The Oldest Restaurant in Brooklyn, New York Has Been Making Customers Happy Since 1900

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Bamonte's Restaurant, the oldest eatery in Brooklyn, New York. My son, an aspiring film director living in Brooklyn, had just had his first feature-length film screened at the Brooklyn Film Festival in Williamsburg. (Way to go, Bud!) I'd traveled to New York for the event, and we were looking for a special place where we could celebrate. We both like restaurants that offer a real sense of place, along with some character, and that little something extra that nudges an eatery across the line that separates the mundane from the truly special. I'm happy to report that this old-school Italian restaurant in New York fit the bill.

Bamonte's Restaurant is located on Withers Street, about half a block off Union Avenue, in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, where it has been for more than a century in an old shake-fronted building that has been updated with some fieldstone facing and new glass. Founded in 1900, it's the oldest continuously-operating restaurant in Brooklyn. (Some folks may point to Peter Luger, but Luger started as a bowling alley and went through a few iterations before becoming the institution it is today.)

When you walk into Bamonte's, the history of the place settles onto your shoulders and envelops you, like a mist blowing in off the East River. The restaurant is about two subway cars deep but not much wider than a single train tunnel. The decor is... multigenerational. Suspended from a red tiled ceiling, you'll find drapes like curtains from an off-Broadway stage and lampshades that look more like dresses worn by dancers from the Ziegfeld Follies.

Photos of families and luminaries, like Telly Savalas (of Kojak fame) and Michael Gazzo (best known as Frankie Five Angels from The Godfather), adorn the walls. In the front bar area, where people gather to wait for a table or locals pop in for a drink, you'll find a cooler full of bottled beer bumping up against a pair of phone booths with working pay phones and relics like a cigarette vending machine that was probably occupying the same corner when Kojak was at the top of the TV ratings.

My son and I arrived just in time to meet his girlfriend, who had come from an earlier engagement, in the bar. I checked in, and our table was waiting for us, so we didn't get to spend too much time up front before being led back into the dining room, where the red walls and ceilings continued, but the brown tile floors and recessed lighting of the bar gave way to red carpeting and elaborate chandeliers.

A tuxedoed server seated us at a white-clothed table, and as early as it was, I was surprised to see so many diners—especially on a Sunday night. Our event was at 7:30 p.m., so I'd made a 5:00 p.m. reservation. Plenty of folks were already there when we were seated, and by the time we left, the dining room and most of the bar were packed.

Our server, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a southern European accent, explained that he'd only worked at Bamonte's for four years, so he was considered the "youngster" among the waitstaff, many of whom had spent their entire careers at the restaurant. He then went on to describe the surprisingly long list of specials, including a fresh burrata with sliced tomatoes and fresh basil, as well as a fettuccine with shrimp and fresh mushrooms.

We ordered the burrata for the table, along with a bottle of wine from Bamonte's respectable list, and enjoyed the creamy cheese and juicy tomatoes with a basket of bread and some Valpolicella while we planned our meal strategy. Ultimately, we decided that we'd each order a pasta dish and split an order of chicken Parmigiana among the three of us.

I opted for the fettuccine special, and I was not disappointed. The mushrooms were savory and buttery, the noodles were perfectly cooked, and fresh cherry tomatoes added just enough acidity to prevent the dish from being overwhelmingly rich. The chicken parm, which was served with roasted potatoes and green beans, was some of the best I've had. By the end of dinner, all that remained was a little bit of pasta and half a bottle of wine, both of which were bagged and sent home with the kids.

Our meal at Bamonte's Restaurant in Brooklyn was just the kind of dining experience that I love—the food was good, but it was only one component of the whole event. The atmosphere, the history, the vibe, and the meal all combined for the type of superlative experience that made me understand why Bamonte's has endured for as long as it has. I would dine here again—and if you haven't experienced it yet, I think you should.

I do recommend making reservations; however, in keeping with its character, Bamonte's has a somewhat confusing online presence (you'll understand what I mean when you see the website). Instead, give them a call at (718) 384-8831.