Broccolino

A restaurant isn’t solely a culinary experience but a phenomenological one as well. They are not mutually exclusive. If the space is too small to be able to design a vestibule in the winter without getting rid of a few tables and chairs then what you end up with are tables so pressed together that you hit the people behind you when you reach behind your chair, the first table at the door (the one I and a party of 5 sat at) doesn’t allow for people to sit across from each other since the back of your chair is literally less than 18 inches away from the serving station (utensils, menus, etc) that the waiters are constantly getting to to service their customers. As well as the fact that they are coming in and out of the restaurant constantly… why? Because they share a kitchen with Superstar Pizza next door and come in and out of the restaurant with uncovered plates of food and boxes of pizza. You receive your food pretty much cold if its cold out.
We ordered 3 subpar pizzas and two plates of pasta. The cheapest option, I think it was a 16 dollar spaghetti, had pasta that was Al Dente. I figured that was the least they could do. Pizza was received a good 5 – 10 minutes after the two plates of pasta came out. We were never asked about our food, water, bread, more wine?
Just walking in and seeing how close the table was to the opposite wall was astonishing. The door constantly opening and closing and people running in and out behind you made for an experience that I hope to never be a part of again.

I came here with my boyfriend for dinner to celebrate his birthday. Broccolino is quite a small restaurant and there isn’t too much seating, so I wouldn’t suggest planning a group dinner here — maybe 2 – 4 people at most. Staff here are very friendly and helpful! Service was pretty good. Food was decent, but pricing was a little expensive in my opinion.
So we had the following items
Margarita & Pina Colada — we started off with cocktails which were very good and not too strong which I liked.
Frittura Di Calamari (Fried calamari with a side of spicy tomato sauce) — the appetizer was a little expensive — $ 16.00 (never have I spent that much on calamari before), but anyway the spicy tomato sauce was very spicy to the point that after one or two bites, my mouth was on fire. I asked the waiter if he can bring a regular tomato sauce on the side and he did. Fried calamari was fried to perfection, crisp, and crunchy!
Homemade black linguine with lobster with tomato sauce — My boyfriend ordered this dish and boy was it quite expensive — over $ 20 from what I remember. The dish looked pretty hefty and the lobster meat was enormous! I tried a piece of lobster meat with the tomato sauce and it was moist and tasty!
Homemade thin spaghetti with fresh baby clams, garlic and olive oil — I love linguine with white clam sauce, so I decided to try the one from Broccolino and the portion was kind of small for $ 17.00 and the texture of the spaghetti felt similar to ramen, but was really tasty! The fresh baby clams I wasn’t too crazy about because there were a lot of empty shells and not enough clams and for some of the clams that were in the dish, some of them had sand — no bueno!
Overall, it was a somewhat nice and simple dinner at Broccolino. In my opinion, I think it’s definitely overpriced especially the fried calamari because you can get a good one for like $ 10 at most an Italian restaurant in the city or in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn (where I’m from). I also don’t really like eating my pasta dishes with semi-​empty clam shells with sand too. I think the chances of being back would be slim just because I don’t think a dish of calamari should cost $ 16 and the space inside the restaurant isn’t very big or comfortable.

Terrible! Do not give this place your hard-​earned money. Food is subpar for what they charge. Service is TERRIBLE. I actually hate this place now.
My husband and I walked by on our date night and thought their menu looked interesting so we decided to try it.
We were the only ones in the restaurant for awhile then another couple came in. The waiter sat the other couple sitting facing each other, which they did not like. They pointed at us, who were seated side by side, and asked why we were allowed to sit next to each other but they weren’t. The waiter then came over and demanded that we move seats to face each other because the restaurant «might» get busy and they only seat people facing each other. We were in the middle of eating dinner! Who does that?! It was so rude but the waiter didn’t seem to care. Also, why didn’t you seat us that way when we came in?
The worst part of the whole experience: the waiter spilled my husband’s full glass of red wine all over him and did not apologize. He didn’t even offer a napkin or anything to help him clean up. He also refused to not charge us for the wine stating in his hard-​to-​understand accent that «it’s rude not to pay for what you order»
Do not go here. There are much better restaurants near Barclays. This place is the worst worst worst worst. So bad.

Popped in for a pre-​show meal, conveniently located across from Barclays off 5^th. It’s a tiny restaurant with just a few tables, so we opted to dine at the counter. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. We shared the burrata, which was delicious — I’m not sure why the previous Unilocaler had such a bad experience as ours was super fresh and oozed like true burrata! Then we shared the shrimp and avocado salad as well as the vegetarian pizza. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and filling. Definitely will come back and recommend to friends!

Yummy food and good service. The saffron risotto was excellent as was the bruschetta.

No stars really…
I ordered online and after waiting an hour I called. After trying to speak to people on the phone that couldn’t understand me and my order they then got back on and excused it and said they would prepare my order. I was told another 20 minutes. Nope– another 35 minutes later and nothing and the restaurant wouldn’t pick up the phone. Got nothing. They just lost a customer.

