Cooklyn

This place has me feeling confused.
Not because of the food or the service, both of which were excellent. But Cooklyn’s sudden closing was very unexpected for me, particularly because of the timing of which I ate there.
On an unseasonably warm Saturday that my friends and I went to Cooklyn for brunch. This place has been on my list for a while. The first thing we noticed about the place was that they had a handwritten sign saying they were cash only today.
Which was no big deal, I’m pretty used to that after living in Brooklyn. The server came over and apologized profusely for the inconvenience, which we assured him it was not a problem. I ordered the crab cake Benedict, which came beautifully plated and was delicious.
So here’s where it gets confusing. Our server came by later and was chatting with us, and he told us that they would be closing temporarily for a few months to install a new AC system, and do some renovations to the space, which was part of the reason why they were cash only today, apparently they were slowly shutting things down. He told us that once they opened, it was going to be a even better space, better set up, etc, etc.
Only a mere 4 days later, I see an article online that Cooklyn has PERMANENTLY closed. Huh? Was our server just making up the story of the renovation? Did something fall through and they decided to just scrap the entire restaurant? Is Cooklyn actually closed for good? So many questions.

I’d like to say this review is for the restaurant and that I’ve eaten my meal and could draw a conclusion based on that. Instead this is a review that requires me to spit the most damaging of fire and I’ve never even stepped foot into the restaurant.
I live in nearby Clinton Hill and have been wanting to eat at Cooklyn for awhile. My girlfriend picked up on that desire and for my birthday (which was yesterday) made a reservation at Cooklyn for the two of us. That reservation was made two weeks ago. Both of us had been on the Cooklyn website up to and including the 24^th of Feb. to review the menu and familiarize ourselves with what we might order. We were very excited.
We showed up last night to find that the restaurant was closed. Completely closed and windows were papered up. NO SIGNS. NO PHONE CALL. NO NOTIFICATION ON THE STILL ACTIVE WEBSITE. NO MESSAGE WHEN CALLING THE PHONE NUMBER.
I’m sorry but that is one of the most unprofessional things I have ever dealt with. If you can’t even bother to notify people that were planning a very special occasion at your restaurant that they will need to find alternate plans and you can’t even put blanket statements to the fact that you have closed on your website and your phone message that is simply lazy and inconsiderate to the highest degree. There is talk that a new restaurant may take Cooklyn’s place as apparently the chef has left to go to Cooklyn Palm Beach. I will never set foot in anything Anthony Theocaropoulos is involved with now or in the future. I don’t care how good your food is that complete lack of professionalism cannot be ignored. I recommend anyone who reads this follows suit and boycotts his establishments.

I’ve been to Cooklyn twice thus far, and I can report that it is a good restaurant. When they put it all together, it could be a great restaurant.
Things I Like:
1. The lobster mac and cheese is FILTHY rich. I loved every bite.
2. Brunch in the backyard is great, as is the Cooklyn Skillet.
3. The octopus is just as delicious as it is beautiful. And it’s really, really beautiful.
4. In fact, just about everything that comes out of their kitchen (cod, salmon, Cooklyn Salad) has been well-​executed and well-​presented. The lamb buns are superb, and the mussel broth was drinkable.
Things I Don’t Like:
1. I’m not sure where they got it, but back when we first came, we had a nearly inedible vegan muffin. Probably our fault for ordering a vegan muffin, but still.
2. Both times we’ve been here, there have been service issues. I can forgive some mixed up orders at brunch (we’re all moving a little slowly on weekend mornings), but it took nearly 40 minutes from the time I ordered a cocktail at dinner to actually being able to take the first sip.
Let me elaborate: I was at dinner WITH MY PARENTS. And it wasn’t as though the place was slammed, I watched the [obviously new] bartender try and make my drink and only my drink for quite some time. In the future Cooklyn, when I have to dine with family, I’m going to need much more liquor, much more quickly. Please. For all of us.

A few details make me give only 3 stars, and I hope my comments can help.
The bread brought complimentary to the table was not fresh, I know during rainy days breads suffer humidity but that was not the case.
Bread should be fresh or toasted, at least.
Olive oil also did not taste good, sorry.
Mussels were very nice, tasty and juicy. Lots of garlic but fortunately not too fried so not overwhelming.
Octopus was interesting, I think it was dusted with paprika and deep fried, instead of grilled. I
Liked it.
Fried Artichoke salad was nice But it’s not the way I expect the dish. It’s just a personal preference, but being Italian I like to taste the artichoke more that the batter while here it was the contrary.
I am an artichokes lover, But that was more an artichoke nugget. I am sure many people like it that way though .
Lobster Mac and cheese orecchiette were too salted.
Squid ink cavatelli with seafood overwhelmed by butter, too little seafood sauce and overpriced.
One thing I like when I go to restaurants, it’s to feel the soul of the place, unfortunately here no soul.

