Best Authentic Restaurants in Gowanus

Olio e Pui was a lovely place to take my out of town guest for lunch on January 4, 2025. The food was excellent and the selection absolutely to our taste.

a cozy, friendly eatery with excellent service and food

The food was incredible . Umami for sure. The staff was also amazing. The woman who seated and served us was extremely helpful and attentive to everyone in the restaurant at once. She ran that room like a pro to say the least. It was New Year's day as well the place was packed on a holiday and the staff was taking care of a full restaurant and take-out orders that seemed non stop for the 90 minutes we were there. They earned and deserved the Michelin star. And I loved the sketches of the restaurant that were hung throughout the restaurant among the many old photos . Will definitely be back soon.

Dinner with the family and The Grotto BK did not disappoint! We started with drinks and then the ackee tostones along with the Octail spring rolls were delicious. And then we moved to the main event of dinner which brought on Oxtails with rice and peas with fried plantain, crab stuff shrimp, steam veg and fried plantain and a rather tasty baked Mac and cheese with oxtails..... Yes we love oxtails very much. All in all we loved the entire experience and the service was amazing.

This place is such a gem - from the moment you get to the door, you can tell Cafe Mars is not your typical restaurant. The decor is colorful and vibrant; it just screams "walk in here and get ready to have a great time". The staff are warm, entertaining, and knowledgeable. I have had nothing but 10/10 service on all of my visits here. And of course, the food is fantastic. Chef Paul truly works wonders here. Run, don't walk to Cafe Mars!