 7:05 would put into jeopardy our 8pm curtain a few blocks away. I realize this isn't fast food, but we were surprised that all but two of their entrees (short rib and lasagna) can't be produced and consumed within the confines of an hour. We were thus limited to those two entrees or apps, salads, or crostini. In the end, I really liked my salad and mussels, and I left with a favorable impression in spite of myself.
CASH ONLY!Listed in: Bars and Bites: Brooklyn…
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Review from Shruti K.
Brooklyn, NY
3/19/2012
We read reviews on yelp and tried this place out on a Sunday afternoon. It was quite empty and we could easily get a table right away. The place has a rustic comfortable feel to it. Nothing fancy at all. I ordered 2 scrambled eggs, which came with toast and potatoes. Even though it was a very basic dish, something about the toast, butter, jam was very satisfying. I enjoyed the dish. The espresso was nothing to rave about. I would say the place is A-ok. I was not blown away by their food. I'll go there again if i am in the neighborhood but won't make a special effort otherwise.
They accept only cash, which i thought was a downside. Oh the other thing is, its still pending a rating. I would be curious to see what rating they get. -
Review from N L.
Bergen County, NJ
Updated - 4/24/2012 9 photos
BTW I just felt like updating b/c this place deserves all the credit. I went for dinner here not too long ago and let me just say it was one of the BEST dinners ever! Seriously try everything, everything is so scrumptious.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/23/2012
I think I fell in love with this place!! It's seriously so good. The ingredients are so fresh and… Read more »
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Review from Nicholas W.
ASTORIA, NY
5/6/2012
Came to AlMar because it looked so nice, the specials on the board outside turned out to be just items on the menu. Waited about 35 minutes, which is okay for a Saturday night - but tables were open for 10 minutes, cleaned, before they would seat us or other waiting people- no sense of urgency or willingness to get people in tables, and the place isn't that big either.
So, the waiter doesn't introduce himself after 15 minutes, just says, "So, you know what you want?" We order. They are out of octopus, tuna (our top two choices), and a few other things.
Soup was bland, candle wasn't lit, had to ask for pepper. Maybe it just wasn't our night. Main dishes were okay.
WARNING: I guess it's on the bottom of the menu, but the place is CASH ONLY.
All in all, disappointing. The waiter laughed when we showed him we were charged $26 for a bottle of wine when it was listed as $25. What's a dollar here or there? Pretentious or nonchalant, I don't really care, service wasn't good. Bathroom was a mess. ugh!
Guess we'll trek back to Astoria next weekend when we have to be in this neighborhood and eat there. -
Review from Bee C.
Brooklyn, NY
4/25/2012
I've been here a few times and everything is always really great. Their meatballs and ricotta crostini are really yummy! I crave their shrimp cocktail with avocado.
Most recently, we ordered ribs and pasta with clams. They were both simple and delicious. The ribs were really rich and tasted stew-like.
Even though it is not a rowdy crowd, the place gets pretty noisy-so it's not the place to go if you're looking for a quiet dinner (on the weekend at least). -
Review from Stan P.
Manhattan, NY
4/9/2012
We came here one night and because the wait was an hour and we had a show to catch at Galapagos, we went to Grimaldi's instead (yes, the wait was shorter at Grimaldi's)...so finally we made reservations to eat here before another show at the Galapagos. We got there a little late but even though our table was ready, the waitress told us to wait at the bar...and finally, after 5-10 minutes, we got seated. Then, we waited forever to get our food...probably 20 minutes. Because we only had an hour before the show, we only ordered an entree. We got the duck and pork chops. They tried too hard with the pork chop - gravy instead, breaded....everything was just overwhelming! The duck did not have much taste. Perhaps if we had the much-raved appetizers, we might have had a better experience...unfortunately the slow service forbade us from ordering more food....
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Review from Julie P.
3/21/2012
Cool ambiance. Amazing bread - truly the highlight of the meal. Loved the octopus salad and scallops. Pasta dishes were just okay (and not just because one had blueberries in it) - interesting but lots of oil and butter and not enough taste. Osso bucco with polenta average quality for a NYC restaurant. Fantastic service.
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Review from Katie K.
3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I found AlMar through Chowhound, and booked a reservation for five for my friend's birthday dinner based on the good reviews and the menu. We had an idea it would be good, but every so often, there's that rare, sensual restaurant experience that surpasses most everything you've enjoyed; it is THAT good. This was our experience at AlMar.
Four of us arrived at this beautiful, rustic, spacious restaurant, and started off with a plate of very fresh oysters, two different octopus appetizers, an eggplant ricotta bruschetta, and a delightful, reasonably priced bottle of red wine.