My company and I came here because we had a gift certificate — the unfortunate thing is that there were no veg options on their dinner menu at all, so we had to come for brunch.
I got the Crab Cake Benedict — it lacked spice and texture. I was just somehow confused how all the ingredients in the plate came together. My company had the Key Lime French toast — it was pleasant to eat, but didn’t find it special. Maybe I was just a little to hyped up about it when I read that it was KEY LIME on the menu and it didn’t live up to those expectations. Plus, it was a little burnt on some spots so certain bites would have an unpleasant burnt taste.
So, we decided to spend the rest of our gift certificate on drinks, and that was the better choice.

I got the lobster Mac and cheese. It’s an interesting idea, especially with the soft boiled egg on top, but it wasn’t that good. The Mac and cheese didn’t have much flavor to it.

Went over to Prospect Height to try White Tiger but there was an hour wait so we wandered up the street to try Cooklyn.
The front of the house was a mess. After about 5 minutes our waiter brought two drinks to our table. We hadn’t even spoken with the waiter yet. Off he went.
Waiter tells me they’re out of the entrée after I order so I then order something else.
Our appetizer comes out. Not bad. The table next to us complains to the manager that they ordered their appetizers before us. I think this had a ripple effect on our experience. We wait a long time before our entrees come out. They finally come out. Lukewarm to cold. Steak & mashed potatoes and Lobster Mac & cheese are not good cold. This may have been a result of making sure the table next to us got their entrees first since they complained? Either way. Pretty unacceptable for a $ 30 entrée.
Maybe just caught them on an off night. Not sure how this place works but I would think there would be waiters and food runners to bring out the food when its ready (hot). Seemed like the waiter was overwhelmed doing everything.
Also — red lipstick on the wine glass. As a former bus boy who’s job it was to polish glasses this hurt me deep down. :(

This place reminds me of stepping into a cozy kitchen with modern décor. My sis and I stumbled upon it because we couldn’t find parking. We’re so glad we did! The service was superb and the staff made us feel right at home. The manager was so warm and friendly. The food complimented the service. We had crispy venison wontons and cocktails for appetizer. For the main course, the thick cut pork chop was juicy on the inside and crispy outside. The lobster mac and cheese was so creamy and savory. Would definitely come back for more!

By FAR the best meal I’ve had in Brooklyn! The price point makes it more of a special occasion thing for me, otherwise I’d be there all the time.
The lamb buns are phenomenal (I could honestly just order 4 – 5 of them as an entire meal), as was the Squid Ink Cavatelli, which is definitely palatable/​delicious for even those who aren’t huge on seafood. I had the bronzini as my main dish, which was great, but my boyfriend ordered the cod, which I liked even more.
We came to the restaurant pretty early on a Tuesday, so I can’t speak to how easy it usually is to get a table, but I can definitely confirm that whatever it is, it’s worth the wait. Can’t wait to come back.

I like the ambiance of this restaurant, and the menu is very attractive so I was excited to try it for dinner for a while. The crab and uni fusilli was calling my name for weeks so I tried it last night. Unfortunately I found it underseasoned and without much crab or really any uni to speak of. My friends had food execution issues as well. But the real kicker was that I order a lemonade and they charged me $ 7 for a mocktail. What the france?!
Would maybe go back to try other dishes, but I am certainly not rushing over there.

