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Categories: American (New), Pubs, Lounges [Edit]
Neighborhood: Prospect HeightsClinton-Washington Aves (C)
7th Ave (Q, B)
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I've had several good experiences here. The food is pretty typical American fare done well. Their brunch ($11 a la carte, $12 with 1 mimosa, and $16 with unlimited) is very good. Their selection of Eggs Benedict is the best on the menu as their homemade hollandaise sauce is tangy but not over powering.
Live jazz bands on weekends make for an intimate atmosphere, as well as the dark wood accenting around the place. Their bartenders are their key strength, making excellent classic drinks as well as some creative house specials. Billy on Thursdays and Sundays makes the best Manhattan in the neighborhood (considering their vast array of Bourbons) and if you come in for happy hour they have Blue Point oysters for $1 a piece. Can't go wrong there.
As I said, the food is standard American fare for dinner. I've had the fried side of chicken which was kind of a one note piece, but a good one note. Not too greasy either. Their mac and cheese is very good too. So far I've mainly stuck with the brunch and the oysters, but dinner here and then drinks down the street at Weather Up makes for a great evening.
Walking into Cornelius is like entering a room of forgotten time. The decor is very reminisent of Jazz clubs and speak easys during the time of prohabition. At any time, you can imagine a crazy bunch of jazz enthusiasts from uptown coming to find where the really party is (-_^)
That is where the charm ended for yours truly. After the warm and comfort of the atmosphere, the romance ended. My lady friend and I enjoyed a quiet dinner. I give the drinks 3 stars - inventive and sounded very interesting but missed the mark on taste, just average. For dinner I had the skirt steak. I would also have to give that 3 stars. I expected a larger portion and bold flavors, sadly the dish didn't hit the mark again.
Our server was very friendly, but almost invisible. Personally, I like my servers to be more engaging and she seemed preoccupied. She was not bad at all, but again I just wished there was more.
So I give Cornelius a 3, average. It is a safe bet for any night. But if you are looking for a fun or romantic evening, it would not be my first suggestion.
I've had good times here, and I've had very BAD times here.
I love the macaroni and cheese. It's absolutely decadent. When it first opened I also had the cheapest hot toddy's ever. Some of the other food I've had there has been okay too.
BUT - the last time I went there it was a disaster - we waited forever for our food, we had to order our drinks at least 3 times before actually getting drinks, we specifically asked if something was vegetarian only to have it come with bacon all up in there (totally unacceptable) and then our totally inept waiter/bartender overcharged us!
RIDICULOUS. I still bring it up as maybe a place we can go to for just drinks, but if I'm with someone that was there with me that terrible night - they just stare at me and I shut right up.
We were out to try the new "Vanderbilt" up the street a-piece...granted it was opening night...and the wifey and I weren't exactly "feelin'" the 1 hour wait. We figured, we could go back another time. But we were drinky and hungry...
Let's go to Cornelius instead!
We couldn't decide between table-service or bar-service. But, we opted for the bar.
I am not sure if THAT was what ultimately became our downfall or not, but I do know that as we sat for over an hour waiting for our 2 appetizers and one shared entree...we saw many people that came in well after us get their food, eat, and LEAVE.
To be fair, the bar-staff and wait-staff were VERY friendly...but not terribly informative.
They offered to buy us another round of drinks...but didn't tell us that the chef had either died, or just decided not to make our meal, or lost our ticket, or what...
Nope...so, we declined another round of drinks...
When the food mercifully did finally arrive, it just flat out sucked.
The beet souffle my wife ordered was tasteless. The scallop app was fishy and just not very good. And as for the burger. I'm convinced that goddamned burger was sitting back there the whole fucking time we were waiting...it was way overcooked, the lettuce was wilted beyond recognition, and it was just a hot mess. Even the fries tasted like they had been sitting around for entirely too long.
Alas, it's so close to our home, it has tons of tasty Whiskeys on the menu...the cocktails are great and STRONG...and the staff are super nice.