The octopus special had a tomato based sauce which was mostly just stewed tomatoes and not particularly exciting, however it had been cooked to soft, tender perfection. The other, a grilled octopus appetizer which is a regular on the menu, was accompanied by onions, celery, capers, crisp green olives, and perfectly cooked white potatoes (*just* done, not too soft). This was absolutely delicious in flavor, and had just the right touch of char in the grilling. The octopus could have been just a touch softer, but was otherwise sublime. I could not try the bruschetta (gluten intolerant), but when I asked my companion about it, his eyes rolled back in obvious delight.
For the mains, I resisted my initial urge to go with the roasted breast of duck with red wine cranberry reduction, and instead went with the red wine braised rabbit with polenta. As luck would have it, a late-arriving friend sat next to me and ordered the duck, so I got to sample that, too. I'm so glad I was convinced to go against my obvious first choice, but not because the duck was any less amazing. Having tried rabbit on several occasions, I had nearly given up on it as a dish I prefer. This version not only changed my mind, it put me into a state of pure, sensual bliss. The chef absolutely mastered the preparation of this gamy meat and bent it to his will; the skin crisp and dark with the sugar from the wine it was braised in, the meat inside juicy and SO tasty. The polenta was creamy, buttery, wonderful. As for the duck, the slices were buttery soft inside and crispy outside with the sugar from the red wine cranberry reduction, which added just the perfect sweetness to the velvety dark, rare meat. It was accompanied by a lovely mashed squash dish.
The birthday girl and her boyfriend split a plate of pappardelle with porcini, cremini, shitake, oyster, royal trumpet and chiodini mushrooms with blueberries (!) and herbs that everyone at the table just raved about. I was jealous that I couldn't taste it. The friend to my left had Penne Alla Pizzaiola, which he said was wonderful.
Unfortunately, we ran out of time before our show and didn't have time for desert, but it was a good thing, as we were quite full and warm with wine. It was the perfect evening.
I found out later that the chef and co-owner hails from the longstanding Brooklyn Heights outpost Noodle Pudding, which also receives very high accolades.
Bring plenty of dough. This restaurant is *CASH ONLY* -
Review from robert e.
Brooklyn, NY
12/20/2011
AlMar is a sudden favorite with the IP/IT tech-that-eats crowd and the design community clustering here in DUMBO, and for good reason; their food reflects the vision and attention to detail distinguishing these participants who believe that what they eat and where they eat it is in fact important.
Handmade quality food in DUMBO - complete with care and attention to service - in a warm, well balanced design - a godsend.
Eat there. -
Review from Sasha D.
Manhattan, NY
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Egg Toast is amazing! (I added a side of bacon which was a thick cut of deliciousness)
There is only one other place that has blown my mind for breakfast/brunch and AlMar was just added to the list...
Definitely coming back the next time im in Dumbo... -
Review from Francesca T.
ASTORIA, NY
11/3/2011
I come here every time I'm in DUMBO. This place is SO fantastic! I've had brunch and dinner there and the menus have a little something for everybody. If you're dining here for dinner you absolutely can not leave without ordering their ricotta, mascarpone, parmigiano, with walnuts and honey crostini. If I was ever on an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate - this would be my dish. It's so light and airy. Also try their meatballs and pumpkin ravioli. For dessert, go bananas with their nutella panino.
Word to the wise: Cash only! -
Review from A S.
Brooklyn, NY
3/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
The Brunch was excellent! The Egg Cloud and Tuna were great dishes! The service was lackadaisical, but improved later on. Nice atmosphere as well.
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Review from Kara B.
Brooklyn, NY
3/4/2012
Came for dinner after hearing good things about the food, even though Al Mar took over my fave Dumbo spot: Dumbo General Store. Hubby and I split bruschetta, cauliflower soup, and a creamy pasta with sausage and peas. The food was delicious start-to-finish. Fresh, top-quality ingredients came together in just the right way in every dish. My only gripe was a slightly disinterested waitstaff that looked a bit put-upon by the eager diners around them. Go for the food, not to make friends.
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Review from Peter K.
1/9/2012
It is nice, cozy and very welcoming walking in here. You are taken care of by very polite staff. Very homey. They get you with the sign outside for the 2:1 happy hour. I am glad they did. It was a nice break.
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Review from Jennifer D.
Brooklyn, NY
3/2/2012
Great neighborhood restaurant! Excellent food and staff. You won't be disapointed.
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Review from marisa p.
New York, NY
1/27/2012
Loved this place. Amazing grilled Octopus. Fantastic Martinis and complimentary home-made lemon-cello at the end!
Fantastic Meal. GO -
Review from jenna c.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Home-y decor. LOVE the long old school wooden table. Friendly staff. Only had a latte w/ soy... But it was certainly delish. Would love to try their food.
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Review from Krista J.