Although their happy hour deals are great ($ 6 wines and dollar oysters!), their décor is intimate, and the atmosphere seems welcoming, I can’t give this place more than 2 stars based on the fact that literally, nothing on this menu is vegetarian. Every single item on the menu has meat. Granted, they we willing to omit meat items from certain dishes, but then I’m paying for a dish that is less food than I should be getting. Given the vibe and location of this place, you would think that most restaurants would want to serve all customers. Not with Cooklyn :(

passed by here on the way to an open house around the corner and decided to stop in for pre-​dinner happy hour drinks. their happy hour is runs until 7:30 pm on Tuesday-​Friday and includes $ 1 oysters, $ 6 select wines, $ 2 off cocktails.
the first thing my friend said when he stepped inside was, «why is it not cool in here?» yesterday was extremely humid and hot and Cooklyn did not turn on their A/​C or a fan. the inside bar was SWELTERING and uncomfortable.
we toughed it out and stayed for the $ 1 oysters which were very good. based on the bartender’s recommendation, we also ordered a lamb bun ($ 5) each. the oyster were very nice: meaty and briny although not as ice cold as my friend prefers them.
when we asked for hot sauce, they had to run across the street to buy it from the Met supermarket. i’m not sure if this place is new, but i assume so based on the style of service. while we were there, we saw the chefs/​waiters drop 2 dishes (it’s an open kitchen-​which again, makes the inside bar SWELTERING; a customer came in to advise them of a big dining group she was bringing in and apparently the owner greeted her with, «hi, you’re here» as if they were friends. that’s what me and my companion thought at least, until she responded, «oh, hi. do you work here?» it was a very weird exchange. finally, when we left, after giving a decent tip, the bartender couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge us because he was too busy hitting on the 2 ditzy girls who had sat down at the bar…
if i move into the neighborhood, i might consider coming back but not really worth the trip (and i live in BK Heights, so it’s not that far). a shame because the lamb buns were pretty banging.

Expensive and poorly executed. They absolutely DO NOT have their sh*t together. This place is a spectacularly unmanaged mess, both front-​of-​house and in the kitchen.
Kitchen execution is sloppy… Multiple lemon seeds, fish bones and fish scales discovered in our plated food. $ 14 Martinis so poorly strained, they may as well have been on he rocks. From a creative perspective these are unbalanced, underwhelming and uninspired dishes. Bland.
Perhaps the ‘executive chef’ should have spent more time and attention on the food and dining experience than he lavished upon his relatives, girlfriend and ‘special guests’. Maybe step into the kitchen cook and something from time to time? That’s one crisp, clean apron buddy…
The only redeeming feature was the monumentally lovely lady who was trying to hold everything together in terms of service (the second star of this review). Multiple apologies. Frazzled but attentive. Her professionalism and decency only served to highlight just how poor everything else is in this joint.
There are plenty of professionally run establishments in a three block radius of this mess.
Give Cooklyn a miss.

I really really wanted to LOVE Cooklyn — in fact, after tasting their aaahhh-​mazing pulpo (octopus) appetizer, i was convinced I would be back every week! The restaurant is nice and bright and so simply decorated, true to my aesthetic. There is also a gorgeous backyard seating area that I’m hoping to sit in someday. The Gold Rush drink — bourbon, honey, sage and lemon is exactly what i need after a loooong crazy week (actually I needed 2).
And then the squid ink pasta came out — delicious at first but then the crunchy parts started to get a little soggy. Not Cooklyn’s fault, I’m often a slow eater. Still the flavors were solid and the presentation appealing.
Then i asked about dessert which they don’t really have (strike 1). But the friendly bartender did say they make panna cottas in different flavors; I said sign me up! After 15mins of waiting, still no dessert (strike 2) so i actually cancelled my order and asked for the bill. When the bill came, I noticed that the charge for my cocktail was different than what was listed on the menu (strike 3). I pointed that out to my bartender who double checked the register and charged me the higher price rather than what was listed on the menu. I also pointed this out to the manager, but all they did was apologize for inconvenience. Not sure what the typical protocol is for something like that (I always thought that you pay the price that was advertised) but I ended up paying the higher price.
At the end of the day, I will be back to Cooklyn if not just for their pulpo and Gold Rush cocktail. Those 2 standouts almost make up for the otherwise not-​so-​great dining experience. Still, I’d like to come back for more and see if the next time can make up for it (I really do hope so!)

Had what felt like a very Brooklyn night starting off with a class on Mesopotamian Mythology at the Brooklyn Brainery and then walking a couple blocks to dinner at Cooklyn.
Went with two friends so we were able to try a variety of dishes. Wish we got more lamb buns, those were delicious. The venison wontons were also a great app, crunchy and flavorful. Would pass on the beet salad (thought we would be getting more beets) and the Crab and Bottarga Fussilli (eh didn’t do much for me even with the kick from the peppers and garlic), but loved the Lobster Mac & Cheese (the poached egg on top made it all the more decadent) and Duck Duck Cous (cute name and generous portion of perfectly cooked duck).
The service was wonderful — my friends and I were debating which wine to get, and our server offered us some tastings and was attentive throughout the entire meal.
Gooo and get your Cooklyn on

A lovely experience all around… First extraordinary mixologist Manny at the bar welcomed us and dazzled us with both taste, kindness and conversation. He is gifted. Thank you Manny!
Then to the starry garden for a lovely delectable appetizer and sumptuous dessert — strawberry rhubarb tart draped in Meyer lemon cream. Um um!

