Visitors to the massive new Barclays Center won’t have to forgo good fare for a night at the stadium, as local establishments like the Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain and Red Hook Lobster Pound are providing the goods. But the delicacies don’t end at the shadow of the building.
Restaurants in the surrounding blocks will be a convenient spillover for Barclays patrons interested in a quick bite before a game or a round of drinks to toast a night out.
For the hungry
Piquant
259 Flatbush Ave.
718-484-4114
At Piquant, Executive Chef Patrick Allouache takes traditional French cuisine and accents it with Latin American flare. Dishes like the duck confit enchiladas or the foie gras quesadillas are a playful blend of the two traditions that will surprise diners. Three blocks away from the Barclays Center, the restaurant has a patio for the balmy summer months and a long, wood-paneled bar perfect for sipping a cocktail before or after a game.
The Vanderbilt
570 Vanderbilt Ave.
718-623-0570
Audience members at the Barclays Center can find Michelin-starred chef Saul Bolton’s sausages in the arena or up the street a few blocks to The Vanderbilt. There, Bolton’s homemade sausages are served at tables with high wooden stools and a menu that is expertly prepared in the frenetic open kitchen. Small plates like the brussels sprouts in sriracha, honey, lime and sesame or the blistered shishito peppers are perfect for picking at while sipping a late-night pint. As a bonus, the restaurant will offer 10 percent off to anyone attending an event at the Barclay’s Center. Score, indeed.
Ganso
25 Bond St.
718-403-0900
Five blocks away from the arena at Ganso, Japanese comfort food reigns supreme. Short ribs melt into a steamy soy sauce-beef broth, topped with a slow-cooked egg and seasonal greens in a dish that is perfect for winding down after a bout of impassioned cheering. Onions coated with minced shiso — a Japanese herb — come poised on a bed of beefsteak tomatoes as a salad. Here, it’s always good to see what the menu is ahead of time, as it changes daily.
To raise a glass
Pacific Standard
82 Fourth Ave.
718-858-1951
Whether the game at the arena is a dud or a party, Pacific Standard is just around the corner and the 1,400 square feet can hold a lot of people (and a gigantic beer menu).
Stonehome Wine Bar
87 Lafayette Ave.
718-624-9443
A wine list 200 bottles long awaits the date-night sophisticated crowd at Stonehome, three blocks from the Barclays Center. Wine flights ($18) make it easy to try the flavors of a particular country or region, with scrumptious charcuteries and a variety of cheeses to match.
Weather Up
589 Vanderbilt Ave.
212-766-3202
Under the arched subway tiles or in the backyard garden, Weather Up does the old-fashioned aesthetic proud. Cocktails with names like the “Widow’s Kiss” and the “Whizz Bang” are mixed expertly by people who truly enjoy them — so their patrons do, too.
