Battersby
“Can't not mention the bread you get at the table: piping hot-from-the-oven rosemary focaccia with whipped ricotta.”
“The sweetbreads were tender and crisp, and the sauce with the artichokes and fingerling potatoes melded perfectly together.”
“The duck really pulled ahead for me because of the fresh summer vegetables and the unforgettable foie gras tortellini.”
Battersby
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Came here for a celebratory dinner and enjoyed the dinner. We went a la carte and ordered the crispy kale salad, the mushroom truffle special, the fettuccine with crab and the golden rice with rabbit. Everything was great except for the entree of golden rice and rabbit sausage. It was almost inedible, randomly sweet and not worth the $28 dollar price tag.
We sat at the bar, it was intimate and the waitstaff and bar tender were great. Quintessential Brooklyn vibes.
I came here a few weeks ago with my boyfriend. We made a reservation in advance. It's a small restaurant so I would recommend making a reservation. We ordered the 5 course chef's tasting with the wine tasting and it was such an amazing experience! The wines went perfectly with each dish. Before the first course, we had a soup and a flavorful broth. The courses included a salmon carpaccio, a pasta, salmon, and duck breast, and a chocolate cake for dessert. Every dish was so delicious, yet so simple. The ingredients were simple and minimalist. We enjoyed the chef's tasting so much. We can't wait to return!!
I'd been wanting to try Battersby for years and finally made it in for dinner last night.
It was just as spectacular as I'd imagined.
We arrived for 8pm reservations for the 7-course tasting menu and were seated immediately at the bar. At first I wasn't sure how I liked being put at the bar, given all the adorable little tables and my weeks-in-advance reservation, but it soon made sense. With all of the frequent dishes entailed under the tasting menu, being close to the waitstaff made things more convenient for all.
The servers were quite doting and knowledgeable. The bartender in particular was awesome to watch. He pumped out some of the most artfully crafted cocktails I've ever seen. (I can't speak to their taste, though, because we decided to go with a bottle of red. Wine is always a good idea).
The decor only added to the impressive ambiance. I'm a sucker for exposed brick walls and decorative ceilings. Cue the candlelight and you've got one hell of a romantic date spot.
Now, onto the food!
Every single thing we put in our mouths was insane. Seriously.
The winner was the slow-cooked salmon. This wasn't your average salmon. This wasn't even your above-average salmon. I didn't know salmon could taste like this. The texture was incredibly light, the flavor was smoky yet delicate, and the savory lentils underneath blew the whole dish out of the water.
The homemade pasta with lobster was also show-stopping.
I can't wait to come back. If you appreciate meticulously crafted, inventive, and delicious food, come to Battersby. You won't be disappointed.
*Bring a fat wallet.
After hearing about this place for over a year, I finally got to try it. Came here on a Wednesday night and was pleasantly surprised that there was no wait (the seating is very limited), but it was on the early side (5:45 PM). Ordered a Thanksgiving cocktail, forgot what was exactly in it but it was great. Plenty of whiskey too.
We stared off with the crispy kale salad, tuna tartare, and the foie gras tortellini dashi. Admittedly, I expected better. The crispy kale salad wasn't the best, although I may have been spoiled from the wonderful one at Chuko. The tuna tartare was pretty decent. The dashi and foie gras tortellini wasn't the best combo.
The next few dishes were much better. We had the peekytoe crab fettucine, duck bolognese pappardelle, and the 'heritage pork'. The fettucine was delicious, with juicy chunks of crab. The pappardelle's sauce and duck were great. The pork was cooked PERFECTLY, and had a great lean to fat ratio. The farro, cauliflower, and raisins in the sauce accompanying the pork made it my favorite dish.
Opentable it for sure even tho we had the place to ourselves from 6-730 pm on a Sunday evening. Wanted to celebrate my bday somewhere with a tasting menu and decided for a more casual low key ambiance but with the same or even better without going into the city.
We chose seat next to the window and it was perfect to enjoy our meal. We were offered tap, still, or sparkling. We got Saratoga springs sparkling and our chilled glasses were never empty. Hubby got a glass of wine and I had a personally maid mocktail (lime and ginger) which was a perfect balance as in not too sour or sweet but perfect!
To start we got a shot of cauliflower soup which had a touch of curry flavor which made it truly unique and tasty! Next came the roasted (& dried) root vegs served over whipped _____ which we almost licked out of the bowl. Whipped ricotta and bread was amazing!!!
1. Fluke with clams, apple, jalapeño and lime – refreshing and tasty way to start!
2. Octopus with farro, cauliflower, cucumbers, and hazelnut – complex and delish! Loved the fish sauce (ode to my Asian-ness).
3. Fettuccine with crab, lemon and breadcrumbs – favorite dish, all the flavors and textures complement each other so well and pasta is awesomely al dente!!!
