Ici
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Brooklyn/Fort Greene246 Dekalb Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11226 (718) 789-2778
- Nearest Transit:
Clinton-Washington Aves (G)
Lafayette Ave (C)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
39 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Greenwich Village
"Corner Shop Cafe has been one of my favorite restaurants in New York so far--has a really quaint, calm atmosphere and doesn't get too…" read more »
34 Reviews for Ici
Recommended by my food snob roomie (she's a personal chef, and a damn good one at that, so you can't blame her elitist attitude!), Ici, is one amazing place. Everything is FRESH, SEASONAL, and LOCAL...how's that for social end environmental responsibility? Do I need to say the food is delicious? The poached eggs/grits w/ truffle sauce blew my mind...and the atomosphere is cozy and inviting. Felt as if I were having a nice sunday brunch in the bottom floor of my brownstone. The French staff adds to the whole charming, simple yet sophisticated, environmentally conscious atmoshpere.
I had a fantastic Valentine's Day dinner here this past February, which included one of the most amazing bottles of Prosecco I've ever ordered, along with great food and superb service. I loved their nod to local produce and the quiet ambience of the dining room.
Brunch is another story. My boyfriend had read that Ici had "one of the best brunches in nyc" but we were both so disappointed. His poached eggs with grits and truffle sauce was strangely plain, and my grilled cheese was--i hate to say it--terrible. The bread was burnt black in some places, and tasted like smoke and middle-of-the-road cheese. Our waitress was a sweet girl, and their patio was pleasant and shady, but all in all I just didn't understand why everything was so mediocre/bad.
Ne mangez pas ici, or prepare for a bumpy ride.
The bacon comes in sticks! It's the juiciest, thickest, fattiest, most amazing, to-die-for thing ever. Delicious, delightful, and delovely.
The coffee sucks beyond the telling of it, and it comes with 2% milk and sugar in the raw, neither of which are ingredients in a decent cup. Distasteful, diluted, and disgusting.
Everything else falls into that spectrum between one and the other. Good and bad. Bacon and coffee. Most of it is awesome, though. Coffee aside, you really can't go wrong.
The place itself feels like someone's kinda boring house, except with a whole mess of tables and nothing else. The simplicity is appealing, and I was kind of amazed at how many people they could fit in there.
All in all, a solid brunch choice, but get there at a decent hour. Even though they have lots of seating, it fills up and the line that formed after we got there Saturday was considerable.
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Had an early dinner with friends here last night and we all really enjoyed it. Love the homey vibe with the whitewashed brick, a casual atmosphere with a classy twist. I thought the fresh vegetables as floral arrangements were quirky and cute, at one point I reached behind me to see if the spring onions were real (they were!). The Garlic and Potato soup was so rich and smooth and the greens in my slaw tasted freshly picked. All of our food seemed extremely fresh and the service was fantastic too. Really enjoyed the Cheverny that the waitress suggested, although the glass wines are sort of pricey. Will definitely be going back lots this spring and summer not only for the food, but the awesome patio as well.
I love the local food premise and the atmosphere of this place is nice, though a little too dark at dinner.
Went for Valentine's day with a friend, and they were obviously very busy, so they can be forgiven for a few shortcomings (e.g. I absolutely hate when you order your meal and the whole thing is brought out by a runner and the waiter never bothers to even glance at you until you're halfway done. That's called a bad salesperson in Restaurant Management class.)
Anyway, food was excellent and though we got our bottle of wine long after we finished our main course, it was a great night.
(Hooray for the Bermudian Dark & Stormy in America! Thanks Ici for making me feel a little more at home. But you need to get Barritt's ginger beer if you're gonna do it right!)
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This is a cute place and the servers are nice. I was disappointed in brunch. Our food took a really, really long time to come. I recommend the side of scrambled eggs which are seasoned divinely. Also good, the grits and eggs. The menu is limited, and atypical in many ways. There's a rarely seen element in each dish. It throws some people off, but if you really just want a good/cheap but better than diner breakfast, I reccommend a bagel/tomato/cream cheese with a side of scrambled eggs.
Ici has been a disappointment for brunch. And the dinners have been an overpriced ordeal as well. After a few visits, I kept expecting to like this place and declare it a favorite - only to come away with a ho-hum feeling. It could be due to the fact that there are plenty of other well-thought-out homey places to eat right on the same block, that this one does not make it worth the extra dollars spent.
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Entering iCi is like walking into someone's brownstone home in Brooklyn. Directly in front of you is a staircase (leading up to their coat check, and I'm sure offices or something), and to the left is the dining room. We had a table near the kitchen, which was great because it was slightly isolated from the rest of the crowd (and noise) in the dining room. The only negative point here is that my chair was bumped constantly as the wait staff rushed back and forth from the kitchen. Slightly annoying, but nothing that ruined my evening.