1/9/2012
I went with a friend to AlMar for Saturday brunch...I was expecting maybe one pasta dish at this Italian restaurant. I really wanted some yummy pasta carbs. But no, the menu was mostly a variety of paninos (not paninis...paninos), all of which sounded very good, but still I was underwhelmed. Our waiter was almost pained to serve us...it was so odd. We had one question about the specials and it was like we had asked him to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. He was very disinterested in us and in the restaurant. But at least the food was really good...I opted for the Egg Toast and it was yummy and filing. The brunch pricing is very reasonable, with most items costing $10. I would absolutely go back, since the restaurant is near my home and very cute inside...plus I want to try a pasta dinner dish!
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Review from Kiai K.
8/4/2011 48 Check-ins Here
The manager and chef left Noodle Pudding and took over Dumbo General Store's space. You can still get good coffee, those thin chocolate chip cookies or pastries. But then...
Brunch. Mmmm. Egg on a cloud totally rocks.
Dinner: Wild boar lasagna. Oh my goodness.
And seafood. I had the mussels the other night and steak last week. The steak was excellent. Perfectly cooked, juicy, naturally tasty.
The menu changes depending on what's fresh and good. Missed the all-natural lamb loin the other day, darn it.
They replaced a lot of the staff with attentive, outwardly-focused servers with experience. Nate formerly with DGS still bartends. He seems happy with the change.
I hear in a month they'll have housemade limoncello. Can't wait.
Gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the air quality from the kitchen. But they just upgraded the A/C. -
Review from Dori Ann S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/16/2012
AlMar has become a staple in dining for me. To say the food is exceptional, may be an understatement. Everything, and I mean everything on the menu is delectable. Between the authentic tastes of Italy, the warmth of the rustic atmosphere and the always gracious staff, has made every meal there a pure joy.
I've had a few special occasions with large groups and every single person is blown away by this place.
If you haven't been, you are missing out! -
Review from Phil G.
Staten Island, NY
3/22/2012
The space has a very rustic, informal feel which blends in perfectly with the neighborhood. Everything we ordered from the shrimp cocktail, to the ribeye, to the chocolate mouse was very fresh and delicious. The portion sizes were a little on the small side but overall we really enjoyed it. The old movies projected on one of the far walls was a nice touch.
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Review from Liza D.
Brooklyn, NY
3/18/2012
The food is good but the service is consistently BAD.
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Review from Abby S.
New York, NY
10/22/2011
we stumbled upon this place while we were in brooklyn one day and was looking for a brunch place. the decor is really cool. i like the look of hte place. spacious with kinda of a bare warehouse-ey feel.
the food was really good. i love the food presentation of every dish! i got the eggs in a cloud. it was super cool and interesting. the brioche was amazing! perfectly toasted. yummy! it had ham on top of it and cheese and then the egg cloud thing. idk how they made the egg puff up like a giant cloud but it was good! then it had spinach i assume cooked in olive oil all around the plate. it was soooo fresh and simple and amazing.
the veggie fritata i also tried. it was tasty.
i love love this place. fresh ingredients, cool casual atmosphere and really cheap actually!!! definitely a great deal for brunch! you gotta check this place out! -
Review from S B.
New York, NY
11/19/2011
People - brunch isn't a tough meal to do badly. The service was atrocious but that didn't even matter when you account for the bugs flying in and crawling around the joint, lipstick on the water glass, and the most dried out over done egg dishes I've ever had. No apologies from staff or recognition that it took over an hour to bring out our food after three tables [who came in after us] were served. A real shame - DUMBO could use some new brunch spots. And whatever you do, don't walk by the kitchen before you eat because then you definitely won't stay for your meal.
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Review from Ian M.
Manhattan, NY
10/27/2011
I've been here twice now, and it's a real stand out for lunch time in DUMBO. Today I got the pork sandwich. It's got slow roasted (10 hour) pork, which is very tender with a pleasant hint of fat. To add some zest to it, the sandwich has pepperoncinis, red pepper and capers. It's served on a crisp artisanal roll, with a side of salad (read: lettuce). The ambiance is rustic, hip and cozy. A nice combination. And at $11, it won't hurt your wallet.
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Review from Patricia Y.
Brooklyn, NY
9/21/2011
From an "A" they went to "Grade Pending" :(
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Review from Tiantian X.
Brooklyn, NY
10/28/2011
Nice place for brunch! Latte is so good
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Review from Sunao S.
New York, NY
9/24/2011
It's our neighborhood hangout. Food is slightly above average, but the atmosphere is good and relaxing. Would not make a special trip if we lived far away, though......
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Review from erika g.
Brooklyn, NY
1/31/2012 4 photos
Delicious food and nice industrial but warm ambiance! Almar is a great new find. Fresh seafood and produce! Try the grilled octopus, mussels, and amazing crostinis. Don't forget about dessert either, youwon't be disappointed!
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Review from Gavin K.
