BBE Editor's Pick

Abigail Café & Wine Bar

807 Classon Ave., Brooklyn (Prospect Heights)

By Tom Gavin

It bills itself as a café and wine bar, but you'd be forgiven for mistaking Abigail for more of a coffeehouse on first blush. With a hodgepodge of flea market couches, local artists' work, and red plastic chandeliers—not to mention free wifi—the large, brick-walled space looks like nothing so much as a comfortable place to get your caffeine fix. But like the décor, the menu mashes together some surprising combinations, all from Abigail Hitchcock who cooks (here and at Camaje, her other restaurant, in the West Village), runs culinary tours, and—why not?—gives a few cooking classes to boot.

menu musts

A selection of cheeses and charcuterie, courtesy of Stinky Bklyn, starts things off right. Then look for some brand-new items on the menu, like a leek and Gorgonzola tart, brimming with sharp flavor; asparagus and saffron risotto with bacon; and a gorgeous spring lamb stew. Still on the menu, the Moroccan chicken tagine, dressed up with golden raisins and apricots, is a house favorite. The entrées aren't massive, which is good news since you'll want to order small plates like the impossible-to-resist chorizo and chocolate. Burgers abound, too—Kobe beef with garlic aioli, or maybe fish with scallion and ginger. Just be sure to leave enough room for the smoky mac and cheese. And if you still want coffee, Brooklyn's own carbon-neutral Kitten Coffee supplies Abigail with the goods for anything from espresso to iced cappuccino. view full menu here

the crowd

Couples from either side of the ProCro divide (Prospect Heights/Crown Heights; don’t ask) find relative privacy at the marble two tops, while regulars with laptops linger on the couch or at the bar.

... on the side

eye on design
Red is the color at this wine bar—whether it be the walls, the barstools, the chandeliers, or the bricks. Whimsical touches—hanging Christmas ball ornaments, a tagsale dresser, and a tagine serving as a candleholder at the bar—complete the look.

If this place were a movie, it would be
Night on Earth: under-the-radar, a little bit artsy, a little bit quirky, and telling several stories at once—though without Roberto Benigni.

on the stereo
Anything from live jazz performances on select nights, to Brian Eno’s Music for Airports.

decibels
Medium

hours

Mon–Fri 10 AM–11 PM; Sat–Sun 10:30 AM–12 AM

price range

$9 (smoked mac ‘n’ cheese) to $19 (cumin-crusted pork tenderloin)

807 Classon Ave. (between Lincoln Pl. and St. Johns Pl.; subway: 2, 3, 4 to Eastern Pkwy.-Brooklyn Museum), Brooklyn, NY 11238; 718-399-3200 www.abigailbrooklyn.com $$