But the communication FUCK UP that happened tonight was just inexcusable. Especially since when we initially put in our order, we were maybe 2 of 20 total people in the place.
Ridiculous. They should've comped our entire meal...but I settled for our second round of drinks, just to get the hell out of there and go home.
I'm now making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Dude, what happened? Chef Otto is gone, vamoos, left the building! Friday night, my companion and I went to reload on some of his famous porchetta, only to find out that Chef Otto is no longer starring in the kitchen. He has moved on to other venues. Keep track of that one.
Not to worry, though. While we didn't see our favorites on the new menu, a couple of untried entries did attract us, including the stewed rabbit; a perfectly cooked special that enjoyed its final resting place atop a bed of creamy polenta. Great winter-y dish by Chef de Cuisine Lonnie Dyner.
Just to be safe, I enjoyed a trustworthy hamburger. Perfectly charred and medium, it was juicy and accompanied by, what seemed like to us, twice-fried fries! Extra crispy and delicious.
Bourbon old-fashioned accompanied my burger. Needless to say the professional bartenders and competent servers are still very much in place and eager to please, keeping Cornelius as a strong anchor to the Prospect Heights neighborhood.
Chef "Otto" Graham is on track to build something new and something old for the venerable… Read more »
As the first stop on a recent bar crawl through the many bars of Vanderbilt, my expectations were high for Cornelius. It reminded me a little bit of a train car-- dark wood, long and narrow, dimly lit. Charming. Crowded on the Saturday night that I was there.
I just had the eponymous cocktail, a delish gin-lime-sage concoction that I could have slurped down an endless supply of. (Sadly, I think variations on that very sentence appear more than anything else in my reviews. Lush much?) My friends and I didn't eat, but the food that I could see and smell seemed like it was probably delicious. Nine bucks for a well-mixed cocktail is definitely still something to make me shiver, but I know that's much less than I'd pay in Manhattan, so I'll hush up.
I'd like to go back to eat some time; I'll just need a sugar daddy for that. Any takers?
Got lured in by cheap oysters. I love oysters, and I live right near this place, so I very much wanted to like it. To be fair, when oysters are $1, I don't expect to be able to pick and choose, but the Rappahannocks we got were lacking in flavor, and very poorly shucked. Waitress kept pressing us to order more, so we tried the chanterelles and duck sausage, which were tasty, but it's pretty tough to screw up chanterelles.
I would have chalked all this up to simply getting what you pay for, but our waitress puckered up significantly when she realized we were going to spend a mere thirty dollars before leaving.
The bottom line is, the poor service is a deal-breaker for the unremarkable food. If I want tasteful decor that badly, I'll stay at home.
A nice place to grab a glass of wine and $1 oysters during happy hour. Pleasant bar area, beautiful people, good service. The decor was something between upscale, casual and European cafe. Not at all bad.
I didn't stick around for dinner. The menu looked interesting, but it focused on the provenance of the various ingredients, and was priced accordingly. It seemed just a little too Manhattan for this chunk of Brooklyn.
I'd go back for the oysters.
I can't help it-- I'm a sucker for Scotch so I basically wet myself at the thought of a whole page of single malts!
My experience so far has been awesome. Vanderbilt's really stepping it up these days, and Cornelius is a great addition. I had some delightful Scotch selections and a tasty burger-- what more can you ask for in a place? The world needs more whisky bars, and I'm glad Cornelius is answering this call.
When James had an insane wait, we headed to Cornelius, which was a mistake. It's an adorable space, but the menu is pretty poorly executed. The cocktails were okay, but poorly matched to the season. And for the love of god, no matter how casual the service is: 1) Cocktails should always arrive BEFORE the first course. 2) The second course should not be served before the first has been cleared. Seriously, that's just common sense.
Weak, slow service and the majority of the dishes aside, the Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad was Perfect - a truly delightful dish.
