Best Authentic Restaurants in Gowanus

Lee made our experience/my boyfriend’s birthday celebration so special! Lee was really sweet and super attentive. Our last visit was about 2 years ago and now we’ll definitely be back sooner than later. Thank you so much.

I took two colleagues to Café Mars for a business dinner. The comfortable booth salons with the sensitive and attentive service allowed us to talk freely. The drinks and food were off-the-charts fabulous. They made the business discussions that much more fun and productive. We started with 3 “snacks” … pizza slice anchovies, antipasto bomb and inside-out Chicago beef. All three were flavorful, amazingly creative and wonderfully presented. These bites complimented the cocktails, including the deeply flavored Giardiniera martini. Indeed, since the Giardiniera is a key ingredient in the Chicago beef snack, the match was downright perfect! The chefs and bartenders sure work well together. Our three pastas were equally inspired, including the lemony curls, the Genoa tuna waves, and the more traditional Brooklyn Sunday gravy … but with triangle-shaped penne and meat cubes, instead of balls! A modern pivot! We finished with the deconstructed Philly pork sandwich. The flavors were right out of the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, but the careful execution and beautiful presentation made them pop! It couldn’t have been a better dinner! Thank you, Café Mars!

Food was incredible. might be the best thai we’ve had in the city - beef pad see ew, eggplant, and duck curry were highlights. (Not a place for a long dinner - food comes quickly, which is great, but while staff are very nice about it, they want to get you in and out and under an hour)

This is not just my favorite Italian place in the city, it’s my favorite restaurant period. The food is flawlessly executed, with innate simplicity. They confidently and brilliantly let a few ingredients shine in every dish. Always terrific service, shockingly great prices and an ambiance fitting of everyone’s favorite neighborhood place. Pure joy.

Phenomenal experience! The food and service were both excellent!