Brooklyn, NY
9/19/2011
Ok, I don't normally take the time to write reviews, but this place rocks. I'm told there is a new chef (formally from Noodle Pudding) and whatever he is doing, he is doing right. The braised lamb shank with lentils is a must have dinner dish. My date had the fish of the day and said that it was fantastic.
The service is tmely and friendly. So great to have a "go to" restaurant in Dumbo -
Review from Rachel D.
Brooklyn, NY
8/19/2011
My husband and I are regulars at Noodle Pudding, a favorite neighborhood Italian joint, so we were excited to try Al Mar, which was opened by the old chef and manager at Noodle Pudding. We ate early on a Saturday night at the new copper bar. I can't comment on the table service but the bartender was super friendly and attentive.
On to the food. I can honestly say I was blown away. I was expecting it to be good, since I've had the chef's food before, but it surpassed my expectations. We started with an heirloom tomato salad and crostini with fresh ricotta and truffle honey. The crostini was creamy, earthy, slightly sweet from the honey and downright indulgent.
For entrees we had a squid ink pasta with shellfish and montauk bass with couscous and grape tomatoes. I was a little hesitant with ordering the pasta with shellfish because I usually find that when there are numerous kinds of shellfish in a dish, one or more of the seafoods are over cooked. This was not the case with this version. The shrimp, mussels, scallops, etc were all cooked perfectly. Successful dish. But my favorite was the bass. Super, super fresh and cooked absolutely beautifully. The couscous salad was a fresh and lovely accompaniment on a warm summer night. Really couldn't have been happier with it.
The space is a little 'raw' - it probably was originally a factory or warehouse- but the meal was so delicious and comforting that it's makes up for any lack of warmth that the space provides.
Can't wait to go back!! -
Review from David M.
New York, NY
8/10/2011
Food: excellent, almost as good as DGS was. A couple of the items I've had over the past couple months (including the time when it was still called DGS, but the dinner menu was almost completely transitioned to Al Mar Italian) have been awesome: lasagna (one of the best I've had), tagliatelle with duck ragu (awesome), braised short rib (I thought it was good on one occasion, but a friend had it when it was somehow dried out). So hey, the food is good.
But let's talk about atmosphere: I showed up one night with a couple friends, and it's now called Al Mar. Walk in, and things are a bit different. An older guy shows us to a table, and starts volunteering information about how they "canned" all the "kids" who used to work there, because they didn't know anything and were unprofessional.
OK, fair enough. Cut to ten minutes later--the people next to us are served the wrong food. No big deal, they go back and bring out what was ordered. Twenty minutes later--(young) waiter brings us plates. "Who had the lamb?" Well, nobody had the lamb. "Oh. Maybe this is the beef." I don't know, is it?--you work here and you can't tell dishes apart? Manager comes over, asks if there is a problem. Waiter looks at us expectantly, forcing us to ask if the dish is lamb or beef, and generally looking like morons. This happens to the table on the other side of us.
Lesson: Don't fire the staff unless you can hire competent replacements. I'm willing to allow for a learning curve, but I've been back since and there's been no improvement--staff still can't tell dishes apart, very slow service. Moreover, DGS was nice because it was exceedingly unpretentious...not so much anymore.
Plus...why change the name? Al Mar I can have anywhere. DUMBO General Store...there can be only one. -
Review from D L.
Manhattan, NY
12/27/2011
Brunch menu can use a few more options, but the paninno sandwiches are excellent, mainly because of the good bread, and the egg toast was very tasty, leaving you wanting more.
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Review from Rita M.
Brooklyn, NY
12/19/2011
What a wonderful dining experience. The food is super. The service is great and the atmosphere is very cool. Don't miss this restaurant. It's rustic and cozy, has a great bar and shows felini films in the background. You will be pleasantly surprised.
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Review from Bella D.
Brooklyn, NY
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you think Italian food in little Italy is amazing well guess again! It is at al mar! Marcello and Alfredo has made a new home for me! You must indulge yourself in the crostinis, the short ribs and I kid you not, even the regular pasta dish will blow your mind away! You must go there!
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Review from Julie P.
Brooklyn, NY
10/6/2011
A welcome addition to the DUMBO food scene. Have been three times, and this last time was the best so far -- they are really finding their way.
The space is very comfortable, the service was terrific and the food - surprisingly, actually - was top notch. We gobbled it up - yummy arugula salad with fennel and orange, unbelievable good grilled octopus, pasta with rabbit ragu and salmon. Really, really good.
Tonight was a Thursday, we went early, and the place was laid back, only about 1/3 or 1/2 full. They had old Fellini films silently projected on the wall - great vibe.
The wine is great if you know what to order. I almost don't want to write a good review because I don't want the place to get too crowded... but i do want the restaurant to succeed and become a solid local standby that thrives and keeps the bar high. So please, AL Mar, keep that bar high!! Your good efforts are much appreciated and we will continue to dine at your lovely restaurant.