In the end, Cornelius should focus on being a bar so that they can implify and excel.
We were on a mission to try some new establishments in the Prospect Heights area. Cornelius was the last stop - and the WORST. My friend and I came in and sat down at the end of the bar. The 2 bartenders somehow never noticed us and this other dude - did he work there? - was half behind the bar, iPhone-ing away. Eventually he looks at us and I look at him, hoping to get a menu, but all he said was, "I think someone was sitting there, but they're in the bathroom." There was absolutely NO sign that someone had been sitting there, and whoever was in the bathroom eventually came out and sat somewhere else. THEN the guy walks over to a table and asks if they want anything and returns to his iPhone. So, I thanked him for making us feel welcome there - he replied, "Anytime" - and left. I don't care if the cocktails and the pork sliders are good - the place has terribly mean people working there AND it stinks like cheese and has awful decor. Weather Up down the street was a welcome relief. Adios, Cornelius.
last night was my third trip to cornelius. i like it! the "signature" cocktails are delicious (i've now tried 4 of them; i think the pineapple margarita is my favorite); the staff is friendly and attentive; and the food is yummy. the crowd also seems to be pretty laidback; not a lot of hipsters. maybe because they don't offer PBR.
the bathroom is also spotless, by the way.
the only downside is that it's on a busy corner so when a cop pulls someone over there, the flashing red lights shine right in your eyes if you're sitting at the corner of the bar. oh, and if you're sitting near the door, expect to be panhandled. it will happen.
but please go there, because i like it and i want it to stay open.
This spot used to be formerly be Noona-a Korean restaurant. I went to Noona once, and that was it nuff said! I have a feeling it will be the same with Cornelius!
A bunch of my friends met up here for some drinks. The ambiance was weak and drab. The drinks were good-I'll give it that. Nothing out of the ordinary. The cocktails are about $10, but I think I can get a better cocktail up the road at Weatherup on Vanderbelt for $10.
Thank god for Good company, the night progressed, and after 4 cocktails we thought it would be best to grab some food. I had the Pork sliders, which were in fact spicy, tangy and good. My friend Sara got the fried vegetables-interesting. Her Mac and Cheese she said was terrible!
The most terrible thing about this place-the service. There was one waitress and it took us forever to get anything- an extra round of drinks, food and paying the check! I hate to say it, I'm all about supporting businesses in my neighborhood, but something tells me that this corner in p. heights is jinxed!!! yikes!
wow. how could i NOT have been to this place earlier?!
i have to admit, when i first noticed that a lounge-y, cocktail-serving place was going to open in place of the former noona, i was immediately skeptical ... i just didn't think that a lounge would do well in this area. however, i decided to give it a go since my friends had given their thumbs-up (after trying it beforehand), and i had read somewhere the former chef of freemans (don't quote me on that) heads-up the kitchen.
i went there for drinks with a friend and loved it. cornelius has a size-able drink list but i only paid attention to the wine and cocktails. my friend and i had the appropriately-named "cornelius" cocktail which is a blend of gin, sage, honey and lime. she stopped after that but being the lush that i am, i continued with a malbec from argentina. if i REALLY wanted to go all out, i would have also had the original "sparkling pear " or "petal pusher." so much to choose from.
will i come back? you're damn straight i will - i wanna try dinner! also, i take great comfort in the fact that i can just stumble 'round the corner home vs. a $20 cab ride.
What a classy addition to the neighborhood! The surroundings are kind of desolate, but the bar is gorgeous, reminiscent of an old train car like the ones its namesake (Cornelius Vanderbilt) owned in the 1800s. They have quite a few tables as well as a long dark wood bar. I had a seasonal cocktail called the Petal Pusher: gin, berry puree, creme de violet, and lime. Very nicely balanced, sweet without being super sugary. I wish I'd been hungry, because they also have a delicious-looking food menu, with everything from oysters by the piece to whole roasted fish and macaroni and cheese with bacon and truffle oil. Price-wise, it was fancy but manageable; while my specialty drink was $10, beers on tap were $5. The atmosphere was relaxed and not at all pretentious, and we'll certainly be going back there.
great burger, good beer from the tap....all i need from a bar and the interior is nice. food was a little slow but made up for it.