We were there with another couple. We started with 2 lovely bottles of wine, a white and a red, and we loved them both, although since I didn't order, I can only tell you they were both from the Loire region. For starters, we shared the generous olive plate and the baked brie, which has toasted sliced almonds and honey drizzled over, and is served with a few pieces of toast. Delicious and rich, but a very small portion.
We all ordered different appetizers, which was fun. There was the chicken liver schnitzel, the arugula salad with shaved fennel, the beet and watercress salad with blue cheese, and the butternut squash soup. All of these were hits, particularly the creamiest, smoothest butternut squash soup I've ever tried. With just a hint of nutmeg, this had "cozy" written all over it. My bf said he would have picked up the bowl and licked it if that were socially acceptable! The salads were both fresh and light, a perfect start to a meal.
For entrees, 2 of us ordered the striped bass, which was nice and simple, with a crisp skin on top. The other couple ordered the duck and the baked cod. All of these were presented the same way, with the main protein set on top of the sides/veggies. Funny. Everyone enjoyed their food, it was all delicious, but I can't say it knocked my socks off. Again though, it was good.
For dessert, we had the rice pudding, the butter brioche bread pudding, and the chocolate pot de creme, which was delivered with a candle for my birthday. The rice pudding had a sprinkle of toasted coconut on top, which I'm not a fan of, but I ate around it. The bread pudding was very heavy on the butter, and therefore extremely rich. The chocolate pot de creme was rich, chocolatey and smooth, truly decadent. Mmmm mmmm good!
Service was good, we didn't feel ignored or overly interrupted, so they seemed to understand when to come over and when to let us enjoy each other's company. Overall, a very cute, cozy restaurant with good food and service. I hope to come back in the warmer months and sit outside.
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One star off for a wine list that wasn't as great as the food-- otherwise this is a perfect 10. Hangar steak was perfectly medium, the bass was seared to my liking and had the proper amount of crust without overcooking the insides, it was a great little gem after viewing a performance of The Seagull at BAM.
The produce was immensely fresh, the tomatos in the salad tasted as if they were just picked.
Service was great too. If only the wine list could measure up!
risk: the bathroom door is tricky- be careful, otherwise you will lock yourself in!
reward: billy bass-- has got some class
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I had one of the best meals I've had in years at iCi (I had the duck). The ambiance was pleasant and the staff was too. It's expensive but a great place to take a date (not a first date, like a special occasion kind of date), or your parents when they come to visit and are happy to pay for your meal :-)
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i'm eager to give ici another star but i can't bring myself to do it. i have great respect for this place and nearly every reason to love it: they're committed to local and seasonal produce (one of the earliest in bklyn to do this and they're not gimmicky about it), it's just a few blocks from my apt, the place itself is homey and intimate with a lovely garden out back. but after three dinner experiences and one brunch excursion, i've been underthrilled by the food and the service. the menu is exciting but the execution has been just ok. service has been unknowledgeable on one occasion and awkward on another. i will probably continue to eat here, though.
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"So, have you decided?"
"No . . . what about Ici?"
"Yeah, I was considering that place, too."
"I can't believe we still haven't been."
"I can. I'm cheap."
"Well, it's brunch. It's not going to be as expensive as dinner."
"Yeah, well, I don't think I'm currently in the business of having $20 brunches."
"It can't be that much. Have you even looked at the prices?"
"Yeah, well, no. But I mean, a plate will probably be around $15 and if you include a drink, we're probably looking at $30 per head. I can feed myself and the cat for a week with that sort of money."
"Ugh, you're so ridiculous. Maggie's?"
"We always do Maggie's. I need something new."
"But I want something brunchy."
"Brunchy?"
"Yeah, like eggs and potatoes and bread."
"Yeah, me, too. And some meat. Okay, let me see how much they charge for Steak & Eggs at Ici . . . $14. Huh."
"Isn't it about the same at Maggie's?"
"No, Maggie's is $12."
"I'll pay the extra $2. Also, There's probably a reason why they charge a bit more. You know, good restaurants charge more because they use fresh and better ingredients . . ."
"I don't know. All I've got is $20."
"Fine. I'll cover you."
"Okay."
. . .
"Ummm, the drinks are more expensive than the plates."
"Haha, ooops."
"Well, all I got is $20, but I'm still getting the Cubano Coffee and Fried Eggs with Spicy Pork Hash."
"I'm getting the Screwdriver and Poached Eggs with Grits."
. . .
"I think this is just orange juice."
"What is that? A Mimosa?"
"No, it's a Screwdriver."
"Oh, right, I forgot. My recall is totally f'd these days. Let me taste it . . . no, I can definitely taste the alcohol."
"I don't know. I can't."
. . .
"How is it?"
"Eh. The pork hash is like, "whatever." The pork doesn't seem fresh to me. Try?"