4. Pollock with bok choy, turnip, carrot curry – sauce delish, fish a little under seasoned for my taste.
5. King salmon with beluga lentils in chicken and wine jus (minus the bacon from regular menu)
6. Duck – perfectly seared with delicious sauce
Palate cleanser – lemon
7. Chocolate cremeaux with cream and crispy quinoa – perfect, not too sweet/bitter/chocolatey and quinoa made all the texture.
Looking forward to coming back!
This place is honestly worth the hype it's been given on food magazines and websites. The 3-course menu is absolutely fantastic and excellently prepared: nothing was overly seasoned, everything was tender and juicy, and there are so many options you can sate all of your cravings.
Before we ordered, we were given chilled asparagus soup (y u m) and an amazing rosemary flatbread with slightly salted ricotta. I was like ready to just eat that the whole night – the ricotta was perfectly moist and the flatbread was so warm and savory.
For the first course, we had the little gem salad. Nice crisp vegetables and a fantastic dressing made this a great jumping off point. For the second course, my friend got the fettuccine with crab and I had the pappardelle. Let me tell you, I've had some great pappardelle over the years and this might have been one of the best. The duck was soft and melted in my mouth, it had just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and the portion was just right. Absolutely fantastic. The Crystal Valley chicken finished off our night and wow, that was some excellent chicken and vegetables. I rarely enjoy that many different flavors in one plate (asparagus can be smoky, mushrooms can be pretty intense for the palate, and spinach is usually quite pungent) but the sauce all of those vegetables sat in were perfect for that succulent chicken.
Only downside to this place was the service was a bit slow but the kitchen's pretty tiny and we were definitely preoccupied with lots of food during the meal so all's good. Also: hoping in the future Battersby will allow reservations for non-tasting menu folks! The place is tiny and gets packed quick.
All in all, if you want a classy meal without the Manhattan brouhaha, this is it!
Battersby is one of the most talked-about restaurants on Smith Street, and I can tell you that it's worth all the hype. Get past the whole mystique of the kale salad, and you'll find a wonderfully inventive (and ever-evolving) menu that they create in one of the tiniest kitchens I've ever seen.
They have bar seating, table seating and a backyard patio. But of course, it's so popular that it's still hard to get a table sometimes. Luckily, we swung by right before a long weekend and there wasn't a wait (literally the first time I've ever seen it so empty).
Sat at the bar, ordered a few cocktails (I recommend the Green Monster), and then had the (enviable) task of figuring out which of their dishes to get. Thankfully, we were provided with a delicious, fresh-baked focaccia with smooth, soft-churned butter while we made our choices.
Started out with the veal sweetbreads, served with artichokes and fingerling potatoes. The sauce was creamy without being too rich, and didn't distract from the wonderful char of the sweetbreads, and there were also olives to add some salty contrast. Followed it up with the seared scallop. I always love scallops, but was hesitant because I hate grapefruit and theirs was served with some. Thankfully, the grapefruit was on the sweeter side, cooked a tiny bit, and added a nice tartness to the perfectly seared scallop. Would definitely order that again.
For our main, we shared the bomba rice, which was basically like a paella. It was made with duck confit, chorizo, and octopus. So many flavors all in one dish, but they didn't compete with each other and were actually very complementary. The duck and chorizo added some saltiness, while the octopus provided a nice texture. With the addition of the starters, it was definitely enough for a full meal split between two not-starving people.
If you're able to snag a table at Battersby, I recommend you do so immediately! I could use all sorts of cliches to describe how great the restaurant is, but you should just go see for yourself.
I've known for ages about this amazing restaurant (in my neighborhood, no less) and somehow managed to go this long without eating here. I can only offer a weak defense that the yelp reviews referenced no reservations and long waits.
Speaking of which, we tried our luck around a holiday weekend, and sure enough, they had open seats. This is almost never the case. It's a small restaurant, so I can see why it gets crowded.
We were served the complimentary bread, which is awesome and would rightfully be a paid item on menus at other places. Warm, puffy focaccia with a dish of airy, whipped ricotta. It was a struggle not to overeat on that one.
For dishes, we chose the veal sweetbreads, seared scallop with grapefruit, and the bomba rice. The sweetbreads were tender and crisp, and the sauce with the artichokes and fingerling potatoes melded perfectly together. The scallop was cooked nicely and the grapefruit added a sweet citrusy contrast that made the dish very refreshing. The bomba rice was so delicious. With chorizo, duck confit, and octopus, there were so many things I love in this dish. Everything came together really well, flavor and texture-wise. I thought it might end up being salty but it wasn't at all. The aioli added a nice creaminess to the dish.
I'm so impressed that they can turn around dishes of such high caliber in that tiny, tiny kitchen. It was rather fun to watch the chefs navigate that little space, but you see they have a system down perfectly. I cannot recommend this place enough!