Cafe Kestrel

My family and I walked in over Labor Day weekend for brunch on Sunday and loved everything about this place (the food, the garden) except for the service. My boyfriend and I both work in hospitality so we appreciate great service, but we're not unrealistic with our expectations. We just appreciate kind people who aren't overbearing or pressing, but the woman who served us was so cold and rude, it truly made us feel uncomfortable. There was no warm greeting, not even a smile, she barely spoke a word to us the entire time we were there. We were one of two tables in the garden and there were 3 tables in the front, so it's not like she was busy or anything. The 3 of us ordered the dandelion salad, French toast, poached eggs entree, zucchini blossoms, bacon and hasbrowns. Our server didn't chec

Sam, the general manager, made this an unforgettable night for my mom and me. We agreed it was one of the best meals we’ve ever had. The bread and the halibut were delicious beyond words. The tuna with greens was surprisingly delightful (more my mom’s taste than mine, but I’m glad I tried). We could have done without the chilled shrimp crudo, missed the mark for us. The drink list was incredible, and our bottle (the Patapon white) was perfection. Well worth the trek to Red Hook! Thanks to Helen Rosner for the rec and lovely write-up!

I’d say this place is really good value in NYC. For me, everything pictured here (split with my friend) represented about $75 (including tip). The experience is very similar to eating in a Parisian bistro, with the tables being right next to each other in a small environment. The upside to that is that the service was very good—shout out to the staff who were consistently filling my water since I drink a lot 😂 For the food, I was very impressed by the “toast” which is just a grilled baguette. I really like the charred flavor that was imparted onto the bread, which I would gladly have eaten on its own. We were both surprised by the cafe salad, where the cheese blindsided us. We assumed it was going to be something like butternut squash, but were pleasantly surprised by how everything cam

this place is such a gem! i love how intimate and cozy it felt, it was perfect for date night. highlights on the menu were the baguette with seaweed butter (so good), yellowfin tuna with blood orange & avocados, and the apricot cake (a must). will have to come back to try their spring menu next.

The ambience at Cafe Kestrel is lovely — warm and stylish. We sat at the bar, though, and it honestly felt more like sitting at a workstation than a comfortable dining spot. The music throughout the night was great, but since the speakers were right above our heads, we had to raise our voices to talk. We both really enjoyed the wines — they were well chosen and paired nicely with our meal. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to the setting or the prices. The fried mussels were drenched in oil to the point that you could barely taste the mussels. The salad verte was the best dish of the night, and the beans with anchovies were also very tasty. We also ordered the scallops, chicken with dates, and trout, but every single dish was heavy with oil. We ended up drinking a ton of water just