Formerly the korean restaurant Noona. I hope this location isn't cursed. The success of Weather Up down the block proves you don't even need a sign to draw in Brooklynites for high end cocktails.
Excellent selection of bourbons, whiskeys, gins & specialty cocktails. Not a huge menu. Extensive oyster bar.
1 appetizer, 2 salads, 2 entrees and a dessert = $60.
Ambiance is chill--American Jazz standards,
dimmed lights and candles.
My friend and I split the bill on our cards and left a cash tip, which I always try to do. I just dicovered, they added tip on somehow to the charge as well after we signed our receipts. I hope that was a mistake, but a $50 bill for 2 ppl should not have gratuity added and certainly not without informing us. i was looking forward to going back, but now i feel it will be tarnished with suspicion. (not saying I won't go back, tho - lardons)
replacing the Korean resto, Noona, the same owner has revamped the place and opened Cornelius. It… Read more »
Great vibe. Cozy and intimate. Good service, yummy drinks, decent food. It was not at all crowded the Thursday night that I was there... I hope it lasts.
I think this place is a good addition to the neighborhood. They have a well thought out cocktail list, pricey but good. I had the Cornelius and I'd definitely go back and order again. Food was very good, but the chef the night I went overcooked things a little. I'm not one to give bad reviews over over-done food, the flavors were great. I had the brioche chicken and I think my favorite part of it was the green bean and mushroom casserole it came with. It was like my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, gourmet style. The interior is really great and has nice details. Overall, a nice upscale place.
i've been dying to check out the place, so the roomie and i hit it up last night for after dinner dinners. i have the cornelius (gin, muddled sage and lime). it was crisp and somewhat like a mojito without all the sugar cane syrup.
other sips i tried:
-the sparkling pear is prosecco, pear puree and cinnamon syrup. the cinnamon finishes the bubbly nicely.
-steamboat is bourbon, bitters, maple syrup and vermouth. my roomie compared it to the bacon martini you can get at pdt minus the bacon.
they have free whiskey tasting mon-thur 10-11pm all february.
the space is mid-sized and dimmly lit. soundtrack played: sam cooke, john legend, raphael saadiq.
cute little place on vanderbilt, down the block from weather up, and much better. the pork sliders were yummy. the sparkling pear drink was delicious and refreshing and my boyfriend loved the cornelius drink - gin, saffron, honey and lime. will be back soon.
I was really happy to hear about this place when it opened. My boyfriend and I walked over on a cold night and though we thought it was a little chilly still inside the food and drinks were fantastic. The waiters seem familiar, like maybe they have worked in the neighborhood before? I've def. seen a few of them at other local establishments, they were all very nice very helpful. The waitress was a bit of a close talker which was awkward for our faces to be so close but it was funny. The meal was affordable and delicious and I find my self craving it often, particularly the Pear Prosecco and the grilled romaine salad. We shared our salad but on our second trip over we ordered our own stuff, we liked it that much.
Oysters were impressive, but we have yet to try them raw (he go tthe po boy). My first time I ordered a steak special but wasn't asked what temp. i wanted it, which i forgot to mention since i usually like it on the medium well side, when she brought it over they were totally cool taking it back for more fire.
The list of spirits is impressive, and the staff can speak further on most items if you have any questions.
The atmosphere is really nice, relaxed, well designed. Cool theme (Cornelius Vanderbilt?).
The kitchen is open till 1 or 2 which is a real plus. I suspect it will be really popular in the summer... they say they will start brunch come mid-march!
Overall exciting new spot in Prospect Heights. This one should last.
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