I’ve came here a couple of times now and this place is really nice. It has a cool layout & the food is delicious. It also helps that they have great staff, such as Sara, that helps to add a special touch to it all. Being that it’s so close to the Barclay’s Center, it makes for a great stop right before going to an event or game.

The classic example of Italians selling over priced, mediocre food to Americans in a setting that is supposed to make you feel sophisticated, but ends up making you feel like you got fleeced.
My wife and I stopped in here for a quick bite, She got the «burrata» appetizer. I got the gnocchi special.
As I’m sure the staff at this restaurant knows, and as the menu states, burrata is not just mozzarella. Its mozzarella stuffed with cream. That is not what we were served. We were served what could have been a store bought mozzarella ball, cut in half, with a side of unripe tomatoes. It was sixteen dollars.
My gnocchi was doughy and flavorless, with a sauce so sweet I swear it could have come from a can. It was 19 dollars. if you’re going to charge 19 dollars for a pasta dish without a protein, it better be a goddamn masterpiece. This was not.
The bottom line — the food here is edible, but the hustle is unconscionable. You’re better off going next door to Patsy’s where the staff may not be fashionable Italians, but they also don’t treat you like a mark.

Love the fact that they do homemade pasta. Do not like the fact that they have such a limited selection. The place was also really small. I came for a holiday dinner with my friend and arrived around 6:00pm on a Tuesday night. There were only about three parties there, but I can see that it can get crowded really fast. It’s such a tiny place, although the décor was really trendy and hip, it lacked space allocation. The food was OK, we had the bruschetta for an appetizer and it was good. To be honest, we were surprised this place does not serve bread (with that said, I saw some tables have bread, not sure if it came with a specific entrée or they chose not to give us one.) My friend said her dish was too salty. My pesto pasta dish was very heavy with cheese as well. The portions seem tiny, but they fill you up easily! Overall a 3 star experience. No bad, but not sure if good enough for me to return, especially if you walk about ten minutes down 5^th Avenue, there is La Villa.

One of the best meals in a restaurant we have ever had. I had the gnocchi special with mushr
ooms, sun dried tomatoes, shrimp in an olive oil and garlic sauce. The gnocchi were light and fluffy like clouds. My son had the mushroom fettuccine which was very flavorful. I would have given this place 5*‘s except it’s small and when the door is opened you feel the cold, however this may be my new go to place in Brooklyn. Great spot for pre-​Barclay events; being it’s directly across the street.
Definitely check this place out.
PS…love, love, love the music playing. I found my head bobbing throughout the meal… ha, ha, ha.

Family style dining with attentive service. Had the lasagna which is generous enough for two. Feels like one happy family here. If you’re going to Barclay Center be sure to stop here first.

First, the soft playlist in the background is a fabulous reason to come to Broccolino. Do it for the soft jams. But not the name. Because it just sounds like broccoli.
The food. My god. Fresh pasta that is perfectly cooked. A beef ragu that is rich and flavorful but not too filling. The portion sizes are perfect. This place is so good. Also you get rustic bread and oil to start.
The place has an outdoor area as well as an indoor space (with a garage door separating the two). Its such a wonderful atmosphere. Not too loud.
The waitstaff is very sweet and attentive. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Bottom line up front: expensive price for mediocre-​at-​best food.
Ordered the insalata brussel and 12“meat lover pizza. The salad tasted like it was mostly shredded cabbage, but maybe that’s just what shredded brussel sprouts taste like. Not worth the $ 11. The pizza came partially folded from the delivery guy and was cold. Perhaps not their fault, just be careful if you are ordering delivery. Also, I ordered extra mozzarella on my pizza and the cheese on my pizza is very scant. I can’t imagine what it would look like without extra cheese. Much of this I could excuse if this pizza tasted amazing. Unfortunately, it is waaaaay to salty. I’m not a picky eater but I’ve had this problem with other dishes here in the past. There’s just better options for a cheaper price than this place.

Went for early dinner and grapped a pizza. Thin crust, italian beer and great atmosphere. Food: top notch. Service: polite and professional. Around 17 $ for a pizza but definately worth it.
I’ll go back any day of the week for a pizza and a beer.

Definitely a gem !
My husband and I decided to grab a bite to eat before going to the Marc Anthony concert at The Barclays. And they definitely didn’t disappoint. We started with the bruschetta, which was to die for !!! To be honest, I don’t even remember the name of what I had, but it was delish ! My husband had the lasagna… equally amazing.
I have absolutely no complaints ! Authentic feel, delicious food… you can’t go wrong here !

