One Day in Brooklyn, New York

I really love Brooklyn. The culture and vibrancy of the city is like no other. When I found out my friends were having their wedding in New Rochelle, NY, it was a no-brainer that I would fly in a day early to spend time in my fave borough. Normally, I plan my day out. I make a list of places I want to eat and things I want to see. That didn’t happen this time because I was planning on winging it. To my surprise, my friend had already mapped out a few places for us to visit throughout the day.

I have to admit that it was nice to have someone do the planning. It allowed me to really relax and enjoy the experience. And I did just that! In this post I am sharing 3 amazing places in Brooklyn that you should definitely check out. That way if you also have only 1 day in Brooklyn, you’d be covered for brunch, lunch and dinner (with cocktail options at each). We did some walking (make sure you have on comfy shoes) but also caught a ride share and took the subway to get to our destinations. (Since the pandemic, ride share prices have increased significantly. So if you’re comfortable with it, I would take the subway). We ate and drank our way around the city, and it was glorious. Hopefully on your next trip to NYC, you will make your way out to Brooklyn and do the same.

Chez Oskar

310 Malcolm X Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11233

My friend lives around the Bed-Stuy neighborhood in Brooklyn. After flying into LaGuardia airport, I immediately went to her place. I dropped off my bags, changed my clothes, and we were on our way to our first stop. It was a beautiful day out so we decided to walk the mile or so to Chez Oskar.

Chez Oskar is a cute French Bistro in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. We opted for outdoor patio seating so that we could continue to enjoy the weather and people watch. It may have been a Thursday, but I was on vacation so drinks were a given. We had a few more stops throughout the day so we kept it light with our food options. I wanted to eat all of the things so I definitely had to pace myself. Although we didn’t stay long, Chez Oskar was a great start to a fun filled day.

PILOT

Pier 6 Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY 11201

The next stop on my friend’s list was a secret. She wouldn’t tell me where we were going. It was a bit further out so we had to take rideshare to get there. 25 minutes later our driver pulled us into the Brooklyn Bridge Park. I was still clueless as to where we were going, and apparently so was she. She had to ask someone to point us in the right direction without ruining the surprise. A surprise, it was! We headed to Pier 6, but I didn’t see a restaurant. There was only a single boat docked at the pier. That’s when it hit me. The boat was the restaurant. To say I was excited, would be an understatement.

PILOT is an oyster bar on a vintage boat. It has breathtaking views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan. This bar is probably not ideal for those who get motion sickness. However, if you decide to pay them a visit, I would highly recommend reservations.

We didn’t get oysters, but we did indulge in other wonderful dishes like Caviar Hash Browns, Scallop Ceviche and Seared Sea Scallops. Everything we had was very fresh and outstanding. I honestly didn’t want to leave, but we had 2 more stops on the list.

Otis

18 Harrison Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11206

After a late lunch on the water and a relaxing walk through the Brooklyn Bridge Park, we made our way into Manhattan. Freehold in the Park was having their soft opening in Union Square. We had a quick glass of wine and shared a charcuterie board. There was no time to waste. We jumped on the subway to make it back to Brooklyn for our final stop.

We took the L train to Morgan Avenue in Bushwick and walked a short 2 minutes to Otis. There was a little bit of a wait to get seated, but we didn’t mind. Otis has a warm and welcoming lounge area with a couch. We were able to order drinks from their cocktail menu which definitely helped.

The service was excellent. The food was delicious. The ambiance was just right. I can understand why they have a 5 star Yelp rating. I couldn’t have asked for a better end to a wonderful day.

For more highlights from these restaurants and from my New York trip, check out my New York highlight on my Instagram page!