Brooklyn Experts - Need Restaurant Help

Our friends (Brooklyn residents) recently got married without a wedding ceremony or reception and we are hoping to send them a nice restaurant gift certificate as a congratulatory gift.

We were would like to send them somewhere in Brooklyn (not manhattan) as they are pretty homey types who like to stay around where they live in the cobble hill area.

They are 30 something %26amp; hip. I have read a lot about river cafe on this site but have spoken to other friends in brooklyn who say they consider it touristy and for an ';older crowd';. One friend suggested a place called Dressler in williamsburg but the menu seems very Heavy and somehow not diverse enough.

We are planning on sending a gift certificate for $200. Can anyone help me with suggestions?

Brooklyn Experts - Need Restaurant Help

There are many places andothers will definatley chime in..

Grocery, Applewood, Blue Ribbon, Saul, Rose Water, Convivium Osteria

Brooklyn Experts - Need Restaurant Help

I love River Cafe%26#39; - it really is a special place. I%26#39;m 41 but I started going there when I was in my early 30s and I liked it back then too :-).

You might consider Al Di La%26#39; in Park Slope, Brooklyn (5th Avenue). That is an amazingly good place for somewhat experimental northern Italian cuisine. It has a great ambience, is owned by a very nice couple from venice and they recently opened a wine bar next door. The food is excellent.

There%26#39;s also The Grocery on Smith Street right around the corner from your friends - the food there is excellent - do a search onine to see reviews .

Somewhat hipper than those two is Beast on Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. A nice woody bar with a northern European feel leads to a small understatedly elegant dining room in back. They serve delicious higher end tapas - not the traditional Spanish variety - and have a good selection of beers and wine.

You might also try Flatbush Farm on Flatbush Avenue between Prospect Heights and Park Slope - they can be found online. They have a beautiful dark space, use farm fresh ingredients, have an excellent selection of beer and the people who work there are very cool.

Good luck,

Dan

Except of Osteria, I agree with mareff. (I only went once to Osteria and ';didn%26#39;t get it'; at all. I wouldn%26#39;t consider it a ';wedding present'; place.)

My friends went to Saul lat year for an anniversary and LOVED every aspect of it.

If they don%26#39;t mind travelling, I also add some places in Fort Greene like ICI. I know there are more, but I%26#39;m not that familiar.

Thanks all! I knew I would get a ton of ideas here.

I appreciate the help.

And now...onto the restaurant web sites to take a look and pick something great.

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