Broccolino is a cute Italian restaurant within striking distance of the Barclays Center. It’s very small but they open up the storefront with tables on the sidewalk which allows for additional seating. It’s owned by Italians (from Italy) which is a double edged sword; it makes the places feel more authentic if that matters to you, but the service is more like it is in Italy (AKA slow). Getting their attention can be difficult, especially considering there are only 2 – 3 servers and they’ve wearing multiple hats, taking orders, resetting tables, bussing tables, etc. Still the place has a pretty big menu for both drinks and food, and the décor/​atmosphere is pretty ideal for a date spot.
The drinks here are very good, namely their 2 negronis (all I’ve had personally). The difference between the 2 is one is traditional (gin, campari, sweet vermouth) and the other is their take on it (campari, prosecco, cinzano rosso). If you want something lighter/​less alcoholic, go with the latter. Or better yet just go with any of the wines they have on tap; they also have a few beers and plenty of other cocktails available as well. So how’s the food? Good but not great. For appetizers, the eggplant parm is good but it’s a tiny portion. The fried calamari was decent as well, a little too heavy batter though. Most pastas are made fresh in house which is a nice touch even though it’s not the best fresh pasta in the world. Skip the pappardelle with duck ragu, which wasn’t nearly flavorful enough. The spaghetti with white clam sauce is pretty good though. Depending on what the gnocchi/​ravioli of the day are, those can be good options. Overall you don’t really come here for the food though; you come for a date or a quick meal before heading to the Barclay’s Center.
This is definitely a cute place that’s great for dates, but otherwise it is just a decent option. Go to Franny’s, Queen, Amorina, or a number of other nearby places for better Italian food.

I would say this is slightly above average Italian at best.
I do like the space, where they open up all the doors to the outside and it’s nice to eat and people watch at the same time. The service was also very friendly and prompt.
The food however, isn’t quite up to par with other equivalent places in Brooklyn. We ordered the shaved Brussels sprouts salad, the burrata, and black linguine with lobster. The salad was basically a giant bowl of raw shaved sprouts, topped with very strong pecorino. The dressing was hard to discern, and I’m not entirely sure there was any. I love sprouts, but these were boring and dry. The burrata was pretty good, although I’ve had much better, and the tomatoes seemed a little bland. The highlight of the meal was the linguine, which had a huge portion of lobster and a nice tomato sauce. I do wish the pasta had been cooked a little better (it stuck together in chunks) but otherwise this dish was very good.
They have a decent wine menu, but the cocktail menu is just laughable. I haven’t had Sex on the Beach and Pina Coladas since I was in college.

Great food, great service, and great ambiance!
We were at the Barclays Center and Broccolino is just a short walk away (less than 5 min). We were attracted by the good Unilocal reviews, and we were not disappointed!
We first started with some parmesan fries. Delicious. The three of us finished it off instantaneously and couldn’t wait for the pastas to arrive. All 3 pasta that we chose were amazing– the clam spaghetti was very fresh (albeit a bit sandy), the sausage and broccoli rabe cavatelli was very savory, and the duck ragu tagliatelle was phenomenal. All their pastas are homemade and you can taste the difference. I love the pasta consistencies.
The restaurant itself has sort of a hipster vibe. Behind the bar is written wall of their various wines with quirky quotes like «prosecco, champagne’s sexiest cousin» and «wine is poetry in a bottle». There is outdoor dining, and the tables and chairs are all wooden. The whole restaurant is not large, but has a cozy feeling.
If we’re in the area, I would love to revisit Broccolino and try their other pastas!

We have been to Broccolino once in the restaurant and a few times via delivery (they are some of the quickest delivery options near us through Seamless!). The restaurant itself is tiny, with a bar and some tables that can be used family style or pulled apart. We enjoyed the lasagna, arugula salad, and the homemade tagliatelle with meat sauce. Yum. No other words needed it is so so good! One of my favorite parts about eating here was the fact that they have wine on tap! So cool! The also provide you with bread and olive oil to start your meal and if you love the olive oil (like we do!) you can even buy a bottle of theirs!
It’s located really close to Barclays which makes it a nice option before a game or concert but definitely plan to get there early as I imagine this tiny tasty place will be packed!

Broccolino had a lot of promise, but it fell short in a few ways.
The place takes up two store fronts. One is for their dedicated pizza oven, and the other (connected) is for the sit-​down Italian restaurant (which is where we were). There’s indoor and sidewalk space, which is nice. So far, so good.
Started out with the shaved Brussels sprouts and pecorino — pecorino is a strong flavor, and it just overpowered the «salad». The dressing was way too light, and the entire thing (which was a big bowl to start with) was just too dry and was like a chore to eat. And this is coming from someone who loves Brussels sprouts.
Also had the burrata with tomatoes with balsamic vinegar glaze. It was also not that good. Could’ve used more basil. And the balsanic glaze was pretty flavorless.
For our main, we split the black linguine with half a lobster in tomato sauce. The half lobster came in the shell, so you had to use a cracker to open it up. Pretty messy, which the waiter warned us about. Probably not the best thing to get on a first date. But it was really good, and helped salvage the meal.
They also have Italian beers available, which is nice. But I don’t think I’d return.