"Okay. Oh, interesting."
"Yeah, it's like ground pork or something. I was expecting pieces of pork chops. Like Maggie's Hash, except with pork."
"I think it tastes pretty good."
"Well, you're a vegetarian. You haven't had pork in years."
"True."
"How's your eggs?"
"Delicious. Try."
"Damn. That is nice."
"Here, have it with the sauce."
"Wow. I'm getting that next time."
. . .
"I want some bread. They got some bread. Why didn't we get any?"
"Well, get some bread, then. Will they charge us?"
"I don't know. But don't worry. I'll pay for it."
"Nice."
"You'll have some?"
"Yeah, if you pay for it."
. . .
"Oh, I guess my Screwdriver had some alcohol in it."
"Here, put on your coat before we go outside."
"When are we coming back for dinner?"
"Next week?"
"Okay."
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Ici captures perfectly the specific type of upscale Brooklyn restaurant that all the gentrified neighborhoods in the borough have at least one example of. It is the most typically French of this group that includes The Good Fork, Applewood, Dressler, Saul, and others that traffic in seasonal, sophisticated food in a casual setting.
I took my parents there for my dad's birthday. It's the perfect "nice" restaurant to take your parents if your budget is around $200. It's Brooklyney without being super hipsterish...
The outdoor patio is lovely on a warm night, and the service is friendly if a tad frantic. The chef uses a liberal amount of butter in pretty much every dish I tasted, which I like but many people might find a little rich. My skate was flaky and bursting with butter, and the sweet corn doused with lime was sour and crunchy and perfect. The wine list is offbeat, a lot of Alsatian and Loire stuff, no Burgandy or Bordeaux if I remember correctly.
Definitely "The" restaurant to go to in Ft. Greene.
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good food, good coffee. i had the shirred eggs with bacon & collards. yum.
It's aight... yeah, just aight... I would recommend the brunch before anything... but to be honest, it is just okay. They try to be healthy but you can still get french toast, the big bacon... etc. Don't we all want eggs benedict and hash browns or some sort of potatoes on saturday morning? I do. Also, the dinner is just trying to be healthy food.. and I think it is... but I suppose healthy means no taste. Well, that sucks. But I try to find the good in things, and the garden is nice and the early morning brunch on weekends is nice too... and the french toast is the only thing you want to order... even if you have to eat the big bacon along side with it.
Had brunch here for the second time and loved it! The poached eggs over grits in truffled sauce is superb! And the bacon pieces are wide, thick slabs of pork perfection! My friend had french toast and said it was the best she's ever had!
My boyfriend was less than happy, however, because they didn't have steak and he really wanted steak and eggs. You can't be too upset at these things though, knowing how dedicated they are to supporting local farmers and meat that's free of hormones and other yucky things. If they're out of something it just means that they're not willing to settle for anything less than top quality!
check it....
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Went here for my brother's birthday, party of 8 or so...great service, lovely atmosphere, stellar food. We all swapped forkfulls, and there was not one single dish that wasn't major yummy. Highly recommend.
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Really good french food in Ft. Greene. Perfect for the summer in their garden, use of seasonal, local products is a nice touch. Perfect for 'getting away' from the city without going to far.
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The food is so good! French Toast is great, eggs are fab, blah blah blah.
Been there twice and I have been stuck with the same waitress. They need to hire some more folks, because everytime I go I get shitty service. But shitty in the way that they are running around, not in the way that they are rude. I like my brunch simple, and fairly priced, so I don't think this is the spot for me. Hooray for the free range eggs, but I still don't think my breakfast should cost $20.
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Ok, their food is downright tasty, but my gripes with Ici stem from something else altogether.
While I normally would just avoid these items, their motto is "eating is a political act". Apparently, their political statement is to destroy sea habitat by serving fish that is caught by bottom trawlers.
Here's what I emailed them. Never got a reply.
"Dear Ici Management -
I am writing out of praise and concern for your restaurant. I really appreciate your view that eating is a political act, and especially appreciate your efforts to serve fresh, local and environmentally friendly food. And the food is delicious! Last night, I had the most wonderful meal at Ici. I tried a new fish for me: the Skate. While it was wonderfully tasty, I came home to do some research on it and found that Seafood Watch at the Monterrey Aquarium recommends we avoid eating it for environmental reasons: http://www.mbayaq.org/.... I wanted to bring this to your attention because you seem like the type of restaurant that would care about this. It's hard to figure out what is environmentally friendly or hazardous, but it seems the Monterrey Aquarium has done a pretty good job sorting through fish and making recommendations on what to eat and what to avoid (http://www.mbayaq.org/...).
I hope you'll take this recommendation to heart, since I had such a wonderful dining experience at Ici and would really like to become a "regular" there!"