We randomly found this place on Unilocal and I was sold once I saw the squid ink pasta — must try if you’ve never had it before. Also, it was nearby and we were super hungry.
We came in around 8:30 PM on a Wednesday night. No reservations, but we were still seated pretty quickly. We were welcomed by 4 different people before we even sat down, which was nice.
Here’s what we had:
— complimentary bread and olive oil, which we devoured. Simple — the bread was soft, but I wish it was warm
— lamb bun ($ 5): a Greek-​inspired bao. Really tender lamb with some dill, pickled daikon and Tzatziki. That first bite was very flavorful and well balanced. The lamb and Tzatziki combined together really nicely for a good bite
— Squid Ink Cavatelli ($ 18): this was my first squid ink pasta, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Cavatelli resembles a rolled up square, and it was thin but able to hold the flavors well and you could really taste the squid ink flavor. Perfectly cooked! It also had some diced scallops, calamari and shrimp. There was surprisingly good ratio of protein to pasta. Good portions as well.
— Duck Duck Cous ($ 22): first of all, cute name. This wasn’t my dish, so I can’t comment much on it but my friend loved it! She said the duck reminded her of filet mignon, in a good way.
Service was phenomenal! Our water was constantly being refilled for us and our table was cleaned off at appropriate times. Our server was friendly and checked up on us a couple of times during our whole meal. The only con was that the food took a while to come out. But then again, we were pretty hungry!
As for the ambiance, it feels warm and inviting — literally! It was a cold night, and the restaurant felt nice and warm. I wish it was a bit nicer out, because the backyard looked beautiful! I loved their light fixtures, and it gave off a warm and homey feel to the restaurant.

What an experience! The Sioux Chef «Theo» treated us (and the baby Monarch butterfly) SO well. Ask for the pleasant Manager Carl to be taken care of. For brunch, we had Oyster Benedict + Jalepeño grits & Key-​Lime French Toast + thick cut bacon
Delish all the way around! In the words of Arnold, «I’ll be back.»

Hands down, the best meal I’ve had in a long time!
My hubby made reservations for us on a Friday night. Not going to lie, pretty excited that they actually accept reservations as most great places in BK don’t.
For starters:
— We were feeling pretty adventurous and ordered the Octopus – something my husband & I don’t
normally choose and I am so glad that we did! O-​M-​G, that Octopus was so delicious–
perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside and the pesto was heavenly
with the meyer lemon and avocado. I will regularly crave this dish!
— We also ordered 2 of the Lamb Buns. Trust me, it’s so good, you won’t want to share. I loved
the innovative Greek version of your classic pork bun. The lamb was so tender and was bursting
with flavor.
For mains: we went with the Duck Duck Cous and Lobster mac & cheese which were DELIGHTFUL! OMG– the duck was so juicy, I died a little. Per my hubby, it’s the best duck he’s ever had and I can’t disagree that it was damn good.
To add to an already perfect dining experience, the Executive Chef, Anthony, came over and chatted for a while which was a great touch. Not only was he very personable and a joy to talk to, but he also seemed to truly care what his patrons thought and made us feel at home.
For dessert: we finished with the Maple Cheesecake and Panna Cotta– the perfect ending to our dining experience.
We cannot wait to return!

Sometimes restaurants look nice but don’t really deliver with their food. When that happens, it feels like opening a perfectly wrapped package to find a dirty sock inside; not exactly what you’d hoped for.
With Cooklyn, that’s fortunately not the case.
Beautiful, inviting, and delicious, it was the perfect choice for a birthday dinner (an especially good one given how excited I was to review the restaurant!!)
Had the grilled octopus with potatoes, avocado, and lemon; the duck duck cous (well, the person I went with did); and the salmon with brussel sprouts and parsnip and carrot (?) purée. Everything was beautifully presented and delicious, but the octopus was the winner; unbelievably good – so tender!
Ah, Cooklyn, thanks for living up to the hype!