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The restaurant is very understated, and it has space between tables. Not something you find in too many area restaurants. We had a wide variety of delicious foods, and the wine selection is fabulous as well. I strongly recommend iCi for a night out at BAM or a fun breakfast.
iCi uses organic foods and it has quite a few organic wines as well. It smells SO GOOD in this place! Definitely try it out. Check out the website for more information about their organic policies.
This is a great place to bring out-of-towners to impress them.
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The food here is good, definitely clean as you can order an entree and a main and eat half a loaf of bread and still go out for the night. While I never order chicken at a restaurant (and I didn't here but my friend did), I can tell you the roasted chicken is really delicious. The skate, also good, if only a bit too salty. Duck confit - more greens than duck, but duck excellent. A wonderfully cozy room, definitely a bit adult, no children, not even any tweens. Imagine that!
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It's been awhile since I've been to Ici, but I still think of it fondly and often.
I have to say that one of my first and best breakfast eating experiences was here, at Ici.
In a relaxed and soothing environment, Ici provides a delightful selection of food that's fresh and clean against your palate, washing away all the toxins accumulated in your system from the week before.
And the servers are really nice and quite Frenchy~
Most of these reviews seem spot on with my experience. This place is a good restaurant. Solid bet for the area.
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Great backyard garden and good wine list. Many of the meats served are antibiotic and hormone-free - I loved my roasted Cloonshee Farms chicken. Crisp skin, very flavorful and a perfect match with the refreshing watermelon salad. They serve Il Laboratorio del Gelato products for dessert!
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Great French place in the heart of Ft. Greene. It's upscale and quaint with an amazing garden that is perfect for summertime dining. Many of the dishes are seasonal and organic. I love the lowkey feel to the place.
PS The chocolate pot de creme is delish.
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Breakfast everyday starting at 8 am. Delicious and interesting selection. Good coffee. Pretty room. Kind staff. Ive never gone prime time, for dinner or brunch, but you cant beat the weekday breakfast in brooklyn.
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One of my favorite places in Fort Greene. Would give it 5 stars except there are occasional lapses in food and service. Actually, the service is often a little slow, so be prepared. Weekend brunch and dinner get pretty crowded, but you can make reservations. The beet salad and the smoked trout sandwich are excellent. Truffled mushroom soup is also good. If you're an ice cream/sorbet person, they have il Laboratorio del Gelato products, so you're in for a treat. The other desserts are good, too. Also a great place to hang during the daytime during the week, as it doesn't get too crowded and they are open all day.
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Best eats in Brooklyn to date...new American with French accents...great hanger steak...perfectly poached egg on top of tender (not too bitter) dandelion greens...delicious...good reasonable wine list...try this place next time you don't want to wait to get into the Smith Street Grocery...also back yard patio in the summer...inside downstairs brownstone, comfortable but a bit too west elm, but it's about the food right...
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before I begin, I'd just like to say, we eat out quite a bit. now, that being said, we were very, very happy with our meals. first thing, the wine list was very nice. lots of French wine from the Rhone (our favorite) but we decided to go with a ligher red, namely, a 2005 JP Brun's Beaujolais. very nice and complemented my beet salad and her arugala salad as well our entrees. speaking of entrees, ours consisted of escolar with green salad and an unbelievable magno salsa and a spicy green curry with vegetables. man, this place is great...its not just the ambiance (we sat outside - the weather was perfect), with light candles and a cool breeze, but the combination of foods served. everything is well thought out as "going together" and the service was efficient to boot. definitely go back to this place anytime. might even bring my mom and dad!
A 30-minute wait for a 3-minute egg. By the time my croissant arrived, my coffee was cold. Left with a thin wallet and not-so-full belly.
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It's a good restaurant -- very pleasant ambiance, good food. The wine list is very good, and the beer selection is slim but excellent. The food isn't that interesting, but generally of high quality. (The watercress soup and halibut are two excellent selections.)
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all i know is the bacon at brunch rocked my world - i don't know how i feel about the staff - but the bacon - wow the bacon. actually - the food was pretty good. the space - a little small - the staff - a little distracted - will definitely return - and eat more bacon.
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Ici is a good reliable bet for simple, yet delicious seasonal food in a relaxed atmosphere. It is one of my mothers favorite restaurants in Brooklyn. I also like supporting establishments that don't just preach sustainable dining and health food, but really go out and make it happen. Ici gets its ingrendients from local farmers, and some even form a local garden and farmers market for kids in Red Hook. Ici makes me feel good in my stomach, my head, and my heart.
But, ok for the dining, the salads and soups are always simple, but very very well done. You can actually taste the fresh produce here. The skate, aka trash fish turned princess fish, is delectable in the brown butter sauce and served with a side of collards. And for dessert, the panna cotta is incredible. The wine list is so-so here. i haven't really been super impressed.
The garden outside is lovely. Ici takes you away to a simpler, rustic place right in the middle of Brooklyn.
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